The 25 hour train journey definately sounds worse than it was. There were mini cabins through the train, each with 6 beds - two bunks of three. The beds definately had enough room to sleep soundly on, but the bed mattress must have been made of concrete, it was so hard! I woke up with a back that was even sorer than the hot cupping. The time went pretty quickly and soon we had arrived in Chengdu.
Our afternoon was spent getting a feel for Chengdu - it has a much more cosmopolitan feel than Yangshuo, with many high rise buildings and western shops. Less people here speak English than in Yangshuo though and as a result finding vegetarian food alone is a nightmare! So much so that we played it safe and ate Pizza Hut. In the evening we had our first mandarin class - Jim taught us so many new words, and specifically taught me how to find vegetarian food in China!




The following day we all had hangovers, so our touristy tour of the city didn't begin until 12pm. We started the tour at a beautiful Monestry with loads if little alley ways and secret corridors which allowed you to get lost in the complex. I also found the world's biggest frog which was about 25-30cm in length! Our next stop was the statue if Mao, China's most recognized leader. Surrounding the statue was a large open recreational space that was guarded by at least 25 police officers! We were not able to not on the grass or even lie down on benches.

Next to this was a fashion show with a makeshift red carpet. The old ladies in the show were strutting and posing and taking their choreographed routine very seriously. Around the corner was a dance show, with people dressed up as native Indians. People were clapping and cheering when the routine was completed. In an open space we found lots of people playing badminton and writing on the floor with a viscous fluid. When we headed to the outer sections of the park, we found the tea gardens! People sit down with a cup of loose tea and a huge container of hot water, then they play card games, board games or just talk. The atmosphere of the park is still found in the garden, but in a more relaxed and social setting.
The next train journey is only 15 hours, hopefully the being 10 hours less, the trip will go much quicker.