VANCOUVER -- How do you like us now, Lawrence?

The Vancouver Winter Games, which British golf writer Lawrence Donegan -- after only three days! -- suggested might go down in history as the "worst ever," put on their best face Saturday.

Under blue skies and a warming sun, thousands of people from around the world took to the city's streets, clogging major thoroughfares like Robson and Granville that have been converted to pedestrian malls.

Street performers could scarcely believe their good fortune as people lined up five and six deep to watch the shows. On every corner, two traffic cops struggled to control the rivers of people, never mind cars.

For those from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, it was unlike anything they'd ever seen before.

"Never," said Kevin Neustaedter, 52, from Coquitlam. "I bought tickets to one event and I was only going to go for one event." But then people kept telling him how much fun it was downtown, so he showed up Saturday to soak up the carnival atmosphere and take in the evening fireworks.

"The hype is building on the hype," he said. "There's no doubt about it."

Over at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion, Shavi and Melissa Morsara and friends Megan Kennedy and Shannon Nichol expected to wait up to seven hours to see Olympic medals up close.

"Our city's known to be not too exciting," Shavi Morsara said. "This is an indication if you bring the right venues to town how people come out. It's good to see. It's so positive, a good vibe and different types of culture." Tourists from other countries raved about the party atmosphere. The orange-clad Van Denboom family from Holland -- mother, Fieny, in a traditional Dutch bonnet -- wandered Robson posing for pictures with Canadians in red hockey jerseys.

"It's wonderful," said Rob Van Denboom.

"Awesome," added brother Bram.

"And the people are friendly as well," said father Jos.

The British media, they said, have no idea what they're talking about.

"It's only the British," said Jos. "They were always separate." German tourist Torsten Danke, who got his picture taken with two Mounties in red serge at the corner of Granville and Hastings, said he was most taken with the friendly service and the number of people who stopped to ask where he was from.

"You don't have it in Europe like this," he said.

Even Olympic organizers and tourist officials have been surprised at the level of enthusiasm.

"The reaction of our city and I think the entire country has been overwhelming," said Dave Cobb, deputy chief executive officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee. "I've lived in this city my whole life and have never seen this type of excitement." The crowds have got so big, in fact, that Vancouver police have asked for reinforcements to deal with the numbers at night. But Const. Lindsey Houghton said that, except for a number of liquor-fueled incidents, there have been relatively few problems. Crime, in fact, is down nearly 40 per cent over the same period last year.

"The attitude and vibe has been unbelievably positive," he said.

Will it all be enough for Vancouver to shed the early criticism about a malfunctioning cauldron, early transportation glitches, and the lack of snow on Cypress Mountain?

Tourism Vancouver president Rick Antonson believes it will. He likens the Games to the performance by B.C. snowboarder Maelle Ricker.

"She came out of the gates on her first trial that morning and slipped and got up and by the end of the day, we saw what she was made of. And she was gold.

"I think what we're seeing, despite the early glitches with these Games, is what British Columbians are made of."