Beijing Olympic Village amazing, says Getty photographer
28/7/2008 17:16
"The Olympic village is amazing, and I'm deeply impressed with the
fantastic facilities in Beijing," said John Philip Gichigci, who has covered the
past six Olympic Games since 1984 and started his second-day tour at the Bejing
Olympic Village today.
Gichigci is a photographer with the Getty Images, the
Beijing Olympics contracted photo provider of the IOC.
Despite heat and
humidity, many officials of delegations paid visit to the village which will
host more than 10,000 athletes and officials, to prepare for the accomodation of
their teams.
"The village is very beautiful. We are very happy to stay," said
an Nigerian official, as he is walking into the athletes' apartment which will
host the Nigeria team.
The village, which officially opened yesterday, has
received the delegations of Poland, Cuba and China.
"Most of the delegations
are yet to come," said Ma Cuiyun, a staff member of the only hair salon in the
village.
"Athletes and delegates can enjoy free haircut. We are fully
prepared to receive more customers in the coming days," she said.
The
sprawling complex, which runs 800 meters from north to south and 900 meters from
west to east, is only 20 minutes walk northwest of two main venues - the Bird's
Nest and the Water Cube. The distance is one of the shortest in all
Olympics.
Besides the barbershop, the Village also contains a main restaurant
that can feed 5,000 people, teahouses, coffee shops, a post office, shops,
library, bank and a clinic.
Foreign villagers even have a chance to get a
Chinese name, and quick-courses to learn some Chinese. Prabowo from Indonesia
told reporters that he can make more Chinese friends if he can speak fluent
Chinese. To provide such facility in the village is very necessasy," he
said.
Xinhua
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