奧運特供 里約旅遊小貼士

Abilities I should win a medal for: staring into the middle distance. Dithering over a sandwich choice. But above all, getting lost. Usually, I embrace this. I like getting lost in Paris or Venice; Brazil’s Olympics 2016 city, not so much.

我在某些方面也很迷糊，比如會盯着遠處發呆，會爲選擇一塊三明治而猶豫不決，最糟糕的是經常迷路。通常我覺得這還不錯，我喜歡在巴黎或威尼斯迷失方向，但在2016年奧運會主辦城市裏約迷路，那還是算了吧！

I was last in Rio de Janeiro over a decade ago when First Choice was experimenting with package holidays there.

我上一次到里約還是十年前，那時首選航空正在這裏試行團體旅遊。

It was quite a short experiment while, as there were – and still are – some great resort hotels around Salvador in the east, the rest of the country wasn’t quite ready for package tourism. Especially Rio.

然而試行持續時間很短，因爲這裏除了東部的薩爾瓦多有些還不錯的度假酒店外，其餘地方的條件都不足以進行團體旅遊。如今，這一情況尚未改變，一切都還照舊。尤其是里約熱內盧。

Back then, we were warned against using public transport or going on Copacabana Beach. And the infamous favelas – the slum areas – were totally off-limits. In short, Rio wasn’t a place you wanted to get lost in.

那時，有人警告我們不要乘坐公共交通或去科帕卡巴納海灘玩耍。還有臭名昭著的貧民窟絕對禁止涉足。總而言之，里約熱內盧不是個你會想迷路而亂逛的地方。

Now, I can’t get lost even if I want to. I have a smartphone, a local SIM card and a phalanx of Googlers guiding my every move as they show off their latest mapping app in one of the cities that needs it most.

現在，我即便是有意爲之，也不會再迷路。我擁有一部智能手機，一張當地 SIM卡，一羣谷歌用戶充當我的嚮導，因爲他們會在極需使用地圖軟件的城市裏，時時分享自己的地理位置。

After hosting the World Cup in 2014, the city is sprinting towards this month’s Olympics. You do get the feeling things are a bit behind compared to London 2012 at this stage, but Rio knows how to put on a show. It’s a diva of a city – ridiculously beautiful, with life, drama and an unshakable belief that it can set its own rules. It shouldn’t work, but generally it seems to.

繼2014年主辦世界盃之後，這座城市即將在本月迎來奧林匹克運動會。眼下如若與2012年倫敦奧運會相比稍有遜色，但是這座城市卻知道如何“搔首弄姿”引人入勝。仿若“天后”之城，這裏美得荒謬、生機勃勃、充滿戲劇性，有着其堅不可摧的信念——制定其獨具個性的規章制度。按理它不能正常運轉，但似乎一切如常。

There are photo ops at every turn, from the Christ the Redeemer statue that towers over it to Copacabana Beach, where the beach volleyball will take place and the cycling ends. Crime is better than it was but seems to be on the rise again, and Rio is teetering financially, having had to be bailed out by central government.

人們可在這座城市的每個角落裏舉起相機合照，從聳立着的地標救世主基督像到沙灘排球賽舉行地及自行車賽終點的科帕卡巴納海灘。犯罪率比之前降低了，但又有上升跡象。里約的經濟搖搖欲墜，不得不倚靠中央政府穩定大局。

Not that you’d know this in Leblon. This is Rio’s old money area, orderly and sedate. So I switch off my phone and wander at will, past the patisseries, restaurants and the shops that still sell maid’s uniforms.

在里約的雷伯龍地區情況並沒那麼糟糕，那裏是里約較富有的區域，井然有序又平和恬靜。因此我關掉手機，四處走走漫不經心，路過一些糕點店、餐館還有至今仍賣有女僕裝的商店。

In contrast, the favelas are Rio’s running sore; ramshackle, romantic, passionate, and near lawless.

相反，貧民窟是里約的膿瘡，破爛不堪，荒誕離奇，熱情奔放又缺乏法紀。

In recent years, they’ve become tourist attractions. Every hotel runs guided tours but now Google Maps are making it possible for us to explore the tiny passageways and streets independently.

近幾年，這些貧民窟已成爲旅遊景點。每家酒店都會安排嚮導帶旅客參觀遊覽，但現在谷歌地圖正準備“另闢蹊徑”讓我們能夠獨立探索前往該處的小巷與街道。

You have to admire Google for persevering in the belief the world exists to be mapped ¬whatever the problems. But tackling the favelas has been time-consuming.

谷歌堅信無論艱難險阻與否世界各地皆可繪在地圖上，這確是讓人佩服不已。但是處理起參觀貧民窟地區路線依舊相當耗時。

The company sought advice from community ambassadors and then used experts to train locals to map the best routes through the twisty thoroughfares and alleyways. By next year, 10 percent of Rio’s favelas will have been mapped, opening up new opportunities for shops, restaurants and even tourist hostels for those who like their travel edgy. The mapped bits are said to be safe, but keep your wits about you and leave your valuables in the safe,

公司在諮詢社區大使後，派出專家培訓當地居民繪製出最佳路線以穿過蜿蜒曲折的大街小巷。到下一年，10%的里約貧民窟可在地圖上體現，從而爲那裏的商店，餐館甚至是旅舍提供了新機遇，從而讓它們得以接待那些喜歡尋找刺激的遊客。雖說谷歌地圖的繪製路線相對比較安全，然而自己多長點兒心眼兒，保管好貴重物品也相當重要。

One of Google’s ambassadors is David Vieira Bispo. Born and brought up in the favela of Chapéu Mangueira, not far from Copacabana, and a former fisherman, he now runs an acclaimed restaurant on its edge. As we ate there, a procession of taxis unloaded locals and tourists in search of classic Brazilian dishes such as Feijoada, a black bean and pork stew, washed down with beer.

大衛•維埃拉•比斯波是谷歌的一名社區大使。他出生併成長於離科帕卡巴納海灘不遠處的貧民窟Chapéu Mangueira。過去他曾是一名漁民，現在他正在貧民窟外緣經營着一家廣受讚譽的餐館。我們在那裏用餐時不斷地看到有當地人與遊客從出租車上下來，絡繹不絕，他們都是前來尋覓巴西經典菜餚如巴西肉燒豆，它是由黑豆與豬肉燉煮而成，可就啤酒下肚。

Over in the Olympic stadia, there’s a mapping frenzy with added Streetview. The interiors have been snapped – even the diving board Tom Daley will use.

奧運會場館內掀起一股街景服務繪製地圖的狂熱，任何室內裝置都未有遺漏，甚至是跳水王子湯姆•戴利即將使用的跳水板。

Mapping’s one thing, life’s another, especially for those of us who know they will never want to do a forward three-and-a-half somersault dive with a twist pike. So on the last night, we go off-piste to Gavea, Rio’s posh-boho centre of bar excellence. We get there by Uber, but scout out suitable bars by sight rather than smartphone.

繪製地圖是一回事，而現實情況又是另一回事，尤其是我們中某些人深知自己永遠不會想要去嘗試向前翻騰三週半轉體一週。因此，在最後一個晚上，我們改變了先前計劃，用打車軟件優步去了里約豪華時髦逍遙自在的酒吧中心卡維亞，但是我們搜尋合適的酒吧時並非借用智能手機而是親身體驗。

Rio natives may complain that – at 20˚C – it was on the chilly side, but everyone’s spilled out on to the streets while entrepreneurial types sell shots of tequila for a few reals.

里約當地人也許會抱怨20˚C實在是溫度太低，但是在商家們進行龍舌蘭酒促銷活動時，他們又蜂擁到大街上。

We pile into a nearby restaurant for serious food. Cariocas eat late and they eat as they party, with a bossa nova band playing in the square. And I realise – caipirinha in hand – I’ve found my happy place.

我們涌入附近的一家餐館準備大吃一頓。里約人吃飯時間較晚，他們通常一邊吃飯一邊辦趴，巴薩諾瓦樂隊在廣場上彈唱。我意識到，凱匹林納雞尾酒（巴西國酒）在手，把酒言歡，夫復何求。