Less Traveled Path

Five months ago, two of my good friends entered the lottery for Olympic tickets and they were informed last week that they were granted tickets to four (out of their requested six) events: basketball, diving, water polo, and volleyball. Which means… I am going to Beijing next summer!

I happened to be in San Francisco’s Chinatown this week and decided to stop by Classic Tours for information on tours in China; I was hoping to find an itinerary that would end in Beijing and allow the flexibility for an extension to stay for the Olympics. The travel agent had just returned from a meeting in Beijing about the Olympics and imparted some advice to me:

1. Don’t go to the opening or closing ceremonies – transportation will only be allowed 1-2 miles from the venue which means a mass exodus of people will cause huge human traffic jams
2. No tour company will go anywhere near Beijing during that time – best bet is to tour around China, then catch a plane to Beijing from there, but that plane ticket will not be cheap
3. Accommodations will be expensive – estimate is around $400-$500 a night

The Olympic tickets are decently priced, but the economic effect will have an enormous impact throughout the country. I’ve done a preliminary search for plane tickets and getting there will cost $1000-$1800. I’m hoping my friend will come through with more sane accommodations.

I am usually a frugal traveler, but splurging on once in a lifetime experiences is worth serious consideration (not $200,000 for a flight into space, but you get my drift). And I am bringing my mom to watch the Olympics with friends. Yes, that’s right… I am bringing my mom! I figure if there was one person who would really enjoy watching the Olympics, it would be her; she used to play on the women’s basketball team for her country. And with her swimming, diving, water polo, and volleyball experience, the tickets we have are fitting.

The icing on the cake would be getting tickets to tennis.