We woke up the following morning bright and early in hopes of beating the lines to Cristo Redentor, Christ the Redeemer. We headed to Corcovado to find out that none of the trains were running up the mountain. After befriending some guys from Tasmania, we were able to split a cab and avoid the technical issues that the train posed. The line to go to the top of the mountain was a mile long. Begrudgingly, we started walking toward the end of the line, preparing for a long wait, when a man stopped me; next thing we knew, we were instructed to cut the entire line and get into one of the vans. No complaints from me! By the time we reached the top, it was crowded but nothing unbearable. There was something remarkable about seeing Christ the Redeemer appear right before you. With arms stretched open, Christ looks over the city and the people of Rio de Janeiro. The views from atop Corcovado Mountain were truly astonishing as the sun shone down on Cristo from heaven above. After many a photo-op, we headed down the mountain, grabbed a quick lunch, and went straight to the beach. It was just too hot not to be in the water. As we neared sunset, we decided to go to Arpoador, a rocky peninsula situated between two of the world’s most famous beaches: Copacabana and Ipanema. We had been told that it’s the best viewing spot and we settled into witness the colorful sky fade into dusk…that is, until a raincloud decided to stop directly in front of the sun. So much for the beautiful sunset that I had anticipated.
I had planned on heading to bed early (since the following day was New Year’s Eve), however, we ended up bonding with some people at the hostel and they convinced me to join in their merriment. After being persuaded into a few rounds of “Roxanne,” (a new drinking game thanks to our new Irish friends) I finally passed out five hours later than planned. When in Rio…
