For a while it looked as though Brazil had changed. People were excited and appeared to be genuinely happy. The biggest problems in the country were being caused by a few American swimmers and an Irish official. During the Olympics it seemed as though Brazil had become a truly great place to be.
Everyone came together....for a while
That didn't last long.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the Olympics. The doom and gloom predicted by the world's media was clearly over the top. Everyone spoke about Zika, the water issues, safety concerns and whether the people of Rio would truly welcome the world. All of that seemed kind of crazy during the 16 days of the Olympic Games.
For me it was a dream. I've been wanting to go to the Games my whole life, and after missing out on Sydney in 2000 (I was poor and lazy) I'm so glad I finally got a chance to see one in person.
My wife and I went to a bunch of different events including Rugby, Hockey, Basketball, Athletics and Beach Volleyball. A lot of basketball.
The vibe around the city was amazing. Everyone there, from the volunteers to the bus drivers to the people selling food and even the tens of thousands of military brought in to keep us safe, had smiles on their faces and were really doing their best to make sure all of the visitors enjoyed their stay.
While ticket sales were an issue the whole time, many locals went along to sports they didn't know anything about. Seeing Brazilians in the crowd at the hockey and rugby watching the gringos to see when to cheer was funny. At times the Brazilian crowds stepped over the line with regards to sportsmanship, but for the most part they were just enjoying themselves.
It was great to see the locals also embrace female athletes. We attempted to get tickets for the Brazilian women's football team's ill fated semi final at the Maracana but it was sold out.
And Brazil did well. After a slow start, Brazil won a bunch of gold medals, including some big ticket items like the men's football, volleyball and beach volleyball. There were plenty of great news stories like judo star Rafaela who came from the "City of God" to win gold.
The biggest moment for me was getting to watch the Bronze and Gold matches in the men's basketball competition. Unfortunately, my Australian Boomers couldn't come away with their first medal, but it was great to be there to watch them try.
All of that seems like a long time ago now though. In the mere two weeks since the end of the Olympics, Brazil has once again regressed.
President Dilma has been officially impeached, despite the majority of those doing the impeaching being under investigation for far worse crimes. Protests have sprung up all over the country causing mayhem and some scary confrontations with law enforcement.
And athletes haven't escaped the problems now, with cuts likely to come to the women's football team as well as the athletics program within the military that provided so much success.
Even here in Porto Alegre, a reduction in the police force due to budget issues has resulted in a spike in violent crime that has necessitated the need for federal intervention.
It seems nothing good lasts in Brazil for very long. Hopefully the Paralympics - starting tomorrow - can at least give us another short reprieve.
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