Go Fly a Kite!

Today it was a trip to the "beach" for some kite-flying fun in the sun, along the north bank of the Yangtze River. The dramatic reduction in water levels is very evident by the shoreline. The 14 metre depth is the lowest in over 140 years, primarily due to the severe drought this past fall and winter. Though the wind was not very cooperative, all of the children (and adults) had a fun time trying to get their kites airborn.

We had lunch in a nice vegetarian restaurant where they served various "non-meats" (e.g. bean curd, mushrooms) that looked and tasted like real meat and fish dishes, along with staple vegetables such as the ever-popular broccoli. It was delicious.

A visit to the Yellow Crane Tower was the order of the afternoon. The Tower is located in the Wuchang district of Wuhan and is situated on the south bank of the Yangtze River. It is one of the 3 most famous Towers south of the Yangtze River (we have now visited 2 of the 3), and is one of the 4 most famous in all of China. In its 1,700 year history, the Yellow Crane Tower was destroyed many times in different dynasties, and was rebuilt many times. The construction of the present tower was completed in June 1985. There are great views of Wuhan from the top of the Tower. We also listened to a small performance featuring traditional Chinese instruments including chime bells, famous in the province of Hubei.

Through our visit to the shores of the Yangtze and the Tower, we discovered that a helmet might be in order for Sir Quinn. He tends to be a touch on the daring side, not understanding his limitations. A few head bops here and a few lip/teeth bops there, didn't dampen his cheery disposition. We are still having quite the time understanding what he is saying, but it is sure fun trying to figure it out. The most frustrating of all, though quite amusing, is our inability to curtail his hitting, throwing and pinching outbursts - he just laughs and laughs and laughs at our unsuccessful attempts to get him to stop. The orphanage staff said we could reason with him, but with the language barrier, we suspect we've got a long way to go. To him this is quite the game - we hope to turn things in our favour very soon - we will come out on top Sir Quinn!!!.

Tomorrow a visit to the Hubei Provincial Museum.