Saying difficult goodbyes in the shadowless city
The city of Chengdu, center of Sichuan; China‘s “spiciest” province! A land more accustomed to laziness, where an unfortunately consistent stream of bad weather reigns supreme. It seems as if every single minute of the nine days in the city were plagued by an unbroken cover of grey. Occasionally a glow of sunlight would show though a less dense patch of clouds, but more often a haze would form so thick that the horizon would be completely obscured. At first the effect was tolerable, but soon the dreariness shadowing any desire for “Carpe Diem” was the only shadow to be found.
Carrie and I made the best of it and spent most of our time relaxing in teahouses, playing cards and casually strolling around a few of the old street districts. After visiting some authentic sites elsewhere in China, we made an effort to see all of the “historical sections” of Chengdu. Unfortunately, they were little more than reconstructed tourist traps, packed with overpriced souvenir merchants. They were atmospheric enough, but with the exception of the area around the Wenshu Monastery the only thing worth mentioning is a large variety of excellent street foods and barbeques.
See my photos from the Wenshu Shopping Street
See my photos from the Jinli Folk Street
The spicy Sichuan cuisine was a particularly exiting highlight. It definitely appeased my palate by scorching it with the region’s famous extremely fiery peppers. One of the most popular restaurant styles is hot-pot. At these excellent eateries you essentially boil thin slices of meat, vegetables and various unusual ingredients in a bubbling cauldron of intense spice in the center of the table. Another regional specialty which I was happy to avoid, but worth mentioning was Rabbit Head.
We also took a day trip to the nearby city of Leshan to see the world’s largest stone statue of a sitting Buddha. The foggy weather wasn’t helping, but after traveling for over three hours to see it, we left for the return trip a disappointing five minutes later.
While the city was lacking urban charisma and pleasant weather, we still managed to find our fair share of notable activities to divulge in. A night at the Sichuan Opera filled an enjoyable evening with fire-breathing, acrobatics, cultural dancing and exotic music. The balance to this colorful display of costumes and extremely high-pitch singing was a relaxed morning spent at the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Base. The lazy black and white bears did little more than eat bamboo and pose for endless photos by swarms of ogling tourists, but they were ridiculously adorable. I think that even the toughest of tough guys will go soft upon seeing one of them stare at you with its tongue hanging out.
Another highlight to the week was the traditional Chinese haircut. I decided to get a trim when I found a barber set up on the side of the road… literally. While my hair fell to the sidewalk below, I delighted in seeing traffic whiz by through the mirror hanging on the outside of a building. Every pedestrian seemed to stop in their tracks to put a dumb expression on their face, trying to comprehend seeing a tall foreigner in a place they’d never expect. The entertainment value alone was worth the price of the Y3 ($.50), perfectly acceptable haircut.
See all of my random photos from Chengdu
So with my last weeks in China dwindling down to extinction, it was difficult, but necessary to say goodbye to Carrie, the most amazing travel companion I could hope for. The bonding and extraordinary memories formed during a solid month of traveling with somebody is indescribable to somebody who has not experienced it firsthand. Goodbyes are always difficult when traveling, but after such an extended period it feels as if life itself changes drastically when moving in separate directions.
Alas, my visa is almost up, and the last of my time is reserved for “The Rooftop of the World”; Tibet! I will have less than two weeks to explore the 4000m+ plateau before crossing the Himalayas into Nepal.
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Tags: - Music, - Photography, - Reflection, Asia, Chengdu, China, Panda, Sichuan
Adam Shane
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