On
our previous visit to Rio, our excursion took us to an overlook in the Tijuca
Forest where we could see out over the city below. It was a sunny day and we could also see Christ the
Redeemer statue high up on its tallest hill. This time, we wanted to see it
closer up.
There are 4 ways to get up there - hike, take an authorized van, ride a
cog train or go by helicopter. The most common way is to take the Corcovado Train
which carries visitors 4 miles up through the rain forest to the base of the
statue. Though excited to go, we knew the probability of actually seeing the
statue was low, because it is covered by clouds unless the sun is shining
brightly. And with rain in the forecast for all 3 days of our visit, our chances
weren't good but the excursion was already booked. Thankfully it was only lightly sprinkling yesterday, not really coming down like the day before!
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| cog train to take us up |
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| rain forest through train window (can you spot the jackfruit?) |
Again
we were cautioned to watch our valuables and stay alert to our surroundings. We
were also told to expect long wait times. We experienced the waits, the crowds
and the poor visibility but never felt unsafe. It seemed that everyone was
there for the same exact reason we were - to see the famous Brazilian statue.
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| be prepared to wait! |
The
cloud cover on the 98 foot statue changes constantly and during the time we
were there, the cloud lifted for perhaps 2-3 minutes just as we were getting ready to
leave. Ronnie ran the steps in an effort to capture a quick picture but alas, the clouds had blocked the sun again by the time he reached the base.
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| crowd was thick on all sides |
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| cloud covered Christ the Redeemer |
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| we rode the elevator up, took the stairs back down |
Even
though visibility was very poor, just the effort to see the statue up close was
an experience in itself. Last night after dark, we walked up to the highest deck of the ship and could
see the lighted statue from a distance. This morning with the sun shining, I was
able to snap some photos from our balcony. Unfortunately I didn't bring a
telephoto lens so these are the best I could do.
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| visible in sun but hides when clouds roll in |
After walking a short distance for a 20 minute souvenir stop, we loaded back into the coach
for a 45 minute drive back to the ship. We were driven past several famous landmarks, such
as Sugar Loaf mountain and Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. It seemed like half of the 14 million residents were out! I've never seen so many beach umbrellas and
thong bikinis (both women and men). Our guide mentioned there is one Rio beach where clothing is not required.
Note the iconic black and white sidewalks along Copacabana beach (below). The wavy design and its stones are Portuguese.
The statue above is Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim, who co-wrote the lyrics to "The Girl from Ipanema" near this location in 1962. Every day this 17 year old girl (Heloisa Pinheiro) would walk past the bar/cafe near Ipanema beach to buy cigarettes for her mother. She is now a mother and grandmother but still quite attractive. Google her if you want to see her story.
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| miles and miles of famous beaches |
