Pandas!

I woke yesterday in Macau with nothing to do. It was kind of strange so I decided to do something. I was out of the hostel and to the main square. Following the convienient signs all over the place I went from one Cathedral to another until I ended up back at the town square. I had noticed there was a fort/lighthouse at the highest point on the peninsula. I followed the roads upwards and made it to the top. Great view. Fantastic fort/lighthousething. Dehydration. There are no convienience stores in Macau that I have found so I booked it down the hill in the burning heat to McDonalds. McDonalds saved me.

After gathering my gear I hopped on a bus to the ferry terminal, and with a Romeo No. 3 in my pocket I hopped on a ferry and headed towards the mainland. As I was returning to mainland China I had the feeling of returning home. I do not like the rules of the developed cities, and instead I longed for the freedom of China. The ferry took me to the border and I cleared it with no issue. Then a bus, and then I was at the airport. Amazingly enough I did not get motionsick up to this point.

I prepped my bag for check-in and they threw it on the conveyor. No sooner did it dissapear from sight in the x-ray machine did all sorts of sirens and alarms turn on. Great. It was not a large issue as I have now adoped an enormous amount of calm, so when they tried to explain in broken english what was wrong I was not concerned. I began to empty my bag and then I remembered that my Magic Rocks were all together in a big clump. I reached in and pulled them out. Evidently magnets mess up the sensors, or at least that is what I think happens... the man was acting out some kind of something and that was my best interpretation. Bye Bye Maigic Rocks.

My bag went through the x-ray thing again and was gone. I hope my Magic Rocks go to the airport guy's kids.

That was a bummer, but it was ok. There goes 10 Yuan.

I next had to clear security. Coming up to the little booth thing I took off my watch... emptied my pockets... and even took off my belt. Thinking everything was good I went through the scanner thing. Naturally I set off that alarm. When scanned the guard found my wallet. It was hidden in a secret pocket so I had forgotten it. He frisked me with the metal detecting baton again and he found my camera... It was also in a hidden pocket and has escaped my notice when I cleared out my pants. Surely I would be good to go now. He scanned me again and his scanner picked up my money belt. I took it off as well. Now, thoroughly naked of all of my important belongings I was deemed safe and able to proceed. I did, and it did not escape my notice that the locals were laughing at my ness.

One other thing of note happened at the Shenzhen airport... I saw a 3D tv. I can guess how it was done but I do not know. Either way, when you watched the image it was 3D. That is totally amazing, especially since you do not need 3D glasses or anyhing to see the 3Dness.

Then I was on a plane. Then I was in Chendgu. My ride picked me up at the airport and then I was here. This hostel is enormous, with all sorts of stuff here. I was given a key and assigned a bed after a minor predicament about my booking, and then I went to the room. Everyone was already sleeping and there was someone in my bed... rather than hopping in with them I thought it best to speak to the conscierge. He came up and said I should sleep in another bed... other than lacking the ability to sleep everything went well.

I woke up earlyish because I could not take the pain and went downstairs to explore. The moment I showed up someone asked if I was on the Panda tour. I said no, but that I would love to be. In that way it was less than 15 minutes from being awake that I was on my way to the Panda conservation...

It took a long time to get there because of a tragic accident. A number 9 city bus lit on fire with over 70 people on board. 12 escaped uninjured. 44 were burned in some way or another. 24 were burned so severely that they were not identifiable. We drove passed the bus after the people had been removed. The entire thing was black and burned. Even the asphalt around the bus was black and charred. What a tragedy.

We did make it to the Panda conservatory, and it was great, but the whole time we continued hearing little rumours about the bus as the news leaked onto the radio.

Back here I have been booking the rest of my trip. I am on on my way to Jiuzhaigou tomorrow for two days, as was planned but now is booked, and on the 10th I catch my boat down the Yangtze. On arrival in Yichang I will take a train through the night to Zhengzhou... I will arrive at 3:48 am on the 14th... crap...

As for accomodation... well that is what I am going to sort out right now...

Let's hope this all works out...