The frustration of losing the bid to host the 100th modern Olympic Games to Atlanta, was quickly forgotten by Greeks, after the 1997 announcement that Athens would host the Olympics in 2004.

Regarded by many as the spiritual home of the Games, Athens was at that time confident and jubilant at the prospect of hosting the Games. Now, with the opening ceremony less than 80 days away, the mood is rather different.

Great international pressure is placed on Olympic cities, and Sydney 2000 is not an easy act to follow. As it's the first Olympics since the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, the security fears make it an even bigger challenge. With so many question marks hanging over the Games, I travelled to the Greek capital to find out how ready they really are.

My week in Greece could be summed up by the very first hour. Eleftherios Venizelos, the city's brand new, international airport, claims to be the most modern in Europe. True, until I stepped outside the terminal building and tried to take a bus into the city centre. Bilingual signs finish at the door, and it was pure luck that I found the right bus. Presumably, tourists are meant to take taxis. And I learnt my first lesson - English is not commonplace here.

By staying at a friend's house I managed to avoid having to search for a hotel in this city accustomed to tourists. Finding a vacant hotel room wouldn't have been a problem, as it was three months before the Games. But for the period between August 13 to 28, the city will be almost at 100 percent occupancy. The situation is potentially so serious, that residents intend to flee in droves and plan to rent out their homes to the highest bidders. Still, many will be left without lodgings and there is no contingency for this crisis. So if you haven't booked a room by now, I advise you to bring your sleeping bag.

One of the most lasting legacies the huge financial investment for the Games will leave, is a brand new Metro system. It's affordable, clean and efficient. And although this comes from someone who is used to the smelly grind of the London Underground, it has to be said that the Metro really is fantastic. That is, except one minor detail -they haven't finished building it yet. The upside is you're never bored, because while you wait for your train you can watch the opposite platform being built. There's nothing like the sound of power tools in the morning.

Determined to experience some real Greek flavour, I headed for the National Archaeological Museum, arguably one of the greatest museums in the world. It's a must-see for any visitor and is filled with countless treasures of ancient Greek art. But, hey, wouldn't you know, it's closed for renovations until autumn 2004. Why not postpone restorations until the end of the largest influx of visitors the city has ever seen? No idea. The same goes for the Acropolis, the jewel in the Athenian crown. It will be open, but unfortunately covered in ugly scaffolding for the duration of the Olympics. Then again, I ought to let this one slide. After all, it is more than 2,400 years old.

Following some more sightseeing in the charming tourist area of Plaka, I made my way to the main Olympic Sports Complex at Maroussi. Redesigned by celebrated Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, it is unmistakably the centrepiece of the Games, hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies. The site has its own Metro stop, which at the time of my visit was missing one vital ingredient - a platform. So, after a two-mile trek I arrived at the showpiece of the Games, which as expected, was yet another chaotic construction site.

In light of recent stories of trespassing journalists, I expected fierce security. So I tucked my cameras away and had my press card at the ready. Never underestimate the value of a small important-looking, laminated piece of plastic.

Cautiously I approached the site, amazed at the scale and grandeur of the build. The 18,000 tonnes roof of the Olympic stadium was still to be finished, and most other buildings I saw looked sadly incomplete. Astonishingly, I saw builders who appeared to be constructing roads in order to deliver supplies and equipment to the many sites. Yikes! Not a good sign when you're less than three months away from the opening ceremony and global media scrutiny. The closest thing I saw to finishing touches, were scattered paving stones, dry water features and unplanted trees.

So, from where I was standing, in amongst open pipes, unfinished roofs, incomplete emergency access roads, it was a rather gloomy picture. However, this grey cloud has a silver lining. There was a constant flow of work. Hard working builders and contractors where everywhere, labouring 24 hours a day. If all that energy gets properly channelled, they've just about got a shot at finishing in time. That is, finishing the bits that absolutely, positively have to be done for the first day of competition, August 13. Details may not be polished, but overall I'm sure the world will be surprised at what has been achieved.

In spite of my optimism, I was unsettled by the striking lack of security on site. For the best part of an hour I wandered around the Olympic building site, totally unchallenged. Of course, excluding the obligatory wolf-whistles from idling builders on coffee breaks. Finally, two rent-a-cops, in a not so authoritative looking Ford Kia, approached me and asked what my business was. After a brief explanation, which I'm sure they did not understand at all, they politely asked me to leave. Of course I obliged, but the point is that I left with five rolls of film of the site considered by many to be the highest profile of the Olympics. So, whilst I know that total security is impossible, it's obvious that the last minute rush to finish the build, means corners are being cut and security is being compromised.

Over the next week I visited many other venues. To be fair, many were complete and 38 sporting events have already taken place, to test the venues. During my time in Athens, international rifle competitions were taking place at the Markopoloulo Shooting Centre. Although, I guess when you construct a building for people with loaded guns, you do it on time.

Bermudian athletes will be pleased to hear that a majority of their competitive venues are complete and are apparently some of the finest in the world. The Agios Kosmas Sailing Centre successfully hosted international meetings in both 2002 and 2003. The venue has a total capacity of 3,000 and is conveniently situated less than an hour from the city centre. The Markopoulo Equestrian Centre covers an area of 94,000 square metres and has stables for some 300 horses. The centre has 7,800 spectator seats for jumping events, 6,000 seats for dressage and 13,100 seats for cross-country.

The Triathlon will be held on the southern coast of Attica, the peninsula that Athens occupies, with room for more than 3000 fans. Track and field competitors will have the pressure and pleasure of competing in the Olympic stadium to a packed house of 55,000. And for only the second time in Olympic history, swimming competitions will take place in an outdoor pool.

But despite all the new developments, Greece still has some traditional problems that may bother its visitors. The city's infamous car traffic and geographic location (surrounded by mountains) means air pollution is a major nuisance. The new Metro has eased some congestion, but in the height of summer the poor air will undoubtedly trouble competitors and spectators alike. Athenians are friendly, but few speak English. And most signs use only the Greek alphabet. Adding insult to injury, the word for “yes” is ne and sounds a lot like its opposite, and the word for “no” is okhee and sounds a lot like OK. Confused? You will be. Finally, due to the city's archaic plumbing, toilet paper cannot be flushed. A ticking stink bomb if ignored by the 1.5 million visitors.

So, are they ready? Well, the Greek effort is a bit like their food. Take a bit of meat, a bit of bread, a bit of vegetables, a bit of sauce and hey presto, you've got a meal. So for the Olympics, take a bit of money, a bit of time, a dollop of luck and hey presto, you've got an Olympic Games. For me, the motto of Athens 2004 is - ready, but not finished. The show must go on and it will, with or without landscaping, signposting or even a completed transport system. So, if visitors adopt the Greek way and take things their stride, it could be an Olympics like no other.