Nov. 29/12 – The Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer is one of the 7 wonders of the world. The others are:
1. Taj Mahal In India
2. The Great Wall Of China
3. The Colosseum In Italy
4. Machu Picchu In Peru
5. Chichen Itza In Mexico
6. Petra In Jordan
And this is why we are here. We have already seen the first 3, so being here today strikes off one more in the list now. We were very lucky we were able to make it up to see this statue on the only sunny day during our short visit in Rio.
The famous Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer statue is the face of Rio de Janeiro, an amazing city. This breath taking masterpiece overlooking Rio has been admired and visited by millions of people since it was built in 1931.
Apart from seeing one of the most significant land marks around the world, Deon and I learned that:
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the proposal to build this statue was forwarded in the mid-1850’s by a Catholic Priest, Pedro Maria Boss, who requested for financial support to build a religious monument in the city. However, this was not realized until 1921, when the Catholic Circle of Rio appealed to the public for support to have something built to represent the religious strength in the country
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the Christ the Redeemer statue (or Cristo Redentor as it’s known in Portuguese) is a worldwide symbol for peace. Taking nine years to be completed, the statue is made from reinforced concrete with the outer layers being soapstone. These materials were chosen due to their durability and ease to work with.
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The overall design of the statue, which today would have cost the equivalent of $250,000, was created by a local designer. However, a French artist was commissioned to sculpt it. In 1980, a major restoration work was undertaken in time for the visit of Pope John Paul II. Finally, in 2003, escalators and elevators were installed to allow people to have easier access to the viewing platform.
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In 2008, forceful lightning struck the monument destroying some of its parts – fingers, eyebrows and head. These were repaired but another round of work was needed in 2010 to maintain the interior of Cristo Redentor. All of the stones that were used in the restoration were taken from the quarry where the original pieces were taken from as well. Finally, to light up the base of the monument, a fantastic lighting system was also installed.
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In 2010, a serious crime was committed when a vandal sprayed paint on the statue, compelling the mayor to declare it a crime against the nation. A reward was offered to whoever could catch the culprit.
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It was in 2007 that Cristo Redentor was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This has brought much more popularity for the place and the statue has been used in many films and documentaries over the years. Standing proud at 38 meters tall and weighing 1.145 tons, this staggering monument is no doubt one of the most amazing man-made structures in the world.
Apart from putting another milestone in our life history having visited another of nature’s gift to mankind, the highlight for both Deon and me was jumping waves in the Copacabana beach right in front of our hotel. We have been to many beaches but have never seen waves as high and as powerful as what we saw here. My guess is that they were 6 to 10 feet high. Standing on the sand and being pulled by the big waves was a very exciting and thrilling experience. Neil told me that I was screaming very loudly but I didn’t notice. I felt like a little innocent carefree girl while jumping into the waves or just sitting down on the sand and waiting to be pulled down to the water by the pressure of the sand after each big wave. So much fun!! Such a priceless experience! We were out there for 3 days straight, rain or shine. The temperature was 29 to 31 degrees but because we were laughing and fighting so hard with the very powerful waves that we are too tired to feel the cold. Both Deon and I had not had so much fun at any beach that we have visited as we enjoyed it here in Rio. I think I can definitely add surfing to my “to learn” list now that I know how much I enjoy the ocean.
The big social question people ask in Rio is not where you live or what you do but which beach you go to. From the answer, they can tell which category or class the people belong to or like because different groups such as musicians, doctors, and hippies, etc. etc. hang out at different beaches or different areas of the beaches. Brazilians can talk for hours about their favorite strip, but nowhere is lifestyle more closely associated with the beach than the lifestyle in Brazil with 8,000km of coastline and thousands of beaches to choose from.
Neil, my only visitor for this South America trip, flew in from Sao Paolo to meet us for the weekend. We really enjoyed his company and hospitality. He has been here a few times already, so he knows the place very well. I learned so much more about him and about the corporate world over the last 4 days. This is the reason that I like travelling with friends very much: it gives great opportunity to bond with and learn about each other at a deeper and more personal level since our state of mind while being away from our home seems so different and since there’s no distraction, it’s much easier to be “present.”
Staying in luxury hotel for the first time in 9 weeks feels like heaven to us. As a matter of fact, Deon would voluntarily go and shower at least twice a day while we are here. The truth is that when we stayed in the less expensive and old hostels, he would shower only once every 2 days and only after I would nag him and this is because of the conditions of the bathrooms. LOL
It’s been a wonderful 4 day “holiday” for us but it’s now time to move onto hostel living again in Bolivia then Peru. I heard that Bolivia and Peru are the least expensive countries in South America, therefore I am confident that the next 4 weeks in these countries will help us average down what we spent for a luxury 4-day holiday in Rio so that my goal of a “backpacking with a $100/day budget” will still be achieved by the time we are done with South America. LOL
Originally posted on Amy’s travel blog: TravelwithAmy.ca