March 3, 2016 - We were asked by the Concierge to start our tour at 7:00 a.m. rather than 8:00 a.m. as the tickets for the Tram do Corcavado were sold out for the day. Our driver/guide Guiherme warned us that if we were not in the first lines we could miss seeing one of Rio's highlights - the incredible statue of Christ the Redeemer. Guilherme (Bill in English) was a magician. He maneuvered both traffic and the crowds with ease and grace - he knew all of the ins, outs and shortcuts. He guided us through lines, throngs of tourists (the cruise ships were in!) and even recommended specific seats on the cog train. We arrived at the first level and took some time to ooh and ahh over the spectacular views before taking the escalator up to the statue. Cristo Redentor, sits on the summit of Morro do Corcavado and towers over Rio. It is Brazil's most recognizable landmark, officially inaugurated in 1931 to mark the centenary of Brazil's independence. The work began in Paris in 1926 with the sculptor starting on the hands and the head. The enormous statue sits in the middle of the gorgeous tropical Parque Nacional da Tijuca. It is even more impressive that you can imagine - having seen pictures all of my life, being there was beyond description; I was in awe of the massive size, amazed at the logistics that it must have taken to ship the 98' statue from Paris, haul it up the mountain by rail, assemble and attach it to supporting pillars. There is also the feeling of wonder that comes from being in such a magnificent, world famous sight and seeing it in person for first time after having seen pictures and read about it all your life. There was an electric excitement just being there! It's so incredibly beautiful and one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.
Our next quest was Sugar Loaf Mountain whose name is derived from its shape; (named by the early explorers as sugar was formed into a loaf, exactly like the mountain.) The monolithic quartz and granite mountain has been guarding the entrance to Guanabara Bay for time immemorial. The early explorers thought they had sailed into a great river when they named the mountain and christened their new discovery Rio de Janeiro. The Sugar Loaf experience takes in two mountains, the Morro do Urca and Pao de Acucar and although you may scale both mountains, it is certainly less demanding to use the two cable cars; first to the 705 foot Morro da Urca, before ascending to the summit of Sugar Loaf. Once again unforgettable, sweeping views of Copacabana, Ipanema, Corcavado, Tijuca and Christ the Redeemer in the distance.
Pretty pooped by this time, we were working on fumes. Bill offered us a break at Cafe Urca, a small corner bar. No tables, but a walk-up famous for shrimp empanadas, cod balls and those tasty Caiparinas. We gathered our snacks, crossed the street and made ourselves at home on the sea wall under the shade of a huge leafy tree. Oh so tasty, particularly with the homemade hot sauce!
We had one more sight on our list, the Mosterio Sao Bento, a Benedictine monastery built between 1617 and 1641. Although the exterior reflects the simplicity of the time, it gives no hints to the opulence of the gilded Baroque interiors. A number of the works on display were carved by one of the monks, including the main altar which was created in 1675. It was stunning! It is still a working monastery with daily Mass and a full Gregorian chant service on Sunday.
We had quite a drive around the city as taking in just three sights took eight hours! Traffic is horrendous, but the slow crawl gave us plenty of time to see what there was to see!
The Murphy's made it to the hotel but unfortunately missed the day of sightseeing. However we have dinner planned at the hotel's Italian restaurant. As it turned out, no Italian dishes, but a buffet again with great salads, dreadful steak and tasty deserts... Caiparinas not as good as the upstairs bar!
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