I Wanna be a Panda

Posted on 17. Apr, 2011 by Steph in Asia, Destinations

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for… okay well, maybe you guys have your own lives and I’m the only person who has been eagerly anticipating this event for months and months. I understand, it’s cool. In any case…

I finally got to see the pandas! Up close and personal. And they were AWESOME.

Contrary to what you may beleive/hope, pandas don’t just run around China like big squirrels. They are a pretty elusive bunch, so the best bet for seeing them is to visit the Chengdu Panda Base in the Sichuan city of Chengdu, about 14 hours from Xi’an by train. Here over 80 pandas frolic in a spacious zoo sancutary. It’s the largest concentration of pandas anywhere in the world.

It’s not that I’ve never seen pandas before. The pandas at the National Zoo in DC are practically the city’s mascots. Unlike those spoiled divas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the pandas in Chengdu were actually out and about, frolicking and munching on their midday bamboo snacks. Also, unlike the DC zoo, here you can get up CLOSE to the bears- maybe 10 feet away with no glass or fence in between. Despite all the attention the bears are healthy, well cared for and appear pretty unfazed by their fame.

It was pretty neat, and it made me realize something very important. Being a travel blogger is great and all, I like seeing the world and trying new things, but ultimatly, it’s just not ENOUGH. I don’t feel completely fulfilled, and now I know why:

I want to be a panda.

Seriously. They may be highly endangered and evolutionary failure and all that jazz, but the pandas at the Chengdu Panda Base are living the sweet life. They act like rockstars, photographed and adored by thousands of fans everyday, yet their only responsibility in life is to consume as much bamboo as physically possible. Maybe some bananas too if they are feeling adventurous.

They just sit and eat, ALL day long. And when they get sick of eating, they move on to their second favorite activity: napping.

Eating and sleeping with a minor in being adorable. That’s pretty much it. Sigh.

Maybe in my next life, or maybe tomorrow, I’m not so picky. I just know that panda life is the one for me.

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Tags: china, wildlife

32 Responses to “I Wanna be a Panda”

Matt
17. Apr, 2011
Love love LOVE you got dressed up as a Panda! Such great photos.
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Monica
17. Apr, 2011
Eating and napping…it does sounds like a pretty sweet life! Also loving the panda costume! lol
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Michael
17. Apr, 2011
Well, you got the napping part of a Panda down pretty well at least.
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- Steph
  17. Apr, 2011
  pffft. YOU are the napping addict around here.
  Reply to this comment
Vacation Remix
17. Apr, 2011
Enjoyed the read.
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Pete | Hecktic Travels
17. Apr, 2011
Great photos, I can’t wait to see the Pandas in person myself. I as well love the costume! Cheers
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Kate
17. Apr, 2011
Awesome pictures!
I’m in Chengdu for the next couple of weeks – staying at a school out in the suburbs. The Pandas are my number one must see!
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Tran
17. Apr, 2011
Goodness, they are cute!
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Erin
17. Apr, 2011
Aw, so cute! Love the photos. It does indeed sound like a blissful life.
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Jan Ross
17. Apr, 2011
Eating and napping. Seriously. The PERFECT life.
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Katie
17. Apr, 2011
All I could think when I read this was “OMG PANDAS.” Adorable.
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Lauren
17. Apr, 2011
Amazing photos! I have to do this when I visit China later this year!
Eating and napping? Yeah, I want to be a panda too!
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Abby
17. Apr, 2011
So cute! I agree, being a panda has got to be the best life ever. My two favorite activities, eating and napping.
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Abby
17. Apr, 2011
Awww they’re so cute! I have very vivid memories of seeing pandas in D.C. as a child. Love these photos!
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Amanda
18. Apr, 2011
Ahhh, I just wanna hug themmmmm. They look so cuddly!
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Julia
18. Apr, 2011
These pictures are so cute. This is on my bucket list and hopefully I’ll be able to cross it off when I visit China on my RTW next year. My favourite pic has to be the “I’ll just take a lie down on my belly and snooze off some of this bamboo before I get stuck in again” one!
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Karen
18. Apr, 2011
Panda’s are so adorable and I wanna hug one!
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Sarah
18. Apr, 2011
I stood and grinned at the panda’s in Chaing Mai zoo for ages. I had to be dragged outta there! I love those furry guys!
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Andrea
18. Apr, 2011
I just want to lay on top of the napping panda! I bet they are great cuddlers!
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Alouise
18. Apr, 2011
Adorable pictures. Eating, and napping would pretty much be my ideal lifestyle as well. A girl can dream.
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Rebecca
18. Apr, 2011
So on my to-do list when ever I finally get to China!!
And you wearing that panda hat, you would fit in well in San Francisco as one of Giants players nickname is “Panda” so all the kids (and some adults!) go around wearing hats like that at the games. I laugh every time!
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Alex
19. Apr, 2011
Ahah nice pics. I want to be a panda too! I think earth would be a way more peaceful place if we all woke up as pandas all of sudden
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Claire
19. Apr, 2011
extremely cute pictures. especially the 6th one down. he/she is clearly tuckered out from their extremely challenging day of eating and napping!
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Jaime
20. Apr, 2011
THIS POST MADE MY NIGHT…. You know I love panadas and hope to one day hug one. Oh man they are just too fucking cute.
PS the last photo of you is beautiful.
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- Steph
  01. May, 2011
  I knew you’d love this one!
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Jacinda Green
21. Apr, 2011
Pandas are so cute! This was a great post. I must find a zoo with pandas to visit one day.
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alexis
21. Apr, 2011
I wanna see Pandas, too! I can’t believe you were allowed to get that close to them!
I was watching a show on TV and they said that pandas don’t get enough sustenance from bamboos so they HAVE to eat them ALL DAY! Kinda funny, but definitely interesting!
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Rebecca
24. Apr, 2011
So cute! I can definitely understand why you may return as a panda in your next life…
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Waegook Tom
25. Apr, 2011
Steph, I LOVE this haha!
Also, I HOPE YOU BOUGHT THAT PANDA HAT/GLOVE COMBO! I’ll be bitterly disappointed in you otherwise. And I’ll have to go to Chengdu to buy it for myself!
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- Steph
  30. Apr, 2011
  I didn’t! but I WAS a panda once for halloween so I’ve got the ears at home already. I think that’s okay.
  Reply to this comment
Jam
08. Jul, 2011
Nice! did you get to hold a panda bear in your lap? I heard that you can actually do that in chengdu for a fee? I love panda bears! i’d adopt one if it was legal
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- Steph
  12. Jul, 2011
  It cost a bit more than I wanted to pay, but now I kind of regret not doing it!
  Reply to this comment

I Wanna be a Panda

32 Responses to “I Wanna be a Panda”

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