Inner Mongolia - Hohhot

The Hohhot group in our "Sandy Socks" at the desert -
yes, they do keep the sand out!

From L to R: Jane, Natalie, ME, Sarah, Ben, Eric

Sarah, Ben, Eric, Natalie, Jane and I returned from Hohhot a few days ago. I think we were all exhausted upon our return but also excited because we had a really great time! We took an overnight train to Hohhot and went straight to the grasslands where we dressed in traditional Mongolian costumes and then rode horses to a lake (which ended up being a mirage) - no wonder it always looked so far away! We feasted in the evening - our hosts killed a lamb for our group to eat. I was so full! We slept in a yurt that night - it was one of those times where we were all feeling "adventurous" and "crazy." We realized as soon as the sunset that, yep, we were in fact crazy! It was pretty much like sleeping in a tent and we were all buried under blanket after blanket trying to stay warm on our concrete beds. It was a long night for many of us. The highlight of this day, for me, was seeing the stars at night. There were so many and the moon was so bright - something I haven't seen for a long time!

Ben, Sarah, and I in our Mongolian costumes!

Ben, the Lone Ranger, making his way to the lake that doesn't exist - what a frustrating journey, even for a cowboy!

The next day we headed to the desert and went on a camel ride through the sand dunes. We also went on a sand slide (pictured below.) It was such an exciting weekend!

Sand slide - just try to imagine our hike back up the hill!

I think we are all so thankful to my student, Jane, who is from Hohhot and went along with us, and to her parents for being such excellent hosts - we could not have done it without them.