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From Xi'an we flew to
Chengdu in search of the "Black and White, Cat-Footed animal," or in
Chinese, the "Large Bear Cat." However you might know and love them as we
do and call them the Giant Panda! These guys have been around since the
time that Saber-Toothed Tigers roamed the earth two/three million years
ago!
However, first things
first. Remember that we are poor, unemployed backpackers, we booked into
the business suite of the Tibet Hotel, Chengdu. As well as a large,
lavish suite you are also provided with a PC in your room to access the
internet for free, free beer during happy (two) hours, free ten-pin
bowling at the bowling alley located in the hotel, free fruit and
beverages all day in the Executive Lounge and a whole host of other
freebies for people who can afford the Business Suite! We were tempted to
make use of the complimentary receipt of faxes and get everyone to send us
a fax, but we thought that might be taking liberties! The gym in this
place, don't panic I only went to look, not to use it, was incredible.
All the latest high-tech, built-in TV screen equipment, including the most
incredible revolving climbing wall which could be adjusted for tilt, speed
and difficulty.
Get this, a standard room
worked out at forty pounds per room, per night, the business suite was an
extra seven pounds per room, per night! Was it worth it? Hello! Firstly
we got two hours of free beer each evening, secondly we got two hours of
free beer each evening. Free, fast, reliable internet access, which, in
China, is worth its weight in gold given how hard it is to find an
internet cafe!
The first day we went to
Wolong Nature Reserve. This was a four hour car journey, two hours on a
highway, then two hours on a mud/gravel road that was through a high-sided
mountain valley, in the pouring rain. The road was strewn with rocks that
had fallen from the rock-face and our driver, who appeared to about ten
years old, wanted to overtake everything in sight and drive as fast as the
car could go. On two occasions we had to do an emergency stop as we flew
round a blind bend, overtaking, at high speed! Even on the way back, when
I managed to get somebody else's guide to tell me how to say drive slower,
he totally ignored our request and proceeded to try and follow a
high-speed police convoy and then overtake them! We were flung around in
the back of the car, without seat-belts, like peas in a whistle! All this
was done whilst he smoked and of course used the mobile!
Despite the fear for our
lives in the car, the scenery through the valley was incredible. This
was, well once was, an area made for Pandas. High mountains, rich
vegetation and a beautiful river running through the middle of it. Now it
still had all that, but it was also full of workmen and noisy machinery
repairing and improving the road, which buses also, somehow managed to get
up and down!
When we reached the nature
reserve it was all worth it. The Pandas here are semi-wild and have acres
and acres of land to move around in, so much so we could not even see the
end of the enclosures they were in. They are breeding very successfully
here and this reserve is a major contributor to the increase in Panda
numbers. Their goal here is to increase the numbers sufficiently so that
when enough land has been secured by the government and wildlife
organisations they can eventually release the Pandas back into the fields
and mountains. The second day we went to the Chengdu Research Base of
Giant Panda Breeding, but this one was just outside Chengdu and only took
half an hour to get to. This was an impressive setting with huge, densely
vegetated "enclosures." To observe the Pandas required a great deal of
patience and to be very quiet, because if the Pandas did not want to be
seen they didn't have to be! Although, yet again, being respectful to the
environment and wildlife does not apply to the Chinese, Japanese or
Germans, as we have all too often observed around the world this year!
Gandhi once said, "The
greatness of a nation and moral progress can be judged by the way animals
are treated." Whilst it would be wrong to generalise,
it would also be very easy to point the finger at certain nations after
our travels. I know we still have too much mis-treatment of animals in
the UK, but nowhere near as much as in other parts of the world, in
particular China. They may protect Pandas, but the value or regard they
have, if any, toward animals, and even human life at times, is barbaric.
Anyway, back to the Research Base, although we didn't see as many Pandas
as the previous day, many of the mothers and cubs were curtained off, we
got to see some Red Pandas. Although they are the Pandas closest
relative, they look more like Raccoons than Pandas. The highlight of the
morning had to be when Angela got to hold one for a few minutes! Oh, we
also got into a car that wasn't a taxi, but a lady peddling for business
outside the research centre! She charged us exactly what the taxi did on
the way there, she drove very courteously and never used her horn or
slammed her brakes on once! Where was she when we needed her the previous
day! |