Apologies for the protracted delay in posting anything new since Team Dixie Chickens crossed the finish line.  I hope you all enjoy the following!

I was so thrilled today,  August 17, to finally get to see the Lotus Children’s Center orphanage in person!

Lotus is one of the charities that we have been raising money for, and that so many of my wonderful friends and family have donated money and supplies to.

This morning we checked out of the Mongol Rally’s official finish line hotel (the Chinggis Khaan) and headed over to The Lotus Guesthouse, the orphanage’s hostel in Ulaan Baatar, where many of the team will be staying during the coming week.  During the summer months many teenagers at the orphanage work at the guesthouse to improve their English, learn hospitality and gain some work experience.  Some teenagers are also training to become tour guides.  For as little as $10/night you can get a warm bed in their very warm, inviting, and comfy secure building which offers free wi-fi, showers, and access to a kitchen.  It is a SUPER deal very close to the heart of UB’s peace avenue and Sukhbaatar Square.   (They also offer more traditional private rooms and apartments for a bit more.)

Suugi, one of the orphanage’s wonderful staff, met us at the guesthouse mid afternoon to join us for the hour long drive out to the orphanage in the school bus.  Once through the UB traffic, the landscape opened up to beautiful mountains, lush valleys with organic farms, and neighborhoods of colorful homes.

It was easy to spot the orphanage/school up on the hillside and my excitement grew as we approached.  A warm friendly, young inquisitive face peered out at us as she slid open the blue entrance gate.  We were quickly surrounded by young girls, who reached out to hold our hands as they fired away questions at us as we stepped off the bus.  Where had we come from? Where did we live? What were our names? How long would we stay?

There are currently 65 children living at the orphanage.  29 of the children attend the on-site primary school (grades 1-5).  The older kids are bussed every day into UB to attend various secondary schools.  The school and dental supplies we have carried with us since the campground in Folkestone, UK were quickly unpacked off of the roof rack and taken into the main office where I met Will, and his wife Angie, who are from Guatemala.  They are volunteering at the orphanage/ school for the coming school year.

With the start of the new school year less than 2 weeks away, Will tells me the kids have been questioning him endlessly as to when the new years’ school supplies would be arriving.  I am so excited to be onsite and share with them then the school supplies my friend Dale and I spent so much time together picking out and organizing.  We’ve brought: pencils, sharpeners, erasers, colored pencils, crayons, markers, metric rulers, solar calculators, scissors, and glue sticks, which Dale not only so generously donated, but then also shipped to the campground in the UK we’d began our journey from so I would not have to cart it all the way from Chicago by plane.  My Dentist at home also donated over 100 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste for the kids.  Suugi seemed far more excited about these as she said they were really needing them, so huge thanks go out to everyone at Richard Hogan DDS, especially Mindy for all her enthusiasm and support.

Suugi gave us a wonderful tour of the grounds and the primary school which was beautiful.  There were a number of very clean and well lit classrooms, complete with a library and computer stations (which had recently been donated by a rotary club in Australia!) I loved all the whimsical artwork painted on the trailers and the walls along the border of the property.  James, an Australian who was spending his summer volunteering at the orphanage, was hard at work building an amazing Gazebo when stopped in.  We’d hoped to see Didi, the founder, but she was still making her way to UB, also driving (and fundraising) on The Mongol Rally.

After our tour, and walking the grounds,  the throng of kids had made a beeline straight for our school bus and it was instantly transformed into a favorite new jungle gym as they are eagerly climbing all over it, inside and out, up the back ladder and onto the roof  Many took turns behind the wheel, pretending to drive and they seem endlessly fascinated honking the horn.  It is clear, that while the school supplies we’ve brought may be great, THE BUS  is the real star!  The kids were exuding sheer joy out all their pores and it was a delight to watch them.

   

We spent about 2  hours with the kids, but facing an hour drive back, it was time to go.  We were advised by Will to be sure to check under ALL the seats for any stowaways!

In all, in addition to the supplies we’ve donated, I am excited to say that via the Team Dixie Chickens website, nearly $1600 has been raised, not including the donations made to the team’s paypal account also on behalf of Lotus.  This has definitely been the most rewarding part of the Mongol Rally for me. Thank you so very much to everyone who donated!

Please be sure to visit the website and Facebook page for more info on this amazing organization
https://www.facebook.com/lotuschildrenscentremongolia
http://www.lotuschild.org/about/

I am also very excited to report too, that another Mongol Rally team, Team Detour was also raising money for this wonderful orphanage and as of today: 09/19/13 – according to the Team Detour donation page – they have raised a whopping $11,000 bucks!  – WOW!! (check out Team Detour’s blog for amazing photos of their Rally adventure)

Lastly, but certainly not least, as it turns out, I was delighted to discover that a very dear friend of mine in Vermont is the webmaster for an online music site called Innersong: Music for social and spiritual transformation. (Innersong offers “meditation music, mantra music, Chanting, Relaxation, New Age and World Beat music and has the largest selection of Kiirtan titles with styles from all over the world”)

When I told Tony of my journey this summer, he mentioned that one of the titles Innersong carries is a CD of traditional Mongolian Music put together by Didi, and sung by the kids at the Lotus Children’s Center.  How Perfect! He was able to obtain permission for me to post a track from the CD – so do give a listen.

You can also listen to samples of a few of the other tracks on the CD at the Innersong link above

The Finished Gazebo: (photo from Lotus Children’s Center Facebook Page)