I have written about Rio before in my blog but I was telling someone the other day about going up to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer.  I thought it was worth its own post…

Let’s just go ahead and suppose that most people of the educated world at least know what the Christ Redeemer statue is right?  We have seen photos and such.  So, when visiting it, you would think that it would be a big tourist destination.  Maybe even theme park like lines.  Crappy souvenirs.  People trying to getting you to buy things you don’t need.

Well, you would be wrong.

We hop in a cab and tell the driver that we want to go up to see the statue.  He starts driving.  We have gotten used to sitting in the Rio traffic.  What is better.. sitting in a hot cab and not moving or walking on the hot steaming side walk?  Yeah we are sitting… Okay so we are creeping along and we turn into a neighborhood.  Oh good, a short-cut.  We love going through where the locals live and seeing the.. oh wait, he stops.

He tells us to get out at this corner.  Walk down the block. Go left (or something like that) and then we will see a sign.  Pay at the counter and then they will tell us what to do.  Um.. ok?

So, we start walking and we come across a small open air pavilion.  There is a ticket booth.  We pay.  She says to wait and a train will arrive to take us up.  There is what appears to be a teacher with about 10 kids and maybe 5 other couples.  That’s it.

We wait and the train arrives.  It is the coolest thing.  It isn’t new but it is open air and we are about to take it through the jungle forest.  So up we go!!  The kids’ fascination make the trip up even more exciting.

The train is coming along quiet nicely and it is a lonely ride.   Then the train stops.  Everyone seems to be concerned as to what is going on.  I am keenly aware that I am a very pale individual in the middle of South America.  Then we see the train conductor get off the train and walk away from the tracks.  Then we start to roll backwards.  VERY QUICKLY.  People scream.  It only lasts for about 5 seconds but it is enough to frighten everyone.  And then another train passes us.

Ha!

Clearly we were just getting out of the way for a another train.   A little communication maybe?  Na, we were okay.

So, the conductor showed back up, put the train back in drive and we headed back up to the statue.

Once you get up there it is incredible.  The view is spectacular from all angles.  The statue is cool too but the view is what you really want to see.

I was expecting to buy a bunch of stuff to take back, like a french quarter of the Rio.  Uh, no.  There was 1, yes 1.  ONE store up there to buy souvenirs and they were the nice kind that you really don’t ever buy.  We aren’t talking about your $5 t-shirts.   Maybe now that the Olympics are there it has changed, but I kept thinking what a waste of capitalism.

I mean the view was great but there was so much space to sell stuff too!  🙂

Read more about my trip to Rio here:  RIO