Wuhan

It's fun to use eclipses to travel to places I otherwise wouldn't see. China is a huge country, so I probably wouldn't have seen Wuhan if it weren't for the eclipse on July 22, 2009. Wuhan is known as one of the "three furnaces" of China, with summer temperatures topping 100 degrees F most days. But despite the heat, it was a nice surprise to get to know the friendly people of this pleasant city...

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Reminder that China has come a long way in recent years but hasn't completely shaken off its totalitarian past...

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A couple shots of the city from our hotel window...

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Wuhan's most famous attraction, the Yellow Crane Tower, first constructed in the Year 223.
(China is without doubt a wonderful place to go to if you want to feel young!)

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Looking down from the top of the Yellow Crane Tower.

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The total solar eclipse was the reason for our visit, so at 4 in the morning on July 22 we woke up and prepared to head to the west of the city in search of a flat area away from the crowds & clouds. A few hours later we found a partially-constructed rest area that served our purposes nicely. Then it was just a matter of watching the sky and waiting.

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Totality approaches. The sky begins to get noticeably darker...

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A wide-angle shot of the sky at the moment totality begins. The covered sun is just visible in the upper right center of this picture.

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Heading back into the city after the eclipse, a random intersection with some very unique lights!

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Mao maintained a villa in Wuhan, today a museum to the former Chairman.

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Our final meal on this year's China trip to celebrate our accomplishments.

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Smiles from the friendly staff at the Shangri La Hotel in Wuhan.

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Chinese acrobatics are famous the world over, and we were lucky that Wuhan's cozy amphitheater showcased an amazing cirque du soleil / nature-themed performance during our stay. Seeing the show in a comparatively smaller Chinese city meant everyone in the audience could feel close to the action.