Upon arrival I met with my tour guide and my driver, Wu, went to book my lunch and left. I was working with a French family, they had a little girl maybe 3 years old. It was quite a trek to the panda house we were to work in and this little girl is such a brat and making horrible comments at me and her parents don't care! Was so angry and upset that a little kid could make me feel like this.
So when we got to the panda house we were introduced to the five we were working with. 3 were adults and 2 were teenage twins. Pandas make the most interesting sound, almost like laughter. We then went inside and started cleaning out the cages. It turns out pandas are very fussy and of the bamboo they receive, about 40% goes to waste, they choose not to eat it.
Also because of their diet their poop is rather odd looking and yellow in colour with the texture of sawdust. At this point, two more ladies joined our group. The guide then went to cut up some apples and we used a long piece of bamboo to feed to the pandas. Lots of people started to take photos since the pandas were quite active. Wu told me that it was a good day for pandas because they like the cold weather.
We then had to wait for the panda cake to arrive which is shaped like mooncakes and made of rice, soya beans, corn and vitamins. We again used the bamboo pole to feed it to them. The guide told us some pandas don't like this cake and some love it. Some are also very fussy and need the keeper to feed it to them with chopsticks!! Now that is fussy!!
After this it was only 11am but seemed to be the end of our volunteer experience. The two ladies were booked with another tour operator and went to a different tour. Unfortunately I was stuck with the French family who I had to go to lunch with. Because Wu already paid my lunch it was all set and included for me. The guide told me I was free to explore on my own or I could join her tour but the thought of following with this kid was driving me nuts.
After an awkward lunch I left and explored on my own. At this point it was hot and sunny and the pandas were all sleeping or hiding. I saw some red pandas but they were also sleeping. It was a bit frustrating I missed seeing them all in the morning. So I then tried to go to the panda nursery but couldn't get in so I walked back to the front gate to ask tourist information. There were two girls who seemed to work there and two guys in there chatting to them. When I tried to ask one girl she then rudely got up and walked away. I asked the other girl but my Mandarin isn't that good so I asked in English. There are lots of foreigners in this place so her working in tourist information she should be able to speak English. Then the stupid guys start making fun of me for speaking English. If you want to make fun of me then don't use the language I'm using - idiots!! I was so embarrassed and upset I wanted to cry I walked out.
I went to the panda museum for a while and to the research lab museum thing. Again a bunch of teenage Chinese kids walking in front of me I overtook them then they followed me and I could hear them mocking me. It's just incredibly difficult to deal with on my own.
I watched some programme, trying to get myself together. I walked to the panda cinema but it was full and so dark I couldn't see where to even walk. The base is huge and walking is exhausting. In the end I called Wu to get me early.
He kindly drove me to the Wide and Narrow Lanes which are very old style buildings which have gardens, restaurants, bars, cafes and shops inside them. The whole place people just take photos.
I then walked to Tianfu Square which doesn't have a whole lot of things to be honest before I got to Chunxi Lu which has lots of shops. I stopped by Haagan Daz to have something to eat and drink and rest my feet. The lady kept talking to me in Chinese and I had no idea what she said before she caught on before muttering something at me and walking away. I don't know if she was paying me back and she bought me some different food I didn't know how to ask her about it. I sometimes feel people do this on purpose to me because I can't complain. I then feel them watching me to see if I'd dare do something about it. I'm so frustrated with this attitude.
I left and walked on but every time I stopped, men on motorbikes and scooters would pull over and start asking me something and it scares me so much I keep moving. I went to the road selling mobile phones which was a big mistake. Some woman hit me with her laminated card and grabbed my arm to look at her probably stolen phones.
I pulled away and walked swiftly and she kept following and I wanted to cry again. In the end I tried to get a taxi but people kept walking into me and more men in motorbikes approached me so I thought I'd head back to Chunxi.
I got hungry and went to Pizza Hut to get away from things. I managed to drift away and read my book instead before I went to get a taxi. I flagged one down and couldn't tell him where I was going, it's so different to Shanghai where the driver stops whilst you tell him where you want to go. He then got rather aggressive because I couldn't speak Chinese. I kept handing him the card with the hotel address on it and he kept flipping it at me before finally snatching it. He then got the address and threw the paper back at me!
When he dropped me at the hotel and I paid him he just threw the money at me in such a huff I was so close to tears at this point.
I've seriously not had a good time in Chengdu. I've also come to realise its more a place for stopping by and transferring. There is so little to see and do here.
Tomorrow I'm going back to Shanghai I wonder if I can get an earlier flight. I actually think after check out here I'm going to spend the next 5 hours in the airport. I can't take it much more out here. Travelling alone was a big mistake.
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