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I totally agree, Cauê!

Well..the ones that will have the pleasure to come will find out the truth. We can discuss about the bay waters, despite of everything Danny has been saying here over and over about how it depends on what part of the bay we are talking about... but Ive never seen anyone complaining about the open waters beaches.

Mr. Baron... ten years trying to make Rio and Brazil look like s... It is pathetic to say locals are immune to the costal waters... if it was true every and each tourist would get sick in Copacabana. Every weekend there are thousands of People bathing there and other costal beaches.

Hello guys, 1. I recommend Zona Sul and Pão de Açucar. They are expensive, but there you can find everything you want with a great quality. 2. In Rio... it's hard to say in Brazil since it varies a lot. breakfast: coffee + milk or just coffee orange juice or a shake with milk and fruits like banana, avocado, papaya, strawberry or others a kind of a roll (that we call pão frances) with butter cheese ham fruits some people have cereals lunch: most people generally have rice and beans + a meat + salad. Pasta is also very common. Also what we call churrasco (barbecue). nowadays those who work generally have lunch in restaurants that charge the food per the weight of it. they have a lot of different options. dinner: some eat as much as they eat in lunch... some just repeat more or less what we have for breakfast... some have a snack like pizza.... it depends. 3. they are not one cooperation, but still we have what we call BILHETE ÚNICO wich is a card that you can buy and charge frequently... it can be used in the subway, railway and buses. 4. the official cabs have meters. 5. Real bus is a good option, as it was said... but we will have the BRT BUS RAPID SYSTEM working by then. 6. drupha is right. Hope I could help you.

S1mb0r@ c0mç@

LOL yeah, he gotta be local... he knows so much about our reality, that he can't deny that he actually lives in Mangueira, Rio de Janeiro.

Why do you ALWAYS doubt what we, that live HERE, say? NOBODY calls the stadium like this. It's Engenhão. And FYI, there's a project to be voted in our local assembly to change its "oficial", but never used, name. Also, FYI, he wasn't accused of anything when the stadium was built. About the theme of only rich cities being the ones able to throw the party, it was exactly because of the social programs and the potencial of changing the city for good that made Rio's bid the winner. Local people supported the plans, even elected a mayor that used them in his election program. Projects are already under way. People in the favelas have never been so benefited, not only, of course, because of the specific olympics projects, but also because of many others. There's a strong partnership between local governments and the federal one... Rio is receiveing a lot of investments. As Danny said, Brazil is facing its problemas. The Olympics are being used to impulse many projects and give them quicker deadlines, a stronger attention. They are not, at all, making our goverment stop investing in other areas. For example, for education we have just lifted public spendure from less than 6% to 10% of the whole public investment. We have recently discovered deep sea oil, that will allow, in the next decades, Brazil to invest 25% of its revenue in health programs and the other 75% in education. We have just signed many agreements with Russia, India, China and South Africa, including a developing bank (that is promised to challange the World Bank role in the world). I mean... I don't know what else can we say...

Yes, there are tons of improvements to be done, still. But in these last years a lot was done to improve people under the line of poverty lives, from improving the quality of lives in the favelas, from constructing new buildings to improving transport systems, to improving income levels. It's really a nice thing to know many in the world are concerned with the quality of life in the favelas, despite their own problems back home and despite of the role their own countries play in developing countries, but I can say I'm really glad we can do both thing... improve people's quality of life and throw big events like the WC and the Olympics, without having to choose between feeding people or having a stadium, this is simply not true.

http://www.ebc.com.br/noticias/brasil/2014/07/rio-de-janeiro-inicia-obras-do-complexo-esportivo-de-deodoro Works begin today in Deodoro!

Considering Brazilians (lol), I'd say, for sure, that Volleyball, Football, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Swimming, Basketball, Tenis, Handball, Gymnastics, will be the ones to be sold first.

Wait!!! Wasn't it really really really late???

Is this even possible to happen here, moderation? I mean, it speaks for itself. I can only say it's despicable.

Sure, Danny!

