Day 6: Rio

Day 6: Rio

Pop quiz: what are these? 

Weather: Temp consistently in the mid 70s, maybe a bit higher if you stood in the sun in mid-day or if you expected there to still be umbrellas at Olympic Park, a welcome breeze and shade at Water Polo

"swim lanes" in the metro station

Early morning O's commuters

walkways made of scaffolding

QOTD:

At the copa (co) Copacabana (Copacabana)
The hottest spot south of Havana (here)
At the copa (co) Copacabana
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the copa, she lost her love
(Copa, Copacabana)
(Copa, Copacabana)
(Copacabana)

DA's breakfast spot

local currency actually exchanged directly for merchandise

Breakfast of champions

Machines of champions

THB's second breakfast

 Breakfast cereal + apple for THB, DA waits until we get to the O Park. The commute is very fast, around an hour for the metro + bus ride. Easy security, not even the one long line we spotted the first time here on Saturday. Our metro cards even work two days in a row.

What is missing in this picture? Besides real grass

It’s before 9 and the Park is empty. Empty even of the umbrellas. Where did they go? It’s hot out here, even at 9am. We saunter over to our favorite concession stand (you remember, the one where they took cash or a cc and gave you food). Very sweet café con lette for THB and an Americano for DA.

 

Cashiers standing "in the shade" 

Maria Lenk Aquatic Center

Our seat mates up in nosebleed territory (note: we're under the overhang, a blessing)

Our seats are perfect for Diving

An easy saunter over to the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park and a hike up the steep stairs to our seats in the shade for four Women’s Water Polo matches. And a bit of a breeze. Of course, we’re far from the pool. That’s not a problem because we can tell what’s happening in the game: Hungary bests China 13-11 (the closest of the four games, and China never had a chance), and Italy beats Brazil,  9-3.

THB gets in the cash lane; note: this sign is below the counter level so if two people are standing at the counter you cannot see either the cash or credit signs

The all-purpose English concessionaire

Defused

Defused

Across the pool from us, they only time these seats were anywhere near full was during Brazil match

Of course, this was the big one for the locals. The three women (two 40 year olds and a 17 year old?) next to us took it so seriously that at one point they collectively stood up and gave the finger to the refs, booing loudly. Mind you: a) they were ½ mile from the pool, b) their team was hopeless in the pool, c) nobody even noticed them except for DA and myself, and maybe not even DA.

No booing during national anthem, which is only played during very first appearance of team and at medal ceremonies

Lunch of champions (TWO types of cheese and stale bread)

THB heads down to the concession stand for drinks. The stand is empty. THB goes to the cashier and orders Coke Zero and a water. She doesn’t understand me so she calls over someone else. THB repeats the order. The English-speaking worker repeats my order in Portuguese and the first one starts laughing and says: Coca Zero. My Portuguese accent is terrible.

The terrific USA goalie is African-American 

These must be her family members

Putin "employee" couldn't help Russkies today, they were overwhelmed

I take my 20 hay-eye coupon (around $7) over three feet to my left and the English-speaking worker moves three feet to her right and asks me for my coupon. THB is having a very hard time: he is must be in a Belushi-Ackroyd SNL skit. She takes my coupon and looks at it and gets a Coke-Zero and a water out of the cooler, and takes the caps off. THB asks for the caps. She says she’s not allowed to give them to me.

THB asks why: security, they’ve been told they can’t hand them out for security reasons.

If THB does not make it home safely, every one of you blog followers now know what happened to him: he was ambushed by three plastic bottle lids.

Answer to Pop (cute!) Quiz: security risks

We start moving closer to the pool, down and to the right. Now it is the USA totally destroying Spain, 11-4. For the last of the no doubters, Australia annihilates Russia 14-4, even the half-time drugs don’t save the Russkies.

Pics of some of the best fans in the world:

What is the Aussie back-up goalie wearing?

From THB perspective, should be Aussies vs "The Booed" in the finals

Easy commute back to the apartment, strategizing about how later in the schedule to get to the O Park in the middle of the day between sessions of T&F, once for Badminton and once for Golf. Not looking good for us terrorists, TBD.

No umbrellas at 2pm either

Plan B for these fans: any shade in a sunstorm

Daily stop at Zona Sul for ice tea, snacks, apples and an interesting loaf of bread. Showers, naps, e-mail, blog writing, fixing the TV (somehow, some unknown terrorist, using only a bottle cap, disabled the TV outlet plug), and awaiting our dinner rendezvous with R&V&C&D.

Dinner of tapas and drinks at a new local spot on Copacabana Beach, where the view of the beach is blocked (temporarily?) by large white trailers and tents set up in support of the O’s.