5 April 2013
Lets try that again
Yesterday I tried to go to the polar ocean world aquarium thing, and failed. Armed with further research, I decided to try again.
The weather had turned polar, up until today it had been 25 every day, today, 11. I had to wear pants and a jacket.
Now even armed with much more info, and studying both google maps and baidu, it still wasnt easy. I got the right bus, 501, from the last subway station. It was drizzling rain and I couldnt see out the bus.
My research, the map, and other web pages all suggested the bus travels straight down the road to a bus station, which is then just a kilometre from the polar sea panda world thing.
Easy then, just stay on the bus until it gets to the bus station. No.
Since the metro is being extended the bus station its supposed to go to is not operating, so it goes to another one, it veered off the main road and went through a few bombsite neighbourhoods and eventually got to a bus station by a river. Along the way we passed a massive amusement park world on a lake with floating restaurants. It all looked brand new from what little I could see out the bus window.
Now this bus station, is beyond the edge of the maps I stole from google, so I had no idea at all, start walking then, in the rain. I crossed a bridge and when the freeway sized road had not a single car on it I thought perhaps I was lost. After another 10 minutes I turned back, an old lady passed me on a scooter, she was the only person on the freeway but still felt the need to blow her horn in a musical fashion every 0.7 seconds.
I caught the same bus back again, and got off where it left the road I knew the ocean world frozen animal zone to be on, and jogged South in my jeans, in the rain.
A small flotilla of land craft followed me, taxis, three wheeler coffin bikes, scooters, all demanding I pay them money. But I refused and after 30 minutes I was there!
When I exited the subway, I saw this sign. Presumably for a shuttle bus. So I waited, and no one came. I should have waited longer in hindsight!
The bridge to nowhere I crossed before admitting that I had no hope of finding out where I was.
The bus station I had set off from was a hive of construction workers being bussed in our out of Chengdu from some far off land.
Could it be so?
Yes, I have found it. Im not sure I really wanted to go here, it costs $10 which is big money in China. But its all about the journey!
A big fish, face down. Underwhelmed so far.
The 2 polar bears were enjoying the cooler weather. I have never really seen a white polar bear in a zoo, its hard to keep them clean.
They had every kind of penguin, and they are quite photogenic. People tried to hold their children up against the glass so they could give the peace sign and have their photo taken with the penguins.
Bonus photo of smaller penguins.
There were seals, walruses, sea lions and whatever. But these things really only kill time until one of the 3 shows is on.
The worlds smallest wave pool. Would probably be nice to swim in on a warm day.
The aquarium section was actually good. Better than Sydney (which is $30 just for the aquarium) and Osaka which is heavily advertised but crappy, and im sure it costs more than $10.
Its also very crowded, and everyone is keen to have their photo taken in the glass tube.
Bonus aquarium photo.
If you had to drag your kid around for hours, buy food on sticks, and basically put up with screaming all day, do you think it would be a good idea to buy a delicate glass electrical sphere to add to the situation? Apparently this vendor thinks an aquarium 50 miles from anywhere is just the market for them.
The turtles were also good, they had every kind, indoor, land ones, sea ones. Also a big explanation of which parts are the tastiest.
I had to wait a couple of hours for the dolphin and whale show, so I went back to check on the polar bears. Also, bring your own food! The only stuff for sale is pop corn, and things on sticks like sausages, squid, and unidentifiable organs.
The big sharks mostly sat on the bottom. This is a medium shark. People loved the sharks.
Me in my awesome coat. I so rarely get to wear it.
One of the shows started, billed as 'the fun show'. Once some clown appeared and played basketball I was off. Better to go and get a good seat for the dolphin and whale show.
Before the clowns came out they played gangnam style on the p.a. and people went crazy. They literally cheered when it started, and people were dancing horsey style in the aisles. I made a video.
I got to the dolphin stadium 30 minutes early and got a good spot, it was half full then. By the time it started there were people standing everywhere and it was very difficult to see.
A repeat of gangnam style got the crowd warmed up for the show.
These are beluga whales, best served with a special regional kind of cabbage and cow peas.
I thought this was somewhat unique, they took a kid that could barely walk from the crowd, stuck a life jacket on him whilst he was screaming threw him in a boat and had a dolphin tow him around.
They are aware that its always so full you can never see, theres a giant screen to see the action on too.
Best picture I captured of actual dolphin action, and its not a good one. What I saw of the show was decent, but the highlights reel they showed on the big screen before it started showed a lot more dolphins doing much more impressive tricks. I think today we got the B team.