Today was a great day for touring! A bunch of us from work got the day off (sorry for those who didn't) and we arranged for a tour of Rio. What is one tourist spot that you think of when you think of Rio? Christ the Redeemer is at the top of list list for our crew. We took a bus tour from our hotel about 8:30 this morning. We had a guide named Julie and a driver (I didn't get his name) and they took us on about an hour ride through winding roads an up and down other mountains to the statue at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city of Rio. A symbol of Christianity across the world, the statue has also become a cultural icon of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931.
We took buses from a central ticket location the remainder of the way up the mountain to the statue. We were lucky that we got there early because with the Olympics starting tomorrow it is usually extremely busy. We got to the top of the mountain and took an elevator to the top. We were in awe of the statue and size. We had a fantastic view of Rio from all directions and were able to see the stadium where opening ceremonies will be held and the rowing venue from our perch. It was a great place to start a tour of Rio so we could see other places that we may want to visit. We stayed on the mountain about an hour and took way too many pictures! After that visit our group really feels like we can get our work done without worrying about trying to get out for a tour when our schedules are so tight. Thanks John and Carol for the day off!
We took buses from a central ticket location the remainder of the way up the mountain to the statue. We were lucky that we got there early because with the Olympics starting tomorrow it is usually extremely busy. We got to the top of the mountain and took an elevator to the top. We were in awe of the statue and size. We had a fantastic view of Rio from all directions and were able to see the stadium where opening ceremonies will be held and the rowing venue from our perch. It was a great place to start a tour of Rio so we could see other places that we may want to visit. We stayed on the mountain about an hour and took way too many pictures! After that visit our group really feels like we can get our work done without worrying about trying to get out for a tour when our schedules are so tight. Thanks John and Carol for the day off!