Day 58 - Beijing, China, to Hiroshima, Japan

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July 28       Photos by Chris Emerick

Sunila happily finishes a most hectic leg into Tiananmen Square after getting lost and getting directions from a rickshaw.

Hello from steamy Hiroshima and the start of BPR Japan.

Team Silver, who took the night shift last night, began in Tiananmen Square and faced congested and chaotic conditions for the remainder of their leg in Beijing and in China. The team determined that the most effective guide was a rickshaw driver who could weave through the traffic. A run staffer accompanied the rickshaw guide and took him for a few test-drives to ensure that the route was carefully mapped out.

The runners ran until 3:00 a.m. and then headed straight for the airport, without time even to shower. Team Orange joined Team Silver in the quest for the airport and Japan. They arrived at 6:00 a.m. sharp, the exact time their gate opened. Despite a two-hour lead time, the Beijing airport was mobbed and the team faced another roadblock. Luckily, an agent from Air China came to the rescue and sped the runners through the terminal.

Upon arrival, the runners and staff found the Japanese people refreshingly welcoming, always eager to answer questions and genuinely interested in our mission to fight the epidemic of the clean-water problem.

Team Yellow arrived in Hiroshima on Thursday and spent today catching up on their Zzz’s. At 9 p.m. Laurel, Paul, Rudy and Heiko cheered on Taeko, who kicked off the Japan leg at the Peace Memorial Park and in the shadow of a group of adolescent breakdancers. Rudy shared his emotional connection to Hiroshima — site of the atomic bombing and symbol of the end of World War II.

Dot runs past the gate to forbidden city on her way out of Tiananmen Square.