Er Xiao Jie and San Xiao Mei's Chongqing Notes
Having just returned from the Northwest in July, I really planned to take a break—travel is truly exhausting. I heard that Sister Xiaofang's annual leave was coming up, so the day before we suddenly decided to go to Chongqing. Even though both of us were feeling unwell, we hurriedly bought tickets, planned an itinerary, and booked hotels. This spontaneous trip was born out of a situation where the day before, the two of us had spent the whole day in the hospital feeling awful. Well, this was also my first trip with my sister in 28 years. Looking forward to it! Let's go.
09.09, 5:30 PM flight. Because of my procrastinating nature, I hadn't packed anything and was urged by Xiaofang to leave. So we set off at 2 PM and arrived at the airport before 3:30 PM. After waiting at the airport for two hours, plus a half-hour delay, we finally boarded the plane in excitement. This time we flew Xiamen Airlines, which included a meal. We arrived at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport at 8 PM. The first thing that caught our eyes were the little yellow cabs. However, because Chongqing's subway is incredibly deep and winding, it took us from 8 PM until 10:30 PM to reach the hotel. Haha, the hotel we booked last-minute was only 99 RMB per night, a great deal, and very comfortable. So we booked it for four consecutive nights. After freshening up, we went out to find food. It's best to stay near Jiefangbei (Liberation Monument), close to Bayi Square, where there are lots of snacks and it's lively even late at night. We found a place and ordered an ice cake and sour-spicy noodles. Maybe because we were hungry or something, but it was incredibly authentic and satisfying. After filling our stomachs, we returned to the hotel to sleep.
09.10, woke up at 8 AM. Traveling with someone laid-back is really laid-back—one person's laziness rubs off on the others, haha. After being bombarded by phone calls from Meiyun (who is pregnant and forgetful) for an hour, we only left at 10 AM. For breakfast we had a bowl of Chongqing-style noodles (Xiaomian). It was so spicy it was almost inhumane. Only locals who have grown up on this land can handle such a spicy breakfast! It started raining. We first strolled around Jiefangbei, then went to Raffles City, and finally took the subway to Ma Fangwan Colorful Alley. That's where we first took a taxi. The driver took us to Ciqikou Town and even told us to get off at the intersection ahead because he would go deal with the traffic jam himself... (Chongqing taxi drivers are really great, I'll talk about that later). Then we went back to eat at a private kitchen restaurant. Since we made the itinerary on the day itself, we took many detours... Let's talk about Colorful Alley first. It's an alley where all the houses are decorated with colorful paints and various beautiful anime images, turning it into a scenic spot—a free place for taking photos. As for Ciqikou Town, it's like an ancient-style street that every city has, with bars, snacks, local specialties, everything. The only downside is that you have to return the same way, so if you're not very fit, it's best to only go halfway, visit a temple inside, and then turn back. We were tricked into buying some local beef specialty for 200 yuan, and I voluntarily bought a hairpin (for braiding hair) lol. Then around 6 PM, we took the bus back to Colorful Alley to eat at a home-style restaurant that was highly recommended online. PS: great service, authentic taste, and reasonable prices. Then we bought a box of digestive tablets at the pharmacy. (Successfully made Sister Xiaofang like digestive tablets as a "snack"—mainly because Chongqing's heavy flavors are truly second to none.) Finally, we took the subway to Hongya Cave and Qiansimen Bridge. There were so many people! It wasn't a holiday or weekend, but still crowded—really amazing. Because of the flood, the attraction had been closed, but luckily the lights were on when we went. Although it was so crowded we couldn't enjoy it much, the scene reminiscent of Spirited Away was still magical. We took a quick glance and then took a taxi back to the hotel to rest. We had our second encounter with a kind taxi driver who gave us good recommendations and enthusiastic explanations. Ended the first day happily. Picture time.
Going out
Breakfast: Chongqing Xiaomian
Crazy photo-taking mode
Doesn't this look like a cat dozing in a temple?
Bought a hairpin for 38 yuan, I really like it
Very authentic dinner
Hongya Cave
I like this candid shot of Sister Xiaofang
09.11, the second day, we still woke up at 8 AM but didn't leave until 10 AM—really slow. So we went directly to the Crown Escalator, then to Eling No.2 Factory. Finally, a third taxi driver took us to Liziba Light Rail to see the train passing through the building. He also enthusiastically introduced things—haha, these little yellow cab drivers are so down-to-earth. Since these places are basically free photo spots, we just passed by, took pictures, and left. Then we ate some local noodles—average taste, average yogurt (not as sour as the one in Xining), and their breakfast soy milk had no soy milk flavor at all. We got lost for a long time and finally arrived at what we thought was the top floor but turned out to be the ground floor—a photo spot. Chongqing's geography is amazing! When I looked down, my legs trembled and felt weak, but when I looked up, I was clearly on the first floor... Haha, after taking videos, we went to Zhongshuge Bookstore in the afternoon. Navigation is useless in Chongqing—it's not without reason that people say not to trust it. It showed we had arrived, but we had to twist and turn and ask passersby for directions, taking 15 minutes to reach the destination. After wandering around, we took a bus to Huangjiaoping Campus of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to see the graffiti. This graffiti spot was quite impressive to me—it was very artistically strong. Our buildings are too conventional, not very distinctive. After another round of crazy photo-taking, we finally went to a famous trotter soup restaurant, thinking it was a dessert shop—turns out it was a pig trotter shop. Shocked, the two of us (who are not fans of meat) hesitated for a long time, then decided to return to the hot pot restaurant on Nanping East Road that the taxi driver had recommended the night before. This led to our first experience of how crowded Chongqing's buses can be during rush hour; we were squeezed off mid-route and then took another taxi. This driver kindly told us that traffic would be jammed for at least an hour and took us to the nearest subway station. Haha, this was the fourth kind taxi driver we met. While on the subway, we noticed that the subway driver was very handsome. Their subway structure is also strange—Line 2 is basically a sightseeing line, weaving through the city, while other lines are extremely deep, requiring multiple flights of escalators. Finally, we arrived at the hot pot restaurant and waited for half an hour. Honestly, I want to say: Chongqing's medium-spicy hot pot is incredibly spicy—be careful! I saw a sign on the road that said, "We don't sell yuanyang pot; mild spicy is our final compromise." Haha, toxic. In the end, the meal was very cheap, the taste was authentic, and the portions were huge. We even had a discount coupon that cut the price in half. After this, we don't want to eat hot pot in Fujian anymore... mmp. After eating, it was 10 PM. We took a taxi directly back to the hotel. Along the way, we sang a non-standard Minnan song, amusing the fifth taxi driver so much that he forgot to start the meter. He ended up charging us only 12 yuan. We chatted all the way; he told us about fun places and good food in Chongqing. In the end, we walked quite a bit today. Chongqing is not a big place, but the food is really good. Once again, I envy the local Chongqing girls. Picture time.
