Rio Day 3

 

Today was the first time I traveled solo in Brazil (without tours or travel mates), so I was nervous. Everything turned out not only fine but wonderful! I enjoyed the freedom to go anywhere I wanted, and most importantly, a sunny Rio! The weather made the difference heaven and hell. 

I ordered Uber motor (motorcycle) to visit Mirante Dona Marta, which views are the same as the Christ of Redeehmder, free, and no lines or big crowds. The views of Epic beaches and towns along Rio de Janeiro 8-kilometer (5-mile) stretch of coastline. 

The trains/vans to the Christ of Redeehmder are expensive and full of people. Considering this morning’s clouds over the Christ of Redeehmder, I took the free substitute. I ran into a family of four locals who gave me a ride into Rio central. 

I visited the Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, a modern Catholic cathedral resembling a pyramid, inaugurated in 1979. I accidentally entered Igreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco da Penitência from the backyard. The Apotheosis of San Francisco, located in the ceiling of the church, is a work of Caetano da Costa Coelho, is the first example of perspective representation of Brazil. I tried to get to Real Gabinete Portugues da Leitura, a wood library with coffered ceilings and carved columns, but turned off by many homeless on the street towards it.

The Arcos da Lapa was 18-century aqueduct with 2 rows of arches, now serving as a bridge for a tram. I also saw the brightly colored Escadaria Selarón, aka the Selaron Steps.  These mosaic steps are Insta-famous and were created by Jorge Selarón, a Chilean-born Brazilian artist whose purpose was to add color to this once gray and dull area. The art project quickly garnered popularity, and tourists from across the world started bringing him tiles from their home countries. Today, there are tiles from over 60 countries integrated into the steps.

I met one hostel mate to hike the to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, instead of taking an aerial cable car. At the southern foot of Pão de Açúcar is a safe walking trail, the Pista Claudio Coutinho. There, we strolled along the Atlantic shore and then took an unsigned turnoff uphill to the middle station on Morro Urca. The trail starts on the northern end of Praia Vermelha and is open daily 08h00 to 18h00 for free.

The huge vaulted twin peaks of Morro da Urca  (220 m high) and Pão de Açúcar  (396 m high) are a natural monument, made mostly of 600 million years old granite. The massif is endowed with lush vegetation, a remnant of the forest that once covered all of the bay areas. Copacabana and the Christ the Redeemer statue looked so vivid in the sun from the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain.  On top, there is well-developed infrastructure like cafes, restaurants, shops, a cinema, and a helipad for flights over the bay.  After the hike, we walked via the wealthy neighborhood of Urca to the bank of the bay to enjoy the sunset with two local beers, Brahma and Antarctica.