The effects of globalisation on the Chinese culinary experience

We have been naughty. Very, very naughty. In our defence I can state that we were only following the instructions given to us by my colleague P2. But really, there is no excuse for our behaviour in a province with such reputation for its cuisine. For today we ate at McDonalds.

We made a mistake staying two nights and three days in Chengdu. We could easily have seen the sights we wanted to see in two days and spent more time in Shanghai or Hong Kong, but that's what you get for rushed planning in a travel agent's office.

The hotel finally kicked us out of our room after midday. We wandered through the centre of the city aimlessly, through posh department stalls to markets in narrow laneways. At Tianfu Square a big statue of Mao stood, right hand raised, in front of the Sichuan Museum of Science and Technology.

We were tired of walking and had no small change for lunch at the street stalls. So, heads hung in shame, we climbed the stairs up to the McDonalds overlooking Tianfu Square and the Mao Statue. There's a message there somewhere, though I'm not certain if I know what it is.

Using the picture card at the counter for language loosers like us, we ordered a medium spicy chicken sandwich (chicken breast roll) meal, a pineapple sundae and a sweet taro pie. The chicken was real chicken, the french fries not so good, the Coke Coke. But the pineapple sundae was really nice, must be the synthetic pineapple flavour. The taro pie, like an McDonalds apple pie on the outside, had purple and white chunks of taro, a root vegetable, on the inside. Very good!

So we went back and ordered chicken nuggets and a pineapple pie... It was good.

We wandered back to the hotel, past the GiGi bakery where a pastry chef was doodling around with the cream, making what looked to be an animal. She smiled at us, not having any idea what she was making either. We sat around in the hotel lobby for a while, bored.

Later we walked to a nearby Sichuan fast food restaurant and order a meat (or was it tripe?) bun and local style fried rice. Most of it remained on the table uneaten. It was too hot, but also the flavour was not to either of our liking. The only really good Sichuan food we ate was at the Fishermen Village at Leshan. Sadly, the McDonalds and the Pizza Hut meals were enjoyed far more than the local fare.

We would have left Chengdu with disappointing memories for the day, but as we sat there in the lobby a couple of musicians began playing a Chinese flute and lute (pipa?). The male flautist provided strong melodies while the female lute player's finger literally danced over the strings. It was both beautiful to listen to and to watch.

For RMB10 each we caught a bus from next to the hotel to Chengdu airport. I was amusing to watch the taxi touts chase us as the bellboy wheeled our luggage out the bus. The looks on their faces as we caught the bus said it all.

Chengdu airport is pretty nice. We bought a few lo quats from the fruit stall prior to security. The helpful staff even let us try the fruit first. Sweet, a little like an apricot.

We were bused to the Sichuan Airlines ERJ-145 sitting far out on the tarmac. It was a small jet, three abreast and the service was basic, with water, peanuts (The Lingdom of Foods) and sour dates. But the flight was pretty smooth and there were good views of Chengdu as we took off.

Yichang airport shut down straight after we exited the airport. Ignoring the taxi touts we caught a minibus to the city for RMB20 each. The driver said he could take us to our hotel, the Xixzhou (and how do you pronounce that?). After a long and bumpy ride past industrial wastelands and into a city preparing for sleep we were told by another passenger, a young lady, that we should get off and catch a taxi for a short ride to the hotel.

The taxis were trailing right behind us, so it was easy to catch one, the cost was, just as the lady said, RMB5. The hotel staff don't seem to speak English, but we were met in the lobby by "Shirley", our very chirpy young CITS tour guide for tomorrow. I have to say that I'm highly impressed by the CITS service we've received thus far, despite the impression given by some travel references. Should be a fun day cruising up the Yangtze tomorrow.

Panda Slam!

In one corner is Panda 1, The Bamboo Muncher. In the other is Panda 2, Backwards Walker. The battle begins with Walker waddling backwards into Muncher. They tussle in the bamboo, Walker on top, no Muncher, no Walker, Muncher. They chase around the enclosure. One climbs a tree, the other pulls him down. Back on the bamboo, the fights nears the moat. In one big movement Muncher throws Walker down tumbling into the moat. Muncher is triumphant, rolling his arms around and doing the Panda Dance!

Our first destination today was the Panda Research Centre outside of Chengdu. We got out of the room late, just in time for breakfast in the hotel. The western buffet was not great, but the local food, including noodles, rice, porridge and dumplings was delicious. Nice to have some fresh fruit too. We are both looking forward to trying more tomorrow.

We walked outside of the hotel in search of a taxi to take us to the Panda Centre. A tout tried hard to get us in his taxi. "No meter. Too far! What do you want to pay?" he asks. "$30" I reply. "Costs more" he responds.

Giving up, we return to the hotel to ask what a good price is. They say $50, but will call in a taxi prepared to use the meter.

