On our final day in South America – since our flight would not leave until 7:00 pm – we decided to hike to Fort Duque de Caxias. It was a great morning workout – about a two and a half mile out and back walk along Copacabana beach then an eighteen story climb around the mountain & up to the fort. If all goes well, we will be back home by noon tomorrow.
Sent from my iPhone
Our day in Rio de Janeiro started with a cog railway ride to the Summit of Corcovado Hill. Here at 2400 feet above the city stands the 125-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer. The Christ statue stands over the entire city and is designated one of the seven “New Wonders of the World”. From the peak we could see sweeping views of the city and beaches. In the afternoon we took a glass cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, a symbol of the city where we could again see the beaches, Corcovado Mountain and downtown Rio and Guanabara Bay. Heading back to our hotel we made a few stops to see the city’s sites, including some examples of colonial architecture, the Rio cathedral (modeled after a Myan pyramid) and a statue of HOBO Jesus: the viaduct which brought water into the city and Tile Street. Originally, tiles for the work were scavenged from various construction sites and piles of urban waste found on the Rio streets. But in later years, most of the tiles were donated by visitors from all around the world.
Today we visited the Brazilian side of the falls walking along winding pathways viewing one of the New Natural Wonders of the World. Viewing from this side provides a clearer picture of the scope and breath of the falls. Iguazu consists of over 280 separate cataracts across a span of two- and one-half miles – wider the Victoria Falls and higher then Niagra Falls. After a full day at the falls, we flew to Rio de Janeiro arriving late in the evening.
This trip has been on my bucket list for about 10 years, and we are finally off. Day one is a full travel day Orlando to Miami then an 8-hour overnight flight to Santiago, Chile. Below is a summary of our itinerary and hopefully internet connections will allow me to write a daily blog.
Day 1-3 Santiago Chile
Day 4-9 Torres del Paine and Glaciers NP
Day 10 – 12 Buenos Aires
Day 13 – 15 Iguazu Falls
Day 16 -17 Rio de Janeiro
Mount Fitzroy Glacier NP, Argentina
Iguazu Falls
Travelling Photographer 