I’d started thinking of returning to Chengdu when I came back in mid-June. This time, I would combine it with Chongqing. I pondered if I should fly to Chengdu or Chongqing first and ran a few scenarios with a few dates in October. Why October? Because it’d be almost autumn then and not as hot as July or August and I’d already had plans for September. My sister shared that she would be going to Yunnan and I decided to leave after she came back.
After running the scenarios and dates, I bought my Hainan Airlines ticket on Trip.com during the 07/07 offerings. When I was transiting in Shanghai coming back from Ulaanbataar, I went to the airline counter and requested for Muslim meal. However, I was told not all legs would have the option.
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
My flight was supposed to depart at 21:05 and I’d planned to leave at 17:00 and make my way to KLIA T2. However, it started threatening to rain that afternoon so I changed my mind and left 30 minutes earlier. The rain had started falling as I walked to the bus stop. I had to use my waterproof jacket to cover myself walking from the bus stop to the MRT station. I then found out that the flight had been retimed to depart at 22:05. Great, what was I supposed to do at the airport for an extra hour? Anyway, better to arrive early than be caught in the rain and arrive late. The flight was further retimed to depart at 22:35…
We finally boarded. I dozed off during take-off but got up to have my late supper.
Wednesday, 21 October 2026
We landed in Haikou after 02:00 and had to take the bus to the terminal. I cleared passport control then went to the domestic terminal and tried to catch some kip. I wasn’t successful of course. I gave up at 05:15 and went to perform prayers.
We took off at 07:30 and landed at 09:45 in wet Chongqing. I took the metro to Linjiangmen station and marvelled at the scenery when the train emerged above ground. It took me a while to find my hotel (no thanks to the wrong review given by a previous guest for sharing the wrong exit). I stopped to ask a few people before I finally found the building. Strewth!
I ventured out after prayers in the early afternoon to Kuixinglou just across the hotel. The square offers an amazing perspective of the city’s elevation. You start at one end of the square on the second floor (or first floor to us) and literally the next minute and just across the square, you’re on the 22nd floor! Anyone would be floored by this, pun intended!
Next, I walked to Shibati but not before having a late lunch at a halal eatery. You start at the top and go down the steps. The map indicated there is a Shibati station; however, I found it was still under construction so I grudgingly climbed back the stairs to take the subway to Houbao where I had a bird’s-eye view of the buildings and the Yangtze River. I wandered around the neighbourhood, wondering how to get down to street level before deciding to return to the station. Oh, there were escalators going down (I’d followed an old lady and taken the lift).
I then walked along Nanbin Road to Longmenhao Old Street before taking the metro back to Linjiangmen. Even navigating the subway means trekking across corridors and going up and down stairs - Jiaochangkou station, I’m looking at you! I was not amused to find myself at Jiaochangkou station and having to trek it’s corridor again but it was what it was. It’s really a very hilly city, y’all. It was an overcast first day in Chongqing but not too cold. Anyway, I did read another blog where the author mentioned that clear days are rare in Chongqing.
Walked 30,250 steps or 20.8 km on my first day in Chongqing.
Thursday, 22 October 2026
Today, I joined a Chinese-speaking group to Three Natural Bridges in Wulong, more than three hours’ bus ride away from Chongqing. I’d done my research and joining a tour works out better than taking the metro then train from Chongqing to Wulong and attempting to reach Three Natural Bridges by the local bus. And then there’s the return journey to be considered too… I also compared between Klook and Trip.com and chose the tour offered by the latter.
I left the hotel very early in the morning as I had this fear of getting to the wrong meeting point. The guide told me the bus would come by 07:10 and that I must not be late. The bus arrived at 07:00 and I quickly boarded. We stopped about twice to pick up more passengers before we set off for the journey.
We reached Wulong around 10:00 and the bus stopped for a very early lunch. I decided to fast today as I was sure I’d have problems eating whatever food the restaurant would serve and was happy to note that a few other passengers also opted to skip the early lunch. Then I realised it was actually a good idea to have early lunch because one would need to energy to walk at Three Natural Bridges.
I also opted out of the glass platform as I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to walk on glass with hundreds of feet of nothingness below me. I walked to the rotating lift and went down and began my hike, stopping every now and then to take photos. I even climbed up many, many stairs to a viewing platform (and encountered some unpleasant Korean Americans there).
We were told to assemble by 13:30 at the exit but I was already out by 13:00. The guide saw me and brought me to the park shuttle bus and told me to board it to Longshuixia Fissure Gorge. This is a deep limestone canyon. Both Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Fissure Gorge lie within the Wulong Karst National Geology Park which is a part of the South China Karst UNESCO World Heritage Site. Similar to Three Natural Bridges, we also took a lift to descend down before walking through and along the gorge. I was done within 75 minutes but I did stop many times to take photos.
We finally left at 15:40 and made our way back to Chongqing. We reached Shibati at 18:20 and I had dinner before returning to my room to get some souvenirs for Lala. I would be meeting her later that evening. Lala is a Chongqing-native and I met her on the flight to Tashkent in April 2024.
We met at Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street. She was also entertaining an Indonesian father-daughter acquaintances and we walked together for a bit before waiting for a taxi to bring the two to their hotel. The father was at least 80 years old and still fit! He could walk without a cane!
I then went to Lala’s office and we sat there having tea and chatting until 23:00. She kindly gave me a taxi lift back to my hotel on her way home. Walked 22,130 steps or 14.7 km on my second day in Chongqing.
To be continued
