Inside the Olympic bubble: Where the ski, snowboarding events take place

ZHANGJIAKOU (KXAN) — Life within the Olympic bubble in Beijing continues to be restrictive for those moving around in it. But there's one cluster within the zone that offers a little more freedom.

In the Mountain Cluster, you really get a ski resort feel. As part of the Olympics bubble, it's closed off to the public.

To access the area, you have to take a 50-minute bullet train ride to the city of Zhangjiakou from the Beijing Cluster.

The area hosts the ski and snowboard competitions, but it's what's happening off the snow that makes this cluster feel a little more open.

The Thaiwoo Ski Resort has cute shops and restaurants — all exclusively open to those in the bubble during the Games.

But just when it starts to feel normal, you're brought back to reality when you realize most restaurants are empty, and the servers and bartenders attend to guests in hazmat suits.

Less than 1% of people in the closed-loop have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.