Peter Wayne's Page

Part of the Olympic experience is not only view the events, but also meeting people. There were many folks I met who were family and friends here to see and support their athletes. I spoke to a couple of Aussie’s at a boxing event. They were part of a special Australian group of Olympian parents who pooled together to make their trip arrangements and be with one another. At the women’s marathon starting line, some friends of the New Zealand runner,… Continue

Last night, I attended the track and field events (formally known as ‘athletics’) in the National Stadium also known as the ‘Birds Nest’. The 91,000-person stadium is massive. Just circulating around the structure once is like walking two miles. The open air structure leaves for spectacular views of the Beijing skyline and the Olympic Green Village. The obtuse concrete pillars are architecturally interesting as they form complex web shapes of the… Continue

Tickets for the Olympics have been challenge. If you did not think ahead like me, you’ve got to scramble in a number of different ways to get them. My first try was to check the standard web sites. www.cosport.com is the official distributor of Olympic tickets for USA, Australia and the European Union. These were sold out. Next was on line auctions on e-bay, were I obtained a couple of pairs for under $100. No too bad.



Upon arrival is when it got interesting. It is illegal to sell… Continue

Incredibly, there are 30 different venues to house all the Olympic venues. Each is tailored to its' specific sport be it fencing, softball, basketball, etc. Contrary to popular belief, they are not all in the Olympic Village. The venues are scattered mostly in the northern outskirts of the city. It can be quite a challenge getting there, as not even the taxi drivers know exactly where they all are. Fortunately, I was able to snag a special Olympic map… Continue

The new airport in Beijing is as impressive as everyone says. The new terminal 3 is as large as DIA. Beyond the airport, the whole city is Olympics crazed with banners, and signs everywhere. Many people are dressed to the max with Olympic wear. My evening was spent on Tieniman Square. The gate of the square has large Olympic theme diplays. It has become a large gathering place for in and out of towners. Most people were going picture crazy taking photos of friend and family members in front of… Continue