Olympic Voice from Beijing

Olympian Mark Warkentin writes on his first day in Beijing.

"I’m having an incredible time so far. I don’t know what you’ve heard or read about this Olympics, but I can assure you that this place is about ready to burst with excitement. Everything is huge, everything is organized, everything is planned and prepared and just in case there’s a problem there’s 50 Chinese standing on every street corner willing to help. The people are motivated, friendly and well-spoken. The facilities are state-of-the-art. The food is spectacular.

We arrived in Beijing in the afternoon, and hundreds of people were waiting for us at the airport. We were hurried onto buses and taken by police escort through Beijing. In preparation for the Olympics, Beijing did a bit of an environmental makeover. Thousands of trees line the sides of the freeway from the airport, so much so that it felt like we were going away from a city rather than towards the city. A thick blanket of greenery was our only view until we were in the middle of Beijing.

The Olympics dominate every aspect of Beijing and for a tourist coming to the city you’d probably miss out on the typical cultural experience. The city in clean as a whistle and the streets are free of congestion. The planning for this event is obvious at every turn, and, with the barricades, high-tech name tags, and general security presence."