Rio has four different colors

A pedestrian takes a photo of the Olympic rings while walking along the promenade on Copacabana beach during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 12. / AP-Yonhap

By Valter Junior

RIO DE JANEIRO ― No matter which city hosts the Olympics, the life of the residents of the host city feel connected to the Games and are touched by the event.

And so it is with the people of Rio de Janeiro. This city with a population of 7 million has been affected by the Olympics, but each part of the city is reacting differently, which can be divided into four zones.

In the port area, people are living the Olympic fever. The region, located in the center of Rio, will be one of the legacies of the Olympics after the games are finished. The region was one of the most degraded of the city. The view was ugly and dark with badly painted buildings. Now there is life and color there. The whole area was refurbished and an electric train, linking the area to the municipal airport, was installed. Now, it is possible to visit the Museum of Tomorrow, a museum built so people will take notice of what we are doing with the health of our planet.

This area has Olympic Boulevard, a place similar to the fan fests created during the World Cups. There are several big screens to broadcast the competitions in which Brazil is competing in. Some of countries’ houses, like Brazil and Finland, are there as well. At night, a stage with performances by popular Brazilian bands is the main attraction. Considering the number of people visiting the boulevard, it would be safe to say that it is a huge success.

Walking through the area it is always possible to find different kinds of people. There are street artists, street preachers, political protests and music. With one ear you can hear rock bands, in the other some samba. A little bit further down the Boulevard it is possible to see people dancing forro, a typical favor dance from the northeast of Brazil, and a man playing bossa nova. It is a multicultural, fun and noisy party.

There are three main attractions. The first one is the Olympic pyre, the first one to be located outside of an Olympic Stadium. It is placed in front of the historic Candelaria Church. Then you have the NBA house. Though it is hard to believe, you have to wait up to three hours in the queue just to get inside of the house.

It is not possible to stroll on the Boulevard and not be hypnotized by the biggest graffiti painting in the world. Invited by the Rio Olympic Committee, the artist Eduardo Kobra painted five faces, representing each continent, on a giant wall 17 meters tall and 180 meters wide. It is impossible to put all the faces in the same frame because the docks are just some foot away on the other side of the street.

“Just to revitalize this area here makes the Olympics worth it,” a woman with three children celebrating said.

The heart of Rio is the south zone, where Copacana and Ipanema beaches are. The places also carry the Olympic fever. This region is hosting the beach volleyball competition and attracts a great number of tourists from around the world. It is a party to walk by the ocean. Police are seen on the main streets.

“This is not the real Rio. It is fake. On a regular day, you won’t see so many policemen. Now we feel safe,” an Uber driver said.

Then you have Barra da Tijuca, in the west zone of Rio where most of the venues are located. The region is so big that even using the BRT (Bus Rapid Transport), it will take you 30 minutes from the beginning of the neighborhood to Olympic Park. When you are away from the venues, Olympic fever dies down noticeably. The movement of people has increased but not in the way that happens at Copacabana and Ipanema. Mostly, the region is host to Argentineans.

“The number of customers has increased but there are not as many as there are in the south zone,” a waiter explained before serving the classic Brazilian cocktail, “caipirinha.”

And there is the rest of the city with people who just want to keep living their lives. They want to go to work and come back home as they would do every other day. But it isn’t possible these days. The ordinary day is being affected by a city that has extraordinary traffic problems. There are priority lines for official vehicles, which makes the traffic even heavier. Though the number of vehicles hasn’t increased because of the Olympics, there is less space. Also local residents are not allowed to use new subway line and BRT yet as they are only for those with certain tickets during the Games. So don’t expect too much Olympic spirit from them.

Valter Junior is a journalist for Metro Brazil. He can be reached at vajunior@gmail.com.