The first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776BC and they were dedicated to the Olympian Gods in Ancient Greece. The games took place on the plains of Olympia and were strongly linked to the religious festival dedicated to Zeus. Aside from showing the physical capabilities of the young people, the Olympic Games also encouraged good relations between the cities of Greece. In fact, all hostilities stopped during the games.
A lot has changed since the ancient Olympic Games. They started as a one–day event, but in the 5th century BC they were extended to cover five days. In those times, women were not allowed to participate (not even to watch the games) and if they were caught in the audience the punishment was to throw them off the cliff.
After the Greek War of Independence, there was increased interest in reviving the Olympic Games. And it happened in 1896 when the first Games held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee were hosted in the Panathenaic stadium in Athens.
Changes marked the Games over the years and nowadays it’s an event which attracts a lot of visitors. This year, the Summer Olympic Games take place in London. Have you ever been to the Olympics? Is traveling to watch the Olympics on your wishlist? Why? Why not?
Like most kids, I used to watch the Olympics on TV. The opening and the closing ceremonies were the highlights of the Games, but I would often end up watching the gymnastics or other competitions. As I grew up, I lost interest in watching any sports on TV and switched to watching them live from the arena. However, I have yet to plan a trip for the purpose of watching the Olympic Games. What about you?
» This week on BootsnAll: Articles you’ll read this week include: how traveling to India and living there for six months can change a person, a piece on the reasons why Phnom Penh should be on your travel itinerary, an article about adding the “flowers” as a theme for your RTW trip, an interesting article about the champions for eco-friendly travel and a piece about slow travel.
Week 30 of the Indie Travel Challenge is all about the Olympics and traveling to watch the events live.
Have you ever been to the Olympics? Is it on your wishlist? Why? Why not?
Don’t forget to add your blog posts to the main Indie Travel Challenge page – and be sure to include a picture when you do (we love pictures!).
The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions.
Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.
Read more about traveling during the Olympics:
- Don’t Want to Mess with the Olympic Crowds? Enjoy the Empty Streets of London
- A Cheap Accommodation Alternative for the London Olympics
Photo by shirokazan