Beijing 2008

How many times over the past year+ have I seen this slogan around China? Did I really buy a "Beijing 2008" t-shirt when I was in China back in 2002? It's common knowledge that the Beijing Olympics were a history-making event for China, and for much of the world, so this brings me to my next question. Did I really go back to the U.S. during the 2008 Olympics?!?! This was the most frequently asked question of me while I was back home this summer...why did you come back during the Olympics? Didn't you want to be in China for the Olympics? So, I could spend my days kicking myself for my stupidity or I could just visit the sites after the fact. I'll choose the second option - and I'll tell you about my day in Beijing yesterday.

I took the newly opened bullet train (just 30 minutes!) to Beijing with a friend and we went to see the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. It was a beautiful, clear day outside which made the site-seeing all the better!



We got to go inside the stadium where they had some displays set up on the field. First, we just took a seat in the stands and looked around. It was so cool to think about all the events that I watched on T.V. and how they took place at this exact spot! Actually, it seems like the Nest looks bigger on T.V. but it was still very impressive.


I'm pretty sure this is where George Bush sat...


Two giant Fu Wa's - the Olympic mascots. Of course these reminded me of my sister, Lindsey, who was crazy about them while she was here!


Remember these guys from the opening ceremonies? They were the ones that lit up and formed the flying dove.


And, of course, the famous drum from the opening ceremonies... Too bad they wouldn't let us play it!


The Water Cube! Most of what we saw of the Cube was the outside of it. Although we eventually got in, you would not believe all of the hassle we had to go through to get there! First of all, we were told that the tickets were on the opposite side of the Cube from where we were standing, so we proceeded to walk around the entire Cube looking for the ticket booth - once. When we ended up where we had first begun, ticket-less, we asked again and they pointed us to the opposite side of the Cube. Are you kidding me?!?! So, we started walking again and finally found the ticket booth, across the street from the Cube. The ticket booth, I should mention, was on the opposite side of the ticket entrance (where we started...) so we walked all the way around the Cube - twice. The thing that kills me is that at the ticket booth they have approximately 50 guards in their guard-attire to make sure that people know where to go. We had 8, yes EIGHT, guards telling us to turn left as we exited our ticket line. Now, why weren't those guards spread around the Cube where thousands (true, we were not the only lost wanderers...) were searching for the ticket booth?!?! I'll never understand....


Inside (finally!) the Cube...


Where Michael Phelps made Olympic history... The Water Cube is now set up for a music, lights, water show that only happens in the evening so we missed it. While we were there, some guys were fixing the lights in the water and apparently someone decided to test the fountains at the same time...hahaha...those guys got quite the shower!


This concludes my day in Olympic Land!