M-whY

I wasn't planning on making this a food entry. I did want to introduce some of Chengdu's tourist attractions, if there were any worth mentioning. Like the huge Mao statue overlooking Tianfu Square. And the panda conservatory, had I managed to wake up in time for the shuttle provided by the hostel. Like yesterday though, I didn't find very much. I don't see why so many people flock here, other than perhaps using it as a launch pad for other destinations in the area.

While wandering around city center, I saw a lot of people at tables with skewers dipped in a bowl of what looked like sesame oil. A hotpot of all sorts of things: Mushrooms, seafood, animal innards, chicken feet, etc. The only thing it seemed to lack were actual chunks of meat. I saw down anyways, figuring I'd steer away from the more offensive stuff. Tipped off by my taking pictures and eating right off the stick, the shopkeeper instantly recognized me as a tourist.

"[Where are you from?]"

"[Uh... America.]"

"[Here on vacation?]"

"[Yeah.]"

She smiled and showed me the right way to eat: Sliding the food off the skewer onto a provided dish, mixing it with crushed chilli, and feeding it into my mouth the proper way with chopsticks.

The potpourri lived up to Sichuan reputation for being spicy. It wasn't a 'Get the fire extinguisher' type hot. More of a mouth numbing slow burn. Cost was determined by amount eaten. At .5 yuan a stick, I ran up a bill of 12 yuan. I could've eaten more, but at some point, I stopped tasting anything. And I didn't want any problems with my digestive system later.

A path along the Brocade River provided a break from dodging bicycles. I came to the Wuhou Temple, dedicated to Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Zhuge Liang, historical figures immortalized by the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Admission was a steep 60 yuan. Walking around the perimeters, I decided it wasn't worth it. For that money, I could get an hour of massage and still have something left over for dinner.

There are so many places to eat in Chengdu, and I don't think I could've gone wrong with any of them. I decided on Chen's Mapo Tofu, an institution so famous it earned a label on a local city map I picked up. Located on the other side of town, getting there was a trek and a half. Their signature dish, as their name implies, is mapo tofu. As an afterthought, I also ordered some twice cooked pork to round out the meal.

The plate of napkins brought to my table served as warning. Talk about flavor you can see. Strangely enough, the place didn't have any bottles of water available. Maybe there were all sold out? I had to rely on cans of Pepsi to douse fires in my mouth. I don't feel bad admitting I couldn't handle it like a local. They've probably spent their entire lives eating this stuff. I wouldn't be surprised to find out they dipped their fries in hot sauce.

At the end of the day, I'm not quite sure what to make of Sichuan cuisine. I've only sampled a small selection of the menu, but if they're all going to be this spicy, I think I might pass on the rest. I prefer to eat food I can taste.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!