Going out
In Chongqing, it's all about eating, drinking, and taking photos
The subway is so magical, weaving through the city
Lunch
Bookstore
Waiting at the door for hot pot
University graffiti check-in
Time to eat!
09.12, the last day. After much hesitation, we decided not to go to Aochuangji (a scenic spot). First, the weather was bad—foggy and rainy. Second, Xiaofang is afraid of heights, and it wouldn't be fun for me to go alone. So we bought plane tickets last-minute, paying an extra hundred. The last day was very relaxed. We woke up at 10 AM, dawdled, and left at 11 AM for the Yangtze River Cableway. Thanks to my smart sister, we took an "elevator" shortcut, avoiding the long queue in the rain (note: you need to buy tickets one day in advance). Then we rode the cable car back and forth twice, enjoying the view. I have to say, the riverside scenery of Chongqing, combined with the handsome guys here, is amazing! Haha, these days we really feasted our eyes. For our last stop, we spent two hours round trip to go to the new campus of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Luckily, we were among the last few people to visit the Luo Zhongli Art Museum. We also saw their graffiti, so it wasn't a wasted trip. This place is part of their university town, with everything available. Due to the pandemic, schools are not open to the public, so we just took a photo at the gate and left. This trip to the art institute was also a detour—we didn't plan well. Actually, it could have been done on the first day. It rained all day, and it was cold. So we took a taxi, and the fifth driver took a detour but kindly didn't charge us for the extra distance, even telling us he had taken a detour and only charged the basic fare. What good people! Haha. Finally, we bought an umbrella on the spot, and because we were so cold, we went shopping and bought sister matching outfits. Then we had another hot pot feast, with free sweet soup as a gift. Even thinking about it now makes me savor the taste. Finally, we took a taxi back to Hongya Cave for a quick visit. We got into the sixth kind taxi driver's car. Because the area was congested, he suggested we walk, which was more convenient. Such kindness—you'd never get this on a group tour. After taking photos in the rain (with the consequence of a cold and headache the next two days), we took a taxi back to the hotel. This was the seventh driver, who was quiet and didn't say much—maybe because we were tired, haha. Finally, pictures.
Setting off again
A very relaxed last day, though a bit of a detour
Too cold—bought sister outfits on the spot
Free sweet soup
I want to go eat there again
Good service from the young lady
Million-dollar night view
Can't say what it looks like
Who took that good photo?
A painting I met at the art museum
Neither this nor that—I don't know what to shoot, just random pictures... haha
Returning on the last day to see Hongya Cave again
09.13, the last day. Our flight was at 8 AM. We got up at 5 AM, left at 6 AM, and arrived at the airport at 6:30 AM. Here I have to mention the eighth driver. He kindly gave us a discount because I forgot to remind him to go to Terminal 2 due to chatting. We waited at the airport for an hour, during which we spent 12 yuan on a massage—very cheap. Then Xiaofang and I took Sichuan Airlines back. The flight attendants were very beautiful. We arrived in Changle at around 10 AM, bought a bus ticket at 11 AM, and got home. In the evening, we gathered again for a huge feast at Linzi and brother-in-law's place. After tidying up, our Chongqing trip came to a successful end.
I want to say: I'm so long-winded, sometimes annoying and argumentative, haha. Thanks to my sister for being patient and understanding all the way. Although she is also stubborn and as headstrong as an ox, haha, but thinking about it, even people we haven't contacted for a long time might stay connected because of blood ties. We talk about everything. It's like how some things we thought would never change—maybe it's not that people change, but hearts do. Well, on the 15th I'm going to Guizhou again. People always give their worst temper to the closest people and their best patience to strangers. For this trip, including flights, accommodation, food, and souvenirs, the average cost per person was 2000 yuan. Most of the places we visited had free admission; those that required tickets were only a few dozen yuan. The best part of this trip was eating and eating, the amazing terrain, and the super friendly little yellow cab drivers. I regret not trying any adventure activities; maybe next time. Farewell, Chongqing.
