Pão de Açúcar

• Plan a stay in Rio de Janeiro
• March to Urca to get to Sugar Loaf by gondola
• Common marmoset and iguana
• Wait for sunset on the windy Sugar Loaf
• Discussion over a glass of wine with Claudio and Lucy

We use the morning to plan the coming days in Rio a little more precisely, after all there is a lot to see and do here. Since it is pretty clear and sunny today, we decide on the Sugar Loaf to go. Because the weather forecast for the coming days is a bit mixed. Claudio gives us a variety of information. Then we march off. We get to the district through the tunnel Botafogo. There is a large shopping center in which we take a quick look to get an idea of the local price level. While food and drinks are pretty cheap, which cannot be said of the prices of electronics and sometimes also fashion.

We don't have any visible valuables on us and the most important things are in my belt pouch. We march on through the busy alleys to Urca. There is already the gondolawhich has been leading up to the Sugar Loaf since 1913. The Swiss made has been running through the intermediate station on the since the total renovation in 2009 Morro da Urca up to the 396 m high landmark of the Ciudad Maravilhosa. Already from the intermediate station there is a breathtaking view down to the Guanabara Bay and the beautifully situated city. There are several restaurants and bars here. You could also hike up here. The second gondola then continues up to the steeply sloping Pão de Açúcar.

The view is sensational, you just have to see it. Nestled between the striking rocks of the Tijuca National Park, our gaze wanders from the sandy beaches of Copacabana to Ipanema, up to the towering statue of Christ on the summit of Corcovado, to the skyscrapers of the Centros and finally to the other side of the bay to Niterói. At the top there is a short path that leads through dense rainforest. There we meet a group of cute people Common marmoset, unfortunately I only have the compact camera with me. A handsome one iguana and various birds can also be seen.

The view up here has to be really breathtaking, especially at sunrise and sunset. Finally we decide to hang out here for the rest of the afternoon and to plan and relax a bit. The Waiting it is really worth it, clouds slowly pull in over the mountains and create a special atmosphere. The rising wind cools down here pretty quickly. I can convince Niki to hang out a little longer to look at the sea of lights in the city. After these pictures are also in the box, we make our way back. At the bottom of the valley station we take a taxi back to Leme, partly for convenience, partly for safety. In a simple Buffet restaurant let us be surprised by various exotic and incomprehensible dishes. Niki's mozzarella balls turn out to be quail eggs, otherwise most of it tastes excellent. Back at Claudio and Lucy, we will get one of the two Glas of wine invited and talk for a long time.