LeahAndMark.com

The pandas! We saw the pandas! They were soooooooo very cute and the research and breeding base in Chengdu is such a nice place, with plenty of space for the pandas to romp around and munch on bamboo. Luckily, when we were there it wasn’t packed with tourists, either, so we were able to get right up close to the pandas and watch them eat and play and nap. Cuz that’s pretty much what pandas do all day.

The baby pandas- I think I counted at least 6 cubs- were really adorable and so playful, wrestling with each other and splashing in water and climbing on the playground/wooden log setup. The older pandas just lolled around eating, but they were cute, too. It’s funny to watch them try to run- they aren’t the most graceful creatures and they do this weird, uneven ga-dump-a-dump gallop across the grass. All in all, it was a great morning.

-Leah

The best part of the Chengdu Panda Research and Breeding Center? The huge butterfly exhibit.

No just kidding - but they do have this incredibly extensive collection of butterflies from all over the world. You know, glass cases full of dead butterflies with needles stuck through the their middles. All perfectly preserved and dead. And then they have photos of famous or prestigious/important butterfly enthusiasts… which is kind of like having photos of famous stamp collectors. It was kind of weird to have this huge butterfly collection at the world famous Panda Place.

As part of our packaged deal with the Panda visit, we also went to the Sichuan Opera - and while I have some photos and even some video - it’s not for this post - because the camera is upstairs and we’re having breakfast.

-Mark

So. I just wanted to say that I have gotten about a gazillion compliments and questions in regards to my laptop. Almost every time pull it out and set it up, a person will first stare at the laptop, and then ask me if it’s a real laptop.

They react the same way when Leah’s the one using the thing too. Just amazed at how small it is, and then that it does nearly everything you need it to - and then when we tell them it was only around $300 U.S. - well then, that’s just amazing. Ha.

Leah’s gonna get one now for when she starts up school in August - except she’ll get the blue one.

It’s been handy for work too - although it isn’t a good replacement for a computer, it allows/makes it possible for me to do my work - relatively speaking.

So this machine has simply been amazing and it’s enabled us to do a lot on this trip that we otherwise wouldn’t - mostly document it as much as we obviously have. But even then, it’s helped with storage of photos and communicating with people back home. Most importantly, we have rarely had to wait for an open computer at a hostel. Most of the hostels we’ve stayed at have WiFi so I can always get my own connection without having to wait.

Yes. I’d recommend this travel laptop for anyone who’s going abroad for a few months or a year. Weighing around a kilo, it’s practically nothing and it’s nearly indestructible - relatively speaking. And even if something does happen to it - the investment was pretty small - compared to other laptops of the same size and almost the same portability which costs at least twice as much or more.