Rio Olympics : Beach Volleyball

Cuba!  Cuba!

Ask anyone to name a quintessentially Brazilian sport and they'll probably say... football.  But then, everybody plays football, and it's not like I haven't seen my share of games.  So here I am instead on Copacabana beach for the beach volleyball - it doesn't get much more Brazilian, surely.  Good to see the beach, it's a Rio landmark after all, and I've figured out how to get a vaguely cycle-friendly route from google onto my GPS, all good.  Time for a not too expensive beer on the beach, and then sport.

The arena is a temporary structure built on the beach itself, seems solid enough, I'm sure the random nut and bolt I find near my seat are nothing to worry about.  Good view from here, and four games to watch, men first as Latvia take on Cuba, that seem pretty evenly matched, and there's clearly a lot of skill in this game, for all the jokes about the bikini-clad female players.  The Latvians throw away a lead in the first set, then raise their game to take the second, but it seems to tire them, Cuba winning the third set, and the match, convincingly.

What the crowd are here for.

It's the main event next, Brazil's women v. the USA, the arena is filling up, although there are still a lot of empty seats.  Good atmosphere though, the crowd sings along with the band, chants 'paredão' (block) when appropriate, and we all do a Mexican wave or two.  And it's close, the locals are the favourites in every sense, but the norteamericanas are putting up a good fight.  But the Brazilians are too strong for them in the end and Larissa and Talita win in straight sets, much to the delight of the home crowd.  Many of whom leave soon after, for all that there are two games remaining.

And the band played...

Poland and Holland in the men's competition first, both seem pretty good despite their countries not being famed for beach culture - I suspect being a nation of tall people, as the Dutch certainly are, helps with this.  And the Poles are pretty good too, thinking about it they like their handball in eastern Europe, guess it's not that different.  It finishes up two sets to one in favour of the Dutch.  Last up, more ladies, Germany v. Canada, this is pretty one sided as the Germans are very good.  It's another straight sets win, goes down well with what remains of the local crowd - Germany seems to be a popular country over here, a legacy of waves of immigrants who helped build this rainbow nation, and did things like found breweries.  I particularly like the restaurant chain whose name means 'the German's house', which displays a sign 'since 1945'.

It's another 'in the venue' selfie.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Rio Olympics : Shooting

Air rifle qualification.

Right, sport that I have paid actual money to watch, admittedly not much, forty reais in fact.  An early start, and a long ride to the Deodoro Olympic park... hum, maybe should have looked at accommodation near here, it's nice and a lot of sport is happening, never mind.  I wander into the shooting centre, people are practicing with various weapons, and there is qualification in the men's 10m air rifle.  No Brits involved here, I track down two of the leaders, Vladimir Maslennikov of Russia and Italian Niccolò Campriani, and watch for a while.  It's oddly hypnotic, the men stand quite motionless, just the occasional 'thut'  indicating a shot, while big screens show the scores which gradually climb higher as the event progresses.

Edward Ling taking a shot.

Out into the open air, where there are some big stands for spectators viewing the men's trap, now this is what I am here for really, as we have Team GB involvement, Edward Ling is shooting now in fact, again it's a qualifying round.  He's doing well, currently in third place... very little margin for error here, each round involves twenty-five targets, and it's common for even one of the lower ranked sportsmen to hit all twenty-five.  Ed has a chance to go top, but a clay that breaks on the way up seems to put him off, one miss and third is as good as he can do.  Enough to get to the final this afternoon though.

Bronze medal, can''t be bad.

Back indoors, the medal ceremony for the air rifle competition is happening, seems that Campriani won.  Not sure my cheap ticket lets me see this but nobody checks... I love the Italian national anthem, so upbeat.  A couple of hours to kill, time for a wander about the Olympic park, people of all nations are here, drinking overpriced beer.  I watch some swimming on a big screen, teams from one of the sponsors exhort passers by to play keepy-uppy - which it seems, many random Brasileiros can do pretty well.

Good to see the Union Flag.  It's even the right way up!

So, the trap final, just six competitors, and now they only get to use one of the two shotgun barrels.  Ed starts very strongly, but then misses twice, before recovering to finish equal fourth with Egyptian Ahmed Kamar.  The format however is that all medals are decided with head to head rounds...  So, first he faces a shoot-off (no sniggering please) against Kamar, then after winning that, the bronze medal match against Czech David Kostelecky.  It's nail biting stuff, my nerves are in shreds, no idea how Ed keeps cool but he does, taking the medal in style.  Then the gold medal match, ending in another tense shoot-off, as Josip Glasnovic takes the gold for Croatia, the silver going to another Italian, Giovanni Pellielo.  Great to see a Brit on the podium for the medals ceremony, I won't see many of these as they tend to attract premium prices.  Then back to Santa Teresa, it's a long, long ride, next time I come out here it'll be on the train.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Rio Olympics : Road Cycling

Local riders are of course popular.

