cities in that category that I have been to. It is a sprawling city of great contrasts as well. Rio is the second largest city in Brazil and I believe the third largest in South America. The metro area has well over 13 million people at least estimate. I imagine the exact number is far from known.
Our group arrived in Rio on Thursday afternoon after four hours of travel from Ilha Grande. We would have arrived sooner except for the massive traffic jam entering the city. Unfortunately, two bicyclist had been struck and killed along the main highway entering the city. I wasn't looking but it was pretty graphic according to some in our group and stuck with them for awhile.
My hotel for two nights was along the famed Copacabana Beach. Copacabana has many similarities with Miami Beach. Copacabana was a major hit a generation ago and is still heavily visited, but how been surpassed by Ipanema Beach as the glamour spot in Rio.
Behind the beach at Copacabana is situated the Christ the Redeemer statue that prominently overlooks the city. To the left is the tramways leading up Sugarloaf Mountain.
Most of our group booked a city tour that started as soon as we arrived. It took us to both major landmarks, Christ the Redeemer on Corcavado Mtn and the Sugarloaf tram. The views from both were absolutely stunning. The view from Corcovado was truly like standing on a high pinnacle with nothing but sky surrounding you. I don't believe I have ever been on a mountain or skyscraper before that gave me such a surreal feeling at standing on
the top of Corcovado in the prescense of Christ the Redeemer. The statue was built 80 years ago and the stance of Christ in the statue was decided upon by the people of the city.
Sugarloaf is very impressive as well. The tramcar dangles high above the trees as it makes two cable car ascents to reach the top.
One part of Rio that I really loved was the "juice" cuisine. I always enjoy my trips into Central/Eastern Europe because a wide variety of fruit juices are always readily avaiable, stuff that you could never find at home in the states. We are so deprived with just orange, apple and grape juices!!!
In Rio, they take it to the next level. There were at least 5 and maybe as many as 10 juice "bars" within a block of our hotel. These juice bars offer FRESH selections of as many as twenty different juices, such as cherry, passion fruit, mango, pineapple, banana and fruits you have probably never even heard of, such as a delicious caju juice. The availability in Rio was certainly another highlight to the city, certainly for me at least.
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