Sunshine sunshine sunshine. Sun is out, birds are singing, sky is blue... for the moment that is. Today was meant to be Christ Redeemer AND Sugar Loaf day (latter ideally at sunset...) but took way longer than we thought it would to get the former. Navigated our way onto the bus across the city and hopped off at the foot of the hill? mountain? housing the statue. Turned out that the taxi drivers telling us it would take 2 hours to get to the top were right - despite the queue for buying tickets being brief, waiting for the tram to take us up took way longer. We only discovered this having briefly lurked on the platform the tram pulls in at thinking that there were remarkably few people about and settling ourselves joyously in the best seats before being booted off unceremoniously. Two hours later and a nice chat with another couple (there are LOTS of couples in this hostel, all v.nice, tho´ does make me yearn slightly for someone, anyone, to buddy up with properly) we finally got on the tram. (BTW, this couple are doing reverse route to me and highly recommended a tour around San Pedro prison in Bolivia, where their tour guide was in fact a prisoner - the guards only go in there on occasion to count heads....sound like a good idea Mummy? No?)
Ascent was amazing - glimpses of the stunning view through the trees. Slightly irritating group of octogenarian Germans with extremely vocal tour guide who used elbows unashamedly to get on to the tram ahead of us. Irritation alleviated slightly at amusing choice of tshirt of lady to left of me, who had ´breathtaking´ emblazoned across her bosoms....
View from the top of the mountain is hardly done justice by the numerous pictures I took. Statue itself phenomenal - incredibly peaceful face, looking slightly eery as the clouds swept around it and then cleared again. Panoramic views make you realise just how sprawling Rio is. Picked out Copacabana and have requisite shot of self smiling awkwardly in foreground beside it. Unfortunately look windswept and shveaty/sticky (application of suncream currently admirable, not to mention diligent) in all of them. Spent about 40 mins up there taking in the beautiful views and the unique nature of Rio - the combination of city & rainforest is v.bizarre.
Made our way back down in the company of some incredibly overexcited brazilian kids (something else we really noticed: it´s a sight worth brazilians themselves seeing, not just tourists) shrieking we think about football. Slightly hairy moment when suited and booted driver swopped over trams with enthusiastic overalled man who hooted horn to joy of children almost incessantly, and then - just as we were joking about him being a novice - heaved on the clutch causing us to hop forward down the hill... Made it back across the city too late to get up to Sugar Loaf for sunset, so hope to do that, and hangliding, AND meet Pod´s friend James tomorrow. On second thoughts, Sug.Loaf may have to wait til Sunday night - my last night here before I head to Ilha Grande.
Also had my first popcorn from street vendor. With the word for sweet (´doce´, in itself obvious but not in terms of pronunciation) in my artillery negotiated my way past the dreaded toffee popcorn to savoury nirvana.
Tonight - Lapa, under the able guidance of Michael the barman.... Have redbull (or Brazilian equivalent) and copious amounts of water to hand. What could possibly go wrong....?
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