We were in Beijing in 1998 and then went West to the usual Silk Road stops.

We loved Beijing and we WILL GO to the Olympics in 2008. We are a married couple who will be near 70 with our daughter who'll be 11 for the trip. Don't ask...it's complicated.

Does anyone know tour operators who are offering packages this early? We have no problem going on our own but would like some price breaks and, of course, a guide-interpreter!

We also think we should see some other places in China during this trip. Any suggestions on pearls, perhaps off the beaten tourist track? We are thinking 7-10 days away from Beijing and 10 days for the last half of the games.

By the way, I think the Games run run 9/3 to 9/21 and this will cut out some folks whose kids will be in school. But we will take our daughter. She can teach a unit of Asia to her class when she gets home.

Many Thanks,

Poppa

Great story. Have fun. I do think it is early but the only info I can offer is I have used Panda Tours ?? while in Beijing for day tours and they were very good. But if I were you, I would spend the next year doing research on the web, reading and talking to people and understanding where in Beijing all the events are. (I think some or all is outside the city) (at least the Olympic village is) Have fun and I miss China.

Thanks for the good words and advice SS!

Yep, we were thrilled by China and enjoyed Beijing as much as anyplace. The feeling of "it's out turn" was palpable.

I know I'm early by the Athens Games got me all excited. I am checking various operators and will look into Panda.

I miss China, partic. Beijing, as well! I just got back my pictures from China, and oh, that Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven look so good as backdrops, don't they? I wanted to get on a magic carpet and have it whisk me right back there again-haven't explored that city nearly enough!

Yes, Spygirl, all the well-known sights were great but so were some really odd, out-of-the-way places such as temples run by minorities.

But we had great luck just stumbling around the city, sitting down at outdoor noodle stands (Behai Park), making goo-goo eyes at babies, chowing down and nodding our genuine approval, and all that sort of stuff.

People were simply polite, or didn't notice us or were, sometimes, very helpful and outgoing.

However the story I like most is when we exited a big flea market and walked down a lightly-traveled residential street. All at once I stumbled over a curb, fell flat, and rolled on the pavement.

When I looked up, an elderly lady was stopped dead in her tracks about 25 feet in front of me.

I paused a second, certain she would make some expression of shock or sympathy. But, no, she simply rested on her cane and stared at me. The meaning was clear. She was waiting for this crazy oaf to get up and get out of her way.

I did and she proceeded without so much as a glance at me.