The Yellow CraneTower and leaving Wuhan (recap of Halloween afternoon)

Early Friday afternoon we finished packing while Kylie and Caleb were napping, wrestled our suitcases downstairs (and by wrestled, I mean Ian took the bags down), got checked out, and climbed into the van for one last adventure with Zoey.

Kylie with her buddy Zoey lead the way as we walked from the parking area to the tower.

On the agenda for Friday was the Yellow Crane Tower. In a city of 8 million ~ and the traffic to go with those numbers ~ the tower was a quiet place of refuge.

The Chinese character in this pagoda is for swan (or goose ~ I'm not sure) and was put there to remind people of purity (because of the color white).

We walked around the grounds, threw coins in the small pot under the giant bell (not sure how I didn't get a still shot of that one ~ probably due to keeping up with a FAST toddler while we were at the bell ~ but I did manage to get a coin into the pot ~ which Ian got on video ~ which insures me good luck in the coming year. I did it not because of the luck ~ I don't believe in superstitions like that ~ but more for the challenge.) and climbed the tower getting exercise, a history lesson, and a great view of Wuhan in the process. Unfortunately I missed most of the story on why the tower was built as Caleb was not content to stand still and listen to Zoey. I'll catch it in more detail later from Ian and probably come back to add it to this post. Even without knowing the history, it was still a nice visit and something I highly recommend on your next visit to Wuhan.

"Chrysanthemum rock" ~ the white crystals are totally natural!

The ever present lion statue. I found this one interesting because it was from a different dynasty in Chinese history. It looks totally different in style than the ones at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Daddy and Kylie coming down the steps outside the temple.
She insisted on walking and was so proud of herself!

In the lower courtyard we attracted a little attention by letting the kids run back and forth, but it was totally worth it! They had so much fun racing back to Mama's arms!

Our family in front of the tower and the yellow crane statue. The yellow crane stands on top of the turtle and the snake showing it's dominance over both.

Just an interesting observation while we were in Wuhan, all the taxis had an LED screen in the back dash that scrolled some Chinese characters and then the date and time. So if you ever find yourself in Wuhan wondering what day it is or what time it is, just watch for a taxi!

We went from the tower to wait at Zoey's office in the civil affairs building for Caleb's passport. (Funny note here is that I only refer to my son as Caleb in writing right now. We have been calling him Lu Tao exclusively and I almost wonder how long it will take US to make the switch...) I almost got nervous waiting in the van, so it is a good thing that I didn't go upstairs with Ian and Zoey to find out that the passport hadn't arrived yet. Finally it came and we had to dash (and I use that word somewhat "sassily" as traffic anytime is bad in Wuhan, but on Friday afternoon at rush hour...) to the airport. Du (our driver for the week) assured Zoey that we did still have time to stop for dinner, so we enjoyed a delicious meal at a very nice restaurant (where Caleb broke a plate ~ do you know how much noise a ceramic plate makes when it hits a tile floor? ~ and therefore created one more place we can't go back...) and still made it to the airport with enough time to stop for a picture with Zoey and Du.

And as a new mom for the second time, tired out of my mind, and full of so many emotions about the week, I cried as we left Zoey (my arms were full of a sleeping Caleb and therefore I couldn't hug her, so impulsively I kissed her on the cheek ~ she was so delightful to have as a guide and friend for the week!) and the province Caleb was born in. For the presumed first time in his life, Caleb would be leaving the Hubei Province and while the steps were put in motion some time ago, it still was bittersweet for me to take him from Hubei. I'm sure that when we leave China on Friday I'll be feeling the same way...

Oh, and if you are wondering, no, he didn't stay asleep on the flight. He woke up just before boarding and riding with him on the plane (because of course we were not all together, Grant was right behind me and Ian and Kylie were about six rows behind us) was like sitting with an octopus! He was not content to sit on my lap and it was especially fun trying to keep the tray table in its locked position during takeoff and landing ~ it's hard enough to reason with a toddler that speaks your language... Thank goodness for Color Wonder markers, he found them fascinating and it it hadn't been for the entertainment they provided I probably would have lost my mind on that flight!