Let the Games begin!

It's 1:20 am and the team is crawling its way into bed after a sensational opening ceremony.

We assembled over six and a half hours earlier in the village before boarding buses to the Indoor Stadium. The waiting began. One by one nations were called to assemble outside for the slow journey towards the underground entrance to the National Stadium.

Two screens gave us glimpses of the show witnessed by the rest of the world. A loud cheer went up each time we could see teams marching, but the glimpses became few and far between.

Once the team was called to exit, the excitement mounted, we were followed by China and literally thousands of volunteers began to chant China! China! A taste of things to come.

The walk to the Stadium was lined by more volunteers, waving, cheering, supporting every team . One volunteer had red blistered hands from high fives from the 200 or so nations that had run before us!

The tunnel came and then the entrance to the stadium, the flashes and noise, the size and colour of a stadium alive with anticipation of the arrival of the host nation. China ! China ! followed us around the track, with little Zambia sandwiched in between.

The team struggled to keep to formation and scattered to wave, take pictures and marvel at the spectacle it was part of creating.

The rest you saw. The flag and the flame. The daring spectacle of the aerial runner carrying fire around the roof of the stadium to light the Olympic flame.

Bigger and better. China has set the tone for the modern Olympic Games.