I really hope, for your own sake, that it's true. But try to realise it's not what you have been doing here. It is really ok to be over passionate about your country. I think I am for mine too. But it can't be done, in my opinion, despite of other countries. Do you get it? I mean, people have already said here that my English sucks, but I think you can understand. I'm sure you are a nice kid just trying to prove your points, but really... take some care.

I live in Flamengo. There are people swimming in the waters around Flamengo's park. It amazes me how you take everything that is on news as truth. As Danny said thousands of times, there's a huge difference between the situation of the bay around Gloria, Flamengo and Botafogo (the area chosen for the olympics) and other parts. You saw it here in real pictures. Tony, you are extremely ethnocentric. I could spend some hours here giving you lessons of how "Your England" is what it is, but books are there for the ones able to understand. I am not saying the UK is evil. It was a historical process. It's ridiculous when one isn't able to understand that countries have a path dependence, they have a historical process. Otherwise you might think, Brazilians tend to admire a lot the development countries in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and others have achieved. It's really admirable. But future is ahed of us. Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, Argentina, among others, are on their own path towards their own way of development. I think the opportunity that was given to Brazil shows we are on the right path, despite of the problems that are now known worldwide. It does not excuse anyone from not fullfilling what was promised both to Fifa and to the IOC, but one has to understand the obvious differences between a country such as Brazil, that has "just" got out a process of a dictatorship, it's on its longest period of democracy EVER and has just recently started its process of adressing our inequality problems, and others as the UK. But well... what to expect from a spoiled child...

Enjoy Ipanema, Copacabana and other beaches live! http://www.rioaovivo.com/ipanema.html

Danny, It's also important to highlight that we have recently been out of a Dictatorship (sinde 1985. Our constitution is from 1988). It's our longest period in history in a democracy. This is not simple. Our society has been told as beeing one that is too apathetic. In my opinion, in this last decade Brazil has faced a beggining of a period of transformation, so it's very NATURAL that people nowadays demand more and more from our government and start to think how society can also change to achieve a lower inequality, a better standard of education, health, and so on. Of course both the WC and the Olympics are great opportunities to demand, since a great legacy has been promised and is beeing, in my POV, delivered (even if it's not 100% done). Also, media has a strong role in all this, since everything Mr. Valcke has been saying about Brazil is receiving a huge attention as being 100% accurate.

Not true. I am also here. Great news, Mr. Bernham. Thousands of Brazilians that go to Disney World every year have been waiting for this for quite a long time!

We provided sources of information about the issues and they dismissed it... As I said it is scary for me that you don't take different points of view. You just consider that media is always 100% accurate, so throwing articles like you do means that you are being 100% true. All Dannyel and other have been doing is providing a different angle, point of view, since we live here. Olympicsfan97, thanks for your honesty. As I said before, drug-related crimes are a global issue and these are the critical problem here. Obviouslly, robbery and other crimes are equal in any big city nowadays. It is an issue that I study and that I really care about. There are lives beeing taken here, specially, as you all know, in favelas and other poor areas. We face a serious problem about that. Thankfully, in the last years we started to face the problem by investing again in the social area, after 20 years of dictatorship and a lost decade after that. Public policies such the UPPs, the program in the favelas to pacify them was a first action in order to revert this sad process. But of course, there are a LOT to do. We need more investment in these areas. People need education, health, a decent treatment. It is an issue Brazilian people are starting to face and starting to get involved. It is not easy for countries that are "young" and have just came out from a dictatorship to have a vibrant democracy, people demanding on the streets. We have started to go to streets again, to engage, to demand. That's why many here are proud for the moment, for staging the 2 biggest events in the world. Because we DO know about the problems, but we are starting to face it face to face. That's why Krow's comment's offended me. One should be sensible to other's culture. It would be the same if I started to make jokes about 9/11th or other sensible issues for the US. I would never do that, just for you to understand.

Come on man, I said you should go on... keep joking. There are people LOL. Maybe I can start some about the US. Who knows? Just for the record, could you please answer my question? I will repeat. Do you speak another language? If you do, are you 100% fluent? Are you in English? Thanks.