This counts as travelling yeah?  Well, I have come a long way to watch the games, may as well write about them too.  So, what would be good, let me see...  Yes, the cycling is a pretty obvious pick, not least it is free.  Time to find a viewing spot then - ideally you want an uphill section, well I am already up a hill - in fact, part of the course is not that far away, off I ride then, along the railway line towards the Corcovado.  The road then turns uphill, even without luggage it is a slog up, I climb up to the top of the funicular which I guess replaced the old line.  It's a superb ride from here, contouring around the hill with fantastic views of the city, the sea and various islands.

Blurry Chris Froome.

I want to stop and take photos, but it'll keep - the race has started now.  Not much longer and I get to  the course, and yes, an uphill section.  Bit of a shame I now wait two hours for the riders..  hadn't realised there was an earlier hilly bit they went around four times.  Well, could be worse, and I get to practice my Portuguese - by chatting to the police, who want to know all about me, ho hum.  They say my Portuguese is very good, can't say I am convinced.  Finally, riders... it's the men today, I spot some Team GB shirts, not convinced by the grey colour scheme.  Moving bikes are hard to photograph, and being in a wood doesn't help, still they go past three times so plenty of chances - nor that I make much of them.  Never mind, I spot Geraint Thomas near the front on the third circuit, and actually run behind Chris Froome, awesome.  Adam Yates is not far behind, just a shame none of them manage a medal.

Copacabana.

Next day it's the women's turn, I plan to be at the same spot but a puncture puts paid to that, I limp back to base, fix it, and ride off again, now with tools and spare tube just in case.  To Copacabana Beach, further along the route so they won't be there for a while.  In fact I get there early enough to spend an hour riding up and down the course, lovely smooth tarmac, the sea on one side and hills the other, most cool.  Back in time to see the riders go past, Lizzie Armistead is near the front, she places fifth in the end, the results somewhat overshadowed by a nasty crash for Dutch rider Annemiek Van Vleuten, leading at the time, on her way down from the Vista Chinesa.  Seems she is recovering well.  For my part, I fight my way back through crazy Rio traffic and up the massive hill, time for a well deserved beer or two.

The women.  Well, some of them.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Off on my bike : Muriaé to Rio

A long day, didn't really appreciate the scenery.

Just three more days.  Keep moving.  I managed some chicken soup last night, and a bit of breakfast, can't face any more solid food though.  Need energy of course, sugary coffee and bottles of fizzy pop will do.  Keep moving.  Not able to pay much attention to the surroundings, or take photos, it takes all I've got just to push the pedals.  Long day, nearly seventy miles and hilly.  Puncture, sigh, OK fix it.  Keep moving.  Night falls, don't want to ride in the dark, if there was a hotel I'd stop, but no, lights on, make it all the way to Além Paraíba, and through it, must be a hotel, yes, just as the main road leaves town.  Stomach feels... better, I have a burger and a beer, then bed.  Two more days.

Itaipava brewery.  Can't have too many breweries.

Definitely feeling less sick, but still weak and tired, my body needs a rest, not more biking.  But no help for it, there are more hills to climb.  Seems like a day full of them, the afternoon is pretty much one big hill, well it is scenic at least.  Destination is Itaipava - turns out the beer of the same name is brewed ten miles north of town.  Heavy traffic on the road in, not seeing any hotels, reach the centre, still nothing, try to ask for directions but get the usual stream of gibberish.  See some signs for pousadas, but following them seems to lead out of town and uphill.  Not liking this place.  People at the bus station try to help, one shows me a map, OK, that will do, I head off.  See a pousada sign, ask at the pizza place next door, no it's a shop, but wow he speaks English.

Why didn't I have flags?

Hotels here very expensive he says, go to Petrópolis instead, only five kilometres away.  He reckons a hundred and eighty reais here, more like eighty there.  Hmm.  But when I find his suggested hotel on the GPS, it is fully ten miles off, as the crow flies.  So, back to the bus driver suggestion, it's not too far away.  Of course, it's a love motel... I have passed a lot of these, some like this on the edge of a town, many a few miles outside, I've avoided them, my requirement to stay a whole night with nearby bars and eateries not really being what they're for.  But, it's nice enough, you can tell women stay here and not just truckers, actual hot water, even shampoo!  They do want a hundred and fifty reais, but I beat them down to one hundred.  Then, back to the pizza place, worth it just to speak English, I also get a special price pizza and beer, stomach feels like it can cope.  Things aren't so bad.

