Author: jricketson

 

 

Good morning from Chengdu!

 

We are currently in the capital of Sichuan province, which is located in China’s south.

 

Today we woke up from a luxurious sleep in the Chengdu Garden Hotel and were greeted by a plethora of food at the buffet, with an instant hit being the spicy noodles. After we indulged ourselves in the Chinese cuisine, we got ready and headed to the nearby ATM to exchange money. This short walk also offered us an insight of the daily lives of the residents of Chengdu, with many businessmen and woman being depicted walking and driving to their 9-to-5. After returning from the ATM, we got on the bus and drove to the Chengdu Peoples’ Park.

 

 

On the way to the park, we learnt that Chengdu is known as the city of abundance, silk and brocade. At the park, we saw many people of all different ages participating in activities such as drinking tea. The teahouses are places where people go to drink tea. The atmosphere at the teahouses is normally slow and relaxed, with people spending large parts of their day socialising and interacting. At the Teahouse, we also heard about how the music there is described as to “clean and massage the ear”.

 

For lunch, we went to a vegetarian restaurant on the outskirts of a monastery. The food was flavourful and spicy, with many of us trying to extinguish our mouths with water. There were many types of food, such as rice, noodles, vegetables and buns, which were all worth a bite.

 

After our splendid lunch, we entered the nearby Wenshu Monastery, which was built from 605 to 611 AD and had been rebuilt several times. Upon entering the monastery, we were greeted by a huge statue of happy Buddha. We then were offered incense sticks, in which could we use to pray with.

 

 

Afterwards, we took the bus to experience the inner-city suburbs, which were made up of masses of high-rise, compact living. Here we saw densely populated buildings and colourful community spaces for the residents to socialise in. They could participate in various activities such as Kungfu, Majhong and fitness. We walked through the San Sheng Hua Xiang park, where on sunny days, many elderly people come. We looked at the tourist centre and learnt how mass areas of high-rise buildings are located in Chengdu. Afterwards, we explored the area and ended up in a small café where some people had sprite and special blue Coke. At the café, we played cards and sung along to songs on the ukulele, as well as playing ball games.

 

 

After our visit to the café, we travelled back to the Garden City Hotel where we got ready for dinner. We had dinner at Chuan Liang and were seated on a round table with a Lazy Susan in the middle. The most popular of the dishes was the sweat and sour pork, being devoured by each table. Other delicious foods include sizzling beef, chicken with cucumber, broccoli with garlic, fried rice, pumpkin pancake and watermelon. This made for a mouth-watering experience!

 

Jack and Rebecca

 

Jack: Dear mum, dad and Charlie (and Eddie), I am having a great time after recovering from the grizzling flight. At the moment I am missing the internet and my bed more than anything, but I also miss you guys. I hope we can do a long game of monopoly once I get back, and I can destroy you guys yet again.

 

Rebecca: Dear mum and dad (and Desi), I am having an amazing time so far. I think I have recovered from the long flight, after having a long 6 hours sleep. I am missing home but I will have amazing stories to tell you when I get back. Xx