The upcoming 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games are less than two years away, but right now is a great time to see the the actual park area in all of its dusty, transitional, dug-up glory.

The area’s water supply, which runs through a series of canals, had filled with tons of trash and was overrun with weeds, and so also required cleaning. New locks have been added throughout the canals, which, as part of a series of Olympic-related green initiatives, will be a primary route for goods coming in and out of the park. On the tour, brief mention was also made of the many residents that have been evicted to make room for the Olympic site, a subject that’s caused much debate.

The full blog post, on London Olympics site tours, is at the NEW YORK TIMES