Eight Days in Sichuan

Now, people, I need you to think back to the very first time you saw snow when you had not expected to. How did you react? What did you do?

Did you stand there rooted to the ground for a few seconds while you scream with excitement inwardly?

Then when your eyes finally convinced your mind that you are indeed looking at a blanket of snow on the floor of your balcony, did you jump around, flap your arms like an agitated chicken and shriek, "I saw snow! I saw snow! I saw snow!"



Did you wish your loved ones were right there then so you could share the excitement with them?

I did all that when I saw snow on my last day in the beautiful Aba Autonomous Prefecture. The weather was cold there - 15 to five degrees Celcius - but not cold enough to draw snow. So I did not expect to see snow at all.

But the night before was just so much colder. I remember feeling like I was in a freezer as I walked across the sprawling unheated lobby of the beautiful InterContinental Jiuzhai Paradise hotel from the bar to the guestroom block.

It could have been snowing that night, but because I was indoors and the curtains in my room were drawn, I never got to see it.

So the next morning when I got out of bed, I shut the fireplace and threw open the curtains to let the sun and fresh air into my room, I was greeted by a wonderous sight of snowcapped mountains and pine trees.

After calming myself down, I grabbed a bath robe, pulled it over my naked self (the fireplace kept the room warm enough to sleep in the nude, maaah) and stepped out into the balcony.

I must know how snow feels like to the touch! I patted it, grabbed a handful of it, compacted it into a ball, and stepped on it.

NICE!



Then after breakfast Amadea, my new friend from South Africa, and I went out of the hotel and had a mini snowball fight. :)



Beyond the surprise snow in Aba, the rest of my Sichuan trip was pretty good. But of course, nothing would beat experiencing snow.

On the way to Chengdu onboard SilkAir, I was amused by a Chinese passenger who really made herself comfortable.



In Chengdu I visited the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, where I saw lazy pandas chomp constantly on bamboo, poop green poop while they were asleep, and sleep in all sorts of amusing positions.



I had a couple of German beers in one of the bars in the new China Lane, an enclave of bars, cafes and restaurants not unlike Shanghai's XinTianDi.



I ate yak's paw in a clear broth of spicy green chilli. Hot.



In Zigong city, I visited the Zigong Dinosaur Museum and the historial Zigong Salt Museum. The latter was built in 1736 during the dynasty of Emperor Qianlong, funded by the wealthy salt merchants, and used a meeting and entertainment place. Opera performances would be held there.



In Yibin city, I visited the massive Southern Sichuan Bamboo Sea and stayed in the five-star Eden Resort Hotel whose rooms have a European standalone bath mere steps away from the bed.



In Aba, I visited the Ancient City Wall of Songpan, where ancient weapons of war used to defend the city were still kept.



I walked through the city's street, saw preserved yak meat, marvelled at the dressing of the tribes people and chatted briefly with an old man from the muslim Hui tribe.



And when one is in Aba, one must visit the famed Jiuzhaigou, also known as the Jiuzhai Valley or Jiuzhai Nature Reserve. I did just that, and stood awed by the impossibly turqouise lakes throughout the reserve.



I got to visit a small town within the valley that is full of Tibetan flavours, from the architecture to the way the people dress.



In between visiting Songpan and Jiuzhaigou, I stayed at the luxurious InterContinental Jiuzhai Paradise Hotel.




It was a great trip and, for sure, Sichuan isn't as completely damaged by the earthquake that hit in May last year as the news made it out to be.

If you are planning a visit to China, do make Sichaun, or at least Jiuzhaigou, one of your stops.