Footprints In The Sky

The Olympics began with footprints in the sky for me and I went 'wow'. Did you see the opening ceremony? It was truly spectacular with thousands of people moving in harmony creating vast tableaux of beauty and awe. From the ancient past through the imperial eras to the future of 'one world with one dream' - five thousand years of history. Huge firework displays, people flying and swimming through the air above the stadium, thousands of people in colourful costumes and an enormous scroll. If you haven't seen it, take a look at the BBC iPlayer.

It's not just the vast spectacle of the ceremony that's impressive, it's also the march of the athletes as the countries enter the stadium, the pride and the looks on their faces. 204 countries in total, with teams from a total in single figures to those in the hundreds. I particularly like the smaller countries with their small delegations, countries you often don't hear of except when they get their name check at the start of the Olympics. I like Bhutan.

I know there are some serious issues around China - the politics, Tibet, human rights and the environment for a start - but the Olympics are special. Here are some photos from the official Beijing 2008 site: