Leaving Lanzhou and Dinos, Gansu China

Note from editor: This post should have been up yesterday, 11/18, before the two that precede it on the blog.

After five nights we depart today and fly to Guangzhao where we'll meet Mrs. Liang, our facilitator and get Ling Ling's medical exam and travel visa. Lanzhou, the capital of the Gansu Provence in North Western China, is an ancient, smoggier than you can imagine, megalopolis of 5 million or more. It is a city with a vivid history of dynasties, ancient artifacts, battles, ethnicities, and religion (birthplace of Buddhism in China) as it is a geographically strategic location with the Yellow River, a major hub of the silk road, and the oldest parts of China's Great Wall. The pollution here is almost unbearable and I have not wanted to take the kids (or myself) outdoors. We took a few jaunts about and found some serious Dinosaurs at the Lanzhou Museum. There is also an exhibit on gorgeous excavated bronze and pottery artifacts from the region and a beautiful exhibit on the Buddha. It was a great time and Cash was in heaven! He made us take tons of pictures of every exhibit.