Pictures from an excursion

This is as close as you can get to "The Bird's Nest"
Ditto, the National Swimming Center (The "Watercube")

Older, more established structures are far more welcoming!

The Great Wall

Badaling, China
I'm Standing on the wall and it is fantastic!.
You hear about it all your life; the myths, (only man made object
visible from space) and the legends (it took centuries and the lives
of thousands to complete). All the photos I've ever seen really don't
do its scale justice. From where I stand it seems to go on forever
and when you think you've seen as much as you can see, there in the
distance is another tower peaking (sic) above the mountain tops. It's really quite
wonderful to finally stand here..

The Bird's Nest

Beijing
Just spent some time around the Olympic stadium.
It's less than two months to the opening ceremony and my sense is
that the Chinese are following the 2004 Greek Olympic hosting schedule
(still plastering and painting as the torch arrives!) rather than the
(2000) Aussie timeline (everything done six months ahead).
There's really a phenomenal anount of fevered construction taking
place here. You know it'll all get done, 'cause if it doesn't...!
Anyway I'll post some pictures later as I'm wrting this on my phone
and it doesn't sent photos or video.
Next stop the Great Wall