Rio - Day II

On Sunday the weather was beautiful, so I decided to head back up to Corcovado Mountain to get a view of Rio on clear day. This time, however, I took the Corcovado Rack Railway, which dates back to the 1880s. It takes you up on a narrow track through the Tijuca Forest.

The view of Rio on a clear day was well worth the trip, and allowed for unobstructed panoramic views. The only negative was that it was a bit hazy.

And here’s a shot of Cristo with a clear background.

After the visit to Corcovado I took a cab to Ipanema beach, passing by the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas – a large lagoon between Corcovado and Rio’s southern beaches – on the way.

For the balance of the day I just walked along Ipanema and Copacapana beaches to take in the sights. The main beachfront street was closed for pedestrian traffic only, which provided a relaxed feel.

Ipanema…

 

Copacabana…

And there must have been some sort of sand castle competition going on, as every so often I passed a pretty impressive one. Then again, in order to take a picture you were "requested" to offer a donation, so perhaps they were simply a means of making money off the tourists.

After returning to the hotel I had some spare time, so I headed up to the roof deck for a final view of Copacabana.

***

After all the negatives that I had heard about Rio in terms of safety, I have to say that it didn’t feel much different than any other major city in that regard. It was clear that there are definitely areas to avoid (most notably, the favelas), but for the most part if you’re just aware of your surroundings you should be fine. Sure, anything can happen if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that can be said for just about anywhere).

And I regret not bringing my nice camera – particularly after seeing a group of elderly ladies walking along Copacabana with the exact same one that I have. If they weren’t worried, why should I have been? Then again, who knows?…perhaps theirs didn’t ultimately make it home with them.