Day with the Pandas

The number one thing to do in Chengdu is to visit the Panda Research Center. We got an early start to make it for the daily panda feeding. Before we left the hotel, I did a weather check by looking out the window and noticed the same weather but didn't know if it was fog or smog. After checking online, it was classified as "smoky"... that was a first for me!


We jumped into a taxi, pointed at the photo of the panda on the map and we were off. Traffic was very bad, so much so we had to make three u- turns and finally back track for another route. Needless to say we had countless close calls with other cars, scooters, and bicycles. It was quite the morning adventure!

 The Panda Research Center is absolutely HUGE, so much so that they have a shuttle that for a small fee (around US$2) allows you to hop on and hop off at the various exhibits. We hurried to the part where they were feeding the large pandas. On our way to the exhibit, we passed through the panda nursery which housed a few dozen baby pandas from a few days old that looked more like large, hairless rats to these cute hairballs below.

When we got outside we could not stop smiling - there right in front of us where these huge pandas chewing on bamboo. Those little ears and black eyes make them pretty cute!

We were surprised how much these juvenile pandas liked hanging out in the trees. By the looks of all the broken branches about, they better enjoy it before they get too big and heavy! 

At one point we saw a panda walk over to the very edge of the enclosure and stick its back half over where it slopes down and go to the restroom. We thought it was a coincidence untl we saw another one do it.. these big pandas are potty trained!

From the looks of it these two are picky eaters.. you have one smelling its food and the other one spitting some out!