Tags @GreatRail #GrandTourOfChina
I promised to all some hot panda action, and so here goes.
We started the day early to catch the pandas before they have their morning nap. Opposite the hotel this street vendor was selling dim sum breakfast to construction workers
On arrival, much to my relief, the pandas were up and about and doing their thing.
Here is my favourite panda fact. Females are only fertile for one day a year, sometimes one day every two years. Mating takes about 10 seconds although a significant problem is that the male panda can be easily distracted from the process by almost anything, including a piece of fruit or a bamboo shoot. As soon as it is suspected that a female panda may be pregnant (ie they get a bit grumpy and start rubbing their belly) they are rushed into a special air conditioned area and treated like royalty with their every need catered for. The cleverer female pandas have worked this out, and are now able to generate phantom pregnancies on demand purely in order to enjoy this special VIP treatment. Female Pandas… smarter than you think!
However, by about 11 o’clock all this activity had proved too much for them, and they started the serious business of getting back to sleeping for the rest of the day
That’s it. Next another train to Chonquing for our river cruise.
TimOnTheTrain 