A Solar Eclipse in the Yellow Mountains

Hello friends and family,

Quick blog update from the top of the Yellow Mountains. . . We just saw a total eclipse of the sun! We are lucky enough to be in one of the few places on Earth where the full eclipse was visible, and it was the longest eclipse in 300 years. To make the event even more amazing, we sat at the top of "Learning About the Truth" mountain, one of the peaks of Huang Shan. Just above the crest of a series of jagged mountains, the sun was swallowed up by the moon, and we were plunged into a few minutes of total darkness. Unforgettable!

Tomorrow, we hike down the mountain to a village not far away. We will be staying with the Xie family on the bank of a river that comes down from the peaks. The Xie family will teach us about tea farming and take us to a local middle school so we can do some teaching. We will be with the Xies for a few days before heading on a night train to our final destination: Shanghai.

We are excited for the long hike today (and a little nervous!), and looking forward to a refreshing swim when we get down to the village.

We miss you all!

--The China Crew