It was supposed to thunderstorm all day today, but was pretty sunny when I got up, so I decided to check out the Christ statue, set in the heart of the famous Tijuca National forest.
I took the city bus over, figuring out where to get off when I overheard a guy from New York and some Argentinean girls (who spoke Portuguese) talking about going to visit the same spot and asked to join them. We quickly formed a little group, picking up a Brazilian guy and an Italian along the way, and bargained for a bus to take us up when we found out there was over a three hour wait for the train ride to the top (ridiculous considering it costs $35 round-trip!).
All I can say about the view from the top are that they were fantastic. I've heard Sugarloaf also has a great view, especially at sunset, but I don't think I'll get to go with the rain. That being said, it really should be a requisite that everyone visits the tower/peak/monument in a new city like this - it puts everything into perspective (sometimes, like in Seoul, revealing how small the metropolis can be) and makes you appreciate the location on another level.
On the ride to the top, we stopped at two lookout points before going to the actual statue. One of the site was actually a helicopter landing pad and the other just a flat, stone lookout, with sweeping panoramic views of the entire city and sea. Breathtaking views - these pictures are from this area...
After half an hour or so, we hopped back into the buses and transferred to another van to made our way up to the actual Christ statue.
The timing was actually perfect, as we still got clear views of the city we arrived, but also the chance to watch the storm move in. We were actually at cloud-level (or just above), but it was a little crazy when the lightening started (just before the rain) and everyone’s hair started to stand up from the charge. We were still on the peak when it started to rain, but the break in humidity and cool water actually felt great, so my new friends and I didn’t mind walking around.
The actual statue is the world’s largest art deco statue and was built in the 20s; very impressive from the base. The whole thing was actually tiled, which surprised me, but there was an impressive amount of detail.
As with most tourist places around the world, the experience of visiting a famous site is not as serene and you might expect (crowded with lots of tourists pushing around, trying to get their own version of the famous shot or probably a Facebook profile picture or two to prove they were there), but I did enjoy the scenery and time at the top of the hill; a beautiful backdrop of green hills and lush forests below us.
Our makeshift group sort of got split up when the rain hit, and by the time I headed down with Alex, the guy from New York, it was downright pouring. We had to wait a while for the buses, but we did discover an old, almost deserted colonial-era hotel that was (eerily) charming and beautiful and seemed like a discovery, even though I am sure many others have left footprints on the path before us.
As mentioned, I don't think I'll get to see the famous Sugarloaf Mountain (one of the big sites in Rio, a peak you take a cable car to) because of the weather, but I was initially planning to visit it after this trip if weather permitted. Since it didn't, however, I headed back to Ipanema on the bus and had dinner with Alex before going back to the hostel and just hanging out with people there.
On one final, random note, something else to share. While the rain cooled us down, the highlight of the evening (after the wonderful afternoon of sightseeing, of course) was also this discovering acai. Basically, it's a protein, potassium and calcium-rich berry from the rainforest that they mix with sugar and ice to serve as a frozen dessert... delicious anytime, it's great in the hot weather. Reason 344 why Brazil is amazing...
minus all the sugar it's good for you too! celebs are always going on about acai berry diets and fruit juices!
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