The Olympic Site - Tuesday

Lunch for adults, Breakfast for kids

Our schedule lately has been a slow morning. Mark and I get up, actually Mark gets up first around 7:00. He writes and checks email on the computer, news etc. I get up around 8:00 and go down with him for breakfast which end by 9 am. I am also waking up around 3 or 4 in the morning when I do a bit of meditating. My meditating is not going that well however, too many distractions of the day and mainly I think just too tired to relax - does that make sense. Anyway we head down for a lovely Chinese breakfast of who knows what but there are always eggs - boiled or fried, wonder bread like white bread and COFFEE! It is sweatened and has maybe condensed milk in it but very delicious. Breakfast is also a major deal of $1.50 each for the buffet so who can turn it down.
We return to the room and the kids are just getting up or reading in bed.

On this day we didn't actually leave the hotel until around noon and by then we were all hungry. Found a great place around the corner from the hotel, probably some of the best food we have had so far with a soupy fish dish, tofu in sauce, sweat and sour pork-best I have ever had in my life! and some rice. Kids are eating everything that comes to the table as well. Its fantastic to have children who eat everything or maybe they are realizing that they have no choice so they have adapted to whatever comes up.


on the Subway

We venture on the subway to the Olympic site. The subway is new, clean, large. It takes us 5 transfers to get to the Olympic site as we are located mid town and it is at the very north end of the city. Our first reaction after getting off the subway is of WOW! We can see the birdsnest and other Olympic venues from this point and it all looks amazing not to mention that the walkway towards the venue is at least 30m wide, there are kites flying everywhere, the weather is gorgeous and people are milling around everywhere.

Caleb instantly bargains for a kite and Mark for a t-shirt. Just can't stop those two. Artemis wants an ice-cream but the one we end up getting is really frozen sweet green bean which I end up liking very much.

The Birdsnest is now open for viewing luckily for us. It is an archetectural masterpiece. It is a large scale piece of incredible modern art. The whole site it like this.





Birdsnest Shots



The Aqua Cube is out of this world. The walkway through the Olympic site must be 3 km long with lights on the ground and along the walkway, buildings that housed the Olympics all along walkway, each unique and amazing in its own way. There is an underground garden, a river running next to the site with fountains and music. One has to go to really appreciate the splendor.

We are there for a good 3-4 hours and are about to leave as it gets dark, when the light shows begin. First on the Aqua Cube, then the dancing of the fountains in the river.

As I see it, the Chinese are just exploding with creativity. You can see it all around the city but the Olympic site really presents the ultimate in magical living art. Yes I was impressed.



AquaCube - and others


Had a strange dinner later at a hotel like restaurant, except quite shabby. I was starving and pushed to the limit by this point so was ready to take anthing. Although the food was moderate the waitresses were bizarre and basically out to lunch. Upon leaving we are accused that our money is not good - there was a tiny rip on the top of one bill. its been difficult to get rid of this bill as everyone we present it to thinks something is wrong with it. The male money checker, who was hiding behind a desk the whole time is freaking out. I give him another bill, he is still freaking out. Mark is angry that they are all nuts. We all get out of there quickly, get in a cab quickly and head to the hotel.

A day of unexpected experiences as all days have been.

Lianna