The Games of the XXIV Olympiad

     We delayed our plans to go to the island on the coast. Or rather Ami delayed them. Too many people on the net talking about the typhoon, the dramatic news footage, and a father who told her not to go, scared her and she woke up yesterday to tell me that she didn't want to go. So, we called the place we're staying at and they said we could push it back a couple days. My thinking was that we weren't staying on the beach, so the danger was substantially reduced and that the worst we'd have to put with would be wind, a possible lack of electricity, and being trapped in the building--all things we are going to be dealing with here in Seoul anyway in a couple hours. But anyway, we didn't go. So, I decided to take a bike ride to Olympic Park.
     Seoul held the 1988 Summer Games and Olympic Park is where it all happened--or most of it. You might remember these Olympics for a certain Carl Lewis who became the first man to repeat for the 100 meter gold medal--he won when Ben Johnson was stripped of the gold for testing positive for steroids. Only Usian Bolt has matched that feat--although I tend to think Jesse Owens might have done it too had it not been for the cancellation of the '40 and '44 Games due to a certain world war.
     The park is quite nice and large and I didn't see it all but did manage to find a few rather interesting and impressive sights. It does look a little old in parts, so I let my imagination go and tried to imagine what it all must have all looked like 24 years ago.  Here are a few shots.

The main gate

No idea what this says as it's written with Chinese characters.

Getting closer

I assume this is the original flame

Just beyond the gate and the flame is a semi-circle with all the nations' flags.

See USA?

There it is. Been a while since I've seen my flag waving.

This is just behind the flags.

It's a large curved wall with lots of engraved writing.

If you click the picture, you should be able to read it.

The medals table. If my history is correct, this would be the last Summer Games for the Soviet Union and they went out with a bang.

There's Carl Lewis's name.

These helpful maps are found throughout the park.

Tennis courts

The complete bracket just outside the courts

Gymnastics

I guess you can read these for yourself.

A large strange sculpture

Here's the guy who made it.

And here is the explanation of what it represents. A little negative but as a lifelong sports fan, I can see what he's saying.

Just behind the swimming pool was a very pretty section of the park.

Ah. I AM in Korea.

     I went running this morning in the pre-typhoon wind. It was nice. Lots of broken branches (small ones) already and a few people out and about fighting with their umbrellas. I don't know why they try with those things. Isn't the wind worse than the rain? And it wasn't really raining. Was just a few drops. But I've always said "Common sense isn't so common." 

     So we are about an hour or two away from the brunt of this thing hitting. I've been tracking it with google earth so I might post the images here after it moves away. Might make for a nice little timeline. 

     Time for a beer.