Exciting Rio

It is worth getting up early to experience the sail into Rio.  Since our suite is on the port side of the ship, we could enjoy the experience from our balcony (in our pajamas).  As we entered the harbor, the iconic granite monolith, Sugarloaf Mountain, came into view from the distance.  We sailed past Sugarloaf, then the Christ the Redeemer statue looking down over the City came into view.  Always a thrill to see.  Wow, this stuff never gets old to us!

Early morning sail into Rio as we pass Sugarloaf
with Christ the Redeemer barely visible in the distance

Christ the Redeemer perched atop the Mountain

When we visited Rio two years ago, the City was feverishly preparing for the 2016 Olympics.  The port area was a mess and traffic through the City was snarled due to all of the construction going on.  We shook our heads thinking that this City will never be ready in time for the Olympics, just 8 months away.  We were so wrong.  In July, 2016, we watched the Olympic events on tv with added interest having visited Rio so recently.  We thought they did a fabulous job and showcased colorful Rio and other areas of Brazil in fine fashion.  Upon our return visit, we immediately noticed how good the port area looked with freshly painted buildings and a slick new tram system and a high profile museum located on the pier.

For our visit, we booked a tour of Rio that took us to see all the highlights of the City.   Our first stop was to go to Corcovado Mountain where we rode a scenic cogwheel train through the hunchback mountain jungle to the top to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue.  It was a bright sunny day so the view was spectacular.  After climbing the final stretch of 220 steps up to the platform, we enjoyed looking up at this magnificent statue that stands 125 feet tall with the width from fingertip to fingertip measuring 80 feet.  It was erected over a 5 year period from 1926-1931.  The viewing platform also offers a sweeping view over the City and the Harbor with favorable weather on this day.  Part of the fun is watching all the visitors taking their “selfies” with the statue.  Some people lay down flat out on the crowded floor to get their pictures from below risking being stepped on by other tourists.  Others are working on photo shots of Jesus coming out of their heads, Jesus in the palm of their hands, Jesus in the middle of their family pose, etc.  Pretty funny to watch.

125' Tall Christ the Redeemer

Visitors crowd the platform for "selfies"
and group photos...hot, crowded and energetic

Hazy view of the Olympic arena from high above

View of Ipanema and a horse track from high above

 

Cogwheel train to the top of hunchback mountain
and Christ the Redeemer

 The City was also in full swing getting ready for the annual Carnival festivities and Samba dance competitions.  In Rio, Carnival is the equivalent of New Years Eve, Superbowl, St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, etc. all rolled into a season of celebrations preceding Easter. Our tour bus drove by the Samba Dromo, the long parade route with large grandstands where all the Samba teams perform in the dance and music competitions.  The performances start in the early evening and run all night until the sun comes up the next morning.  We wish we could stay in town for the celebrations!

Our tour continued through Rio visiting the celebrated areas of  Ipanema Beach, Copacabana Beach and other points of interest with our informative tour guide entertaining us with good information along the way.  At one point, she serenaded us with the famous song “The Girl from Ipanema” in Portuguese on our tour bus.  It was a memorable moment.  We really enjoyed the tour.

Famous Copacabana Palace Hotel

Copacabana Beachwalk

Sand sculptures along the beachwalk

We docked overnight in Rio so we had a second day to enjoy the City.  We decided to visit the City’s new Museum of Tomorrow located within walking distance of the ship.  We enjoyed walking around on our own and visiting this very interesting, state of the art museum which was comfortably air conditioned and FREE!

Impressive new Museum of Tomorrow

Interesting architecture and artwork of the Museum

 

Redevelopment of the old downtown business area

New modern tram system

Colorful artwork on old buildings near the port
welcomed visitors to Rio for 2016 Olympics

Hot day in Rio (35C = 98F)

That evening, we enjoyed a Carnival show onboard our ship performed by local singers, musicians and, of course, scantily clad dancers.  It was a great way to top off our fabulous visit to this vibrant, captivating City.

Amazing costumes and dancers

 

Brian joins in the dancing

COMING UP NEXT, OUR LAST STOP IN BRAZIL...PARITY