Lets get the boring history bit out of the way... Cristo Rendentor (Christ the Redeemer) is the massive and very famous statue stood on the top of the Corcovado mountain. Completed just over 90 years ago it is now one of the Seven modern wonders of the world. It's an icon piece which can be seen day and night from most places in Rio and sets a good back-drop for the Copacabana.
Nice early start; got up at 6.30!!!! for breakfast and then headed for the bus stop to travel into the Tijuca national park. The highlight of the morning was getting to the train that travels to the top of the mountain at 8am and being told the next available train was at 11.20... Bought tickets for 5pm and headed back to Copa to hit the beach for a few hours!! Being a Saturday and 33°C the locals were out in force and the beach was packed. The waves on the Cabana today were absolutely ferocious at about 12-15ft; the lifeguards were out in force too with boats and helicopters circling to rescue anyone who had been pulled back by the current.
So... with the 'no swimming' sign up on the beach, what would be the best course of action to take??? Tackle the waves head-on!! Queue the next hour diving in and out of waves like a kid again, all of the people on the beach laughing as I'm being pulled left right and centre by the currents!! I decided that it was time to stop when the monster rip-curl below came in, the blood drained from my face and I got smashed in the face by it, dragged under, pulled back and then rammed face-first into the sea-bed and then spat back out... so bruises and grazes all over; I crawled back onto the beach with James and 2 old women in hysterics.
Ok, back to Cristo!! Bus back to the base of the mountain and then a 20 minute ride on a 'Cog-train' to the top of the mountain; then about 10 minutes worth of steps up to the monument; it was only on the way back down that we noticed the escalator!!
Idiot Abroad time now; first impressions of the Statue... It's good, but thought it would be bigger.. However the longer we were up there, the more impressive that it became and then came to the conclusion that Ok, it is pretty big!! The views from the top of the Corcovado were absolutely breathtaking, from Sugarloaf mountain to Copacabana to the large Lagoon at Ipanema to the national stadium and to all of the Favelas lining the mountain sides around the city.
All in all another successful day of culture!! The plan was to then hit Lapa for an allnighter; but the old boy James couldn't wake up... Postponing until next week!!
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