Iconic Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Yesterday we took a city tour and viewed all the icons of Rio that most of us are familiar with from books we've read or brochures we've seen. Sugar Loaf mountain is an enduring Rio attraction as is the Corcovado, the outstretched-armed giant figure of Christ at the top of the steep mountainside. We made a short visit to a very modern, beautiful cathedral shaped like a pyramid. I really liked it. We also drove around the city and saw many sights. It was a good way to see Rio and a nice 4 hour tour. Our small tour bus had 2 Americanos, 1 Aussie, 2 Italians, 2 Argentines, 2 Danes and 2 Spaniards. Our guide spoke all the languages and easily talked back and forth to all of us and translated the entire tour!

If you have seen the news of the flooding here and the devastating landslides due to the excess rain this picture clearly shows the steepness of the terrain. 

Christ outreached over Rio at the top of Corcovado Mountain.

You take your tour bus part way up the mountain, get into a smaller van for the next bit, get on an elevator and finally, take two escalators and you are to the top!

Rio's  favelas (slums) are all located on the steep hillsides. The people living in the slums were the ones who lost their homes and their lives in the most recent floods/landslides just outside of Rio.

The pyramid cathedral's image mirrored in a new skyscraper across the street from it.

This is an extraordinary church design.

Americanos on a city tour!

I just loved the scope of the church and the stained glass windows.

Who could pay attention to the service when you had these to see?

My favorite guy St. Francis of Assisi was in one of the side openings in the cathedral.

More modern architecture right across the street from the church.

Sugarloaf Mountain in front of the lagoon.

We did not go to the top of this one.

Last night we walked down to Copacabana Beach and sat and watched the sun set.

We watched the kids dig their tunnel to the center of the earth.

We saw the joggers, swimmers and walkers parading on the beach until past 7:30p.m.

Today, we walked over to Ipanema Beach and strolled until we got too hot.  No, this is not the "Girl from Ipanema".  But, it could be. Yesterday, our guide told us that the Girl from Ipanema is now a grandmother. And, for the record... today's girls from Ipanema have gained a few pounds and still wear string bikinis. I decided not to take pictures of them. Yikes!