Less than two hours before the opening ceremony for the Rio 2016 Olympics, a screen on Olympic Boulevard, in Rio's port region, brings together Rio residents and foreigners to watch the ceremony.

"I did not have tickets to the opening ceremony, despite having carried the refugee flag during the practice ceremonies", says the Argentine Micaela Apostle, 20, a volunteer for the Olympics.

She visited the Olympic Boulevard for the first time this Friday (5) with her colleague Marillis Jukk, 21, from Estonia, also a volunteer for the Olympics. They met during the practice event at Maracanã.

"I do not have tickets for the actual tournaments, so this is probably the only way I will be able to watch", said Marillis, who is volunteering in the technology area of the rowing tournament.

With the official inauguration this Friday (5), the space is the result of a large renovation of the port region of Rio de Janeiro, through the demolition of the Perimetral viaduct.

The opening ceremony will be displayed on screens on the "Encontros" and "Amanhã" stages, installed at two different points on the site.

In addition to the screens, the site features food trucks, shows, a Lego model of Rio, a replica of the 14 Bis aircraft, from Santos Dumont, among other attractions. The Museum of Tomorrow is one of the most photographed.

Canadian director Martin Postie, 42, says Olympic Boulevard is an "impressive" sight. He spent three days in the city for work and visited some of the tourist attractions.

The site will also feature two olympic pyres; their base has already been installed in front of the Candelária church and necessarily covered by a large inflatable canvas and surrounded by guards.

According to the Military Police, no incident has been recorded up to now. The police could not estimate how many people were present, but expect the turnout to reach its peak at the start of the ceremony.

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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