Pandas, and cities old and new

I'm about to set off today for Lhasa, and a tour round Tibet. This is quite exciting, as to get into Tibet you have to book through a tour company with a planned itinerary. We are also going on the new train line across China, the highest in the world. I've met up with the two other people I'm travelling with - we were in email contact but now we've all met. As one of them says, it's like we are going on holiday!   Since the last blog post, I've been to Chengdu, which is a nice, modern, easy place to spend some time. Although it doesn't have historical things to look at, it was a real pleasure to be there, and there are interesting things round about, like the panda breeding centre. This is one of the few places in China where the pandas will actually breed, so they must be doing something right. They are unbelievably pampered animals and have everything done for them, including being fed special nutritional cakes, and having a special air conditioned room when it's too hot outside. It's not exactly wildlife in its natural environment, but it was interesting.   I also spent a couple of days on Emei Shan, which is a series of steep forested mountains with Buddhist temples on every peak. They are all joined up by miles and miles of stone steps, and the thing to do is to walk to the top and see the sunrise by the amazingly ornate Golden Temple at the top. Looking back afterwards at my guide book, it does mention the word "exhausting" although that hardly does it justice. Spending eight hours basically climbing a never-ending stone staircase in the tropical heat is incredibly hard work. I don't think I've ever sweated so much in my life. But it was atmospheric and something different. The temples offer basic dormitory accommodation, which means you can stay on the mountain a couple of days, and that is very nice.   (I keep writing "template" instead of "temple". You can take the girl out of the office, but you can't get the office out of the girl.)   After Chengdu I went to Xi'an, which is where the Terracotta Army is, and many other historical things, it being the ancient capital. The museums, and the stuff they have dug out of the ground, are fascinating, and they are finding more all the time. They really give an insight into China's very long and distinctive civilisation. However, Xi'an, the city as it is today, is a bit of a mess, with rebuilding going on everywhere and all very disorganised and difficult. It didn't help that it poured with rain the whole time I was there. It was worthwhile, though.   I'm currently in Xining, towards the north west of China, to get on the train for Tibet. Xining is quite a pleasant place, in a valley between two mountains, with loads of high rise buildings going up. The hostel is on the fifteenth floor, so some nice views. A good place to get ready to go on holiday!   After Tibet I'll be crossing the border into Nepal and making my way to Kathmandu, where I fly home from. More from there, if not from Lhasa.   Best wishes to everyone - home soon!!