Arrived at chengdu and was suprised to see a very affluent and well developed city hoped for a more out of the way rural china .but I came here for one reason pandas so after two days lazing around the guesthouse learning mahjong from a local Chinese girl making my cough worse with the cheap Chinese cigarettes and playing poker into the night with a big Texan guy a Dutch guy a polish girl and a guy from chile , I finally pay the £130 pound get up at 7 and head for the famous breeding centre which is slightly disappointing .but all is forgotten when to keepers carry in a five stone one year old panda and pass him to me .it was very childish but I don't really care it was very cool and very soft,how many people in the world of 7 billion have hugged a panda.there's even pics of shaquile oneil,bill Clinton and the German prime minister hugging a panda on the walls so I'm in good company.then went on for a three hour journey to visit the largest Buddha in china ,yet again more touristy than spiritual but luckily Chinese holidays are over in two days so travel and places will be less busy.