Chengdu (where the Panda reserve is located)

Chengdu
Originally uploaded by jimwink

Here is the first of many posts for our recent Christmas/New Years' vacation. It was filled with great and unusual food, icy road conditions and crazy taxi drivers among other things. Overall we had a great time. Our first stop on this adventure was Chengdu, near the center of China. It was our gateway into Tibet because visitors have to obtain a special permit to visit the area. We used an agency this time so they arranged everything for us. The name might sound familiar to some, as this was the location of the major earthquake that hit China earlier this year. In fact, the panda reserve that we wanted to visit was partially destroyed so our tour included a different panda reserve. We were still able to see the pandas up close and was able to visit the baby panda area. Unfortunately we were not able to take any photos of the them but I assure you they are very cuddly and playful. All the pandas we did manage to take pictures of were over a year old.

We spent a day and half in Chengdu with very little planned on the agenda. One evening we decided to walk around and see what kind of restaurants we could find. We popped into a couple of them and after looking at the menu (which we couldn't read in Chinese) we decided to head back towards the hotel. Soon we came across something promising. I don't remember the exact name but Steak was part of it. At this point we were both starving and decided to give it a try. Another factor that contributed to us going there was that the place was packed, and if a place scores well with the locals, then it might be worth trying. The menu was in English, the waiter could speak a little and the prices were really cheap. Rachel and I joked about the prices and little did we know, it does make a difference. So with a mix of our broken Chinese and pointing, we ordered what looked like steak and eggs.

After a few minutes our dinners arrived still sizzling on the iron plate with a cover. The server waits for us to hold up our napkins so the oil doesn't splatter all over us, then he removes the cover. Steam rises and reveals a steak, a fried egg and potatoes. It looks great. So we start cutting into the steak and find out why this steak costs about $6 USD. About 80% of it was just fat. What little meat you could find was scattered throughout. We both agreed that it was the worst steak ever. No pictures were taken of this meal...

Well, we hope you enjoy the photos of my favorite animal, the panda. Click on the photo to see the rest.