12
Location: Baotou
Today started off as a pretty typical service day in Baotou, with a walk to THE apartment for breakfast. The group that went to the orphanage consisted of 5 people today, due to the rest of the group staying behind at the hotel to rest. Since there were only 5 of us at the orphanage, each of us took on one of the rooms, with two people in one room. The time with the kids was well spent. I was exhausted, but content after playing with the toddlers in my favorite baby room. After a filling lunch of mac n’ cheese, the 5 of us headed back to the hotel, where we met up with the rest of the group. We then all got on a very bumpy 4-hour bus ride to the grasslands. After a few delays along the way, we arrived at the grasslands for dinner and a walk to see the beautiful sunset against the clear blue/purple/orange sky. We stayed in a cluster of yurts surrounding a central outdoor performance area, where we watched an evening performance of singing, dancing, and fireworks. After awhile, the divide between our cultures was danced away. Through a long, exhausting, and rewarding day, we were still glad to retire to our yurts to prepare for another exciting day in China.