Today, we arrived in Rio de Janeiro, one of the world's most spectacular cities. Everything that you've seen about the beauty of Rio's setting is absolutely true, if not understatement. With towering rock formations like Sugarloaf and Corcovado dominating the landscape, it's hard to imagine a prettier setting for a lively, hip, and cosmopolitan place like Rio de Janeiro (or "RJ" to the locals).
After a busy few days in Sao Paulo, our first day in Rio was spent getting to know the city. The clear highlight was our trip to Corcovado, site of the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city, its beaches, and the sea. I think God inspired us to invent digital cameras so we can take endless photos of RJ from atop Corcovado without having to worry about running out of film (or paying an arm and a leg for film at the Corcovado gift shop).
A description of the Christ the Redeemer statue from www.ipanema.com:
"This is maybe Rio's most famous postcard: the Statue of Christ blessing the city with open arms. It can be seen from most South Side neighborhoods. The statue stands on the hill of Corcovado, which is 710 m tall (about 2,400 feet). The Statue of Christ stands 30 meters high (100 feet), covered in a mosaic of soapstone. On its base there is a small chapel.
The access to the statue is much easier now that they installed a set of escalators. They were carefully designed in a way not to interfere with the monument, and the results were quite good. This spot offers a 360° view to Rio. Come on a day with clear sky, and postcard photos are guaranteed... .
Unlike what you may have heard, this statue was not a gift of France (we're not talking about the Statue of Liberty here guys...). The original design was done by a Brazilian, named Heitor da Silva Costa. He was also the engineer in charge of the construction. He shared the project with French sculptor Paul Landowski, who took almost two years working on the hands and face. It was built from 1926 to 1931, with funds raised from donations. There's a chapel for 150 people on the base of the statue."
Our group was informed that the statue was from France, so I'm not sure who to believe about its origin. Nonetheless, it is a truly spectacular site and it's been said that Rio is as "free and easy" as it is because Christ forever overlooks and forgives. It is clearly a source of national pride and reflects the welcoming, "open arms" spirit that I felt throughout the trip.
One of the highlights of visiting the statue is taking the small train ride up Corcovado. Not only are you treated to some great views of the city, you also get a feel for the lush flora that adorns the hillside and a surprising view of little enclaves of residential and commercial activity there as well. On the way down, the train was filled with music from a trio of musicians. Very cool.
What I found most interesting about looking down on Rio from Corcovado was that from afar, the city sparkled and dazzled with both its natural and its man-made beauty. The lushness of the green hillside vegetation contrasted with the sharpness of the white buildings of the city. From up top, Rio looked and felt huge (over 5 million people live there), but down below, the feel was more relaxed and easy-going than its size would seem to dictate. Unlike Sao Paulo, the hugeness of Rio was only there on paper, in my opinion. At street level, it felt more like a big town...maybe the miles of beach has a lot to do with that! I was ready to learn more about this place and its people...how could such a big place feel so good?
