Chengdu China one year ago today. Series on beginning In Search of Shangri-la

One year ago today we rode our tandem in Chengdu, China traffic in preparation for our journey across Tibetan China and through Southeast Asia. We are beginning a series of re-posts remembering this adventure. Follow us as we remember, or better yet, go to the link at left, In Search of Shangri-la and read the whole four months.

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Good-bye Tai Shan

We recently rode our bicycle from Chengdu across the SW China mountains (Himalayas and Tibetan plateau). We began in Chengdu and visited the Giant Panda Breeding Center. Lucky, our stuffed panda, made the visit with and was not sure what to think of the really really big (to him) pandas. Tai Shan is leaving National Zoo today for the Giant Panda Breeding Center, Chengdu, China. Video of Tia Shan at the National Zoo made him the most popular Panda ever. Thousands tuned in daily to watch his clumsy antics.

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Lucky from Angkor Wat

Lucky from Angkor Wat

Lucky from Angkor Wat

We took Zippy to  ride yesterday to some place said Angkor Wat. Claire told it was a  important place. It is made of rocks people carved and piled up to make temples to a bunch of gods.

They have scary demons for gods to fight, or something. There is big snakes, elephants, and too, a crocodile carved into walls, and other stuff too.

There are whole armies fighting and different of their big important gods, including Buddha. I’m can’t know how they remember all these gods, but they must have been important for them to do hard work.

Oh, there are 1876 dancing nymphs carved there too, and Bob took a lot of pictures of them.

We went to several other temples that were just as interesting. Claire says we’re going to more today and tomorrow. I’m getting tired, and Bob wants a nap, but Claire says we’ll only be here once, so we gotta keep up to go.

Zippy and me liked the ride back best. It being dark and we no lights. Bob and Claire pedaled fast. We passed bicycles and tuk tuks and even cars. Then me and Bob talked to a little girl selling postcards while Claire got food.

Bob says they’ll put up some more pictures when he finds something called bandwidth. I don’t know what is, but he always grouches about it.

I having fun!

bye,

Lucky

Lucky Has A Think: Respect yourself and others will respect you

I had another of those funny think things. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” I asked Claire what that word respect means. She took a long time with her thinks before she said something. “Respect means you think well of someone, and that you trust what they say is what they will do.”

I think these thinks are coming from someone else. I’m not that smart by myself. It’s probably not a panda. We just think about bamboo. I wonder if it is a China person? Does anybody know who thinked these thinks first?

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Lucky Ponders His Return To China

They said no, my passport was the take on my butt that says, “Made In China.” Bob was working on that funny long bicycle with two seats they have out in the 108 degree heat today. He said he had lots of work to get, Zippy he calls it, ready for the rigours of Asia travel. Hmmm. I wonder if I’ll like that thing he calls rigours?

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Lucky Helps Cook Dinner With A Solar Cooker

I helped cook dinner in Claire’s solar cooker yesterday. Today I’m watching cookies bake in her solar oven, but that will be another blog. It’s a hot job, but better me than Bob and Claire, because they sweat and stink if they stay out too long in the 105 afternoon heat. et up the solar cooker (Claire made hers from a windshield shade and Velcro) in a funnel shape in full sun (duh) and out of the wind if possible. Put spelt, water and salt in baking dish, place inside a baking bag and close tight with twist tie; set in solar cooker. Check spelt after a couple of hours (bad choice, other whole grains cook much quicker); when done, add vegetables and spices. Adjust liquid with chicken broth or water, cook until vegetables are getting tender. Add salmon and cook until opaque.

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Lucky’s Blog: First Thoughts (A Continuing Tale of a Panda’s adventures)

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” a person (or panda?) really do stuff, rather than hear about it or see it. He said it is the reason they travel, and hike and bicycle, instead of watch other people do stuff on television. I think I remember such a thing from my other life. The people were always sitting in front of it and not talking much. They might have doing this thinking thing, but I couldn’t tell.

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Lucky’s Blog (A True Story Told In Serial Form – Stay Tuned)

as she and Bob sped past in Turtle, that’s their motorhome’s name, and she announced that a bear rescue was required. Bob and Turtle reponded with a fast U-Turn and the next thing I knew, I was looking out Turtle’s windshield and feeling safe.

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