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

London’s bike polo crew is a predominantly male, laid-back group mostly in their 20s and 30s that plays wearing T-shirts, shorts or jeans, Chuck Taylors and Vans. A few wear helmets, many have tattoos, and having a beer between games is not uncommon. Since most players are riding fixed-gear or single-speed bikes, there is lots of skidding involved, as players often come to short stops.

Riders play to win, but foul play is unacceptable. (At a recent game, riders frequently said “sorry” after bumping into each other.)

The full blog post, on London’s bike polo scene, is at the NEW YORK TIMES.