Day 5 – Fri 5 Aug Part 1 – BOC

A two part entry today…BOC and AOC.

Before Opening Ceremony and After Opening Ceremony

We slept late and decided to go on a trip to the Summer Palaces.  This looked like a good day out as the guide book indicated we could get a boat ride along the old canal, to the lakes in the North West of the city, which make up part of the Summer Palaces.

Used the subway, which necessitated a couple of changes and took about 45 minutes.  Then walked towards the Beijing Exhibition Centre and the Beijing Zoo.  Whilst walking past the side of the exhibition centre towards the boat quay, we noticed heightened security and a couple of black cars.  On walking up to the entranceway we realised the number plate on the black VW van was IOC 1.  None other than Jaques Rogge, the President.  We stopped to watch for a couple of seconds as it was obvious he was just about to come out.  I have met Jaques before and was obviously hopeful of a quick chat and and a ticket to the opening ceremony!!!!!!  Needless to say he walked straight out and straight in to the black VW van.  He didn’t look as healthy as when I last saw him…maybe that’s what 8 years as IOC President does to you…or maybe just a bad meal last night…who knows.  Either way he has aged since I had a private dinner with him in his old Brussels offices…a very surreal experience at the time…being served a silver service meal in someone’’s office…arghhh the trappings of power.

He is actually a pretty good bloke in truth though, and I would support what he has done over 8 years and hope he stands again for a final 4.

Anyway, immediately behind him strolled out a very very frail looking past IOC President…Juan Antonio Samaranch.  Haven’t got as many good words to say about him…so let’s just leave it at that.

Didn’t recognise anyone else and they all looked very important and in a hurry…as I sure they said about Heather and I!!!!!!

Got to the quay only to be informed that we had a 40 minute wait for the next boat.  No sooner had we sat down than a guy in a speed boat offered to take us.  Those of you that know me a little better, know that I am not a person taken of white knuckle rides, preferring the more sedentary modes of transport…I was the guy who wanted to go on the tubs in the tunnel of love when all others went on the roller coaster.  A white knuckle ride for me was the slide!!!!!

Anyway against my better judgement we got in.  The trip is advertised as an hour long in the book.

Well this thing accelerated about as quick as Apollo 15.  Not only did this thing accelerate, but he took enormous pleasure in swinging it around side to side….I swear we took off at one point,

At the point where I was beginning to see my life flash before me, he slowed down and pulled up at the bank and said we had to get off.  Turns out that the speed boats are actually a joy ride for people visiting the zoo.  This guy had been on his break and was just going back so decided to take us to another landing point where we met the proper boat to take us to the Palaces.

I did feel slightly better though when he started work again and everyone getting in to his boat was made to put on life jackets.

Needless to say my better half didn’t flinch…

So after a short wait, the considerably more sedate, Dragon head on the front…tourist… flat…SLOW …boat arrives and we tootle on up the canal.  Had to change boats once as they cannot get through a lock system.  An hour later we arrive at the head of the Kunming Lake and the Summer Palaces.  We hadn’t realised how big this place is.  You could quite literally, spend a week wandering around the site and not see anything and by now we were on a tight time schedule as Heth has to be back in the village and in opening ceremony uniform by 17.30h.  It was very busy.  This is obviously a key tourist and local attraction.

We only made it to about 2 of the many palaces and one end of what they call the long corridor,…which incredibly is…a long corridor.  (looks better than it sounds!).

Pretty impressive though and I can quite understand why the Empress Dowager Cixi spent 20 years living out here instead of in the city, until she died in 1908.

Having taken the obligatory photo’s and  managed to avoid most requests to have my photo taken with the (usually short) locals, we set off for home.  We knew the boat would take too long so headed for the exit and a taxi to the nearest subway station.  Turns out the nearest station is the one at the end of the line that my hotel is on, and had we known that, we could have cut the journey time by a considerable amount and never travelled with the Michael Schumacher of speed boats!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, a relaxing morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heather has just left and is making her way back to the village to meet up with the team for the opening ceremony.  As we went for the taxi, two ladies asked us to photograph them.  As we stepped back they pulled out their opening ceremony tickets…the real purpose behind their photo.

They didn’t seem rich or special in any way and were just off to the subway station to start making their way to the Birds Nest Stadium.    That’s is what the Olympic games is all about.

London will be awesome and I can’t wait.  (Now I’m here though I just want to compete again…shocking but I do…I just love the adrenalin and the sense of anticipation).  Had my day though…I’ll stick to the Loughborough and Tamworth Table tennis leagues and working on my golf handicap…still love the competition though.

Part two tonight after the opening ceremony.  Have spoken to a couple of media people and might hook up with them at another hotel to watch it all.

Hope all well.
Kind Regards
Geoff Parsons