#7 Postolympic period: P&SP

After Olympics in Rio finished, it was time to calm down from all olympic excitement and parties in one of the greatest cities in the world. I had to pack all my stuff and continue according to my plan and as it turned out, it was nice plan. I had one more bag to carry (a lot of olympic stuff), so I used uber (thanks to that app, I lived freely in the city) to go to bus station to take a bus to Paraty.

Time to move on from Olympics with one bag more

Paraty is one small town, approx. 250km out of Rio - 4,5h of bus ride. Town has only around 40.000 citizens and it is perfect for short active vacations on a beach of Atlantic ocean. It was nice to move from huge city to Paraty, where you can walk whole town in less than 30 mins. I met there a lot of people like me - looking for post-olympic relaxation. The bay of Paraty has 365 islands and the rainforest comes to the coast. There is a lot of possibilities for different sports activities. When I arrived to my hostel it was dark already, but I had to decide what I will do next day. I chose kayaking in the bay and I had to say it was something new for me, great experience and perfect upper body training. We paddled for around 12km, stopped at some really nice beaches and also through amazing mangrove forest.

Kayaking through mangrove forest

Lonely beach in Paraty bay

Second day I went to boat trip in the same bay, but to the other side. It took around 6h on boat and some time for swimming at some beautiful places and beaches. There was around 40 people on boat - they said in summer season it is around 200. And a lot of different companies offers similar things. Paraty in summer has twice as many people as in usual time of year.

Lonely island in Paraty bay

Another beautiful beach in bay

Town is also one of the richest in the country with old architecture and typical stones in the street (ankle-breaker if you walk with flipflops). 

Ankle-breaker streets

Postcard picture of Paraty

Third day I decide to rent a bike. I decided to go to visit one nice waterfall and one well known beach in the area. I know it would be a lot of hills, but that I did not imagine. First I went to Toboga waterfalls, just 10km out of the city and road went only slightly upwards - it was easy. Then I came to the crossroad and chose wrong direction (2km of crazy hills) and after I returned to that crossroad they told me, it is just few hundred meters in front of me. This waterfall is a big rock, which can be used as tobogan. After that I went to Trindade beach - 27km one way. At first it was nice up and down. After 19 km, it was one turn and then it starts - the hill, I think it would not be allowed even on Tour de France (14% average). More than half of it, I had to walk. When I came on that beach I was destroyed, so cooling down in Atlantic ocean was perfect thing. But knowing that I had to go over that hill again... I almost walked whole way up. Biking down was a big relief for muscles and my head. Summary of the biking - 5h, 80km, 1000+ altitude meters, body destroyed but head happy. I slept like a baby.

Toboga waterfall

                                 

Trindade beach

Nothing is stopping me!

Next day I took a bus to Sao Paulo. It took me almost 7h to come to the biggest city in South America (population: 22M). I cannot compare it to Rio - dirty, a lot of people, homeless people on every corner, even with tents on main squares. Luckily I met some realy nice people in Foz, who live in Sao Paulo, so they showed me things around. It was really uncomfortable for me to walk around the city and see those homeless people. There are only three good things I will remember about Sao Paulo. No. 1 is for sure Football museum - Must see thing for all football fans - you know all about Brazilian football, history of the world cups and more. No. 2 is food market there - when you come there, people let you try every fruit they have - from known to unknown ones. No.3 is good hospitality from my friends and also from owner of my AirBNB apartment. Two days in that huge city is enough to see all that it has to show.

Night view on Sao Paulo

Fruit market in Sao Paulo

Football museum is on Pacaembu Stadium

Tribute to Pele

After Sao Paulo it was time for Big Apple - The New York City. If I look back all together - I spent amazing 40 days in Brazil, I met a lot of amazing people, I saw a lot of beautiful places and discovered that there is still so much to see there, that I have to come back in the future. See you soon Brazil!

Lonely planet helped me a lot 

                                        

From the city, which never sleeps, 

SR

#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

#1 Flying forever and first impressions about Belo Horizonte

On Tuesday,19th of July, my big adventure finally started. I was planning that for more than 8 months, but until last day, I was not nervous and almost everything I felt was excitement. Then last night sleeping at home suddenly I could not sleep, I fell strange from inside. Very special thank to one of my friends, who is always trying to keep my head on the right track, so I prepare my head for this adventure. When the last day at home finished, all goodbyes were said, my father and my brother drove me to Budapest airport.

From Moškanjci via Budapest airport via London Heathrow and via Miami International to Belo Horizonte it took me more than 36 hours, more than 20 hours in air. During that time I went through one of my fever episodes - I was too afraid to tell my mom that, she would be too worried - so somehow with help of phone and few friendson the other side I managed to come here safely and well. But when I arrive here, another shock - no baggage - hope it comes soon (still waiting), I have some things in there that I am emotionally attached.

Budapest - London - Miami - Belo Horizonte

Airport here in Belo Horizonte on first sight does not look big, but when do you have to take the bus from terminal 3 to terminal 1, it is really big. Nonetheless, this is 3rd biggest city in Brazil and has more citizens than whole Slovenia. Then I had to take the bus from Airport to citycentre and despite I was crazy tired it was really interesting to watch city - some new culture. For me it was shock, to see a lot of people sleeping on the streets and in the middle of the parks, a lot of dirt lying all around, big holes on the roads... All this is something new to me, also language - although people are veeery nice, rarely who speaks English. But I think the basics of language I will know in few days. 

Mercado Central - there you can find everything

Today, I visited Mercado Central - no.2 on TripAdvisor list for BH - and it was amazing to see what they have there inside - from cats, dogs, chickens, big turkeys to all the food, clothes, even I counted 7 or 8 protein shops to restaurants - so I had first Brazilian lunch - it was said to me, Minas food (Minas Gerais is the region here) is really tasty and I tried FEIJAO TROPEIRO - mixed beans, pork, some vegetables and rice and it was really good and cheap.

Feijao tropeiro - tasty brazilian dish

I hope my baggage comes soon, so I can start enjoying this country even more, first impression is positive and I am sure it will be only better - there is only 15 days till Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. Can't wait.

Blending in with Brazilian colours! 

Best Regards from Belo Horizonte, 

Simon Ranfl

   

Story of Volunteer for Rio Olympics

Main words: rio2016, volunteer, mystory, dreams

Since I was little boy, I dreamed about being part of the biggest sport event on the World. I remember waking up for Olympic events at 3 am, just to watch some Slovenian sportsman competing for medals and I was like 9 years old. When I spent 12 hours a day, watching Olympics from Beijing 2008, I decided I want to be there sometimes and the perfect choice was London 2012 - I just turned 19 then, it was close, I know the language... but I was scared, without any experience so I did not apply for volunteer there - even though I was determined that  I will be in Rio 2016 on first time ever SouthAmerican Olympic games.

When came the time for applying as a Volunteer for Rio in september 2014, I applied the very first day. Application was very long, so it took few hours to finish it the way I wanted, with all the good recommendations for myself, so I will be part of that. After that - waiting and waiting, we only had to play few online games and check our language skills, nothing serious. I was waiting for interview more than 1 year, but in October 2015 I finally recieved an email with invitation for interview. I thought it will be like job interview, so I prepared myself for everything. And then interview comes and we had online chat with operator from Rio and also 5 other applicants for volunteering there - nothing serious.

Then again waiting until the famous November 30th 2015, when they released first 50000 approved volunteers for Olympics - I was on this list and I was so happy, that I even make a party for my friends in dormitory in Warsaw, Poland (I was exchange student there). They said to us, that the deadline for Invitation Letter is in 2 weeks, then 2 months, then they had been saying soon all the time. I've sent few emails there and always same answer. Meanwhile, we had to do some online training, but still no letter. I was getting very nervous and what I saw on facebook, my fellow volunteers too.

No letter, no shift, nothing... Already in January 2016 I bought flight tickets, soon after I booked an accomodation, but letter still did not come. I was doing that without knowing, that I will recieve any letter, I only knew that everything will get more and more expensive.

At May 31st 2016 I recieve doubtful email from organizers, that they are not sure about me being volunteer there - my heart literally fell in my pants. There was a survey about our plans - WTF - I was approved more than half a year ago, you know my plans?!!

But few days ago (June 9th) I woke up, put my glasses on and saw an email from organizers with invitation letter - sudden relief, moment of joy and happiness. I have been telling to my friends, that I am going to work on Olympics, but until then I was not sure about it. Now it is official and all the anger, hate, swearing words are in the past.

Now there is nothing stopping me - people see you in Rio2016.

Simon Ranfl