Ricardo Malaguti was booked by ESPN many months ago for the duration of the World Cup. He is the helicopter pilot for all of their aerial footage - paid for by Goodyear, since the blimp is not making an appearance this time around :
https://www.facebook.com/GoodyearBlimp/photos/a.381994475167.167030.376629715167/10152163284530168/?type=1
And that's a good thing!
Ricardo volunteered to borrow his dad's Bell Long Ranger for us to take a tour on ESPN's "day off" (Jed's first one since Memorial Day). Although it was hazy, and we couldn't see things like Christ the Redeemer, it was supremely cool. I got to ride up front; my 1st time ever, and I was as giddy as Nicole :)
Never, since having taken my one course in Helicopter Dynamics (I passed, barely) - had I gotten to sit next to the pilot, and watch him control his craft. I forgot to look at, or even take a picture of the instruments, and was unable to answer all of Jed's later questions about altitude and speed ... I totally failed as a co-pilot :(
But back to the day : The hangar was immaculate, and housed not only his fleet of 2 man helicopters, but also some brand new Dauphins belonging to execs that need a quick way to get to Sao Paulo. I was in heaven!
Nic's favorite had an iridescent rainbow paint job...
Our Ride :
1st we headed NE to Barra Beach - 18km long ...
Found this on Wikipedia : "Although representing only 4.7% of the city population and 13% of the total area of Rio de Janeiro, Barra is responsible for 30% of all tax collected in the city." In other words, it's the nice part of town.
It is impossible to describe the sight, and I still don't truly feel it. I think we need to drive through one to understand what just can not be experienced from the air. (don't worry, we have a very capable local driver with a well equipped car).
The buildings are all tumbled on top of each other, as if they were made by a toddler with their first set of building blocks ... you know how they don't line up well, and finally fall over when stacked too high?
Many of the buildings are not completed on the top floor ... just a perimeter wall of concrete block - as if waiting for someone else to come and build another story above.
Then on to Impanema (the next beach SW of Copacabana) ... Not too crowded today since there was little sun :
And then to the point between Impanema and Copacabana (note the long white roof on the farther point - to the right) :
The ESPN compound sits just inside that long white roof (below, center). Also, FIFA has offices and some broadcast sets in the building to the right of ESPN - it bridges Atlantica Avenue and has a blue mural on the wall (that Geoff Mason convinced the Mayor of Rio to install, since the building is really ugly and is in the background of many of the shots from the set) :
You can see the mural being painted on the side of the compound is coming along well :
And the soccer pitch Jed paid to have installed on top of the rescue station where we get to go watch some really talented analysts play ball tomorrow :
Our hotel is the one that looks like it has a house in the middle :
And the Fan Fest on the beach was empty today with no matches being played :
Site of Friday's match GER-FRA. We will be there, but only through regulation, as Bob Ley and Jed have to get back to the studio for the BRA match... I think they have a police escort set up .. we'll see!!
Soaking it all in :
Olympic construction is truly shocking, the only buildings that are standing are those that already existed and are being rehabbed, such as the downtown stadium built in 2007 for the Pan-Am games :
This is the main venue for the Olympics (back in Barra now, we have circled around to the NW and have headed down South again ) :
That big dirt area was once a motor speedway, and even now only has the foundations of all the buildings to come. The building on the left will be used - it is now their concert hall (as in rock concerts, etc).
And for the ride home, some beers & wine for us... while a snooze for another :
