While I was in Rio a few weeks ago, I tried to take in as much as I could despite time constraints. With more time, I might have spent days just wandering around the city with a notebook, but instead, I took every opportunity to note changes in the city since I'd left.
Local Business
Everywhere I went, there were Itaú banks everywhere. In some neighborhoods, it seemed like there was literally one on every corner, a la Starbucks back in its heyday. I'm guessing it's partially a result of the Itaú - Unibanco merger in late 2008, and that gradually all of the Unibanco branches were absorbed. But I also suspect it's related to the bank's success in a booming economy with a growing population of people looking for checking and savings services. I turned it into a game of sorts, so that whenever we passed an Itaú, I'd point at it and cry, Itaú! in mock surprise. When I got home, I bought some stock.
Cones are out (or at least, there seem to be fewer cone restaurants). Frozen yogurt is in. What started out as a single store in Ipanema has now blossomed into a chain with at least one other competitor, with stores throughout Zona Sul and in quite a few malls.
Speaking of malls, if you want to see Brazil's so-called economic miracle firsthand, I'd recommend taking a trip to Bangú Shopping, a beautiful mall in a lower middle class neighborhood in Zona Oeste. It opened a few years ago in an 120 year-old factory, and unlike many malls in nearby Barra, it has a quaint charm to it (at least on the outside), and is especially pretty now that it's decked out in Christmas lights. Not only are many of the stores the same ones you'll find in Zona Sul, it also has a fantastic movie theater and restaurants and cafes (including a Yogoberry). If you explore some of the areas nearby, you'll appreciate the fact that businesses are not only actively targeting different socioeconomic classes, but are in fact catering to them like they would in more affluent parts of the city.
Transportation
I was absolutely blown away by the reforms on the Metro, so much so that I even took pictures. They completely redid a few stations, outfitting them with gorgeous glass entrances, decorations, Metrocard machines, funky benches, and TV screens with information about the trains.
And then of course, there was the thing that basically made my entire week: the new Ipanema station. Not only is it beautiful and convenient, but it means you no longer have to take a bus from Copacabana and can just go straight there, saving lots of time and preventing a hassle. So basically, amazing (cue heavenly music here):
The question now is if the Metro can manage to extend the line even further to Barra, theoretically before 2014 in time for the World Cup. It doesn't seem likely, but if it happens at all, it will really help alleviate traffic (which is why a lot of bus companies are opposed to it, unfortunately).
While on Supervia, the suburban commuter trains, I noticed a sign saying that public preaching was prohibited. I was surprised, since this had been a common occurence to see evangelical preachers proselytizing on the cars, even on incredibly crowded rush hour trains. Apparently, a local court prohibited the practice on Supervia, though I wonder if the law has actually stuck. I'm guessing exhausted commuters tired of zealots shouting on packed trains are all for the new rule.
Finally, the international airport still needs some work, but it seems like one of the biggest problems is actually with staff. When we left, the airport workers were on strike, causing massive lines to get through security and immigration. [Click that link to see a pretty awesome photo of a belligerent striker in a gorilla costume] While waiting on the seemingly interminable line, I tried to hand a lost tourist card to one of the employees, who blew me off twice; somehow, some gringo ahead of me left the country without it, though some people are charged money if they lose it. An angry Carioca in front of us was screaming into his cell phone on the immigration line, spitting expletives and haranging someone about bringing the law down (Eli suspected he might have been a federal policeman). He complained to some of the staff about the line, and while they seemed sympathetic and deferential, he still had to wait with the rest of us, giving me a small hint of satisfaction. When we got to the gate, the gringoes were all completely confused and frustrated.
And lastly, TAM is awesome. I loved some of the extra goodies they gave out and the individual TV sets in each seat, and the service was excellent. It was the first time I flew direct, and though the flight was painfully long, it was otherwise relatively painless.
Security
I wasn't in the city long enough to get a good sense of this (and plus, I came at a weird time), but while I was there, there was definitely an increased police presence on the streets in Zona Sul. I was surprised to see pairs of cops at intersections, seemingly following the Rudy Giuliani method of street policing. There also seemed to be a lot more police on the beach in Ipanema, though some of them didn't seem to be too concerned with policing per se:
And while I didn't have enough time to fully gage this, I seemed to see fewer homeless people in Zona Sul, particularly in my old neighborhood, where they used to be ubiquitous. It's possible there was a recent sweep so it doesn't mean much, but I hoped that it meant more people, especially children, have been able to leave the streets.
