Aug 13

We got going pretty late, but still had breakfast in town. Basements are quite unusual (this was the first sign I'd see if one) and I really liked the economy of the basement stairs in this restaurant. 

This was a really cool old grindstone. Obviously it was placed there for ornamentation, but even Marion found this odd. 

We are a constant item of interest to Chinese, most of whom have never seen a white person before. The kids are often very shy about their english language skills, but totally fabulous with their smiles. The older girl wanted out signatures and to use her phone to take her picture with us. 

A little guessing about what was being grown in the acres of covered fields we passed, but Marian guessed mushrooms, which was confirmed by a sign at the entrance to one of them. It may not be visible in the photo, but there is tubing along the top ridge, which sprays mist to wet the felt coverings. 

This has been one of the clearest days we've had since I've been in China. 

These three all got on the one scooter. A couple of km later we came to a checkpoint and were told no one was allowed to go through the forest preserve and we would have to go all the way around. I was worried about losing my passport to the police, I voted to give up and go back. Weird. 

It was a long way back, about 20 km, but we saw this little goat on the way back. It was probably separated from rest of its domesticated group. Animals don't seem marked, so I don't know how people know which goats are whose. 

We found a motel near the bottom of the pass we will take tomorrow. Showers were cold in the very nice room, but the communal showers at least we're not cold. Dumplings for dinner.