The Olympic torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympiad has certainly seen its fair share of land. The torch relay carries the torch all around the entire world, through out continents such as North America and South Africa, Europe and Australia. It is very important that every country knows that they have become a part of the newest years games. Training all year around, and breaking any of the athlete's strongest barriers, the torch symbolizes all of this hard work and honors it as so.
From the time of 766 BC it has been a long upheld and ongoing tradition that the torch be lit starting in the ancient town of Olympia, Greece and so forth carried on to the newest hosting city, such as this years Beijing, China. For four long months, beginning on March 24th, the torch is being transferred until the beginning of August where it will rightfully rest in the appropriate city, Beijing of China. Across Greece, to Beijing, all the way around the world surviving oceans and cities, as well as Mount Everest, the world's highest of mountains, this relay will pass the Olympic spirit along with it, as well as friendship, and global peace.
Everyone around the world will be lit up inside, so such as the torch had been, with the passion of this journey. Anywhere you look for these four months, there will be people talking about the relay or acting in the relay, even protesting the relay, which has happened to Tibet this year due to confliction of Tibet's hard times and China's ignorance.
While hundreds of people purchase and wear their "Free Tibet" tee shirts, local officials as well as Chinese officials demand they be taken off under the charges of anti-terrorist legislation. The officers needed to protect the torch so that it could continue on amongst the torch relay, and they did so safely and securely. More protests due to Tibet occurred at the Great Wall of China, and the Golden Gate Bridge where several protestors scaled the entire bridge, and in mid air continued to hang an enormous banner that read "Free Tibet" as well as another that in turn read "One World. One Dream. Free Tibet."
But this did not stop the torch relay from continuing. At the Golden Gate Bridge, the torch bearer was not only tackled, but also wrestled to the ground. The "tiff" did not last long, and the torch remained in tact and still vibrantly alight. From here it was debatable whether or not to continue the relay, for the risk of harm to the torch as well as the guardians and other surrounding bystanders had risen increasingly. At last, abiding by the ongoing tradition and with the spirit of the Olympic games at hand, the torch bore on to Buenos Aires, Argentina for it's seventh lap. Four thousand, six hundred, and twenty people were on sight to protect the torch as it arrived in Argentina to make sure that everything went according to plan, and to protect the torch from absolutely anything that was planned to go wrong.
Across the South Atlantic Ocean, the torch had arrived in Tanzania next. After this it was then on to Oman and Pakistan. The capitols of India and Thailand were to further receive a visit, before the torch was carried onto Malaysia and Indonesia, bordering the Indian Ocean. After making it's way through Australia, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea, the torch had made its final stop in the country of Vietnam. Now the torch can finally take its resting place in Hong Kong, where police officials had already arrested two Tibetan protestors. It was a bumpy start, and the flame was accidentally extinguished, but was quickly reignited.
Through out the 2008 Olympic torch relay there might have been several problems, however, this does not change the fact that the torch commemorates something very special and puts a fire in the hearts of people all over the entire world. The torch relay is a very important tradition to be held, and this year it will not change.