We flew out from Lhasa to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, where we met my university mate Qoo. Her name is pronounced as cool’er in Chinese. She knows me the best. She did not even bother to take us to a hotel, instead she and her husband took us directly to the most famous local hot pot place, just ate like a local. Oh boy, I loved it, sooooo much! So again, no pictures. Who would ever remember to take a picture when there were so many good foods at your face. Not me.
Unlike his shallow wifey, Todd was in Chengdu with a big heart. He was there to see the pandas! The biggest panda base is located in Chengdu, and there are several nature reserves in Sichuan. It’s not that I am not fond of pandas, it’s just…pandas. By the way, do you know what is the lifelong wish for a panda? 
We took a taxi to the panda base. It is quite huge, with several different sections. Luck was not with us at the beginning, we did not see any pandas, however, we soon learned where there was a stir, there was a panda, or two.
Hey hey hey, I heard you are looking for me.
I had to admit that when you see the pandas in real, they look so different from in the TV, so clumsy yet so cute, chubby but flexible. It turned out I was more excited than Todd, whenever there was a panda, I would rush to the front to wave at it, calling it with whatever name that first came to my mind.
We were lucky we saw the cub. The Singaporean girls on the same tour with us in Tibet asked me to ask my friend in Chengdu, if it’s possible to hold a baby panda and how much it costs. The answer is it is possible but at a costly price, 1000 RMB per photoshot (160 USD).
The cub
If I could choose, I would love to be a panda. For a panda, your everyday task is pretty straightforward, eat, play and sleep, everything else is taken care by specially assigned persons. You are treated as a national treasure, your image is everywhere. More importantly, everyone loves you and would love to pay to take a picture with you!
Beauty sleep time
Hey buddy! Come and play, it’s not like you have other things to do
Eat eat eat
So when you are in Chengdu, the panda base is highly recommended, because everybody loves panda! Oh and the lifelong wish for a panda is to take a color picture.