Ola! I am back! "Bom dia!" (Good morning in Portuguese). More chit-chatting about South America. This will be a long series of highlights. So relax! Let's have another imaginary caipirinha, the popular Brazilian cocktail. But drink w/ caution!
February 11, 2013 -Sugarloaf Mountain
After Christ the Redeemer tour, we went to Sugarloaf. What came to mind when I heard Sugarloaf? A Portuguese gourmet baked bread? Sounds YUM! YUM! Did I smell a bakery nearby? Nope! Here in Rio, Sugarloaf is another spectacular sight, almost facing Christ the Redeemer at a distance. Along w/ samba, beaches and beautiful women, the Sugarloaf remains one of the original and enduring Rio attractions. One of two sights that every visitor to Brazil should see. It is a pointy rock (shaped like a Sugarloaf) out of the bay. Great features such as 600-million-year-old. Made of granite & quartz. Stood stunningly at 1300 feet (395 meters) above the water. Beguiling! A bold monument to Brazil's nature, history and tourism.
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| SUGAR LOAF MT. AS SEEN ON GROUND LEVEL
To reach the summit, we took 2 stage cable cars which were slightly scary. The first ascended to the shorter Morro da Urca, at 220 meters high. Urca rewarded us w/ breathtaking views. The bubble-shaped cable cars offered 369-degree views of the surrounding city. The second stage, larger cable car from Urca ascended to Pao de Acucar at 394 meters high. From here, we were oohed and ahhed by the most fantastic views of Rio, second only to those from Christ the Redeemer Statue atop Corcovado Mountain. While there one would really understood why Rio is considered to be one of the 10 most beautiful cities in the world.
VIEW FROM SUGARLOAF
SUGARLOAF IN THE BACKGROUND
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Sugarloaf Mountain had appeared in several movies such as Now Voyager, Rio and probably most famous from Bond movie Moonraker. A famous scene w/ the henchman Jaws and Bond played by Roger Moore fighting on the cable car. To be up there on the cable car imagining my Bond hero was extremely thrilling.
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| VIEW OF RIO FROM CABLE CAR |
CAPTIVATING VIEWS OF RIO FROM SUGAR LOAF
On the way up to the Pao de Acucar, I was captivated by a wonderful, magical feeling that could naturally stimulate an artist imagination. Luckily, we were up there on a clear day. We could see forever. Feasted our eyes, souls and spirits on the stunning views of the city. We walked to several different levels for a variety of scenic vantage points. Made us thirsty. A bottle of cold water cost $5.00. Not included in our expensive tours. Anyway the endless beauty that surrounded us, more than compensated for the expensive water and extreme heat.
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| SUGARLOAF & PALACE AT SEA LEVEL |
After a wonderful feast for our eyes & souls, it was time for our tummies to be pampered. We were treated to a late buffet lunch at a Brazilian Restaurante. We had a big choices of fresh salads, sushi's, fish, seafood's, rice, desserts and many different types of well-prepared meats. "Churrascaria" was a Brazilian specialty. The steaks were grilled and brought to our table on a long steel skewers. There were waiters that went around, slicing the mouth-watering steaks in front of us, directly on our plates. DELICIOSO!
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| PORT OF RIO, BRAZIL |
As a whole the trip had been great. It's an unforgettable experience. Will treasure the beautiful memories of Brazil forever. It was sad to say "ADEUS" to Brazil! (Good bye in Portuguese). But "Gracas A Deus" (Thank God in Portuguese) for giving me and my husband the opportunity to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime voyage to Brazil. VIVA BRAZIL! VIVA BRAZIL!
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