BEIJING, China - Sitting in a taxi stuck in traffic somewhere in China's capital, I couldn't help but think what traffic must be like if the other "half" of the cars were on the same road at 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the afternoon commute. The license plate numbers indicated that today was an "even" day, meaning that cars with plates ending in an even number could hit the road today, while the odd ones take a rest. And the reverse will occur tomorrow.

Taxis are exempt from the odd-even license plate road plan.

This traffic control plan was put in place on July 20 for the Olympic Games and will remain in effect until September 20, three days after the end of the Paralympics. The government this week said the rule resulted in about 2 million cars off the streets and the reduction of daily emissions by at least a fifth.

This morning, I took the subway. Not only did a volunteer stand by the ticket dispenser machine - giving me change when I had only bills - another volunteer was downstairs ensuring that people who were confused would find the right way.

So if you're in a hurry and don't know your way around Beijing, take the subway, using taxis to and from your end-point subway stations. Buses are a fine way to orient yourself above ground, and if you actually have the time to kill and welcome adventure, I suggest hopping on the bus of your destination and then hopping off when a point of interest comes along. I did that once from Beijing University to Tiananmen Square, hopping off the bus when an inviting restaurant with large red paper lanterns caught my eye, and it turned out to be a "jiaozi" (dumpling) restaurant with hundreds of different fillings and a menu that carried the pictures of prior guests, including none other than Karl Rove and Colin Powell.

Beijing is a huge metropolis, with a total area of some 16,800 square kilometers, and six ring roads. Blocks in many parts of the city can be as gigantic as those in Las Vegas, thanks to very large buildings that have been erected.

Still, the best way to explore the city is to take a neighborhood, particularly in the historic core, and walk. There is plenty to see and places to happily lose yourself here in Beijing.