Today was one of those days with so much stuff packed into it that you can hardly believe it actually happened/fit into less than twenty-four hours. We started off by going to a rural dairy farm in inner Mongolia, but on the way, our bus ran over a rock and got a flat tire. This was quite a spectacle, seeing as we were kind of in the middle of nowhere. However, an auto shop was nearby and we were back on the road within an hour. We headed to a factory that produces potato powder, an integral ingredient in things like potato chips. The CEO indicated pretty explicitly that he would like to work with us in the future especially concerning his efforts to enter the blueberry market. We also visited a factory that processes milk and adds flavors and packages it for end consumers.
We ate lunch at our hotel in rural Mongolia, and it was neat since there was a Chinese wedding happening at our restaurant (as a quick note, we learned that brides usually wear red in China since white is normally reserved for funerals).
Then began our true experience in rural inner Mongolia. Our first stop was a wind farm which looked pretty normal. The grasslands of Mongolia are perfect for harvesting wind energy, so it makes sense why the Chinese government installed a wind farm in this location. After that we visited an animal market, the largest of its kind in China. This was the first time we really felt like spectacles in China. When we went to observe how people negotiate (secretly, using their system of interlocking fingers under their jackets), all of the locals swarmed us and started taking pictures with people who were really tall. It was weird to think that this might be the only time they would see people from America/not from China. On top of that, we were surrounded by cattle, sheep, and everything in between.
Our excursion continued to a small village off the beaten path where a family of about seven people lived. Mr. Bing, the deputy mayor of the whole region, arranged for them to take us into their home and we had Mongolian milk tea (unfortunately not as good as Hong Kong style, but close). We also watched her prepare a special noodle dish with what looked like a lot elbow grease (very labor intensive). It was really neat to be welcomed into a household, especially one that was rather modest and not really suitable for fifty guests. After taking pictures with the family and saying our goodbyes, it was off to the big festival area for our final stop of the night.
The last part of our excursion was a visit to this big festival/carnival-esque area in the grasslands. When we got there we were welcomed with music and dancers who put scarves around our necks and greeted us with horse milk liquor (not as nasty as it sounds). We then exchanged songs and dances from our respective cultures while drinking milk tea and having some Mongolian finger foods. It was very cool to experience local traditions in such a pure setting. Afterwards we had some free time to go horseback riding and shoot archery, after which point the real party started. Jack, Tabi, and Erum all got to light the giant bonfire and start the giant dance line that went in a circle around the fire. We conga-lined and danced to music that was a cool combination of techno and traditional Mongolian music. They also brought out lamb for us to eat which was delicious. Unfortunately around 10:00 PM we had to leave and go eat dinner, and most people were so tired they went straight to bed. I’ll be the first to admit I was a little skeptical about visiting a rural village, but I’m pretty sure this will be one of the best highlights of the trip.
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