Six Down One to Go

There are seven new modern wonders of the world. The Great Wall in China, The Colosseum in Rome, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Petra in Jordan, The Taj Mahal in India and today we do Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Only one left on the bucket list. You’ll have to look it up. Towering over the city, atop Mount Corcovado, is an iconic tribute to Christianity. Construction started in 1926 and was completed five years later. We get an early jump on the day as we had to catch a clog railway train at 7:20 to beat the crowds. Temperatures had climbed to +35 with humidity in the mid 40's by 9:00 and the place was already overcrowded. Families taking their babies to be christened at a chapel inside the Redeemer along with the throngs of tourists made up primarily of Brazilians and Argentinians were all present for the ever important selfie and perfect picture of the moment. We even witnessed a marriage proposal of one female going down on her knees, ring in hand, asking her female partner to make the plunge. It leaves me spellbound, as Christ reaches with his outstretched arms and hands. Facing eastward towards Sugartop Mountain, The Redeemer’s presence eclipses the city skyline from all directions. On the right is the famous Copacabana Beach and the equally not quite as famous Ipanema Beach where that most famous song was inspired. Click on

The story behind the song is equally fascinating and the Girl From Ipanepa still lives here at the age of 78. We have seen the pictures but nothing can prepare you for the real time encounter with Christ the Redeemer. Fabulously inspiring, this icon ranks right at the top (literally) with any other world class destination. And as a bonus you can use your train ticket at a 50% discount on the next trip to Switzerland and the Jungfrau as it is the same train operator at both destinations. Viagens Seguras!