We arrived in Rio this morning and took a cab from the airport to our apartment in Copacabana. During the drive, we immediately noticed the massive police presence all over the city, from the immediate vicinity of the airport, to along the highways, around the beaches — everywhere. And it wasn’t just local police, either; we saw military police and municipal police in big groups pretty much every 20 to 30 feet along Copacabana beach during our walk to the FIFA fest. I guess the country really is doing a lot to ensure the safety of its international guests during this massive sporting event.

Granted, I have noticed far fewer people carrying DSLR cameras around their necks or on their phones crossing the streets, but I am aware that a lot of these people are not locals (“cariocas”) and are visitors here for the World Cup games. During beach walk, I think I only saw three other people with DSLR cameras. I kept mine in a bag unless I was taking it out for a specific photo.