#6 Volunteer or spectator, job or opportunity?

If you ask me headline question - volunteer AND spectator and more than opportunity.

Accreditation with pins

Why come to Olympics just to work? Maybe I am so in love with sports, but c'mon, you cannot just come to Olympics to work and obey the orders from supervisor, whom is by the way among paid stuff. You get your Olympic clothes and accreditation, and you don't use it at all? They didn't pay us anything except for that clothes, food on working days and transportation. But where are the tickets, volunteer parties, getting to know each other? That only depends on a person and his intentions to make new friends, meet new people and maybe because of that, once explore the world. If I met volunteer not from Brazil on ticketing in front of Arenas, it was easy to go in, but usually there were Brazilians afraid of closing their eyes just to let me in to watch some matches, afraid to ask someone the same question at other venues. I thought that we volunteers should help out each other - especially because some tickets were really expensive, but OK, lecture for next time for me. That was the only negative part of volunteer experience, otherwise it was amazing to be part of the games. 

Rio2016 everywhere (Deodoro park)

There are a lot of positive things about being a volunteer. First of all, making new friends from all over the world. Also there is one great thing for being a volunteer - you are part of big machine, which is needed to work smoothly, that people from other end of the world can enjoy the games on TV or as spectators live at venues. And you can see closely, how many parts has this machine, how does it work and what can go wrong. The most important thing everywhere is that everything has to be perfect for TV. 

Few Slovenian volunteers (5/10+)

There were volunteers from more than 100 countries, so there were also more then 10 Slovenians (I still do not know, if I met all of them). It is really nice to meet some people from your country with same thinking, plans and love for sports. We already decieded to make some meeting soon, of course with caipirinhas and Brazilian music. And with some of them, we already turned our compass towards Japan and Tokyo2020. 

The best fans on the world with Sara Isakovic

As a spectator I have really special experience, I visited a lot of sports, but supporting Slovenian athletes here in Rio was really amazing. For great atmosphere at table tennis, sailing and handball, I joined four amazing people from Trebnje and surroundings (Thank you Čarli, Mlaki, Kuri and Jerry) - we have been so loud and supporting for Slovenia, that we made it to New York Times, all Slovenian TVs and newspapers and all over the internet. If few Slovenians can make big part of Future Arena screaming "Dajmo Slovenci" then anything is possible. Dissapointment after Slovenian team lost quaterfinal match against Denmark was huge, but at that moment they were better and now they are Olympic champions. It was seen, that we were breathing with a team. But this is sport, this is the past, now we should go for the new wins in future. There was a lot of joy, celebrating Slovenian medals.

sLOVEnia

Slovenian olympic committee prepared some celebrations and hanging out with our athletes, celebrating their successes and there was also oppourtunity to meet some important people from Slovenian sport organization. So I hope, that meeting them was good deal for the future, maybe already for Tokyo2020. I will be there for sure, but still do not know in what position. Only one thing is certain, in summer 2020 I am travelling to Japan.

Last time in olympic park 

From Rio with love, 

SR

#5 Living my dreams - let it last forever

Now it is day 9 of Olympic games and I can tell you, I live my dreams. Amazing venues, crazy atmosphere, top athletes of the world, wonderful city - it is like wonderland for me.

With my flag enjoying olympic park

Venues - arenas and stadiums are amazing,  atmosphere at all of them is great, Brazilians really like sports and they know how to support all partcipants. The organization although is not so good, especially ticketing and transport to the venues is a problem, as one of athletes in olympic village said, they are never on time, when they supposed to be. When you are on spectator buses, you can expect to be like sardines in a tin, too many people. Security is also just like on airport, so all procedure to come to the venue and spectator area or your work, it takes at least 30 mins.

But once you are in, you forget about all the problems before - then opens for me totally different world - spectators from all over the world, if you are in national uniform - they want to take picture with you, if you are in volunteer uniform, they will ask you a lot of questions, but all people are really kind and atmosphere is amazing. Special olympic sport is also exchange of pins, some people have like a hundred of them, so on my next olympics I will be prepared and bring a lot of Slovenian ones.

Here are some venues:

Olympic tennis stadium

Water polo arena

Olympic park panorama - from left to right Cariocas arenas triplets 1,2,3; Future arena, Olympic aquatics stadium

Olympic stadium - athletics 

Handball - Future arena

My workspace - Badminton arena - RioCentro Pavillion 4

At olympics is also a great time to see some new sports live, so I try to visit as many venues as possible, for me everywhere is a lot of spectators, more than I expected. But the best atmosphere and most amazing venue of this olympic games is for sure BeachVolley arena on famous Copacabana beach - I was lucky to be there on a rival game between home Brazil team and neighbour Argentinian team, crazy atmosphere, full arena, amazing athletes and view from dreams. 

BeachVolley Arena at Copacabana beach

But from the spectator position I can say that with Brazilian fans only Slovenian fans especially organized on handball matches, leaded by my friends from Trebnje. At match of Slovenia versus Brazil, at some moments we have been louder than full Future Arena of brazilian fans. We are not a lot of people here, but we support our team from all heart!

