I'm Back, Back, Back Again... Chongqing, China!

There would be no heartbreak in the city, we were ready to capture views like no other! Barbecue healed us from the long day we had at Wulong Scenic Area, the skyline was unstoppable! A train that passes through a building? We stayed away from '李子坝站/Liziba Station' because it looked maddening! Rafflles City, we got our money's worth! The best end to our '劳动节' trip 现在重庆! 

Chanel had found a BBQ place with an almighty view, I wasn't ready for those 'cyber punk' settings because those were the words used by those 'paid promotion' individuals! Is Chongqing really living in 2050? That answer isn't mine to determine, plus it has no relevance right now! We took a taxi from our hotel after being dropped off from our 'Wulong' tour. The roads were jammed, it took us some time to reach our intended barbecue location. We walked up the steepest hill, it was a lot! Every step was worth it, we found an elevated setting amongst the BBQ stations. Ordering our meat was easy, we also ordered some side dishes and few bottles of '重庆啤酒/Chongqing Beer'. The view was everything, I saw the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers meeting in the middle with the bright red lit up 'Needle Bridge' giving 'main character energy!' A swarm of 'NYC' looking skyscrapers made up our knock-out vista, it was like looking to the future! I'm not getting a penny for this post, I said that because the view was genuinely incredible! Amazing, C! 

I was thankful for Chanel's quick thinking, she took charge of the BBQ duties and I provided the comedy! The food cooked was lovely, it was the perfect amount of food and we didn't feel too full after we had finished eating. We could hear there was a singer, she was just warming up, it set the mood with the view and music creating a relaxing environment as the city carried on. When we had arrived two nights previous, we did not seen any lights because they had all been turned off, we were lucky to be on the right side of time. We toasted to life, our beers were cold and refreshing but we didn't go overboard because we had one final day to boss before flying back to our expat China homes. Our BBQ hangout was perfect, it would stand as the perfect juxtapose, our final night would be in the clouds with those could afford it! With those lights burning bright, we left that situation to find a taxi back to our hotel. We had endured a long day and had a lovely evening, sleep was the final order of that evening! Chongqing embraced our calm mood. 

Waking at a respectable time on our final full day in Chongqing was a slower affair, we had dinner plans that evening and wanted to have brunch in the meantime. Brunch we did, right! I wanted a cocktail but they weren't serving at that time, that was a blessing because deep down I knew I didn't need a mixed drink! I was learning selective sobriety during that trip, well I wasn't going to be in the state that I was in before during 2015! Moving on from brunch, the weather had plans to end our lives because the humidity almost saw us giving ourselves our last rights! We sought refuge within the cool of Chongqing's own Art Gallery, it was best for us to swiftly find the train to take us to the most hyped location in the city. We had both clocked trains that passed through buildings, I sure remembered seeing the monorail pass through Disney's Contemporary Resort years previous. We wouldn't be part of the that hype, we didn't need to be caught up in another squeeze! Searching for the next station, we had simple intentions. 都可以!

We passed the madness by, getting off at '佛图关地铁站/Fotugan Metro Station', I was able to get my Line 2 approaching photo with ease. I agreed with Chanel that the tourist favoured view was overrated for us, some like different things and that is quite alright. We took a taxi back towards '李子坝/Liziba' to oversee the chaos from a comfortable rooftop bar, that was some shady shade! I feel if I omitted the next part I would not be standing against foolishness and I stood with Chanel. They say the children are our future? If children don't learn certain things from their parents that is just sad, needless to say we finished our drinks and called a taxi back to our hotel. People were doing too much at that well-known station, that was insightful to witness but it wasn't part of our mood for that final day in the city! We challenged the tourist traps, we didn't want to know the truth because this crowds went about their own frenzy, we did not! We had very important reservations made, we needed to get ready to be part of that world!

Refreshed and restored, we headed for our much anticipated 'open to order' buffet and drinks at Chongqing's InterContinental. Chanel had a meeting, she opened her laptop and carried on as she is making things happen in her life! We had free range of the menu for both drinks and food for around two hours, we would make the most of it! Now, my working class background was about to be brought out in full swing, I did not demurely sip on those drinks and I wished the bottled was left on our table! We ate well, choosing both Chinese and Western choices until our stomachs were full! Myself and Chanel decided to be conservative with our drinking because we both had flights to catch the following day. I really turned a corner, I knew that the drinks consumed at the InterContinental would be my only of the night. Being with Chanel during that trip brought a less chaotic nature, she knew that I was a loose cannon but with the right company I could show that I can be grown also! It was a whole experience, it was just amazing! 

We sat at our table with the keys to the city, we were at the top of the Raffles City complex at Chaotianmen Dock! We spoke about everything and took up space whilst those four figure paying hotel patrons called that hotel their residence. We lived the fantasy as we served 'InternContinental Realness!' The lights below were being switched on, as we sipped on our drinks and ate our chef made treats, people below us could not sit with us! Nobody could tell us that we weren't allowed to take space in that glitzy part of the city in the skies, we had paid our coins! Respectfully, we didn't overstay our welcome at that high-end establishment because we knew when to vacate. As our evening came to an end, we retired to our respective rooms, a restful nights sleep was needed! Being 'Back, Back, Back Again...' in Chongqing after over ten years had passed was a blessing, I had grown up a lot and embraced every aspect of the trip with senses intact. It was a sad case to say goodbye to Chanel the following day! Chongqing's a mood! 

Chongqing, I'm Claustrophobic! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure