It was hard to believe that the day had finally arrived.  My Olympic experience was going to begin. The hockey game I was scheduled to attend started at 9 p.m., but I had already decided to spend the entire day in downtown Vancouver soaking in the atmosphere.

The first challenge was transportation.  Everything I read or heard about visiting Vancouver during the 16 days of the Olympics was to take public transportation.  So, at about 10:30 a.m. my cousin dropped me off (city maps in hand) at the Braid Avenue SkyTrain station.  The SkyTrain is a brand new, easy to use, efficient, inexpensive light rail system.  In 20 minutes I disembarked at the Stadium-Chinatown station.  

My first stop was at the Cosport will call ticket office.  I had the address and a map, but even without a map, I would have found my way.  On just about every street corner was a blue-jacketed volunteer ready to help.  I was expecting long line-ups at the will call office, but, much to my surprise, the line was short and the process went relatively smoothly. . . show two proofs of ID, provide your ticket order number and receive tickets to the events. 

Unfortunately, I received conflicting information about the refunding of event tickets after event rescheduling.  The customer service representative indicated that there would be no refunds, but suggested that I could try and sell my ticket to the postponed Giant Slalom race -- either by hawking them on a street corner or online.  It was then I made a decision to try to change my airline ticket to return a day later.  (I was able to make a change at no cost because I used frequent flyer miles to purchase my original ticket.)
 
Vancouver was crowded with Olympic revelers, many dressed in the colors of their country and waving flags.  Musicians and magicians were performing in the streets to the delight of the crowds.  Stores, stands, restaurants and kiosks were doing a brisk business and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
 
My next stop was to catch a peek at the Olympic flame.  There was a bit of controversy because it was placed behind a chain link fence limiting the view.   After officials realized that it was mistake to impede the public's access to the flame, a viewing platform was erected and plexiglass replaced portions of the fence 
 
I apparently wasn't the only one who wanted to see the flame.  It took about 45 minutes to get to the top of the platform, but the time passed quickly.  It was another beautiful sunshine-filled day in the Pacific Northwest.  Watching people, as well as watching sea planes land and take off from Vancouver Harbour, kept visitors entertained.  And the wait was worth it!  It wasn't a traditional "cauldron," but a modernistic five-pronged metallic structure, with flames emitting from the ends of each prong. 
 
The next couple of hours were spent wandering through the streets of the city watching people, stopping by displays and doing a little window shopping.  On the walk to the Cauldron I noted the location of the Olympic SuperStore.  Home to all things licensed Olympics.  The queue outside the store was extremely long, and as much as I wanted to purchase an offically licensed Olympic souvenir, I couldn't rationalize standing in line for an extended period of time.
 
After walking and walking some more, I decided to make a stop in the Vancouver Public Library to rest.  The architecture was fascinating -- resembling the Coliseum in Rome.  The library greeted weary Olympic guests inviting them to sign a guest book, adding comments about their Olympic experience.  The library also hosted an activity where visitors made paper airplanes.  Prior to folding the paper and placing the plane into a vaccuum tube to see how it flew, the participants wrote a message of peace and compassion. After flying out of the tube, the planes landed in a net hanging over a walkway in the library complex's atrium.
 
As it got dark, I headed towards the Canada Hockey Place, the arena where I was going to watch Germany and Belarus battle.  In the immediate area was BC Place, where the Opening Ceremonies were held.  Also located in this area were the Provincial Pavillions.  Unfortunately the lines were extremely long to enter any of these venues, and I was pretty worn down, so I found a place to sit and wait until the security gates to the Canada Hockey Place were opened.  From this vantage point you could see the sparkling lights of the Sochi Pavillion.  Sochi, Russia, will be the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics.  Security was tight (similar to passing through airline security) but staffing was more than adequate.  The lines to pass through security were virtually non-existent.  
 
After passing through security the crowd was assembled in sort of a holding area while the venue was cleaned from the previous event. We were entertained by clowns and magicians.  Excitement was building as fans of both Germany and Belarus showed their support by waving flags or wearing the colors of their nation.  At a bit past 8 p.m., the doors of the arena were opened and the crowd began entering the facility in an orderly fashion. 
 
What really impressed me was the enthusiasm of the crowd.  Pride of country and good sportsmanship ruled the evening.  With each goal, the crowd roared.  Belarus won the contest 5-3, but I believe that most left the Canada Hockey Place with a smile on their face and an appreciation of the Olympic experience. 
 
As I headed back to the SkyTrain after a very long day, I was glad to have been part of this experience, and looking forward to seeing the Giant Slalom on Tuesday.