In a Yurt in Hohhot, China
During the summer of 1991, I made it to Hohhot, China, which was full of many surprises.
August 15, 1991
They did it! The father-daughter taxi team asked me to buy a carton of cigarettes as a “thank you” to their source of tickets for sleepers to Hohhot. They took us to pick up the tickets. Who was their source? The man who prints the train tickets! Thankfully we were able to get some sleep on the long trip to Hohhot.
Scott, one of Russell’s classmates whom I’d met at school in Hangzhou, welcomed us to his family’s home. This city is very big. Scott and his sister have led us on some long bike rides to introduce their hometown to us. Scott has been an avid stamp collector for many years, and showed us his impressive collection. Although he has stamps from all over the world, I like the ones from Asian countries best. They are like little elegant art pieces. He’d particularly love more stamps from Taiwan.
Tomorrow we are going out to see the Nadamu Festival. It is a massive event, bringing in thousands of Mongolians from the outlying areas to compete in horseback riding and camel racing.
August 16, 1991
We saw Mongolians racing bareback on their sturdy, small Mongolian horses, and others sped on the backs of camels. I’m so glad our visit coincided with this incredible festival. The Mongolians had set up yurts that we were invited to visit. Mongolians are nomadic. This is the rounded home that Mongolians set up wherever they live. Inside, it was spacious. And now I have the indelible memory of being welcomed by a Mongolian official inside a large yurt at the festival. As a foreigner, he honored me by asking a woman with him to sing a Mongolian song in greeting.
After the melodious greeting, he asked me to sing something. Actually, I have quite a terrible voice, but how could I say “no” to this VIP without offending him? So, I sang a rousing “Jingle Bells” to honor the occasion. At least it was peppy and not too out of tune.
August 17, 1991
Who knows why something pops into a traveler’s head and must be obeyed? Although I’m not much of a horseback rider, riding a horse across the grasslands sounded like something I had to do in Mongolia. And Russell had told me that he always wanted to ride a horse. So, at my request, the family arranged a day’s outing to the grasslands. They couldn’t see much point in it themselves because the landscape gets quite boring after a while.
However, there was something special about being on a horse in the grasslands. I wish I could say I galloped across the grasslands, but I wasn’t capable of that. Russell got to go a little faster for a short time. I just let my imagination fly over the grasslands on horseback and felt very satisfied — and safe.
To be continued…
Tags: China; Nadamu Festival; stamp collecting, Hohhot, Travel
