After Songpan we headed back to Chengdu, the capitol of Sichuan, and from there went to LeShan to see "Dafo" an unbelievable 71-meter high representation of Buddha carved into the side of a mountain in 713 AD. Here we did run into some tourists, but I can't imagine how bad it would normally be. Dafo looks over a large body of water, so first we took a boat to get a glimpse from beneath him, then we hiked up next to his head.
All Aboard! During peak season you can see the boat tipping as tourists rush to the side closest to Dafo to take pictures. Yikes!
The next day we left bright and early to get a chance to see China's most lovable creature, the panda, which Sichuan is most famous for. We got there while they were still eating and they were beautiful. The best part was the baby nursery, where the cutest little guys were being loved on by the staff. Unfortunately, photos were not permitted in that area.
Mom and baby
A very friendly panda
The highlight of a trip to Sichuan is the spicy food and we enjoyed quite a bit of it. Sichuan food is described as "ma la" which means "numb and spicy", and that's an excellent description. Sichuan people believe that in the summer it's best to eat spicy food because it makes you sweat which cools you down. The weather was cold while we were there, so I'm not sure what the theory is then, but we were definitely sweating.
Overall it was a great trip. Wonderful food, beautiful scenery, unique experiences.
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