This Olympics might officially be taking place in the city of Rio but in reality many of the events are taking place in Barra da Tijuca, approximately 20 miles from the centre of Rio all be it a little less than that from Copacabana (15 miles).
Either way this is much further than Stratford was from central London and indeed the place is so vast it might as well be another city.
I arrived at BarraShopping after taking an “executive” bus from Botafogo for R$14 (although driver didn’t have change so think I paid R$18). Let’s just say part of it has a distinctly American feel to it.
Barra basically consists of tons of high rise apartment blocks, shopping centers, a beach and now an Olympic park as well. You get around it either by car on the extremely wide roads or on the newly created segregated bus network (BRT).
Visitors to the olympic park will rely on this to get there after taking the brand new Line 4 metro from Copacabana.
So first impressions of the olympic park? Well it basically looks like any other olympic park apart from the fact it is smaller and missing a huge athletics stadium (athletics and ceremonies are taking pace in Enganão and the Maracanã, both outside the park)
And the Olympic village? Again the same high rise blocks characteristic of Barra and indeed any other olympic park. Just interesting the Brazilian team or in the block furthest from the olympic park!
