EURO 2008 in Hong Kong - Spiel AUT vs GER

Dragonboat Festival 2008

Team Austria was among the favourites... We were all up early, standing and waiting at Central ferry pier to be picked up by our team junk boat at 6:30am!! to do some warm up paddling before the big race day. Unfortunately our junk captain was sleeping good and arrived several 10 minutes late around 8:30am!! We missed our first race. Our chance to compete in the finals were gone. However, the one race we had left in the qualifications (at 3:30pm!!) we rowed like an orchestra on ecstasy, in such a rhythm and power that we finished on the podium on 3rd position after leading the group of dragon boats over 3/4 of the distance ;))) I can tell you, far from our expectations ;)

Beijing 2008

Frisch aufpoliert fuer Olympia praesentiert sich Beijing kulturell, gruen und freundlich. Fabriken wurden aus der Stadt ausgesiedelt, das grosse Kohlekraftwerk auf Sparbetrieb geschalten, um den Smog moeglichst gering zu halten. Beijing is ready - Auf dass die Atlethen Luft bekommen.

Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Great Wall

Beijing is as impressive as you'd imagine. Everything is Huge, Massive, Bigger and again Massive. Rich in culture and the pride of China. Must visit!

Inside the Forbidden City

What can actually not be eaten?

The food street in Beijing is an attraction for everyone. You'll see any kind of food you'd never eat in one big road market which is most busy at nights. Spiders, Scorpions, Bugs, Worms, and lots of other crawlers which are mostly prepared deep fried and on a stick as a little snack. Of course you gotta try at least..