LEAVING

AFTER SIX  WONDERFUL DAYS IN CHENGDU, IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE. MY LADY RODE WITH ME TO THE AIRPORT AND SAW ME OFF ON THE PLANE TO BEIJING AND THEN HOME TO NEW YORK.
AT THE AIRPORT I TAUGHT HER A PHRASE IN ENGLISH- WHICH SHE REPEATED PERFECTLY -" HAVE A  NICE JOURNEY HOME."  SHE MEANT THAT TOO. I WILL ALWAYS
TREASURE MY  TIME IN CHENGDU. I HAVE NOT GONE BACK THERE SINCE, BUT MY FRIEND AND I KEEP IN TOUCH REGULARLY VIA E-MAIL.
A FEW MONTHS LATER- CHENGDU HAD A CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKE IN APRIL 2008 - I CALLED HER- THANKFULLY HER AND HER FAMILY WERE NOT AFFECTED.
MY LADY FRIEND HAS SINCE MOVED FROM CHENGDU TO SHENZHEN, BUT WE WILL MEET AGAIN SOON I FEEL.

I MUST ADMIT- I HAD A STRANGE EXPERIENCE IN CHENGDU. DURING MY STAY, WE WENT TO A  TEMPLE- THERE WERE BUDDHIST SHRINES IN A LARGE PARK- I FORGET WHAT THE NAME OF THE PARK WAS. WHILE I WAS THERE, I COULD FEEL A PRESENCE-
OF SPIRITS, GHOSTS-  IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT. I COULD FEEL THE PRESENCE OF ENTITIES AROUND ME. I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT THE AREA I WAS IN WAS A SACRED PLACE. I HAVE HAD NO PARANORMAL EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE- BUT THIS WAS THE CLOSEST TO IT. I WAS NOT SCARED IN ANY WAY- JUST THRILLED. I BELIEVE THAT LIFE DOES CONTINUE AFTER DEATH- THIS WAS AN INDICATION OF IT. I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT TO MY FRIEND CHANG YU- MAYBE SHE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED AT ALL.

I HAD TO LEAVE- NEW YORK WAS CALLING!

MORE CHENGDU

I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME IN CHENGDU, I ESPECIALLY LIKED THE TIMES I SPENT WITH MY FRIEND'S FAMILY. WE ATE DELICIOUS CHINESE MEALS TOGETHER AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. IT DID NOT MATTER THAT THERE WAS A LANGUAGE BARRIER- WE COMMUNICATED VERY WELL ANYWAY.

THERE WAS A SECOND PLACE WE WENT TO BY BUS FROM CHENGDU- IT WAS THE DUJIANGYAN IRRIGATION PROJECT. BUILT OVER 2,000 YEARS AGO- IT WORKS PERFECTLY EVEN TO THIS DAY. IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN THE WORLD.

MY LADY, CHANG YU, HER FRIEND AND ME WENT TO THE PROJECT FOR A DAY OF SIGHTSEEING. WOW- I WAS VERY VERY IMPRESSED! THERE ARE ANCIENT CHINESE TEMPLES ON HIGH HILLS OVERLOOKING THE PROJECT- BUILT AT THE TIME OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AREA OVER 2,000 YEARS AGO. WE VISITED THE TEMPLES OF THE ANCIENT EMPERORS, AND THEN WE WALKED AROUND THE DAM AND PROJECT AREA. IT SEEMED HARD TO BELIEVE THE CHINESE HAD THE TECHNOLOGY TO BUILT THIS REMARKABLE SITE 2 MILLENNIA AGO- BUT THEY DID. A TRIBUTE TO THEIR INGENUITY. 

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE FASCINATING FACTS

THE PANDA BASE

MY TIME IN CHENGDU WAS SHORT. I WAS ONLY THERE FOR A FEW DAYS. MY LADY AND I WENT TO MANY PLACES BUT 2 PLACES STAND OUT IN MY MIND. ONE WAS THE PANDA PRESERVE AND RESEARCH CENTER IN CHENGDU. THIS IS THE LEADING CENTER FOR PANDAS IN THE WORLD. THE ENTRANCE IS SHOWN ABOVE.

ON A WONDERFUL SUNNY DAY WE WENT TO SEE THE PANDAS. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME SEEING PANDAS UP CLOSE. THEY ARE WONDERFUL TO WATCH. THEY ACT ALMOST LIKE HUMAN CHILDREN SOMETIMES. WHEN PANDAS ARE BORN THOUGH, THEY ARE USUALLY TAKEN AWAY FROM THE PARENTS. THERE HAVE BEEN CASES OF THE MOTHER PANDAS ATTACKING AND SOMETIMES EATING THEIR YOUNG. THEY ARE RAISED IN THE PRESERVE BY HUMANS UNTIL THEY REACH A CERTAIN AGE WHERE THEY CAN BE ON THEIR OWN.

THE PANDA'S DIET IS SIMPLE- ALL THEY EAT ARE BAMBOO SHOOTS SO THERE IS PLENTY OF BAMBOO TO GO AROUND IN THE PRESERVE.

IF ANY OF YOU ARE NEAR OR VISITING CHENGDU, SEEING THE PANDA BASE IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST. IT IS WONDERFUL AND EXTREMELY EDUCATIONAL FOR KIDS AND ADULTS ALIKE.

LETS ALL HOPE THAT THE PANDA DOES NOT BECOME AN ENDANGERED SPECIES AND WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND PROSPER FOREVER!


TO SEE MORE ABOUT PANDAS-CLICK

MY FIRST TIME IN CHINA

I FIRST ARRIVED IN CHINA IN NOVEMBER,2007. I WENT TO CHENGDU AT THE INVITATION OF A WONDERFUL LADY WHO I MET ONLINE IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR.

I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO CHINA. I LOOKED FORWARD TO THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
CHINA EXCEEDED ALL MY EXPECTATIONS. I FELT MORE THAN WELCOME THERE. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LOVE AFFAIR THAT I HAVE WITH CHINA AND THE CHINESE PEOPLE.
I SPENT 5 DAYS IN CHENGDU. MY MEMORY OF MY TIME THERE WILL LAST ALWAYS!
CHENGDU LIES IN SICHUAN PROVENCE ,IT IS WHERE THE PANDA BASE IS, THE LARGEST PANDA BEAR PRESERVE IN THE WORLD. THIS PRESERVE IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND IT IS WHERE PANDAS RULE AND PEOPLE ARE THEIR SERVANTS- HAAA!

FOR A COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHENGDU- CLICK HERE

MY LADY WHO INIVTED ME THERE- CHANG YU AND HER FRIEND ACTED AS MY GUIDES AND INTERPRETERS. MY HOTEL ROOM WAS VERY NICE AND HUGE- 4 ROOMS AT A VERY LOW PRICE, AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF- A MCDONALDS RESTAURANT WAS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. I HAD BREAKFAST THERE EVERY MORNING. I WAS PERFECTLY AT A HOME AWAY FROM HOME.