I just got back on Friday night from a two-week trip to China, which included seeing the solar eclipse from Anqing. The weather was not ideal for the eclipse, but we did get a glimpse of totality through a break in the clouds. We also got to do the usual tourist stuff in Beijing, Xian, Suzhou, and Shanghai. It was very hot, but a lot of fun.
Now I’m dealing with 12 hours worth of jet lag (ugh) and a stiff neck from being on the couch, trying to stay awake till bedtime yesterday.
I was already in China (hanging in Leshan) for the eclipse. As expected, it was cloudy and overcast, and all we got was a little more darkness than usual.
Never the less, it was a pretty bizarre experience. I really psyched myself up with the whole “the gods have become angry and taken the sun away- oh wait, they’ve changed their mind! We are redeemed!” thing. Pretty trippy.
I just got back today from my trip to see the eclipse. My first total solar eclipse! Incredible!
I was on a cruise ship (charter) that went out just east of Iwo Jima island. We had a meteorologist on board who directed the ship to an area where we had almost cloud free skies from first contact to fourth contact. (and the ship went through some rain showers to get there). The ship was positioned on the centerline and moving at a rate that gave us 6 minutes and 42 seconds of totality.
I had my own rant about the eclipse and how I had to miss it because of a business trip. All I can say is “ha ha.” Seriously, sorry I missed even the cloudy effect.
Anqing seems like an odd spot but perhaps you did a tour of Huangshan yellow mountain? You do mean the Anqing of Anhui Province?
Yes, that Anqing. We were originally supposed to see the eclipse from Suzhou, but the weather in Suzhou the day of the eclipse didn’t cooperate. We all got on a bus and headed west very early the morning of the eclipse, and Anqing turned out to be where the guides said the weather looked most favorable that was within driving distance of Suzhou. I heard that Chongqing had better weather, but that was too far away from Suzhou for us to get there.
No tour of the Huangshan yellow mountain- when the eclipse was over, we got lunch, then got back in the bus to go back to Suzhou.
I heard there was a typhoon lurking somewhere off shore during the eclipse. Were you affected at all by that, and if you were, how bad was the rocking in a cruise ship?
The last tropical storm in the west Pacific dissipated on the 19th over southeast China (west of Hong Kong). Nothing since, although one may develop within the next few days in the Philippine Sea.