Rio de Janeiro -- River of January, so named because it was discovered on January 1st, 1502 and the Portuguese navigators thought it was the mouth of a river. What can I say? It's magical! The 360 degree views from the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain are spectacular, and the protected harbor is reminiscent of Hong Kong or Sydney. Unfortunately our 6:30 a.m. sail-in was delayed because of fog which had not lifted by the time our ship was cleared to land, but by mid day the fog was replaced by heat and humidity.
With so much to see and so little time, we felt we saw a nice cross section of the city. Our guide was a local college student hired by a jewelry company to give us a complimentary city tour. We went through the botanical gardens, drove along Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, to the top of Christ the Redeemer monument on Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain (via cog wheel rail train) and across town again to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain accessible via 2 cable cars. Included in the middle of this ambitious schedule was a mandatory (since the tour was free!) tour of the jewelry workshop where we learned how the various stones were cut, polished and mounted in their gold and silver settings.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer has been named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and is the world-wide recognized symbol of Rio de Janiero. It is perched on top of the 2300 foot high Corcovado Mountain, is 130 feet tall and weighs 700 tons. It is made of reinforced concrete with outer layers of soapstone, mined in Sweden, and carved by a French monument sculptor, Paul Landowski. It was started in 1926, cost $250,000 and was opened on October 12, 1931.
Sugar Loaf Mountain has two viewing levels, one at 700 feet and the other at the top of the second cable car landing at 1,300 feet, both offering superb views of the city. Its rounded summit is a readily recognizable landmark of Rio. Some say it got its name because it looks like the rounded curve of a piece of sugar cane.
We arrived back at the ship, happy, but totally exhausted from the sightseeing and heat.
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