I Go to Rio

This post isn't about the great Peter Allen song "I Go to Rio" but about Rio itself. I've been reading far too much about preparation for the Rio Olympics lately. While I hope the critics are proven wrong and the games are successful (with no major illness outbreaks or deaths), I have a bad feeling disaster is on the horizon for this year's games. What's really sad is that the Olympic officials and the Brazilian government just haven't done what's needed to get the country adequately prepared for the games. Put the Zika issue aside for a moment and just look at the basic infrastructure problems in Rio: unfinished or sub-par facilities for the athletes, contaminated water, inconsistent security. And what about the people of Rio, particularly the huge population that lives in poverty? Will any of the funds generated from the games actually trickle down to the people who are in need? Not bloody likely. Then the Brazilian economy collapses and Zika hits and what you have, my friends, is a recipe for disaster. 

I went to Rio more than ten years ago and I loved it and it's disappointing to me to see a great city just turned into one hot mess. I certainly hope the city recovers after the black eye of these games and maybe I'll have an opportunity to visit again once that recovery happens.