We had a late start that morning (as usual :)) and planned to do a little souvenir shopping at the Hippy Fair at Ipanema...Rahul, our wallet and I had a great time there...what fun bargaining for local handmade goods in a combination of Engliguese and universal sign language! This is where we learnt the numbers 15 (quinze), 20( vinte), 10 (dez), 30 (trinta), and that the locals are so keen to interact that they really don't mind if you don't want to buy their handicrafts!
We took bus # 583 from Ipanema to Cosmo Velho station (30 minute ride), which was the last stop. We had read that there is a massive 4 hour queue to get into the cog train that takes you through the scenic routes of the Tijuca National Forest where Corcovado is located. But being a weekday and all, we overlooked this 'fact' and to our disappointment reached at 3 pm to find tickets being sold for the 7pm ride :( Hence we decided to skip the scenic route and took the short-cut ride in a van, which got us to the top in about 30-40 mins.
Tip: Listen to all the people that told you to go early and beat the crowds (are you reading this Rahul, Kamala and Piyush ;))!
The first glimpse of the status is simply breathtaking...the mere size of it is overwhelming and 'divine'. There are 220 steps that lead to Christo's feet-the stairway to heaven! Once you are here, Christo blesses you...with the best 360 degree pan views of the entire city! So get your binoculars and camera out, set up your tripod and click away! We must have spent about 3 hours here enjoying the cool breeze and views...Christo watches over all of Rio, and people turn to Christo from any where in Rio! What an amazing concept!
We finally gave up waiting for it to get darker for some night shots. The last van pick up was at 7:45pm so we only barely missed the lights of Rio from top.
This was a trip truly worth every cent (R$ 38), and I highly recommend it...(chose a clear day if you can help it).
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