What a way to end 2024! Marianne and I couldn’t believe our good fortune that we finally got a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a city in Brazil known for its natural beauty, beaches and annual carnival.

This is my grand view from my balcony at our hotel. How lucky are we to stay in one of Rio’s beachfront resorts. With the sun shining, we decided to go straight out to explore Rio’s beaches. Rain was forecasted for the afternoon. Therefore, we had to take advantage of a beautiful sunny day in Rio.

We set out to go to the most well known beaches in Rio de Janeiro , Copacabana and Ipanema. Both are considered iconic and widely recognized around the world. It was about a 30 minute walk down to the beaches.

On our way to the beach, we came upon these fun swings. I couldn’t have said it better “This Is Living.”

The beaches in Rio are known for their stunning clear waters, sunny spots and white sands with the great Sugar Loaf Mountain in the background as seen in the photo above at Ipanema Beach. The boardwalk, like all of those in Rio, is better described as a walkway fashioned from black and white Portuguese tile.

Happily, we walked about 2 miles on the boardwalk, thinking we would have time to enjoy the beautiful sand and water amongst all the beautiful people. Unfortunately, the weather changed drastically and a torrential rain storm occurred. We had to take cover quickly!!

We waited out the storm in a near by restaurant!

A perfect spot, the beer was cold and the food was yummy!

We made it back to the beach between the rain. We were the only one’s left to enjoy the beach. We would have loved to do what we do best…people watch!

We needed to take cover because the rain began to come down again hard.

We started to walk the 2 mile trek back to our hotel. Unfortunately, the rain started to come down hard, so we decided to uber back to the hotel. At first, we thought everyone had the same idea, so many cars, but none of them were moving. Our Uber driver did not speak English. After sometime, he informed us with google translation that the road ahead, where are hotel was located was closed due to the flooding water. We googled back to him that we would like to get out and walk. He googled back… NO!! It’s not safe to walk because of the Bandits! WHAT!!! After about 45 minutes of not moving, people were jumping out of cars and walking in the direction of our hotel. We informed our Uber driver that we wanted to walk. He said ok, but stick with the crowd, which we did and no bandit activity occurred. Thanks to our Angels for always looking after us!

We made it back to our hotel to enjoy a much needed caipirinha drink down at the pool. All and all, it was a great 1st day in Rio.

Marianne and I eagerly woke up early the next morning to go on a 6 hour tour to see Christ the Redeemer, the Selaron Steps and Sugarloaf Mountain.

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

Marianne and I were awestruck with the giant, mountain top statue of Jesus Christ. Christ the Redeemer is a masterpiece which expresses the feeling and the blessing of the Brazilian people. The statue is considered one of the 7th wonders of the world due to its tremendous name and its size. It is the largest monument with Art Deco design. The statue was completed in 1931 and stands 98 feet tall at the top of the Corcovado Mountain.

The view from the Christ the Redeemer is breathtaking! It is a an amazing panoramic and 360 degrees, offering view of the city, bay and ocean.

Christ the Redeemer with its open arms is seen as a gesture of embracing all who visit, regardless of their faith. It.s such a powerful symbol! Marianne and I will treasure this visit to Christ the Redeemer and will always be touched by it’s beauty.

ESCADARIA SELARON

Our next stop was to the Selaron Steps, which is one of the famous landmarks of Rio. The steps are a work of a Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron who claimed it as his tribute to the Brazilian people. He envisioned creating a living work of art to transform a run-down set of steps. He wanted to bring life and color to the Lapa neighborhood.

The art at the Selaron Steps is a collection of thousands of tiles from around the world. The tiles are mosaic of colors, patterns and messages that represent the diversity of the world.

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN

Sugarloaf Mountain is a peak that rises 396 meters high (1300 feet) and presents a bird’s eye view of Rio.

Marianne and I took a cable car to the summit.

Such an awesome view of Rio from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.

We were able to take in the incredible sight of the Christ the Redeemer.

As we walked around the top, we were astounded with the overwhelming gorgeous view of Rio!

Visiting Sugarloaf was such a rewarding experience seeing the mountains, lakes, beaches, and oceans surrounding the bustling city of Rio.

We are so blessed to end 2024 by basking in the beauty of Rio de Janeiro!
Every corner of Rio is a sight to behold. Not even the pouring rain could dampen our appreciate of this beautiful city. Our endless adventures in Rio will stay with us forever!