Chlidonias Goes To Asia, part three: 2013-2014

that may well be.

Possibly connected to the complexity of getting the visas, is that NZers are few and far between in Russia and China. Most Chinese don't even seem to have heard of New Zealand, but they have heard of Australia.

Wait a minute, are you saying that New Zealand is not part of Australia? Geez, what kind of geography is your education system teaching?!
 
Wait a minute, are you saying that New Zealand is not part of Australia? Geez, what kind of geography is your education system teaching?!

I actually thought that New Zealand were those Australians that played in Lord of the Rings
 
I was wondering how this thread comes across (because of course I'm just writing it one post at a time, each separate from the whole) so I just went back and read the whole thing from the start. (It has been raining here for the last several days so not much has been going on outside). I was a bit worried it might all come across as being very negative, boo-hoo I can't find any animals and nobody likes me, that sort of thing, but I think even the Russian parts aren't as frowny-face as I thought they might sound. Possibly helps that I try not to take myself too seriously.

Anyway, yesterday I bought my train ticket for Chengdu, leaving Shanghai tomorrow morning at 9.12am and arriving the next day in Chengdu at 2.45pm. That's almost thirty hours on the train. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, and Sichuan is one of the most wildlifey places in China. I really am anticipating my bird and mammal lists to start growing well from now on. Fingers crossed.
 
If you could catch Nigel Marven on the street of Chengdu (where his new home locates), maybe you could force him to take you into some reserves :D
 
Chlidonias Goes To Asia......

Feedback -- currently the first thread I look at, fascinating. Now find some (non-Phasianus) pheasants.
 
I actually thought that New Zealand were those Australians that played in Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings was filmed in new Zealand because that is the only place in the world where orcs are found, and the NZ Govt won't export them. So they had to make the films there.

It was easy to get the images of angry, snarling orcs. You just frame them up in the camera and then take their football away from them.

:p

Hix
 
It has come off as a bit negative to me, but I know that's not how it's really like. Still a very interesting (skim:p) read.

~Thylo:cool:
 
Well, too many posts have come between your responses to my previous posts, so I'll just say thanks for the responses, you have achieved a lot on a small budget, and thanks for the Engrish pics. The 'Jess treatment' by the way, means to ignore the question completely. ;)
 
If you could catch Nigel Marven on the street of Chengdu (where his new home locates), maybe you could force him to take you into some reserves :D
I didn't know he lived in Chengdu now! It would be funny seeing him in the street!
 
Feedback -- currently the first thread I look at, fascinating. Now find some (non-Phasianus) pheasants.
well at least someone's happy :D

The next few days will be in Chengdu (no pheasants), but then I'll be in pheasant country for a while so we'll see what happens....
 
Well, too many posts have come between your responses to my previous posts, so I'll just say thanks for the responses, you have achieved a lot on a small budget, and thanks for the Engrish pics. The 'Jess treatment' by the way, means to ignore the question completely. ;)
I'm just going to ignore that.
 
I am now in Chengdu. It is quite a bit warmer here than the last places. I spent some time on the train writing the review of Shanghai Zoo which is here:

http://www.zoochat.com/247/review-shanghai-zoo-340037/#post715059

I was going to stay around Chengdu for a few days to take in the zoo etc, but I decided it would be more sensible to just stay one day (tomorrow) for birding -- maybe I'll have time for the zoo as well -- and then the next day head north into the wilderness and see how far I get. I would not like to presume there will be any internet in the towns anywhere up there, but at the same time I would not like to presume that there will not be any internet up there.....suffice to say there may or may not be posts in this thread over the next two weeks after I leave Chengdu. You may talk amongst yourselves until I get back.

The plan is to head first to the Wanglang reserve which, as far as I know, allows foreign entry; then Tangjiahe reserve (ditto); and then make a run for Ruoergai up on the edge of the Tibetan plateau. The first two places are where I may see some nice pheasants and mammals. The last one is where I may see the back of a police car. Ruoergai is very high altitude which is why I'm going to the other places first -- they are also high but not as high as Ruoergai, so it will allow some acclimatisation time so my brain doesn't bleed out through my ears.

Ruoergai has a history of turning back independent birders, so I'm just going to give it a go and see how things work out. Gonna be fun!!!
 
By Chinese standards, it was minor because only a handful of people died in fujian province. You sure you were really in Shanghai a few days ago? :p
Typhoon Fitow Hits Shanghai, Closes Transportation Systems - Forbes

huh, that's really weird! It was raining on the 5th to 7th (raining hard on the 6th and 7th) but the 6th is the day I was at Shanghai Zoo -- and I had to use the public transport systems to get in and out of Shanghai (from Suzhou) and within Shanghai (to and from the zoo). Maybe it's a case of western news not really telling the truth. Or maybe this whole thread actually is just in my head!?
 
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