My wife Masumi and I just spent a week in Chengdu, China. It was like climbing into a time machine and traveling into the future.
Mind you, back in 2009, on my way to Nepal, I stopped in Chengdu for seven days. Today’s Chengdu is unrecognizable, like being in an entirely different city!
Chengdu in 2009 had its share of charms. The electric motor scooters kept the streets quiet. The temples, people doing Tai Chi in the park, the ease at getting around due to an efficient public transportation system, the charm of older parts of the city blended in with modern buildings, the impressive variety of cuisine.
I did notice then that there was a lot of building going on. Sixteen years later, it’s evident where they were taking things. Boy, is it ever!
I’ll follow this over the next couple weeks with more targeted articles.
