Since arriving in China, the Beijing Organizing Committee has done numerous things to show its appreciation for the international volunteers. Last weekend, we were fortunate to take a three-day tour of Beijing. The first two stops on the tour were much different than I ever expected.
As many people know, the quality of water in China is a topic of many discussions, positively and negatively. So, we were taken to a sewage treatment plant for a tour of how they clean the waste into the water that is being supplied to the Olympic Village area. I will have to say it was the nicest sewage treatment plant I have been too. The workers at the plant showed an excitement for tourists that you don't see in America. I don't think many workers in the States would LOVE to have foreigners walk around their business but these people seemed to enjoy every bit of it.
After leaving the plant and eating lunch (sounds interesting, huh?) we travelled to a "rural village." To get to the village, we got a police escort through Beijing's traffic. Can you imagine this happening in the States? Because I can't. The level of importance for this eve
nt was made very clear by the Chinese.
I am not sure if the expectations of our group was off but the village wasn't too rural. It was definitely an interesting experience because the village was nestled in the mountains in China.
The photos of these two places tell great stories even if the two destinations were a little different.
1 comment:
I would love to have seen this village. The picture is absolutely beautiful with the mountains in the background...I can't imagine what it would look like seeing it with the naked eye!
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