Monteverde

Under construction. It is said Line 4 will be ready at next year's first semester.

Torchbearer Sydney, It is very frustrating when we realize that some people here do not understand this forum's purpose and start posting childish nationalist comments on observations about Rio's preps for 2016, as if posters here were against the Games in Rio and wanted it to be a disaster. Very often their interpretation is biased, not neutral nor objective or candid. You mentioned a very serious matter. As I said a few days ago, I am very concerned about IT and urban mobility. National and International Press - how can I say that without insufflating certain people minds? - witnessed Maracanã had not internet signal up to fifteen minutes before Fifa WC Final Match broadcasting last year. It is simply unthinkable to happen during the Games Opening Ceremony. I insist on this and other questions just to alert the Organising Committee. And I think your observations have the same aim.

Michael, You are right. This is not the stage those venues were supposed to be by now. Yes, they will be ready, but what a price! However, those venues are not what worries me the most. My major concerns are the communications infrastructure and urban mobility.

Rob, PDBG (Portuguese acronym to Guanabara Bay's Cleaning Program - or problem\o/) should have been approached in correct terms by both Rio Organizing Committee and the IOC. Carioca team should accept the truth, that it is simply impossible to clean the bay for the Games. IOC should have understood the obvious. IOC should have understood what is behind mayor Paes’ speech, since the very beginning. Paes is not a sportsman, he is a politician. When he says the bay will be ready, he is not lying. He really believes in what he is saying. However, it seems he means there will be less pollution and cleaner water; no floating garbage, not no bacteria in the water. More than that, PDBG is beyond his authority: he is Rio's mayor but Rio is not the only one municipality surrounding the bay I once posted here a comment about PDBG. I think it was last year. However, I was not the only one to do so. For many times, I read posts of Brazilian guys (Dan and others) saying almost the same I said at that time. PDBG is a very comprehensive, many-sided program and it is much more complicated than one can imagine. To understand it, please go to www.cedae.com.br/pdgb (no English version available). There you'll find more explanation. The question is, Why have the IOC not demanded a B Plan? An existing B Plan should be required, at least just in case of a failure, an accident or something unpredictable. Guanabara Bay will not be ready for the Games. However, competitions may take place at its entrance, in the oceanic region where the water is clean and good for sailing. The more inside the bay, more visible and microscopic pollution one will find. The other issue is Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, which will serve for rowing and canoeing. Last month, after a heavy storm weather, 65 tons of fish died there. The probable causes, according to biologist Mario Moscatelli, were: 1:sewage in large quantities; 2: organic waste brought by the heavy rain and 3: a weather phenomenon that divides the water into different layers; the deepest one with less oxygen; the ideal level of oxygen is found in the layer closer to the surface (see http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/mortandade-de-peixes-na-lagoa-rodrigo-de-freitas-chega-65-toneladas-7837117). If compared to the Bay, those are not real problems: it is necessary to treat the neighbourhood sewage and the garbage brought by the rain before they reach the lagoon, and keep the ideal level of oxygen, by monitoring the channels that link the lagoon to the sea. I really don not know why it is not happening yet.

I disagree to your pov, Victor, but totally agree to the solution yout presented to approach some historic facts, if they are willing to make any reference to. By the way, that is a very beautiful song. Actually,I used to sing that to my daughter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHcNY7WWvA4

I think Ceremonies will have no political content. Probably, even the mention to the President's presence at the stadium will be very carefully studied to avoid what happened to Lula during the Pan Americam Games' Opening Ceremony, in 2007, and to Dilma herself in São Paulo, during Fifa's 2014 WC inauguration match. IMO, the whole Opening Ceremony will focus Rio de Janeiro's history and culture. Of course, some aspects of modern Brazil will be shown ( we must not forget we are talking about the greatest opportunity to sell the country and the city to the world and the Games themselves are nothing but the perfect setting Brazil has paid to do so). Like Baron very appropriately mentioned, there will be no space for the dark side because it is supposed to be kept hideaway, as it happens to happen anywhere, anytime.

The same happenedd to me when I was leaving Leicester Square Station, two years ago. That happens every where. However one shouldn´t be so concerned about that even in Copacabana during the Games. Rio has already shown to be very succesful in providing appropriate security in big events. The WC was the last one.

Num é ki eu deagora lenbro docâ eu axo falano assim aki condo nois tava na disputano em 2008? Era meso suncê?

paul: " seriously? just slap some paint on it and move on after all that?" Well, if the responsible engineer says so, who am I to disagree to?

Published today by Lance!Net (http://ndonline.com.br/florianopolis/esportes/153155-um-ano-sem-engenhao--responsavel-diz-que-ferrugem-nao-ameaca-cobertura.html) Google translator "Flavio D'Alambert, the engineer responsible for the project team that developed Engenhão´s coverage said that the rust that was seen at various points of the arcs of the stadium before the reform did not threaten the structure. - The arcs are of weathering steel, it creates a patina which prevents corrosion. So even if you create a crust of corrosion (rust), the structure is not in danger of concussions. Does not, however, preclude a painting - explained to LANCE Net, referring to preventive maintenance: - Maintenance is key. In addition to preventive, there are corrective. We did an action of this kind in coverage because of various balloons fell on the stadium."

http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/ex-moradores-da-vila-autodromo-festejam-vida-no-parque-carioca-12311245 Published today, this article shows Paque Carioca, new home for 900 families removed from Vila Autódromo shantytown in Barra. If someone wants to compare Parque Carioca to Vila Autódromo, just go to Google images.

