Fri, 4/13 (No worries. 13 is a lucky number in China.)  Cool, drizzles, and low clouds.  Bound to happen.  There are sights that are anticlimactic after all the hype.  The Great Wall isn’t one of them.  Huge and long.  Our tour took us to a lessor known and much lessor visited section of the Wall.  Though it was walkable, apparently the more popular section is rebuilt to unrealistic newness.  We shared the Wall with maybe six others.  I loved it.  Very high steps, similar to the Grand Canyon’s mule steps, but much steeper. Marvelous views, even with the clouds.  Each bastion had a camera mounted which barely spoiled the effect.  Bought a t-shirt.

Next was a family hosted lunch.  Excellent food.  Our single host was the wife (husband at work).  She was very frank and answered most of our questions.  She and half her town are having negotiations with officials for relocation due to a highway being built in anticipation of the 2022 Winter Olympics.  (A high speed train is also being built.)  The town is holding out to move all inhabitants to a new place (probably a high-rise), rather than just half.  Tight community.  At the moment she farms about 100 apricot trees nearby.  Husband is a carpenter, son a policeman.  Not a bad house.

Drove through the Olympic grounds.  Too cloudy for good pictures.

During free time I discovered a craft beer hall.  Panda Brew.  Had a Wit-beer.

Members of the tour plus our family host. I printed this picture for her on my portable printer. Nice.

Police car. Might be fast enough to chase down a speeding wheel chair. Maybe.

What are these?

They showed a video of a Finnish brewery, with whom they share techniques.