Today was our second full day with Meili. What a cutie – she already sleeps thru the night – 9pm to 7am. She has really bonded well with all of us, especially with Bridget, Andy and Megan. She goes to them without the slightest reservation – really sweet to watch. Meili is coming into her own as well. She loves to get down and walk whenever possible.
Yesterday evening after dinner we had had it with sitting around the room and took the opportunity to go for a "walk-about" thru the local neighborhoods around the hotel. What an experience. The streets were alive with people like a beehive around a queen bee. The locals sell everything from produce, to fruits, to fresh meats (including pig snouts, and live chickens and other assorted small animals) and sea food (fish and eels actually still alive in buckets) right on the sidewalk along many of the city streets in what they call a "market". Had to keep Jacq from setting all the critters free.
Started the day early, meeting the agency folks and our group at 9:30 am to head off for a visit to the local Chongqing Panda Zoo, and a chance for us to stretch our legs and for the babies to get some fresh air. Apparently the Sichuan Province is home to the remaining population of wild Panda’s in China and there are a number of zoo’s and preserves in the area where they breed and study these animals. We were able to get right up close to the Panda’s and got some great pictures.
Not sure what the guides have in store to keep us occupied tomorrow, but we have it set for us to go and visit the Fuling Social Welfare Institute – the orphanage where Meili came from – on Saturday. It is a 2+ hour ride by bus each way from Chongqing to the orphanage, so the visit and round-trip travel will take most of the day Saturday.
More tomorrow from beautiful downtown Chongqing.
Jacquie, David, Bridget, Andy, Megan & Meili
Meili on her Amish quilt
Meili fixing her hair
Chongqing City skyline & Yangtze River from our hotel window
Bridget, Andy, Meg & Meili with new Chinese friends at the WWII Flying Tigers Museum and Chongqing Art School
Captive Breeding Panda’s at the Chongqing Panda Zoo
