Either the busy season, or not the busy season in Changdu

Yesterday, I woke up early as per usual to look at other tours for later on in the trip. When tour was a cruise through the Yangzi river, which is advertised as a tour that hostel provides. When I asked about it, the hostel clerk (there are three people who look very similar-all with short hair and glasses) called another number. And told me to wait 1/2 an hour. He said that English speaking tours don't start until May, but a Chinese-speaking tour starts next week, at a fraction of the price. I asked him about that. He called the number again. First he said it was 4 days. Than he said it was three days. First he said the meals we're included. Than he said the meals weren't included. First he said it was a private room-than he said it was a dorm room. He said that the river cruises we're hard to get because it was the busy season. I also asked about other tours, including a walking tour that was listed-not enough people signed up. A food tour-not enough people signed up. This was because it was the slow season for the hostel. So I am blocked out because it is both the busy and slow season. Tomorrow, i am going to the panda sanctuary, which will be nice. (I was supposed to go today, but once again, not enough people). In the meanwhile, I purchased a Virtual Private Network-so i go back to Facebook and at least back up my photos. It was nice without social media for a while, but it is nice with it, plus I can back stuff up.

So after the hostel guy made multiple calls and had me wait-it wasn't until nearly 11:00 am that I finally was able to leave the hostel. The weather here is hot, which is nice, because I can wear shorts and have the laundry wash my pants. I took a walk using the map given to me. I walked about 5 blocks west to a giant statue of Mao, which was position with flowers, and was quite nice. Then I walked a few blocks more to The People's Park. This was a huge park, with 2 large tea rooms, and plenty of gardens. I walked through the park. What was most stunning was all of the activities going on. Folks we're playing board games. More than this, a lot of people we're performing. Some we're dancing (as couples) to recorded music. Others had elaborate dance routines and we're performing.

One routine that had me spell bound was a bunch of singers and dancers performing for a crowd. One looked like a Chinese Don Adams. They performed all sorts of songs and dances, and sounded pretty good. If you liked these people, you took a particular song/dance performed, you took a fake flower , and put it into a bucket on stage, in which the announcer would thank you-or say "Chea Chea" thanks in Chinese.

I actually positioned myself on the floor, in front of all these Chinese elderly ladies in chairs, and they actually cheered for me for some reason.
it was entertaining, and I stayed there for 1/2 an hour or so-until another Chinese lady got annoyed at me for some reason. I walked out, and took a long walk to a shopping mall on the map given from the hostel. I found a huge bookstore, with some books in English, so I looked at them.

Then I walked to the riverfront, and by the time I made it back to the hostel it was around 11:00 pm.