JC and more

The day started slow. We all had headaches. Me from spending a night sweating in our room or should I say the ‘Black Hole of Rio’ and the guys from a few too many beers. A quick downpour to get the humidity climbing towards unbearable and we were on the metro heading for downtown for our forthcoming introduction to 1940s tram technology. But first what looked like the aftermath of a very mixed and possibly well balanced diet and too much beer. As we departed the scene, feeling a tad nauseous we rounded a corner to be greeted by this fearsome guard dog who was obviously Health and Safety trained and ensured that we did not fall down the hole.
Rio is a real mix of architectural styles. A beautiful viaduct from the 1700s, JC looking down on the city from above and this evil monstrosity that is the city’s cathedral. A manic tram ride through a beautiful part of the city was the first phase of a 5 part journey to see JC. On this expedition we encountered a Chinese mini evidence of the tight Electricity Regulations in force here and evidence that Walt Disney is alive and well and living in Rio. At the Christo, more commonly known as the Corcovado we were treated to clear skies, a wonderful view and a great photo opportunity. NOT. That said it was a really interestin day. The Christo is built on the Corcovado hill which is named after ‘corcova’ meaning ‘hunchback’. The project was conceived in 1921 to mark Brasil’s centenary in 1922 and was completed in 1931. There are all sorts of interesting facts regarding its size but suffice to say that it is big.