Speaking as an atheist, I found this religious statue very impressive. This was unexpected.

Aside from anything else, this is an extremely popular attraction. We left our hotel at 9 AM, and it took just on 3 hours to get there, see it, and leave. There were a lot of people there, and by the time we left, the queues to get in were frightening. Thank goodness we aren’t in high season.

As we were coming down the escalator, Terry said,” I think we just met half of South America just then!”

Thank goodness, as well, that we aren’t living in a time where you had to suffer to see the holy thing. A Swiss- made cog train brought us 710 metres to the top.
The big tip… sit on the right side.

There’s lots of this.

Until unexpected gaps give you this. On the right side.

You had to be quick.

Brazil is rapidly winning my heart with its lifts and escalators at its attractions. I think I’d move here, if I could speak Portuguese.

Christ The Redeemer was made in 1931, and is of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It stands 30 metres high and 28 metres across, fingertip to fingertip.

It was sculpted by French-Polish artist Paul Landowski and the face was crafted by Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida.

It looks like carved stone in all the photos, but it’s not. This is a close-up of the sandstone mosaic pieces that cover the statue. There’s millions of them.

There’s a chapel underneath. We poked our heads in, and honestly? I was shocked that such an impressive monument would have such a tacky chapel attached to it.

Seriously, look at the google eyes of Jesus here. It’s ridiculous that this should be connected with the statue outside.

The clouds hadn’t properly lifted yet, but you could still see a good view of the city.

Sugarloaf Mountain. We go there tomorrow.

Obligatory selfie.

This little monkey was hanging around behind the ice cream cart, waiting for the slightest chance to grab something.

A snatched view of the city on the way down. I bought a Christ the Redeemer key ring for my Christmas tree. It’ll go nicely with the angel from the Vatican.

More mate drinking out in the wild. She was sitting with two friends. They all drank from the same mate cup, using the same straw.

Lunch time! We were given an hour to explore the Escadoria Selaron… the series of steps by Chilean artist Jorge Selaron.

In 1990, Chilean painter and ceramist Jorge Selarón began renovating the dilapidated, 125-meter-long staircase directly outside his house. Using bright yellow, green, and blue tiles to honor the Brazilian flag, and red for his home country of Chile, it quickly became his life’s work.

His neighbours first mocked him for “wasting his time “, but they soon changed their tune when tourists started flocking to the area. Over time, tourists and travelers from all over the globe began bringing and mailing him tiles from their own home countries to add to the mosaic.

He committed suicide on the steps when he was 65.

There are some tiles from Australia here, so I kept an eye out.

Little did I realise at the time, but I was sitting right in front of one when this picture was taken.

It was the kangaroo hopping towards the sun.

I couldn’t resist taking a video of this!

Colour and movement.

Literally on the street where the steps lead from.

Back in the bus, a little reminder that life isn’t easy for everyone.

The famous wave paving of Copacabana beach. Our hotel is just one block from the beach. These stones are from Portugal.
Julio, our guide, said that it was only a 2 or 3 kilometre walk to Ipanema from here. After we finished our tour of the city, I decided to go and do that walk.

Copacabana beach in winter. It was around 25C.

They are keen on their beach volleyball here. There were hundreds of courts set up. Later, on my way back to the hotel, big lights were switched on along the line of the footpath and many of the courts were full.

It was a LONG walk. I didn’t realise that Ipanema is on the other side of a little peninsula. Luckily, there was a map at the end of Copacabana beach and I was able to work it out. It was starting to get darker, but I was nearly there.

Mission accomplished!

I would have liked to stay and watch the sunset, but my internet dropped out on the walk. I didn’t fancy walking all that way back in the dark, so I set off again.

It was beautiful.

And the paving is different here!

Every time I hear “ The Girl From Ipanema” from now on, I can smile. I’ve been there.

On the way back, I bought a wrap to take to Egypt. It has the same design as the paving.

Dad joke of the day: