Our first flight in mainland China took us from Guangzhou to Wuhan (population 9 million), a city north of our prior stop. We boarded a China Southern flight and were on the plane for only an hour and twenty minutes; a relief compared to our two previous flights on this trip. Once in Wuhan we met our tour guide Pony and she bused us to the Holiday Inn located in downtown Wuhan, right on the Yangzi River. The river is one mile wide and 70 feet deep. So compared to the Mississippi River, it is massive. The Yangzi River is the third largest river in the world and flows right through the middle of China.
 

The Augustana team, including coach Grey Giovanine’s son, Luke, far left, gets a Tai Chi lesson in a hotel atrium.

Our travel group got to experience a very unique session with a Tai Chi master in an area just off our hotel lobby. Master Miles, a friend of our tour guide, agreed to come in and give us an hour and a half lesson in Tai Chi. He began with a demonstration of what he could do, displaying the impressive flexibility and balance that Tai Chi requires. After he finished it was our turn. He taught us quite a few moves, some pretty simple and some rather difficult.

Tai Chi seemed to be much more manageable for the people who were not 6’8 and over 200 pounds. The big guys had some trouble with some of the flexibility moves, but it was all in good fun and a very worthwhile experience.
 
An early bed time was in order to prepare for our toughest game of the trip thus far against Huazhong University of Science and Technology. It is the largest university in central China and has an enrollment between 30 and 40 thousand. The Vikes are 1-0 so far overseas.
 
More from Wuhan tomorrow!
 
-Kyle Nelson