our ascension to cristo
</One of our first activities on the agenda upon arriving in Rio was to see the statue of Christ. Basically the symbol of Rio de Janeiro, the Cristo divides the zona norte (poorer) from the zona sul (richer- think Copacabana and Ipanema), extends one hand out to each side, and is visible on its hilltop from all angles of the city.
We decided that we would avoid the tourist trap tram up to the top and attempt a hike. We took an hour of public transport to get to the base, passed the tram spot, and after receiving some directions, headed up the hill. As we passed a certain point, we noticed 3 young Brazilian men lounging on motorcycles. They informed us that up ahead a little bit was a favela (shanytown) and that it was unsafe to continue on foot (not to mention a 2+ hour trek to the top up a very steep hill). They said they would take us to the top for 5 Reals (about 3 dollars), and luckily, there were 6 bikes and drivers. We decided that we were ready for an adventure, so we all hopped aboard the bikes and took off up the hill.
And the ride was incredible. Although the favela’s danger appeared to be overexaggerated, traveling up the hill in the open air, with the ability to enjoy the vistas that might pass too quickly in a car (but avoiding the calf- and feet-aching pain that we would have felt had we walked) we arrived just below the summit of the hill and ended with a 25 minute walk to the top.
While the view’s from the peak were incredible, and the statue of Christ impressionable, I think that we will all remember the site for the ride up rather than the ultimate destination.
Back From Brazil
Sorry we have been on a bit of a hiatus here at CandE central. We touched down in BA last night and have been getting back into the grind today… photos and stories from Rio, Carnaval, and everything in between to come shortly!
