On June 14th, we boarded a train bound for Xining. The ride took 24 hours, which we spent in a hard sleeper car with several other bunkmates. A hard sleeper car consists of around 10 compartments, each with six beds stacked in columns of three. Although our 24 hours of card playing and reading were relatively uneventful, David managed to find a new admirer. We found it hard to resist her silky black hair, round brown eyes, and playful sense of humor. At the tender age of four and a half, she showed no qualms flirting with David in front of her mother. Isn't she cute?
Caption: My dad's pretty, but you're even prettier!"
We also enjoyed watching the changing landscape. We fell asleep passing through flat green fields and woke up to jagged yellow mountains. A friendly old Chinese man talked to Jesse the entire time, explaining the country and the scenery. Jesse quickly learned the phrase "Wo bu ming bai," meaning "I don't understand."
We arrived in Xining into the welcoming arms of Sara's second cousin. With short black hair and no taller than 5'2, her personality and booming voice immediately caught our attention. After running errands and walking around the city, she and her husband took us out for hotpot. We dipped countless courses of lamb, beef, and vegetables into spicy broth simmering over a stove in the center of the table. In addition to the more common entrees, we also cooked chicken feet, kidney, winter melon, and some unidentifiable squid-like strips. We ate and drank far more than recommended considering we just arrived at altitude. Still, we're ready for what tomorrow may bring! Also, thank you Jess and Sophie for taking care of the blog while we are gone (it is blocked in China). You guys are awesome!
Next up: Dragon Boat Festival and meeting with Mama S and T Fishy from Pentok to discuss the project.
P.S. Thanks again to Annie for preparing delicious food for our train ride. Also, let us know via email or by commenting on our blog if there is anything you want to know more about!
Caption: From top to bottom: dinner, lunch, breakfast, snacks
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