Boarded our 25hr train to Chendu, was unbelievably a bit worse than I was expecting, but we made do. Bed layout was very prison chic, complete with inability to sit up in bunk #nooneistallerthana4yearoldhere. We were lucky to have one english speaking woman who agreed to switch bunks with us so we were all together though which was nice.

We played 5 rounds of cards and died a bit inside when we realised we weren’t even an hour in! Carriage brightened up by our neighbours who’s antisocial train snack of choice was “1000 year old preserved egg” – a Chinese delicacy that it about as rotten and fermented as it sounds #justeatcrisps #iwannagetoff

Seemed to go on for days (well more than one full day anyway!) and about 15hrs in we all agreed we couldn’t remember a time when we weren’t on the train. Stared at constantly by locals, ate a LOT of junk food and played a lot more cards. Frances had bought the “rock and pop legends” edition, each card depicting a different rock icon, I set a personal challenge to remember which rock star was on every card. Managed to fill a couple of hours and girls wowed by strange memory skills, 52/52 in my test! Others used the time to learn Mandarin…….not sure how that is more useful in China than knowing Led Zeppelin are on the 2 of Diamonds?!?!

Finally arrived in Chengdu broken and seriously sleep deprived! Met our new guide, Kid, and headed to Mr Panda Hostel. Not quite the glamorous accomodation I was hoping for! Very run down and basic, but that’s the spirit of the trip so I need to stop being surprised! Went for a luke warm shower and a rest before heading out for dinner. All decided against massage from a blind masseuse when the venue was pointed out…looked more like a crack den brothel so decided our backs weren’t actually as bad as we thought!

Dinner was a sezchuan tradition – hot pot! Sizzling spicy broth with an array of veg and meat to cook inside it. Was delicious although wimped out and stuck to mainly the least spicy broth. Aylia and Beth persevered insisting the hot one “wasn’t even spicy” whilst their noses ran and eyes streamed!

Highlight of this part of the trip was Easter Sunday where we got to go to the Chengdu Conservation and Breeding centre to see the Pandas!!!! Beyond adoreable. So chubby and cute, despite the fact that in reality they could rip your face off we cooed and ahhhed over them for a couple of hours.

Learnt all about the breeding programme there, they started with just 6 in 1987 and now have 146 healthy, happy pandas there. Decided it’s most certainly the life for me, 15hrs a day sleeping and eating and then the rest doing roly polys and falling off of stuff #notfaroffitalready.

Saw some curious red pandas, bit tenuous given they are basically just raccoons. They came to say hello, I walked under the trees to find the others and a bird shat on my head! Another winning day in travellers paradise!

Boarded a 2hr mini bus to see the World’s Largest Stone Buddha. Spent the journey eating mini eggs (courtesy of Claire so we felt included in easter, love you!!!) and napping. Still knackered from the train.

Leshan is a bustling town full of tourist shops and places to eat. The key attraction is the 71 meter Buddha which is carved into the Rock face. It was really very impressive, his ear alone is 7m high!

The insane queue to get to see it not so much, made Disney feel like a breeze!!!!!  More classic examples of Chinese etiquette where the philosophy seems to be “if we all shove and push we’ll get there faster!”

Fun night of drinks turned into worst night of holiday courtesy of ridiculous actions of one member of our group. She decided to go out and get irresponsibly shit faced, grope other girls in our group then come back to the hostel at 2.30am amd vomit all over the floor of our room!! Not at all classy. Hostel made us 3 sharing room with her clean it up, took us 2hrs on our hands and knees to clean everything as she’d managed to cover our clothes, bags and my journal in disgusting sick. We put her on the sofa near the bathrooms and she proceeded to hammer the door down at 7am to get back in. Took her 2hrs to apologise! Literally ridiculous, so unreasonable, Needless to say has selishly affected the group dynamic and no one in the mood after 3hrs sleep to be around her. What a dick head!

Decided to make most of final day and went to People’s park and to visit iconic Chairman Mao statue in the square built during the cultural revolution. 10.1m high to commemorate the national holiday, October 1st.

Had traditional Chicken Mc Sandwich lunch and spet the afternoon at the Wenshu monastery. We walked through the beautuful ornate gate to be greeted by a human being taking a shit on the pavement……. this place is literally disgusting on so many levels!!!! I cannot get my head around being do technologically advanced and still having no concept of basic hygiene!?!

We saw some beautiful temples within the monastery as well as intricately carved Buddhas and learned more interesting facts about Buddhism. Also saw a monk on an iPhone!! It is lovely to find a calming sense of peace amidst the mania. Even just for an hour or so!

Went to The Jingli Street market in the afternoon, split into three streets: food street, bar street and souvenir street. We pottered quite happily, I ate a giant candy floss in the shape of a flower, mesmerised watching the woman make it!

We also tried on comedy Panda hats and took pics next to the sign which said “do not take photos”….whoops. Markets becoming slightly seen one you’ve seen them all, same crap on all the stalls but great place to get a feel for the hustle and bustle of the city.

Had a delicious dinner at the little family run place next to the hostel, caught up with the tour group behind who looked to have faired much better on the train than we did when we arrived and headed to the train station.

Had a chat about thoughts of China in general, I aired views about it being dirty and noisy and a bit of a shithole. Getting bored of the reverse snobbery for not being laid back and absorbing the culture from certain member of group….*cough* traveller wanker *cough*. I refuse to make apologies for wanting to wear clean underwear everyday, shower daily and not watch people shit on the pavement. #hardlyaprincess!!!!! Think the whole “embrace the wonder of it all” is fine if it’s sincere but it gets very dull to hear constant preaching about how at one with nature you are and that “amaaaaahzing time in South America you ate a tribes woman’s placenta” or whatever! #boreoff #notactualstory #dramaticeffect

Waited for another grim night train this time to Xi’an, ready to see the Terracotta Warriors and looking forward to a few real highlights of the trip coming up over the next few days. Gunna put some smooth jazz on the ipod and go to sleep #oldladytravels. Night all Xx