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GANGNEUNG, South Korea — It's the finishing touches. The last little bit of work to do. From hammering to scraping to painting, the 2018 Winter Olympics are officially here, and the city of Gangneung, South Korea, is welcoming everyone to join in the fun.
"Yeah, first time,” said a Japanese Olympic fan as he toured the Gangneung coastal venues with his friends. “Yeah, beautiful, beautiful. So beautiful. So exciting.”
Even with a language barrier, there's no denying their excitement.
The Gangneung coastal cluster is where the hockey arena is located, as well as the ice oval for long track speedskating, the ice arena for short track speedskating and figure skating, and the curling venue.
And almost everywhere you look, you'll see the reddish and gray uniforms of volunteers. There are thousands of them ready to help anyone who visits with any question they have.
Of course, there's a McDonald's in the Olympic Village, but this year, there is also a North Face store with several tents set up outside to showcase the outdoor lifestyle in the region.
You’ll also find the Team Korea House, a superstore for souvenirs, restaurants and snack stands, and plenty of mascots and Olympic logos.
Even the metal grates have Olympic logos.
You can see plenty of monuments of past Olympics, including the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. There's also a nature trail with singing birds to get to some venues in case you get tired of constant concrete.
But as good as this all looks in the day, night is even better. It’s colder at night, but that’s when the lights and colors of the Pyeongchang Olympics really shine.
For more stories from the KSL team in South Korea, visit ksltv.com.
