Rio 2016 : The Olympic Boulevard - Access to all (oh, and the Flame)

So on a damp, grey day in Rio, what's a girl to do? No tickets, this was supposed to be a catch up, cheap rest day unless a stroke of genius struck. Good choice not to be at rowing - no rowing. Good choice not to be at tennis. No tennis. Might have been a day to grab a last minute ticket to gymnastics (but the price & then sold out). Not a good day for sitting by the pool. Might not have mentioned that the B&B has one?

08:30 breakfast & then decision time. Walk to Metro but no Sta Teresa's tram service about to depart so grab last seat on that. This service is wonderful. Door to door to Metro and free but it only runs until 16.00 and has a limited stretch. The Bonde is much loved in Sta Teresa but a few years ago there was a fatal accident and it's only recently started running again. Most of the tracks aren't used which is a pity as Sta Teresa's narrow streets and hills need it. Think San Francisco on a smaller hill but with a wider network.

I hadn't said hello to Ipanema so headed down there and decried to brave Coacabana again. This time it was OK. There were far less people and I got a sense of the open expanse that I remembered. Kept being offered a rain cape and when I pointed out that I was wearing one, the sellers suggested that I bought another for reinforcement!

At this point, I should have stopped for lunch but no, time for one of the Olympic Boulevards. Advertised as being able to watch the Games, live music food stands, museums and culture. I liked it. It brought the Olympics into the centre of the city, available to all. For many cariocas the Games are out of reach. Tickets are limited and expensive. If you are going to spend money you probably want to go to your favorite sport or maybe sit at home or in a bar and watch from there. Many have rented out homes and left the city to cash in and who can blame them. The Olympic Park is inaccessible unless you have tickets for an event. Cleverly instead of having to go to the Olympics, the Olympics have been brought to the people. The Olympic flame stands proud but small and visible to all. I think it's right following the exclusivity of London's flame and the extravagance of othes. Rio and Brasil are very different places from the ones that won the Games both economically and politically. The Olympic Boulevards have become very popular.

A meal from the Nordeste rounded off an interesting and cheap day! Oh, except the shopping!