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Back Home Again . . . in Hohhot!

Hi everybody!

The Journey East group has arrived safely in Hohhot and were immediately greeted by old friends and acquaintances. Several of the Mongolian students have visited the United States over the past few years and have gotten to know some of our kids and families quite well. Us going there -- them coming here -- is always a homecoming. It is good to be in Hohhot, and we will be for the next twelve days. Tom says:

Chinese/Mongolian kids and American kids who know one another were overjoyed to see one another. Great to be here. Looking forward to 12 great days of renewing old acquaintances, making new friends, learning from and teaching one another. [Tom]

The group traveled from Qufu to Jinan. From Jinan they went to Beijing. After a 1/2 day stay in Beijing they flew to Hohhot Inner Mongolia. To follow their travels, simply click on the “Where Are They?” button at the top of the page.

Let’s take a look at a couple of photos of each of the three places the group was at recently, and then we’ll pick up with their arrival in Hohhot. First, some interesting photos of food and transportation in Jinan:
 

Looks like some of those guys are getting some “shuteye” on their way to work. I hope the one guy alseep on the load of bricks is parked! And those twisted bread rolls are making me so hungry!

Let’s hear from Jenny as she describes their day in Jinan:
 

April 9, 2007 -- Jenny Newton, Freshman

Today we left Qufu for Jinan and stopped at Mount Tai along the way. Some Chinese, mostly Buddhists or Taoists, choose to climb the 7,200 steps that go almost all the way up Tai Mountain, one of the five sacred mountains in China. On the way up, they stop at shrines to pray or make offerings. This procedure could take most of a day, but we didn’t get up the mountain that way. We took a crazy bus ride which landed us at a place where we boarded gondolas which took us most of the way up. From there on through, we walked. Chauncey counted the steps and said there were about 457 steps to the top. The steps we walked on were all new. They had been replaced within the last eight years.

When we got to the top, we had about 30 minutes to walk around and explore. Some people did that while others, like me, found a nice area, sat down, ate and talked to people. Some things that I noticed while there: If you looked straight up into the sky, it would be blue, but as I brought my eyes back to eye level, the blue sky turned into whitish-gray smog into which the mountain far away would disappear. When we got back to the bottom of the mountain we ate lunch and then got back on our bus to go to Jinan. Right outside Jinan, we stopped to see the Yellow River on which Chinese civilization first started. The Yellow River has a mind of its own and is very powerful. It will go through whatever to get where it wants to go. It carries tons of silt per day and over time the silt builds up. While we were there, crews were dredging the silt out of the river, but this is basically a hopeless/pointless task because next time the river floods, the silt will build up again.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful... We got to the hotel, checked in, ate dinner and then had a few hours before we had to get to our rooms.

-- Jenny
 

And now a quick flight to Jinan where we see photos of the hotel and the Silver Plaza, and to Beijing airport on their way to Hohhot. Looks like every branch on these trees is lighted! How do they do that?
 

And finally, the arrival in Hohhot. Lots of smiles, hugs, and laughter as old friends greet one another. What a thrill!
 

Hohhot dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and became Inner Mongolia's capital in 1947. The name “Hohhot” means “________” in Mongolian?

Ann is happy to finally be in Hohhot:

It’s been a couple long days on the road, but now we’re safely settled in Hohhot and reunited with many friends here. All seem very happy to be in Inner Mongolia! [Ann]

In a way, everything so far has been a build up to the stay in Hohhot. This group is not just touring China. They are going to school each day, continuing their education -- both their Leland & Gray studies as well as developing their performing, singing, and acting skills.

One difference between their studies in China and their studies in Vermont is “where” they study each day. Wherever they can gather as a group, they hold classes -- in airport lobbies, hotel lobbies and stairwells, sidewalks, parks, and school rooms along the journey path. In a way, you could say “the world is their classroom!”

During their stay in Hohhot, the group will be attending regular classrooms working side-by-side with other Mongolian students. In addition to learning about Mongolian culture, they will be teaching others about our culture. While they all will be bringing much back from China, they will certainly be leaving much there as well.

Okay, settle in everyone. We will be spending the next 12 days in Hohhot. Lots of performances, spending an evening with a host family, studies in the classrooms, and visiting places of interest in and around Hohhot.

We look forward to lots and lots of pictures as well as the amazing student reports.

Hoping for a partly cloudy day here in southern Vermont, with highs in the 40s. Looks like they have similar weather in Hohhot.

Here’s one more photo of the sunset in Beijing . . .

Enjoy your day, everyone!