Live from London- Olympic Update #5

Have you been getting my pictures?

The train to London was extremely crowded.  We were lucky to grab a seat because many people stood for the hour journey.  I talked to a British woman who said she was going to Hyde Park for the triathalon.  Her attitude seemed to be like a lot of the British -- before the Olympics started, she wasn't excited about the games and didn't even try for tickets.  Since Team GB has done so well, and since everyone seems to be having such a great time at the Olympics, she headed in for an unticketed event so that she could participate.  The enthusiasm is infectious!

Today we went to the Olympic complex for the field hockey competition.  The entire area is vast, as large as Hyde Park.  It was previously a disused docklands area.  The clean-up is remarkable.  The River Lea flows through it and the banks are now fields of wild flowers representing various areas -- we passed by North America, South America, and Africa; on Thursday we hope to see more of the world's flowers.  

 

The stadiums are tremendous.  We could hear lots of cheers from the Aquatic Stadium with diving.  

 

There was loud music in the Velodrome for the cycling events.  A huge crowd was sitting on the hillside in front of a huge TV screen (in fact, there were so many that people had to queue to get into the hillside!)  We could hear the roar of the crowd when Team GB competed.  

Our field hockey matches were interesting although none of the teams are in contention for a medal.   The game is like soccer with sticks, a trifle more civil though and a lot less play acting (the soccer/football players lay down in pain hoping for sympathy from the ref, then get up and play when they don't get attention).  

Taryn's Comment:  Men's Field Hockey?  I assumed when she said field hockey she'd be seeing a women's match.  Let's be honest here.  Field hockey is for high school girls from expensive private schools wearing plaid skirts and big safety goggles.  An Olympic sport for men's field hockey is just ridiculous.  They might as well just add men's rhythmic gymnastics and men's synchronized swimming at this point!

 

On Thursday we go to Olympic Stadium for athletics.  We think that Usain Bolt is doing heats while we're there!