The best fans on the world - supporting team Slovenia (source: www.delo.si)

Also volunteer experience is amazing, making new friends from all over the world. Volunteers are from 18 years old to more than 70, all races, all nationalities. And all of them are amazing people, for most of foreigners there is sometimes a problem, that some of Brazilian ones, does not speak English. Luckily we got tags: I speak English, so by accreditation you know, who is easier to speak with him or her. But I will leave more from making friends and meeting people from all over the world for the next story. It is so amazing that especially us international volunteers already started thinking about next project - Tokyo2020. 

Until next time from Olympic Rio,

Simon Ranfl

#4 Preolympic and Touristic Rio de Janeiro

On 30th of July in the evening I finally arrived at main destination of my trip - to olympic Rio de Janeiro. Plan was to visit all tourist attractions before opening ceremony (before 5th of August). And I can say that I was successful - Copacabana beach, Ipanema beach, Christ the redeemer, Sugarloaf mountain, Lapa arcs, Lagoa lake, Selaron staircases, Cidade de Samba, Rio downtown and renewed Olympic boulevard in Rio port.
But first from beginning - I arrive to Rio renewed International Airport (GIG) and then I had to drive 40km to my apartment in Barra region. Yeah, Rio is so big, that 30-40km are normal distances and with public transport it takes you more than one hour to travel that way, it depends what kind of transport you use. Because of Olympic games situation apparently improved - they built new metro line (Linha 4), all over the city, there is BRT (Bus Rapid Transport), which has its own road, no cars there. At port they built also VLT - tram system.

New metro station at line 4

Rio is also known for security problems with pickpockets and robbing, but now here is a lot of police on every main road, place, attraction, station or stadium, so you feel mostly safe, but still they tell you somewhere to leave your phone in pocket. Personally I did not have any problems so far, so I was enjoying the city as much as possible.

Amazing view from Sugarloaf

If you think about Rio - first two things that comes to your mind are Copacabana and Christ the Redeemer. Christ you can imagine from pictures, how it should be up there - big statue, amazing view of Rio and a lot of people there - and so it is, but Copacabana is something different. You expect a lot of sand and people, but that there are so many beachvolley courts, beachfootball courts or footvolley courts, there is no doubt, why Brazil is so good in football and in volleyball. From the Atlantic avenue to the Atlantic ocean, half of the sand area is for sport and half for pleasure. And Brazilians know how to enjoy the time there.

Christ the Redeemer

View from Christ (710m above sea) to Maracana stadium

Pleasure side of Copacabana

Sport side of Copacabana

But for me Ipanema beach and view from Sugarloaf are better. Ipanema is less crowded and on Sugarloaf you are just 396m directly above the sea, so you can have a good view to the city, beaches and also sea. 

Gondola to Sugarloaf

Other must see things are Selaron staircase, made from tiles - very very artistic and it is an entrance to favela. Other things are also Lapa arcs, new Olympic boulevard and walk at Lagoa lake. 

Seleron staircases

Lapa arcs

Art at Olympic boulevard

New olympic museum at Olympic boulevard

Lagoa lake

Rio also offers some hiking options, botanic garden and a lot of other beautiful but not as known and as crowded beaches (Barra, Sao Condrado). And also magnificent amazing football stadium Maracana - hosting 4 Rio de Janeiro football teams, and olympic ceremonies. 

Yes, I intentionaly wrote this blog just before Olympic opening ceremony - now my dreams will become reality - Olympic games will start and I am here, in Rio Olympic city, working as a volunteer and wondering from stadium to stadium because I simply love sports. Next stories will sure be olympic. 

Olympic games are here, best regards from Rio,
Simon

#3 One of seven world wonders

Second stop on my trip was Foz do Iguacu, the city near the place, where rivers Parana and Rio Iguacu split Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The city itself is nothing special, but in close distance there are some amazing stuff.
I spend there 4 beautiful days - three of them, I was visiting world wonders - so there will be more photos than text, because photos can tell much more.

Day 1 - Parque das Aves (Bird park) and Brazilian side of falls

Bird park has the largest collection of birds in whole Latin America - you can see almost all tropic birds including my favourite Flamingos!

Entrance to Birdpark

Flamingos

You can see many different species there

Tucan

After amazing birdpark, you just cross the road and you are at entrance to the one of the 7 world wonders - Iguassu falls - amazing views, beautiful nature - pictures can tell more than words.... 

At entrance

First glimpse at falls

panoramic view

near devils throat,rainbows

Day 2 - Argentinian side of falls

Next day was chosen to visit Argentina and argentinian side of falls. They are not so modern with credit cards as in Brazil, so you have to change the money to argentinian pesos, but still you can see these natural wonder from totally different perspective - pictures.

Waterdrops from the biggest of all falls - Garganta del Diablo

Day 3 - Itaipu lake and powerplant

This is the biggest water powerplant on the world. Building it - they spent iron for 380 Eiffel towers, concrete for 174 Maracana stadiums and waterflow is 40times bigger than on Iguassu falls. It gives electric energy for 80% of Paraguay and 15% of Brazil. The whole thing is on border between those two countries and it is like another country - own university, managers from both countries. Itaipu binacional also got UNESCO award for the project of saving atlantic forest. 

The whole world in Foz do Igaussu rotates around those natural wonders, it is totally worth of visiting, there are some breathtaking views, at some points you can stand there and watch that for whole day, three days are enough to see everything from all possible angles. If you are travelling to Brazil, Argentina or Paraguay - this is on MUST SEE list. 

Next blog coming soon from olympic Rio!

Simon