Chengdu to Chongqing, not quite according to plan

August 10 · We could have prepared better

We began by changing hotels and refunding train tickets. Our first accommodation wasn’t working out, and some of the things we wanted to do were already unavailable. Tickets to Sanxingdui had sold out, as had the morning slots at the panda base. We really hadn’t prepared enough.

At Wuhou Shrine, we visited the mausoleum, the small Three Kingdoms exhibition, and Sanyi Temple. By the end, my legs were finished. Jinli seemed fairly ordinary in daylight. Kuanzhai Alley was so crowded that I couldn’t tell much difference between the supposedly wide and narrow alleys.

Xiaolongkan hotpot near Chunxi Road was good, though, and I liked the hotel we moved to near Tianfu Square. At least we ended the day more comfortably than we had started it.

August 11 · More queues than pandas

I was already feeling worn out. Jinsha felt rather like a park to me, and I wasn’t especially interested in the museum that day. We then waited over an hour for a meal at Taolin and still didn’t get to eat there.

In the afternoon, we entered the panda base through the west gate. Many of the pandas were asleep. The queue for the sightseeing bus was about two hours long, so we walked instead, all the way from the west gate to the south, for another two hours. We didn’t see Huahua.

My notes for a possible next visit were fairly firm: book ahead, go in the morning, and look more carefully at the south entrance. That afternoon had been a lot of walking for rather little panda watching.

August 12 · Dujiangyan, then Chongqing

We took the train from Xipu to Liduigongyuan. The station names had confused me at first, but this one was close to the main entrance we wanted.

Dujiangyan was beautiful. It was also packed. The two bridges were particularly crowded, and there was another queue for the bus. I wouldn’t have enjoyed navigating that day’s crowds with young children or elderly relatives.

Later, we traveled from Chengdu East to Chongqing and stayed near Lianglukou. Dinner near Jiefangbei was less spicy and suited my Guangdong palate. Hongyadong was only about ten minutes away, but once we got there, moving through the crowd was another matter. Taking the stairs was quicker than waiting for the lift.

August 13 · Noodles, mountains, and a birthday

We took the train to Fengjie without breakfast. Near the station, I had what I still remember as the best bowl of Chongqing noodles I had ever eaten.

We hired a car to visit the mountaintop above the Three Gorges and Baidicheng before returning to the station. The sites weren’t enormous, and the walking was manageable. Looking out over all those mountains, I felt my mind quiet down. There was so much room in front of me.

Of all the pictures from the trip, the ones with my friends mattered most. That evening, they celebrated my birthday with me. My birthday usually fell during a holiday spent in Shantou, away from classmates. Having them there, on a trip together, really moved me.

August 14 · Above the river

Liziba was essentially a stop to take a photo of the train passing through a building. Ciqikou felt very commercial. Neither made quite the impression that the river did.

We waited about half an hour for the Yangtze River Cableway. The car was cramped, but outside there was glittering water, the city skyline, and the evening light. That view gave me some of my energy back.

Afterward, we ate hotpot near the exit. I continued relying on plenty of oil in my dipping bowl to cope with Chongqing’s heat. There had been a lot of queues, changed plans, and tired legs on this trip. I was still glad to have gone with these people.