20 days until Olympic games

With just twenty days to go until the Beijing games China is continuing to put in place the final touches to its 'coming out party'. Medal ceremony costumes were unveiled on Thursday, a day which also saw another leg of the Olympic torch run completed in Anshin. Explosives detectors and x-ray machines arrived in Beijing this week adding to the increased security measures already in place. At Beijing airport security is very high and explosives trained dogs can be seen checking people's luggage on arrival.

Meanwhile at a press conference BOCOG have insisted everything should run smoothly for the 20,000 journalists expected to arrive in the city. Guo Weimin said foreign media should have no problems in carrying out interviews while Xi Guohuo said internet and telephone communications systems had been upgraded to facilitate increased capacity. New subway lines have also been unveiled this week which will convey people from the airport to the centre of the Beijing Olympic village. While one is never far from signs of the upcoming games in Beijing, with advertising and advertising seen everywhere, further south the Olympic symbols are less obvious. In Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, which itself hosted an Olympic torch run on 8^th June, there are few outward signs that the Olympics are imminent. Some local people can be seen wearing t-shirts emblazoned with Olympic slogans and a few shops have flags on display, nonetheless, people across the provincial capital are still very excited about China's hosting of the Olympic games. [posted from Kunming, Yunnan province, China]