20
Location: Beijing
Today was our last day with the kiddos, so we were all eager to get started when we arrived at the hospital. I played with Yuan Ren, who fell asleep on me and then woke up with his cute and contagious smile. Soon enough it was time to leave, and we all had to say goodbye to all the kids we have gotten so close to during our time with them. For lunch, we had PB&J on the bus as we made our way to the Pearl Market. There we had the opportunity to haggle and bargain for souvenirs like fake brand name items, silk scarves, pearls, and more. At first, the screaming saleswomen asking what kind of fake purse or kimono we wanted to buy; that overwhelmed us. Soon, we all found the bargaining fun after spending a few hours and most of the leftover money we headed to the Temple of Heaven. There we saw the temple where the emperors worshiped heaven and learned about all the ceremonies and traditions surrounding their worship. After the temple, we headed back to the hotel to get dressed up for the first time since being here. We had our closing dinner at a Hot Pot restaurant where we were each given a pot of boiling water to cook our meals. Then we headed back to the hotel to write our note cards, as a goodbye to everyone, and pack for tomorrow when we will fly home. See ya soon!
-Olivia