All downhill from here.  Sort of.

Last day.  LAST DAY!  Nothing can stop me now, certainly not more massive hill, up to over a thousand metres this morning.  Near the top I meet more crazy cyclists, two Brazilian guys who have also ridden across the country to reach the Olympics, we cross the high point together, very cool.  Then a mad plummet down to near sea level, somehow my cheap bike's plastic brakes cope.  Pizza guy last night said the last thirty kilometres into Rio would be dangerous and made shooting gestures, hum.  In fact it seems fine, barring the bits of more or less motorway, don't enjoy those much.  Then up to my accommodation, and yes I mean up, turns out to be at an elevation of some one hundred and fifty metres, perched on a near vertical slope, in fact the road it's on is also the old railway line heading to the Cristo Redentor statue.  Getting there involves crazy steep climbs, also numerous false starts as the turn I hope to take proves impossible as I'm either on an elevated road, or in a tunnel.  But I get there, oh wow I actually did it.  At some point a retrospective of this largely insane adventure may happen - first though, the little matter of the Olympic Games!

Sunset in Rio!

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Off on my bike : Governador Valadores to Muriaé

Ubaporanga.

After a big breakfast (so much cake) I continue south, quickly getting back onto the BR-116, which I've been following for maybe a thousand miles now.  Seems to be kind of a Brazilian Route 66 - I've seen t-shirts on sale - except, whereas in the US Route 66 sees little traffic these days thanks to the modern interstate highways, here this is still the main road, hence all the lorries.

I see signs saying 'before building beside the highway, call the department of transport' - wonder if that applies to all the little plantations I see along the road?  Seems to be mainly sugar cane here,  and there are stalls by the roadside selling 'sopa de cana' - cane soup, can't say it appeals much.  There is also 'Cachaça', a local spirit made from the cane, you can get this in supermarkets here too, in 500ml plastic bottles for five reais or so.  Apparently.

As is often the case, a nice view from my pousada.

Destination today, Ubaporanga, crazy name, but a nice little place, though I struggle to find a hotel, eventually track one down a few hundred metres south on the BR-116.  Is nice, a real wooden bed, and a big buffet dinner at the restaurant next door.  Sadly though, either that or the water has, hmm, unfortunate consequences, I don't sleep well and decide on a day off, well, don't want to arrive in Rio early.  Gives me a chance to spend a few hours investigating sports to watch anyway.  Hockey?  Shooting?  Greco-Roman wrestling?  So much to choose from...

It's a miracle!

My guts feel somewhat better as I ride out of Ubaporanga, but I'm not on top form, don't think I've got a lot of energy from the food I've eaten over the last few days.  Well no help for it, on I ride, back into mountainous country, though the road does a decent job of staying flat.  I climb up to eight hundred metres or so, not a problem over a day, although my pace isn't great.  And, the gear lever for the front derailleur is getting stiffer, maybe the cable stretching?  Hard on my left thumb anyway, but then towards the end of the day, I strain to push the thing and it snaps clean off.  Oops.  So, only five gears now, well, it's enough.  I reach São João do Manhuaçu, destination for the day, it has a single hotel a good two miles past the town proper, OK they have salgados so I'm not hungry but no beer.  Hell, my stomach could use a night off anyway...

This ain't no physiological breakdown... actually, yes, it kind of is.

Sadly, even with no beer consumed I spend much of the night on the toilet, not good.  Feel weak and nauseous all next day, but keep riding somehow.  I recall Kipling's words:
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
Well, after many visits to the banheiro, there sure isn't much in me.  Destination tonight, Muriaé, not going to do much here except sleep, hopefully.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Off on my bike : Itaobim to Governador Valadores

Rio Jequitinhonha, just South of Itaobim.

I follow a river valley out of Itaobim, sadly this doesn't mean flat, the road climbs up and down the side of the valley, makes for hard work.  One good thing, seems to be less traffic here, not sure where the lorries have gone but I don't miss them.  Rather scenic too, if it were a bit less up and down this might even be an enjoyable ride.

After Itaobim, which seemed to be all about mangoes, I'm now getting into 'pedras preciosas' country, as I pedal through my stop for tonight, Catuji, there are many roadside stalls selling bits of crystal.  Don't think I want any more weight to be honest.  I notice this is also a region with granite and marble quarries, seems to have been a theme of this trip, there were some on Lanzarote too...  More buffet food, then I find a bar and some locals willing to tolerate my attempts at the language... have I seen many snakes, one asks - hmm, only lots of dead ones.  So many dead animals...

