"Cidade maravilhosa" - the marvellous city - is Rio de Janeiro's nickname. Be it seen from the colourful, world-renowned beaches of the Copacabana and Ipanema, or from the vast statue of Christ atop the 700-metre Corcovado looking down on the city, the Brazilian metropolis is a place of superlatives, though with some blemishes.
The city of 6 million is nestled between subtropical rainforest-covered hills to one side and the turquoise-blue Atlantic Ocean on the other. Granite hills overgrown by lush vegetation separate the city's various districts. Besides a skyscraper skyline, everyone in town for this year's Olympic Games will be taking a picture of the world-famous Pão de Açúcar - the steep hill known as the Sugarloaf - towering 220 metres at the mouth of Guanabara Bay.
Surveying the panorama from up there, a visitor's eyes will fall directly onto the artists' district of Santa Teresa with its galleries and cafes. It's the place for Rio's bohemian set - painters, poets and musicians who at night head to the old district of Lapa to party to the hot rhythms of samba and salsa musicians. What had been a problem area along with the historic city centre next to it has now been rediscovered. A lot has been invested, colonial-era buildings have been restored and the area made safer.
The "Arcos da Lapa" - a colonial-era aqueduct - is currently being restored in time for the Games. Some of the improvements in Rio were undertaken before the 2014 Football World Cup that Brazil also hosted, especially work to expand the subway system and airport. A rapid bus line was opened for such outlying districts as Barra da Tijuca, where, 56 kilometres from downtown Rio, the Olympic village and park are located.
It's a good thing a bus line was set up in time, because a new subway line, to cost 3 billion dollars, almost double the original estimate, is not going to be finished in time for the Olympics. Brazil pumped 11 billion dollars into the country's sports facilities and infrastructure projects in Rio de Janeiro, the aim being to present to the world a perfect host city. But then the national economy collapsed two years ago, and so then did the Olympics enthusiasm of the "Cariocas" - Rio's inhabitants - as a result.
"The Olympics presented the opportunity to improve the city's infrastructure," says Rio mayor Eduardo Paes. "We have renovated many of the neighbourhoods which had been decaying and made them attractive for tourists and residents alike." As an example he cites the beautification of the old harbour area Porto Maravilha, where the futuristic "Museum of Tomorrow" was opened last year on the Maua pier. Designed by star Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the museum is already an eye-catching edifice that has quickly become a new trademark of the city.
But, some like artist João Neli see a downside. "It's true, many neighbourhoods are nicer and safer than before. But now we can't afford the increased rents any more," says the painter who lives on the Sacadur Cabral shopping street in the city centre. Along with new parks and buildings have come real-estate speculators.
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