Athehsfan, I really did not understand your reaction to what I posted . I only tried to show Guanabara Bay´s a real situation . I do not think it is correct people do not have access to the reality of the problem . There is a lot of propaganda , both by those who extol Rio as by those who only see demerits . There are exaggerations on both sides. Guanabara Bay has received heavy investment since the late 80s, when people began to concern about its degradation and plan its remediation . But then, as always , corruption and bureaucracy became serious obstacles for the development of the projects . There was another question: since the democratization of the country in the mid- 80s , until the beginning of the last decade , the rulers of the City and of the State of Rio were opposed to the Federal Government , what prevented the partnership among the three levels of government and, consequently, the implementation of projects like the remediation of Guanabara Bay . With the election of rulers of the same brunch of political ideologies, the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, the State of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal Government became allies and Rio started receiving financial support again . At the same time, Rio de Janeiro ever increasing rates of oil production gave it more financial autonomy, since the State and the City of Rio receive royalties from Petrobras for the extraction of oil and gas of Campos dos Goytacazes oil basin. However , the environmental issue of the bay was always placed on the back burner, given the fact that there were more urgent and priority issues , such as health , housing, transportation , education and security . Indeed , the great legacy the Games will leave for the city of Rio, for the State of Rio and for the Country is the conviction that with political will , things can be better and that we should improve things not because we are to host international mega events, but for us ourselves. I was honest in my post as I am now. Please, forgive my poor English.

Guanabara Bay will not be ready for the games. The truth is that there is not enough time to clean it for the Games . In fact, there was alerady no time in 2009, even if all projects of remediation were obeying their deadlines . Some experts claim that the water of the bay would take 10-15 years to reach acceptable levels of pollution, after implementing all the needed remediation actions.The various municipalities around the bay - not only the city of Rio de Janeiro - should implement their own projects of sewage treatment .This is not happening, at least in the desired and necessary speed for the Games. The treatment of the water that is dumped into the bay would not be good enough by itself. It would be necessary to give Nature the time she needs to do her part . This is a long process which respects the very reaction of Nature . It is also unpredictable, because there are various kinds of waste contamination and the natural renewal of the bay´s water , besides the fact that the constant use of the bay for ships - mainly oil tankers - could put at risk the work already done in the event of an accident , as happened in the past with a Petrobras ship . The issue is much more complicated than one might think . What is currently said is that they will hire boats to do the gathering of the floating solid waste . Although much has been done and is going to be done by the municipal government , the city of Rio de Janeiro is not the solely responsible for the environmental problem of the bay . It is beyond the municipality of Rio de Janeiro´s legal capacity of action and depends upon a resolute will of the State of Rio de Janeiro to coordinate the efforts of the municipalities involved, as well as financial support from the Federal Government . Some Improvements can be obtained until 2016, but they will not manageto put the bay in an appropriate level.

Krow, let me try to expalin my post. When people -even in Brazil - reffer to Rio, they are actually talking about the so calleed "Grande Rio" which is formed by many other cities, like Niterói, Nova Iguaçu, Duque de Caxias amongst others ones. When one talks about Rio itself, the numbers and realities are very different. You, certainly know we have problems with safety. We have. If someone denies it he is not being fair. But, as Tom Jobim said once "Brazil is not for begginers", this suits very well to Rio.One needs to understand the geographic distribution of crimes, the different kinds of vioence - robery,? drugs? murders due to the fights among drugdealers themselves? against the police? So if we are talking about drugdealers fight for power inside the favelas, we are talkiing about a problem that happens inside their territoy, the favelas. You will not see this kind of violence, unless you go to a favela where some fight is goinng on. Murder in Rio - not the Grande Rio - has lower rates of crimes. Robery happens, above all, in South Zone, the beaches of Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon, where tourist - from Brazil or foreigners - are targed by young people that need money to pay for the drug they use. So, it is a very complicate task to talk about violence in Rio when some aspect are not put in account. Last July Rio de Janeiro hosted the WYD, an event that gathered togheter 3,5 million people in Copacabana. The Police Station of Copacabana registered - if I am not mistaken - only 34 incidents envolving robery. 34 in three days! Some years ago we had in Rio the so called "sequestro relâmpago" or quick kidnapping, but even this kind of crime nas not been seen. The same can be said about stray bullets. There is the stereotyped Rio and the real one.There is violence in Rio, but I insist, it is not that one some people think or say. Regardless to say we are talking about a city that represents veery well the issues of an entire developing country, with contraditions, inequalities and so on. You will not walk on Rio´s streets thinking you are in Copenhagen. You´d not be that naive, but I can assure you, if you follow some rules of easy understanding -like looking like the locals in dressing, mixing with native people, everything is gonna be ok.