Padre Paraiso.

Onwards, the weather has improved, blue skies and hot work up and down more hills, the road following one valley and then another via a series of passes.  Green country here, farms fill the valley bottoms, stands of bamboo line the route, and for a while there are people growing trees and shrubs for sale, it's like riding through a garden.  Destination today, Itambacuri, a little off the main road, nice to see a town that isn't all about the needs of truckers.  It's market day, seems a thriving place, many stalls, I consider trying to get a new spoke but can't face trying to explain my requirement in Portuguese.  I do manage to order a burger, like much of the food in these parts it has milho - maize - in it.

Sheltering from the sun under some bamboo.

Seems flatter next day, I power along, then after lunch there is something of a hill but I manage, then as I zoom down the far side I hear a loud twanging noise, ulp, yes another spoke gone.  Two on the same side, with just one between them, if that goes too the wheel may just collapse... I carry on, trying to avoid any bumps, and am very relieved to reach Governador Valadores.  Even better there is a bike shop near my hotel, they have spokes... but, hmm, of course the broken ones are next to the gears, so I'd need a special tool to remove them before fitting new spokes.  Well, thankfully I meet Carlos, an English speaking(!) mechanic who fits not just two, but an entire set of spokes, thirty reais parts and labour.  Would cost ten times that in England.  My hotel's nice too, free food this evening, something rather like couscous, largely consisting of milho I suspect.  They even have a drink made from it, it's not unlike fruit juice.

Not quite as common as Beetles, but there were still lots of them.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Off on my bike : Manoel Vitorino to Itaobim

Vitoria da Conquista.

Seventy miles through hilly country, well I have done worse, just have to keep going.  The landscape around me continues to change, I see aloes by the side of the road, just flowering, and there are big plantations of trees - Eucalyptus maybe?  Weather is changing too, it rains on and off throughout the day, it's getting colder in fact, I need my sweater in the evening, well it is the depths of winter here.

Into another big city, Vitoria da Conquista, I have a hotel booked here, it's quite posh - actual soap in the bathroom!  I continue to experiment with Brazilian snack food, tonight a plate of various 'salgados', something like croquettes or dumplings, deep fried of course, and of course containing meat.  I can tell this is a big city, the 'petiscaria' I get these from has menus, and even chairs that are not of the plastic garden type.  My bottom appreciates this.  And then a bar, with live music even, a nice change from pickup trucks.

Crossing into Minas Gerais.

Another day, another seventy miles, more rain, at least I'm not getting as many punctures now the road has improved - though I have to be careful whenever I stop, just pushing the bike off into the dirt can leave the tires covered in little spiky things, seeds I think.  Pretty sure they would work their way through to the tube if I didn't pick them off.  On to Divisa Alegre, another truck stop town, bit of a landmark as it's just past the state border, I've been in Bahia for what seems like forever, but now, Minas Gerais.

Rather pretty in these parts.

I find a hotel, and manage to negotiate a 'self service' dinner - I've seen a lot of these, you help yourself to veggies, rice etc., then they bring meat, in this case 'boi', beef I think.  Seems to sometimes be fixed price, but often, as here, they weigh the plate and charge per gram.  I pay thirteen reais for my plateful, can't be bad.  Then to a nice little praça away from the road where there are of course bars, well that is all I need, I decide to stay another day.  Can't say I do a lot with it, lie about, continue my largely fruitless attempts to learn Portuguese - sadly it seems that as with French, it matters little how many words I theoretically know, in practice when the locals talk I just hear a meaningless blur of sound, and likewise they have no idea what I am trying to say.

Itaobim - land of the mango!

Probably should have given the bike a checkup during my day off... when I come to wheel it out of my room I notice the brake rubbing on the rear wheel.  It's slightly buckled, OK, can fix this with my spoke key, oh hang on, one of the spokes has snapped, oops.  Bet it was that vicious speed bump I hit thirty miles or so back, well, no wonder the wheel is buckled.  But, tightening the adjacent spokes on that side of the wheel pretty much straightens it, fingers crossed it'll hold.

I feel better for a rest anyway, seventy miles to do again but I make good pace through pretty country - wooded valleys and sheer rock faces stretching up to peaks to either side.  The wheel holds up, and I roll through some dramatic gorges into Itaobim, a nice little place, doesn't seem to match the picture of grim poverty painted by it's wikipedia page.  There's a pleasant main square, and a pizzeria, yay.  I consume pizza, beer, and watch Brazilian TV on a big screen - seems to be the same set of soap operas every day...

Photos to go with this post can be found here.