We woke to a mild rain and lots of fog. Not what we expected for a full day of sightseeing to include Sugarloaf and the Christ the Redeemer statue on the top of the mountain. We were met by a Grayline Bus and guide. This was the first true disappointment of our trip as we had specifically asked that we not be booked on any group tours with other tourists. Reluctantly we got on the bus and began the tedious wandering around the city stopping at various hotels to pick up other guests. An hour and a half later we started the city tour. We were surprised at the guide who, although spoke great English, was giving a much more elaborate and detailed tour to the Spanish and Portuguese guests, and leaving out a considerable amount to the better than half bus full of English speakers.
We visited the downtown area quickly passing by local landmarks and historic buildings. By the time the guide got around to the English portion of the narrations we were long past that which had been described in the other languages. The pinnacle of our dissatisfaction came when one of our group asked about a synagogue that had been passed and the guide simply said that Jews did not matter in the town and that the building was of no interest. Needless to say that set a negative tone for the balance of the whirlwind "city tour."
We reached the tram station for Sugarloaf mountain and the fog was so thick you could not see the top. We got our tickets and got in line for the tram...after all, we only had one day and fog or not we were going to the top. At the top of the first mountain - Sugarloaf is actually two peaks separated by two tram systems, the clouds began to part and we were rewarded with amazing views and a stunning landscape. What had transpired earlier quickly left our minds as we were overcome by the spectacale below and before us.
The second tram ride was even more dramatic as we rode to the top of the second mountain peak, the one most commonly referred to as "the Sugarloaf" and from there the views were even more amazing. Our visit to the this landmark lasted about 90 minutes before we headed back town the trams to our bus and were taken back to our hotel.
We all had lunch at the corner restaurant and enjoyed a great executive buffet prepared of the local business crowd. The price was great and the selection was terrific. At 2 PM we were one again met by another Grayline Tour and this time an amazingly charming fellow who was a 180 degree turn from that of the morning. Even though we still have to deal with an hour of additional pick ups he filled the time with some great narration and lots of local information that kept us entertained.
Our afternoon tour would include a ride to the top of Corovado Mountain to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue and newly established 7th Wonder fo the Modern World. The tram ride this time was by train using a sprocket drive to climb the 4000 foot mountain. At the top a series of elevators and stairways led us tot he top for an even more spectacular view than earlier in the morning. The cloud cover was compleely gone and the day was spectacular. The 360 degree views of Rio and the surrounding mountains and water was outstanding. We enjoyed a two hour visit with time to really soak in how truly grand and HUGE Rio de Janiero really is. At the end of the day we took the unique train ride back down the mountain and back to the hotel by bus.
This evening we enjoyed our group dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant where we were given the upstairs private dining room to ourselves. The food and service were wonderful and we all had a great meal.
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