The flight was uneventful – although I did have a chance to catch the classic film 'Chariots of Fire' to build the anticipation of the Beijing Games even higher. There was even an appropriately red setting sun, even if it comes out orange in this shot:
And then there was Beijing – the ceiling, the space, the even shinier floors. It has to be experienced to be understood and set in context. 
We were also able to observe the arrivals and customs procedures in place for athletes at the Beijing Games at first hand and understand some of the challenges that we will face in London in four years:
And then once you've gone through 'arrivals' the airport the Games experience increases – hundreds of uniformed staff and volunteers, help desks and even a special appearance by the FuWa add to the sense of arrival:
