Day 17: We Change Hotels from Old to New,
Visit the Olympic Stadium Complex,
Walk About, and Attend a Chinese Opera.
Water Cube and Birds Nest from 2008, Beijing hosted Olympics.
Night Time Stadium Photos on 19.
Beijing Opera.
Day 17 Begins
Above Left: Breafast at the old hotel: Orange Slices and Dragon Fruit Slices, Terry likes both.
Above Right: Native Dragon Fruit.
Above Left: The view west from our new hotel and room.
Above Right: The view east from our hotel. Yep, it's the Bird Nest at the Olympic Stadium. We're just two blocks away.
We're all settled in, let's go for a walk.
Above Left: Bird's Nest from the Olympic Village. They are still running Bag Scan and Check Security. It is fenced in and guarded.
Above Right: The Bubble Pool.
Above Left: Beijing Olympic Lighting and Announcement Tower.
Above Right: This is a composite photo showing bicycle lane traffic control lights (next to the Olympic grounds, but found all over China). How many countries or locations have bicycle traffic control and/or control lights?
Above Left: Entrance to the Water Cube: Official Olympic Opening Day was 08-08-08; it is still used for college level swimming events as well as it has public open times.
Above Right: Terry Struck is intrigued by events.
We are conducting our Walk About, in Beijing.
Above Left: Beijing, China; this could be any big city in the world.
Above Right: Fitness Club.
Above Left: Mountain Styled Chinese Restaurant.
Above Right: We never learned what this was.
Above Left: Gateway (lots of tourist busses).
Above Right: Restaurant workers.
Above Left: Restaurant.
Above Right: Interesting Roof and Stone Work.
Above Left: Totem outside the east end of the Olympic Complex area.
Above Right: Walkway for the blind.
Chinese Opera
Above: Front Stage Makeup Application.
Above Left: Makeup Application.
Above Right: Front Stage Table Seating (Terry is seated dead center).
Above Left: Our table, shared with a Korean Couple - At least we knew some basic Korean Greetings and Responses (from Dennis' DMZ Helicopter Flight Days long past).
Above Right: The Announcer.
Above Left: The Orchestra.
Above Right: Act 1, Scene 1.
The Story Line (Ancient Chinese Tale): A mortal man gets drunk and befriends 7 immortals (gods) who have also been drinking. They decide to journey together. The traveling troop meets up with a Princess (and her entourage) on a journey looking for a worthy suitor. The gods present their mortal acquaintance and the Princess rejects him and continues to reject him to the end, after many trials.
Moral: the Princess can manage her own affairs without outside help or influences.
Above: Final Bow.
The singing was superb, the acting wonderful, and the Princess displayed
Vocal Talent, Ballet Skills, and Martial Art Skills.