Commenting and discussing the problems related to the event or related to Brazil that would impact the events it's one thing. Using stupid jokes the way you did is something totally different. If it is acceptable between the ones that live around you, you can't expect that in an international forum, as I assume this is, everybody should be laughing at it. It is hilarious for you. I don't think the last ones were hilarous. Is it hilarious to joke about violence? Would it be hilarious if I started to joke about the World Trade Center, about the War in Iraq? I don't think so. But well, I understand that I am the only one offended. So Krow, keep with it. People are LOL. You should go on. When you guys have something to say about Rio 2016 or Brasil 2014 I can try to add something, if I am allowed and if you can accept another point of view.

The term is the same in portuguese. We say racismo. I don't think I have to look the term up. I think that, despite of my poor English (BTW, do you speak another language? If you do, are you 100% fluent? Are you in English?), I am sure it is possible to understand what I meant. I said you have acted in a racist way not because of the black or native peoples in Brazil, but considering the whole population, as you are speaking in a superior way and mocking our problems as if we live in a kind of Hell and you come from heaven. Now you are saying you were only commenting on the overall crime rates in Brazil. Really?

I do not come from an English speaking country. I know I don't speak perfectly, but I do understand your jokes. By the way, is it a mature discussion to acuse another person not to speak well your language? It's perfectly possible to realize your posts are not funny at all, as Flag Bearer said. You are beeing extremelly offensive. Just for the record, drug-related crimes are a GLOBAL issue. Of course we have our great share of responsabillity, but you can't say it is just a local problem. After all, who buys all the drugs produced in Latin American countries? I would also like to remind you that developed countries haven't been like this forever and there's a reason for that. You again talk in a superior way that, for me, sounds a lot racist. It is like others are doomed to be underdeveloped JUST because they are, somehow, inferior. Tony E., it's weird you don't know if the supposed humor doesn't cross the line. Don't you speak English? Krow said I don't get it because of my poor English. But hey... you are English! Writting the way he did is not a positive discussion. He is just throwing prejudicial and racist, from my point of view, comments. I also think you didn't read what I wrote above. I did reckon there are a lot of problems with the preparations. I also said I would love to go through it and, sometimes, when it's possible, give another point of view. I've been reading Dannyel comments for quite a long time and I have never seen he doing something different than just giving another point of view, after all we live here. You are getting information from the media. It doesn't mean we hold the truth and you don't. But it does mean that we can offer another point of view for the discussion. That's it.

Again the naive card? Come on guys... I see you are acting in a different manner nowadays, Baron. Much different from back 2009, during the bid process. As I said, there is NO PROBLEM AT ALL in revealing, with a spotlight, all of our problems. In the contrary, in may opinion it is extremelly helpfull. It's due to the problems, among other questions, we are facing hosting both the WC and the Olympics, that people went to the streets last year, and probably will again this year. These people, including myself, totally agree with all the points you are pointing out here. That's exactly what Dannyel has been saying for years here. BUT, it is totally different from the last posts from Krow. Can't you agree with that? He is not discussing security issues. He is beeing prejudicial, sarcastic and acting in a much stronger childish way than me or Dannyel. I would love to start discussing with you guys about the problems. Including giving another point of view that sometimes you get from the media, both Brazilian or English, or from wherever. I don't think that having a different point of view, when we DO NOT deny the problems, is being naive.

Not everybody... that's why many are comming to the World Cup and will certainly come to the Olympic Games. Only some disrespectful ones. There's a great difference between critics and prejudice, racism. Beijinho no ombro pro recalque passar longe... "oh and what should we wear to avoid being trafficked as sex slaves or held hostage for six-figure wire payments my parents will have to raise on kickstarter by going on the news? i have blue eyes remember, so that's working against me and also i'll need colors that match. also, mr bernham wants to know what to wear in brazil to avoid getting shot. my guess is dark colors (bonus: slimming) and absorbent fabrics (blood slips out of poly blends too easily), but maybe everything's upside down there." Do you consider this a normal comment?