Mr Tourist Todd

Pandas, Hotpots and Parks

 I work every evening at these games which gives me a lot of free time in the day to explore and get involved in the city of CHENGDU.

Chengdu is a place full of people (nearly 9 million to be exact) but it  is also a place full of activities. 

This is only a short update as I have written about most of these things in the Example Report that I am giving to the class I am currently teaching in Room 20.  

On Monday I had the pleasure of visiting the Chengdu Panda Research and Breeding facility.  It was such a hot day which meant a lot of the pandas were inside. I still was able to see a group of Giant Pandas munching away on bamboo and two HUGE pandas having a bit of a play fight. It was such a treat to be able to see these beautiful creatures.

Tuesday saw me experience the Chengdu cuisine of HOTPOT! It is a very communal activity and I was lucky to be invited by a lot of the volunteers from the games to go to a local HotPot place. Each table has a bit gas hob in the middle where the pan (full of Sichuan spices) is placed, once it is boiling you are able to place your raw meat and vegetables in the hotpot to cook them yourself. I loved eating all sorts of meat and cooking raw potatoes in the spicy broth, although, it was a little too spicy for me! 

Today was a busy day of walking, the city of Chengdu is well connected by the subway system. With 5 different lines spanning the length and breadth of the city I was able to visit lots of sites and tick off some of the big attractions. My first stop, the Chungxi road shopping district was full of department stores and fancy brands.  I moved on the find the Daci Temple, A Buddhist Monastery in downtown Chendgu. Next it was time to visit Tianfu square and the Peoples Park. I sat down at one of the famous tea houses to enjoy a green tea by the man-made lake and to tick off another tradition I had my ears cleaned...it was very strange and I have to admit I didn't particularly enjoy paying for this ticklish/painful service! Finally I stopped by the Khuanzhai Alleys. Filled with people it was fantastic to walk through stalls selling everything from food to souvenirs, jewelry to toys. I loved the hustle and bustle.

I have really enjoyed getting to know the city of Chengdu. I hope to see more tomorrow! For my students reading this. You should be onto your report planning and writing. Have a look HERE to get an idea on how your report should be structured and what topics you might like to choose.