Beijing to London: All Roads Lead to the Olympics

As a spectator, getting to the Olympics nowadays is generally the easy part. A few minutes online and several hours in the air, and you’re done. So when someone decides to make the trek a bit more challenging, people take notice. To make it to the 2012 Summer Games, intrepid Beijingers have set off for London by car, horse and rickshaw.

We’ve already mentioned the three Brazilians who went overland by car, bus, taxi, cart, tractor, ferry and more on our blog and in our July issue. They were making excellent time and should have arrived in London by Friday afternoon. Hopefully, they're enjoying the Opening Ceremony from the stands or at least a pub.

Somebody who spent even more time on the road is rickshaw-driver Chen Guanming, who arrived in the UK capital after two years after cycling across 16 countries and covering 60,000km. Chen is quite an experienced roadtripper, having biked from Erchen, Jiangsu to Beijing – taking a very roundabout 90,000km route – after the city won the Olympic bid in 2001. He already has plans to make it to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Games.

If you think two years is a long trip, consider this one: Megan Lewis made the journey by horse in just under four years. The 63-year-old former schoolteacher set off from Beijing in October 2008 and arrived in London last Sunday, July 22. Lewis split the journey into five stages with several months off between each and used seven horses along the way. Out of all the travelers, Lewis received the grandest welcome into the city. “Escorted by riders from The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and outriders from Mount Mascal Stables in Bexley, [she] rode in to the magnificent parade square.” (Of course, the Brazilians still have time to best that.)

Not able to travel to London? Catch the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Kick-Off Party at 2 Kolegas tomorrow (Saturday, July 28), starting at 8.30pm.

Photos: prensalibre.com, olympicexpedition.com, erzurumhabergazetesi.com, horsetalk.co.nz