Panda!

Yesterday we visited Beijing zoo to view the Panda.  We had been told that they are big, fat, lazy and good for nothing and, yes, that is totally correct, but they are also incredibly cute.  We watched them for ages as they ate their way through bundles of bamboo and the occasional carrot.  The rest of the zoo was pretty grim,like the Auckland zoo I remember visiting when I was young.  The bears and big cats where either in cages or in concrete pits, prowling around aimlessly.  When we were in the building where the big cats were, they started roaring and growling = what an awesome sound.  We could totally understand why they are so terrifying when you hear them in the wild.
In the afternoon we went to the Silk Market.  The traders hassel you relentlessly to buy, even trying to grab your arm and pull you into their stalls.  They start of with ridiculous prices but you can beat them down to something approaching a bargain.  We bought Ella some 'Nike' sports shoes, starting price 920RMB, final price 100RMB - about $NZ25.  The place was jammed with people and obviously a popular place for the tour buses to stop given the number parked outside.
We travelled on the underground and the trip home was an experience with the incredible number of people jamming themselves on the train.  We had to force our way on and off each time = thankfully everyone was wearing winter jackets that slide against each other quite well.

We thought of everyone celebrating last night and wished you all a Happy New Year at 7.00 China time.  We didn't wait up to see the new year hear!

Today we head for Vietnam and more rice.