The Great Wall ...

Technology today is wonderful.  I've just returned from a visit to the Great Wall of China and am now sending this picture to my friends half way around the world.  As a child, who would have thought something like this would be possible?  And this keyboard is standard Western, unlike the one's in Japan, so I can do it quickly instead of hunting for the correct key. :-)

Getting around Beijing is very interesting.  Cars, not pedestrians, have the right of way ... and they constantly abuse it.  They park on sidewalks, drive the wrong way and cut each other off.  My favorite is turning left.  The first driver turning left blocks traffic so others behind him follow.  But there's no room so they end up in the crosswalks blocking cars coming from the left, pedestrians scatter and go around, until there's room for them to get through.  And it all works perfectly.

Part of today's itiniary included a visit to a farmer's house.  My guide said "Pick a house and she'd go negoitate the deal."  Huh?  I asked if she didn't have a farm she used and she said she'd never done something like this before.  So we found an old woman talking with friend's along the road, guide got out and talked with her, and before I knew it we were in the house.  The woman (the farmer) lived there in one room with her husband, son and his wife and a grandchild.  She grew peanuts, corn and cabbage, raised chickens and was quite happy.  She showed us her family pictures, which were next to a large picture of Mao, and her cats.

This is quite the incredible trip.  One to remember.