This blog has moved...

Hello! Inside the Travel Lab has now moved to a roomier location with a view. These posts will stay here for now so browse away if you wish. But I hope you'll come and visit the lab in its new home: http://www.insidethetravellab.com/

Tracking Panda Bears in China

Thanks to Mary and Sean for the question about visiting Pandas. Yes, I wandered through China a few years back – inspired by the book Wild Swans and driven to see Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Soldiers, the Forbidden Palace and then… I’d better stop myself there. You wanted to know about pandas, after all.

About Pandas

Apart from being the cover girl for WWF, pandas are among the most threatened species on earth with only around 2000 left.

That’s 2000 altogether, across the whole world. I know people with more than 2000 friends on facebook.

Pandas only eat bamboo and (rarely) attack humans – two reasons that may explain both why they are adored - and why they are endangered.

Seeing Pandas


Given how scarce pandas are, it’s not surprising that you won’t find much of a choice if you want to see them. I went to the Chengdu Panda Reserve, deep in the Sichuan Province. The Chengdu reserve describes itself as a "Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding", which seems to translate into part zoo, part conservation area, part wilderness, and part science lab.

You'll see plenty of red pandas and golden monkeys in the forest paths that meander around the main building. You may also see infant pandas in the labs, along with posters and presentations on panda breeding.

But will you see panda bears? When I visited, I saw several elderly pandas chomping on bamboo while their cartoon-like grandchildren tumbled around the floor.

Hang on a sec, is travelling to see pandas such a good idea anyway?

Like most things, it depends. Conservation groups and governments recognise the value of an industry where an animal is worth more alive than dead. Successful eco-tourism forms a powerful bargaining chip when convincing local communities to conserve habitats and halt poaching. Some groups, such as WWF, even advertise approved tours.

Travel considerately, treat animals and habitats with respect - and enjoy!

Hope that helped to answer your question. It's been a few years since I was in China but I'd love to hear about what the place is like now. Drop a link below after you get back and tell us all about it.

If you're interested in catching other endangered species in the non-poaching sense then try this article from Bootsnall.

Panda Photos - from Chi King. I'm afraid my photos are locked away in storage somewhere...

The Journey Continues

I think I'll take a chance on understatement and say that it's been a strange few weeks.

If you're pining for some delicious expat travel adventures then try Mary and Sean's Adventures Abroad , ByLanderSea Food or My Bella Vita.

However, if you're wondering what's happened to me, then September carried with it some incredibly sad news, and a bittersweet journey to Yorkshire. Hence the interruption in regularly scheduled programming...

September also saw the launch of my other blog, Cheap Weekend Breaks - a personal and passionate guide to help you get inspired, get informed and get going.

To answer a few of the questions that I've received over the last few weeks, yes Cheap Weekend Breaks is my blog and thus far I have written all the entries. However, if you happen to be a travel blogger and are itching to get involved, then by all means contact me!

So, what about Inside the Travel Lab? Are you abandoning it?

No, not at all. Although I have been planning to move it to a new home, so watch this space for some new and shiny updates soon.

Hope all is well with you.

"When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don't conclude the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars?”

Thank You

Thank you to everyone for all the messages of support.

A good friend of mine collapsed and died on 20th September 2009 at the age of 32.

For all those who don't want to share their lives on the blogosphere I won't write much.
I will just echo the words I've read elsewhere about him because they are so fitting.

"He will be sadly missed by all that knew him. He was a true gentleman, a wonderful person and an excellent doctor."

Sad news...

Sorry folks, no posts for a while. Just heard some very sad news.

Intestines & The Abattoirs

FRENCH FRIDAYS

A shiny pink intestine sits on the Charles-de-Fitte Avenue in Toulouse, reaching out of the ground to an overpowering height. I’ve always had the feeling that the museum curators don’t call it the intestine, but Toulousains certainly do.

It’s a handy landmark for giving directions – and it symbolizes the entrance to Toulouse’s museum of modern art, on the former site of the city’s abattoirs. Hence its name - Les Abattoirs - and also, perhaps, the inspiration for the sculpture.

The exhibits inside change frequently – from eyeballs on high chairs to glow-in-the-dark gimp suits, single coloured panels to animated videos – but the intestine is always there.

The End of Summer

Last night, for the first time in months, purple clouds billowed and thundered over sun-scorched Andalucia.

By the morning, the storm had settled but the evidence remained: the end of summer in Seville.