Rio de Janeiro has a population of 6.3 million making it the 3rd largest city in South American and 6th largest in both North & South America. The entire metropolitan area population is near 13 million. It was the capital of Brazil for nearly 2 centuries but the capital is now in Brazilia. It is the most visited city in all of the south hemisphere due to Carnival, Samba dancing, incredible beaches, and tourist sights, many of them we will be seeing.
We finally made it to Rio. Last night the Captain said we would start our approach into Rio at 6am so I peeked out then and it was still dark. After showering it was getting light and at 6:30 Terry started pointing out sights from the bridge over the PA as we sailed into the bay. After getting Rebecca some coffee, as room service was not coming until 7:30, I headed to the upper deck to take photos. Prior to daylight the famous "Christ the Redeemer" statue on top of the 2300 foot high Corcovado mountain was illuminated. The statue is 120 feet high and white so was quite impressive. The sunrise was spectacular! We passed by Sugar Loaf at an altitude of 1200 feet which is another famous landmark of Rio. Just before arriving at our dock we passed the domestic airport also near the "old" downtown where our ship is now docked.
Our tour today was "Sugar Loaf & Copacabana" and there were also some of our friends on the bus with us. We drove through old downtown which is now the commercial and banking area for Rio to our first stop, Sugar Loaf. We took the cable car which was first built in 1912 and improved a couple of times since then to the top. There were two stages. We took a cable car to the 650 feet high Urca Hill, where we took some photos and changed cars for the second stage on up to the 1200 foot high Sugar Loaf. From the top we had a commanding view over the beaches and city. It was about a mile ride in the two cable cars to get to the top. The cars operate every 20 minutes and hold about 70 people. There were long lines so this took a couple of hours to get to the top and back down. There were also a few people climbing and/or repelling down Sugar Loaf. Next our bus drove along the famous Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. Both are 2.5 miles long and very deep beach areas. The length and size is very impressive and by mid day there was lots of sun worshipers on the beach having a good time. The art made from sand was also impressive. We continued through some tunnels to the southern area of Rio where you can hang glide from the tops of the mountains down to the beach. We passed the horse racing track and a private golf course also. All courses are private and very expensive according to our guide. We passed several of the slum areas that are clinging to the sides of the mountains overlooking the city so they actually have the best views. They are trying to clean these areas up some, especially the crime, as Rio is hosting the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. There is lots of new construction and sprucing up being done in preparation for them. We finally returned to the ship just before 2pm and had some lunch. Rebecca does not trust the ship's laundry with a few things so she did a couple small loads of laundry this afternoon.
We will have to dine a little earlier than normal as at 8:45 we are leaving the ship for another tour, "Samba Sounds & Glitter". It is apparently a 2 hour Samba show that will offer a glimpse of what Carnival in Rio is all about complete with the music and feathered & sequined gowns. Our friends who did this on last year's SA cruise say it is fantastic.
We will be here in Rio again tomorrow as it is "changeover" day. Over 400 passengers are leaving and the same amount will be coming aboard for the last segment of 24 days. I just put in for the "Highlights of Rio" tour tomorrow as it will take us up to the Christ Statue.
