He was particularly put off by the locals' frequent spitting and their practice of pushing and shoving instead of forming lines. It's a great system if you're a sumo wrestler or street thug, but less than convenient for the senior set.
By now you've heard about China's poor air quality. My world-traveling Missoula buddy - a well-conditioned 20-something grad student - became dizzy by merely taking a stroll.
Most outsiders agree China has serious flaws. The list grew this past week when journalists working the Olympics had their Internet access censored.
Yet for all of the negative publicity China will receive in August, it's important to remember a few positives.
The fact that foreign media is allowed to report from Beijing is a step forward. With luck, the celebration of 10,500 athletes and the economic boost that comes with hosting such an event will spur even more significant reform.
Scorch me with an Olympic torch for saying so, but watching athletes from rival nations embrace after heated competition still gives me goose bumps. It's sort of a carry over from childhood when sports and naivete sheltered me from evil.
Is it so inconceivable to think of China as the next South Korea? After hosting the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea emerged as a more open and democratic society.
The Olympics played only a small role. But the forces that have driven South Korea's change - a growing economy and middle class and pressure to work hand-in-hand with global trading partners - are also at work in China.
That doesn't excuse this emerging superpower for its human rights violations, religious persecution and the intimidation of a totalitarian regime. But at least for a few weeks we'll be hearing more about basketball, table tennis and China's efforts to evolve and a little less about suicide bombers in the Middle East.
Besides the feelgood stories and medal counts, expect a few political messages from China's critics to come out of Beijing in coming weeks. Consider it another positive in what could be the most important Olympics ever.
Most Americans, including myself, will tune in for at least some of the action. Weeding through preliminary events will be tedious, but definitely worth the effort to witness even 60 seconds of the most intriguing human drama athletics can offer.
We'll root for Americans and Canadians and probably even someone we've never heard of to this point. In a less conspicuous way we'll root for the Olympics in general, that they might encourage more peace and understanding among nations.
It's a longshot. Hatred, injustice and ignorance always seem to have the easiest paths to gold.
But goodwill is not dead. Not yet anyway.
Sports columnist Bill Speltz can be reached at 523-5255 or bill.speltz@lee.net.
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