LONDON - It took some doing, but we finally made it across the pond.

All is well, but I will admit, I had some immediate challenges right out of the gates.

The day before we left, I threw out my lower back. I have never had any back issues my entire life, but my goodness I sure do now.

Sunday night, on the eve of my departure, I headed into the ER. They supplied me with some pain management medication, and I have been able to cope.

The flight over here via Chicago was uneventful. Most people were asleep.

Upon arrival, we drove to the hotel, on the wrong side of the road, because that's how they do it here. And if you're not accustomed to it, it is completely bizarre to experience.

We checked into our hotel by the London Tower, and frankly, in the five Olympics I've covered, these are by far, the nicest of any accomodations we've had.

My photographer John Drilling and I headed out to a city bus tour. It was a gorgeous evening, and we saw some amazing sights like the River Thames, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey to name a few.

From there, it was off to dinner. No fish and chips though. We opted for Thai instead. This city has some amazing ethnic eats. We hope to sample a bunch while we're here.

This morning, it was off to the International Broadcast Center, or the IBC as it's called. Although I missed the bus the rest of our work crew went on because my wake-up call never was made.

Regardless, we are now off and running, and am thrilled to be getting the opportunity to give you an up close perspective as to what is going on here.

perkout

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