The driver takes us through run down suburbs in the process of demolition and reconstruction. Here is real Chengdu street life and it is fascinating. When we reach the Panda Centre the meter reads RMB31. So there, you damn touts!

The Panda Research and Breeding Centre is the most professionally operated of the tourist sights we have yet seen in China. The grounds are green with a wide variety of trees and plants, wide paths and excellent signs.

We thought that, at 10:40am, we were too late to see the Pandas feeding and that they would all be asleep. Not so! At the Panda Adult Enclosure Number 14 we see a few pandas chewing on bamboo or pacing around. Then we walk up to the Red Panda Enclosure Number 2 the small racoon-like red pandas are walking around, or grooming themselves. Quite vain, the red panda.

We were given the opportunity to be photographed holding a red panda for RMB50 each. Why not? So we donned the disposable gloves and sat down on the bamboo chair, a red panda placed on our lap. The attendants fed the panda slices of apple in order to attract their attention.

The red panda's tail is long and very bushy. I noticed that, unlike a dog, the nails were transparent and the pink cuticle clearly visible inside. At less than A$10 a pop it was worth it to get up and close with the animals.

No pandas were visible in the Panda nursery, it was probably the wrong time of year. However, the panda kindergarten was buzzing. An attendant was playing with the pandas in their enclosure. While most slept up in the wooden climbing platforms one panda was especially active. He even bit the attendant's leg when he wasn't looking.

Unfortunately, the RMB1000 "donation" to be photographed with a young panda (or RMB400 with a "teenager" panda) was too much for us this time, though at least the money is probably going towards a good cause.

The next enclosure, for teenage pandas, before they become solitary, was where we saw the panda wrestling match. Their antics, like those of the kindergarten pandas, had us entranced for ages. Whatever their real nature, the pandas really are cute to watch.

Also cute were the hordes of young schoolchildren on excursion to the centre. They seemed very curious about me, shouting out "hello" and giggling away. Later, in the onsite Panda Museum, a few wanted to shake my hand or even attack me. Why do kids see me as a punching bag? :)

From the Panda Centre we caught a van to the Wenshu Temple area. The area has been kept in Ye Olde Chinese style with beautiful courtyards filled with craft shops, food stalls and tea houses. But before we entered the courtyard area proper we were tempted outwards by a wonderful smell. The kind of nice smell you usually don't get in China. It was familiar, but what could it be?

A sweet bakery, the counter crowded with waiting customers. We pointed and ordered, not knowing what it was we were getting. Turned out that we had bought incredibly delicious lemon cream puffs, a sweet pastry, cooling minty Chinese dough roles, golden syrup cake and a bag of moreish ginerbread biscuits, also with a mint-cooling aftertaste. We even returned for more at the end of the day, the food was that good.

From a little store we ordered "traditional Sichuan buckwheat noodles", squeezed out from the dough right in front of our eyes. I enjoyed the soba-like noodles, while B drank the soup they were cooked in. Besides the noodle stall was an american drawing and selling caricatures. An amusing juxtaposition from Sydney, where it's usually Chinese artists in the market stalls doing the same thing.

The Wenshu Temple and Monastery cost RMB5 each to enter. There was a garden, turtle pond and series of ornate temple buildings. We watched the yellow monks walk into the temple for evening prayers, listed to the drums and chanting as we walked around.

On the way out we stopped by a small shop selling what appeared to thick noodles. Not certain what it really was, except that it was soft, cold in temperature, but extremely hot in spiciness. We could barely eat a couple of spoonfuls before giving up.

Giving up on taxis for the day, we walked back towards the hotel, stopping off at a department store from which the big Mao statue was visible in the distance. As we walked up the lane towards our hotel we passed a dingy but lively area with small shops and restaurants. Thinking that we really should try some more Sichuan cuisine we entered one busy eating house and were directed upstairs. With the help of the phrasebook we ordered a fish (with reduced chilli).

One full table next to us was populated by what looked to be members of the "peasant" class. A couple kept staring at me whenever I wasn't looking their way. It was probably just simple curiosity in this case but I think that some locals have been looking down on B for being seen with a waiguoren (foreigner). Don't blame us if your male preferential policies mean there aren't enough local women!

Our fish and fish head soup came out eventually, much the same as what we ate at Leshan, only much bonier and far less tasty. After the peasants departed we saw a big rat scuttle out for some scraps. It was that kind of place. Hopefully our stomachs will forgive us.

We have one day ahead of us and Chengdu doesn't seem to have many sights within the city proper. Not certain I want to risk a long trip out of town either, they are getting expensive. At least the only thing we need to get up early for tomorrow is breakfast!

In the presence of a giant

As I write this a tradesman is in our bathroom attempting to get a decent water flow in the shower. I was expecting this in China, but the Minshan Hotel is rated four stars according to CITS. I'm not really complaining, for we have had a fantastic day, up there with our walk along the Great Wall.

