16
Location: Taiyuan, China
Hey everyone! So today was our last day in Taiyuan. We all got up and had a not so satisfying breakfast provided by the hotel. Then we all hopped on to the bus where we then stopped at a cemetery and mausoleum. Thomas explained to us that this was where they keep the ashes of the babies that do not make it. Little Flower takes some of the most delicate babies and even for them it can be hard to keep them alive no matter how hard they try. Over the past couple of months, ten babies were unfortunately lost to us, and we got to deliver the ashes. It was heartbreaking to see and I teared up a little. After a moment of silence, we headed back on to the bus. We then arrived at Dong ErGou, a very Catholic part of China. We hiked up this big hill to a beautiful church that was built and decorated in a very traditional Chinese way. It was interesting to see how they combined both Catholicism and Chinese decor. Although the church was beautiful, the hike up was not so much. Sure, the view was pretty, but trying to walk up a steep hill in the sweltering sun is not my idea of pretty. Props to Nate and Alex H. for running up! I thought they were crazy when they ran past me, but they did it so go them! On our way down we stopped at a small restaurant where they would handpick their vegetables and cook them for you, so it was very fresh and delicious. Being foreigners, we had a lot of pictures being taken of us while we ate and then when we were done eating we had even more pictures taken. You could say we are practically celebrities here. After lunch, we got back on the bus to complete the eight-hour drive back to Beijing. Let me tell you something; that was not an eight-hour bus ride. That was more like the bus ride of death, or at least it felt like it to me. We got stuck in a traffic jam not moving for at least an hour, and everyone was getting a little rowdy. Finally, we started moving, and after what felt like an eternity, we stopped for a meal fit for kings: Ramen. I don’t like Ramen very much, but a girl’s got to eat. So after that very nutritious dinner, we got back on the bus and drove even more! Let me tell you something about sleeping on a bus: it’s not comfortable. I think I changed my position about a hundred times while I slept. According to Leonie I also make weird faces, and I was doing downward dog in my sleep, but she can’t judge because she screams in her sleep, so it’s fine. Besides, it’s always good to get a bit of yoga every once in a while. Anyways, after hours and hours and hours of driving, we finally arrived at the apartment complex. Halleluiah!!!!