Travel Guide for the Rio Olympics

Written for Around the Rings by Everen T. Brown

The 2016 Olympic Summer Games are ready to begin next week and the most dedicated of Olympic fans will arrive in this "Marvelous City" a few days early to take in the sights before the competition begins. Here’s a Rio Traveler Briefing for those super fans who would rather watch it in person than on TV!

I have been to Rio many times and once you understand how it works, it becomes most enjoyable. Here are some of my Travel Tips…

Leave all jewelry at home. All jewelry. Don’t invite any trouble. Fly under the radar and leave all the valuables at home. You will feel and be much safer without the gilded baubles. Same goes for cash – only take about what you will need for the day, topping it off with a bit extra. iPhones are popular with thieves – so take precautions.

Carry small change. Stores and restaurants freak out when they see a R$100 bill (about $30.00 USD or €28) so have plenty of small change on hand.

A Portuguese phrase book or app might come in handy. Most locals only speak Portuguese so don’t expect everyone to know English.

The "OK" sign made with a hand widely used in the United States is an obscene sign in Brazil and should not be made.

You will see the word "Carioca" all over the city – it refers to a native of Rio de Janeiro!

Be patient. You are now on Rio time. Things move a bit slower down here. Don’t expect to run into a McDonald’s and be out in five minutes. It will take longer than expected, just about everywhere you go.

Churrascarias are popular – not only for their Brazilian style food – but because you serve yourself and begin your meal immediately - no wasted time there. Food is served buffet style and sold by the kilogram. You are given a ticket upon entry and each time you get more food, your plate is weighed and your ticket is marked. When leaving the restaurant, you pay the total marked on your ticket to the cashier. It adds up quickly – so make sure you know how much you are taking. Very few of these are "all you can eat" restaurants – so know the cost in advance.

Make reservations at restaurants. Popular ones fill up fast. Some hotel restaurants like Belmond Copacabana Palace are not accepting reservations during the Olympics. (Oops - there goes my seat at their venerable Belmond Chef’s Table nightly meal/show.) Better to call restaurants in advance than spend valuable time waiting in line.

Restaurants here operate much like those in Australia, with no hurry to push you out of your table and turn it to the next guest. If you are in a hurry to get to an event – be sure to tell the wait staff so they can expedite your meal. Otherwise they think you will be there all night enjoying good food and friends.

When you see someone butting in front of the line, don’t get upset – In Brazil they let women with children, senior citizens (60 years old and up – cidado idoso) and handicapped folks jump the queue to get in line and wait less. It can be unnerving when the lines are super long – so plan ahead and build in extra time whether shopping or eating out. Most supermarkets have notoriously long lines.

Brazilian seniors, students and teachers all get half price tickets to Olympic events.

Weekends are the busiest days at the beach! Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches are flooded with locals enjoying their weekends. Come Monday morning - they are back on the job and the beaches are deserted. Local vendors offer umbrella and chair rentals.

As you soak up the sun don’t expect complete solace, as you will be offered everything from Caipirinhas (Brazil’s national cocktail), to BBQ food and even artists offering to sell you a temporary tattoo created with a Sharpie marker! For the tattoos - I use the term artist lightly – most of them just use stencils. These famous beaches are a mini

economy unto themselves.

If you are going on a group tour and buy it online, they prefer to see a paper receipt for your purchase. Simply showing your phone is often not enough so try to print it out.

Various attractions offer an express line, though you will pay more for the privilege. For Corcovado, the box office is currently not selling tickets for same day entrance – so plan at least a day in advance and buy tickets online to save time. Tickets are timed for the tram.

Note – some daily bus tours of the city have raised their rates during the Olympic period. Could it be to deal with Olympic traffic or just to gouge the tourists?

Leave early for the venues. While no one can predict how long transport (public and private) might take, leave earlier than expected for Olympic venues. You will have less stress and can spend your time enjoying the scenery en route. Lots of pointy mountain peaks surround Rio and Barra da Tijuca – you will be amazed.

Once inside the Olympic Park and your event has ended, check out the Live Site. See large screen TV coverage of various events. Savor the flavor of this Brazilian inspired Olympic park, complete with sidewalks reminiscent of Copacabana Beach area.

Now that you know what to expect, get into that Carioca mood – relax and let the games unfold…

Written by Everen T. Brown

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