We (okay, I) woke before 5am in order to get ready for our trip to the airport. Both of us felt nervous as our taxi drove us along darkened back roads on the industrial outskirts of Xian. We could have been dumped there and nobody would see it happen.

But we survived unscathed and reached Xian's domestic terminal unscathed. The airport is quite functional, if unexciting. The toilets, however, stunk of excrement and urine, despite appearing clean. I think that they were of the type where toilet paper is placed in a bin adjacent to the toilet rather than down the drain.

I can't recommend the hot chocolate at the Denise cafe either, but what can you expect?

This time we were flying a China Eastern Airlines Airbus A320. The plane could do with a good wash, but what can you expect from flying above the land of the long grey smog cloud? As we ascended above the cloud layer snow capped mountains poked their summits into the heavens.

It was another rough flight. I wish I was like B and could sleep through the bumpiness. Little LCD screens popped down above the seats to show some promotional piece, sometimes in colour, but mostly in black and white, about Xian, though we were flying in the opposite direction. The hot Chinese meat bun was much appreciated though.

Chengdu airport looks very impressive, their speed at getting the baggage on the belt even more so. We were met by our driver for the day, a much quieter man than Mr Zhou. As we drove out directly towards Leshan, 150 kilometres away from Chengdu, B and I both fell asleep, tired from the early departure and from the late nights and too early mornings before it.

B declared that she no longer liked China due to the amount of spitting. The Chinese don't just let their phlegm drip to the ground. Neither is it a quick hrckt pfft. For them, it is a process of bringing up and flinging out every last drop of mucus inside their bodies, at least for a minute of so. A hhhrrrrrrrrcccccckkkkk, pppppfffffffffttttttt from deep inside their chests. The government is supposed to be cracking down upon it, but spitting seems, by the enthusiasm with which they do it, to be a source of great pleasure for many Chinese.

As we approached Leshan two previously unseen sights emerged: our first Chinese rain and motorcyclists wearing helmets.

But forget rain, spitting, pollution and anything disgusting or bad about China. A walk around the Big Buddha at Leshan was absolutely beautiful. After we stepped past the gate and started up the trail past the Buddhist grottoes, the dragon and the tiger statues, up into rainforest, bamboo and palm, we were in another world, a magical place.

The Liguyan Buddhist temple was guarded by colourful bodhisavattas, more like Hindu gods or demons. Then we were in a serene environment of monks, candles and incense, soothing music in the background.

Dafo, the big Buddha statue is 71 metres high, carved out of the red sandstone face of Liguyan Hill to provide protection for travellers along the Min River. The statue of the monk Haitong, the driving force behind Dafo's construction, sits nearby. The story goes he gouged his own eyes out to demonstrate his devotion to the project after a corrupt official threatened to blind him if he didn't get a cut of the funds.

Standing besides Dafo you feel like you are in the presence of a giant. He is a truly incredible creation. We climbed down the steep steps besides the statue, taking in every facet. The more you stare, the more alive he becomes, as if he is about to stand up and walk.

We took the walk around and through the cliffs, taking in the views of the Min River and the valley and stopping off at the pagoda lookouts. We saw the narrow fishing boats and fishermen encampments near the river bank. At the recreated fishermen's village we were accosted by old ladies trying to show us menus. We kept walking.

The old style, partly covered Haoshang Bridge provided a great view of the fisherfolk amongst the yellow rapeseed flowers. We crossed, then returned to the Mahao Cave Tombs, hollowed out rectangular caves into which families were buried upon their deaths, with various pottery items enclosed with them, not entirely unlike the Banpo neolithic peoples.

We walked back up to the fishing village, and finally agreed to eat a fish from the buckets. The old lady demonstrated that the prices were by weight, not fixed, took a fish and slammed it into the ground, before taking it inside to prepare it.

We ate an incredibly delicious meal of sichuan fish, fish head soup and rice, sipping hot tea. It was the best meal so far in China and good value at RMB50 for two. Only the bones were left once we were finished.

Trying to backtrack to the Linguyan Temple, we didn't realise that the tickets work in one direction only. But the ticket ladies were kind enough to issue us with new tickets for no charge. We took a different route back, up past the waterfall and wall of calligraphy, a beautiful, peaceful place.

It was time to return to the car, despite the many other sights left unseen. Again we slept for much of the drive back, arriving at the Minshan Hotel in Chengdu. It is a decent hotel, though we have now been shifted to a new room where the shower works. Free internet access too.

We were naughty tonight. After walking into the centre of Chengdu and trying delicious spiced skewered beef we ate dinner at Pizza Hut. Neither of us regretted having a change of diet, with salads and smoothies. Tomorrow, is pandas and proper sichuan food again!