2008 Olympics: Getting Around Beijing During the Olympics

I had the pleasure and honour of visiting Beijing in June 2008 and July 2008 before the Olympic Games. There are many places in Beijing to visit and enjoy but before going, please do your homework. A Visa and valid US Passport is needed for US Citizens as well as a letter of invitation. In case of a tour group, A Visa and Valid US Passport are needed. For a Chinese Visa, there is a questionnaire followed by a payment of $160.00. After the approval, when the prospective tourist arrives; he or she must fill a card which is an arrival card. The Arrival Card is attached to the Departure Card. The Customs Official will detach the Arrival Card and leave the Departure Card with the tourist. It is extremely important that the Tourist has the Passport and Departure Card on their person all the time and out of reach of pickpockets. The reason is that the Passport and Departure Card is needed to facilitate leaving China.

The places that are worth seeing are the Great Wall of China especially in the area of Badaling. There is a saying that the person who is able to climb the highest mountain in Badaling is proclaimed to be a true and honourable person. The Great Wall of China is indeed one of the seventh wonders of the world and was a result of the unification of various Great Walls after the unification of China around 500 BC. The Great Wall of China extends in its various areas from the frontier with Kazakhstan to the frontier with North Korea.

The Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square are other areas of interest as well as the Temple of Heaven. They are the nerve centres of Beijing and one can appreciate the areas where the Emperors lived as well as the Great Hall of the People [which is a building constructed in the 1950's and 1960's] where the Chinese Government holds their meetings. The Forbidden Palace and Temple of Heaven were the areas of residence of the Chinese Emperors and the seat of government until the 1912 Revolution which proclaimed China as a Republic. The Last Emperor Puyi was allowed to live in the Palace until he was expelled by force by the warlords in 1924. It was also in Tiananmen Square that Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The Capital Museum is another place to visit in order to see areas of Chinese History from the past to the present. The Capital Museum had just recently hosted an Olympic Tribute to the Greek Republic and Athens as the host for the 2004 Olympic Games. I was also a witness to the section

of the Peking Opera. I saw a section dedicated to the Peking Opera including a booklet dedicated to Records of Peking Opera by EMI China as well as the clothing used by the participants of the Peking Opera. I was reminded of the time I saw a Peking Opera in Akron Ohio in the year 1973.

It was a thrill to visit the Water Cube and the Birds Nest during the preparations for the Olympics. The buildings as well as the International Reporters Centre are to be used in the Beijing Olympics of 2008. It was also a thrill to see the preparations for the rehearsals for the opening games of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. I was told that the International Reporters Centre would be used and then torn down. It would be a shame since it could be used to tell the tale of the Beijing Olympics.

It was also great to have visited the temple of the Panchen Lama in Beijing. It is a Buddhist Temple dedicated to those who worship the Panchen Lama. For those who do not know who is the Panchen Lama, the Panchen Lama is another lama in Tibet. While the Dalai Lama has this talk of Tibet as a "free" country, the Panchen Lama has been in favour of the present harmonious relationship between Tibet and China which means that Tibet has always been a part of China. The Present Panchen Lama provides services for his followers at times. There are people who go to the temple and pray for luck in life, examinations, and even love. The statues as well as the bell and drum deserve special mention. The reason is that the Panchen Lama temple defines the true essence of Buddhism independent of the Hollywood Propaganda Machine.

The China People's Palace is one of the greatest hotels in the area of Beijing. The China's People's Palace has the best service when it comes to restaurants with its hot caf latte, its internet service, and the China Post Office. The China People's Palace also had great venues when it comes to selling Beijing Olympic Souvenirs. The hotel had great bedrooms as well as a place to take a relaxing bath and drink tea while resting.

Beijing is a city that is thriving and growing without limits. Beijing is a city in which the Peking duck coexists with Pizza Hut, KFC, Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell and other take away restaurants. There are foods for different tastes and the restaurants are subject to the same laws governing cleanliness when preparing, serving, and cooking food. The cooks and waiters have to wear gloves and hats during their work and the food is inspected

to make sure that there are no contaminants. Chinese food in China is less spicy than the version in America. Even though I had rice, coffee, and Coca Cola; the vegetables and noodles

Beijing has a whole lot of traffic with Oldsmobile's, Buicks, Chevrolets, Toyota, and Hyundai's competing with Cars such as King Long. There are even automobiles that run on electricity. The Service Stations with petrol such as Sinochem are present and have used Motor Oil such as Exxon and Mobil for cars. The traffic in Beijing is the same as in New York City and Miami with the Police maintaining order. The traffic lights have signals which are timed to allow drivers to be informed how long they can wait for the change in signals or to continue. Beijing as well as other cities in the People's Republic of China have strict laws governing air, traffic, and street pollution and enforce them to the letter which is a great thing.

There have been plenty of places to shop including commercial centres or malls that are twelve stories high. The People's Republic of China especially Beijing contained a sense of community with people saying "Please" and "Thank You". The Official Postal Service China Post was also immaculate and organized. China Post was helpful with this humble citizen when he sent his post cards and letters to family and friends in the United States of America and Cuba. The courteous attitude of the people left an impact that I tried to express but could only say the word "Excellent" and it's Spanish Equivalent "Fenomenal". Many people in Beijing asked me the reason for my saying just one word. My response was that I am a believer in using one word to talk about all of the positive things in the world. The people of Beijing have a desire to learn about other people.

A few people in Beijing once asked me if in America people believed in lucky charms. My response was to say that many people carry a Cross, a Buddha, and a Stone but that I preferred to carry a photo of my wife Marlene and Daughter Veronica as well as a badge of China Radio International. There were people who asked me about my beliefs and I said that "I am a person who believes that people should be accepted for what they are on the inside regardless of race, ethnicity, and ideology". I explained that my beliefs were based on Deng Xioping and his Cat and Mice Analogy as well as what Cantinflas [the Mexican Comedian] once said: "I do not desire riches or power, I just want to be friends and be at peace with all of the people of the world."

Do not pay attention to the detractors, come and enjoy the beauty of Beijing and the People's Republic of China during the 2008 Olympic Season and please take the Visa Credit Card.