An Olympian Effort part 1 of 2

Somewhere in the 1970s and 1980s, it became a pretty common rite of passage for young Americans such as myself to buy a Eurail Pass and spend a summer backpacking through Europe. As much as I would have loved to have done this, somehow, it never happened. I missed out and for the last two years my daughters have been paying the price. I have been dragging them all over southeast Asia with packs strapped to their backs. I have made them wander through countless villages, hike mountains, sleep in tents, and ride rivers on bamboo rafts.

The end of our four days in Beijing was marking the end of our seventeen-day trek through China which was marking the end of our two years in China. I told them that on the last day I was going to let them decide what we did for the day.

How generous of me.

Options included a couple of amusement parks, the aquarium, and the Beijing Zoo with its pandas. But the girls decided they wanted to go to an indoor water park housed in the famous Water Cube building that was the site of the swimming and diving events in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. One portion of the Water Cube has been re-purposed as a mid-sized, indoor water park.

We managed to figure out the Beijing subway system and got ourselves to the Olympic complex on the northwest side of town for just twenty-five cents each rather than taking a more expensive taxi or –heaven forbid- joining a tour bus.

The afterglow that Beijing is continuing to enjoy almost three years after wrapping up what were arguably one of the most successful Olympics in recent memory is palpable. As we entered the broad plaza, the horizon was dominated by the Water Cube to the west and the Bird’s Nest stadium to the east. They were impressive. We joined the faithful making their pilgrimages and took turns taking pictures of each other in front of these two wonders of modern architecture. What should have taken two or three minutes, took twenty, because the girls insisted on pictures of themselves simultaneously jumping in front of each building.

Easier said, than done.