Hundreds of athletes arrived at Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro Tuesday morning.
I haven't been in Rio for about three years and as I stepped out of the plane I could see the many improvements that were made at the airport. It looks beautiful and ready to receive thousands of people from all over the world coming for the Olympics.
Besides that, the immigration and luggage process went so smoothly, opposed to what it used to be.
Local authorities said Tuesday that Rio is now 100 percent ready for the Olympics and the issues concerning the athletes village are "minor details" that are being addressed -- and they added, "like a brand new house going through inspection."
Brazilians are divided in their opinion about the Olympics - most say all the money invested in building Olympic sites should have been invested in health care and education, while others see it as a good economic opportunity for the country.
A local radio station said today that 30,000 construction workers who came to Rio to work during the 2014 World Cup established themselves here to continue working for the construction of the Olympic sites. And they are already questioning what will come after the Olympics are over, as thousands of people will be out of work.
Another great concern outside of the country is Zika - I arrived only 24 hours ago, but so far have not heard anyone around me or the local media express concern over it.
It's winter in Brazil, and temperatures in Rio are around 78 with sunny skies - perfect!
Brazilians are optimist and resilient. They are welcoming the world in their home with open arms and despite of all the problems that this country has been going through with politics and economy, there is this vibe and particular optimism in the air.
Monica Magalhaes is a digital producer for WPTV. She is originally from Brazil.
