- Stroll along the Copacabana to Ipanema
- Through the pretty streets from Ipanema to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
- By bus and cog railway up to the Corcovado
- Amazing view at the Cristo Redentor statue
The first highlight is already waiting for us at breakfast. Outside in the garden, common marmosets do gymnastics. Attracted by a banana, they even come right up to the window.
Strengthened, we set off along Praia do Leme and the Copacabana. Today is of course not nearly as busy as it would have been yesterday. Nevertheless, it is just interesting to watch all the hustle and bustle here. From the outdoor fitness center and many other sports enthusiasts, strollers, beach vendors or sandcastle artists and of course tourists.
In one of the Beach coffees let's take a break and have a drink. To do this, I read in the travel guide and plan the further course of the trip. Brazil alone has an incredible variety to offer, after all, the country is also gigantic. Choosing what we want to see in the next month is not easy.
At the end of the long sandy beach, we walk a short section through the city before we arrive at the next legendary beach in Rio: Ipanema. Initially lined with cozy cafes, the stretch of coast is developing more and more into an open-air meeting point. Bath towel to beach towel, parasol to parasol, surfboard rental companies, sun-tanned locals and crab-red tourists mix in between. We have a salad in one of the pretty beach cafes.
A little later we cross the Ipanema district and arrive at the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Here, too, there is a pretty cycle and pedestrian path. After a delicious suco (fresh fruit juice) we wait for the bus. That lasts and lasts, after all, after a little over half an hour, he still appears. The route leads through the district Leblon.
We're going to Cosme Velho valley station. There we buy tickets for the Rack railway high on the Corcovado. The bulging little train goes through wonderful Tijuca-Mountain forest up to the summit. After the last few meters on foot at 710 meters above sea level, there is a fantastic panorama. Here is the famous 30 m high Cristo Redentor statue with arms outstretched, next to the Sugar Loaf the landmark of the city and an extremely popular photo subject.
There is a lot of crowd on the narrow platform. Everyone apparently wants a picture of themselves in the imitated pose, which only creates more space problems. To get away from it all, let's go have a drink for the time being. Unfortunately, the rush subsides only slightly, also because whole groups want to take a group photo here. The breathtaking view helps to look past the crowd. Unfortunately, the hiking trail up here is considered to be quite unsafe, and tourists are said to have been robbed here several times.
Shortly before sunset we make our way down. Unfortunately we just miss the penultimate lane and have to wait. It takes a while until all the tourists are finally rounded up.
We drive back to Leme by fast and hypothermic bus. We eat in one of the takeaways before going back to Claudio and Lucy. We chat a little more with the two of them and tell them about our plans and receive further valuable tips. I do some research on the internet before we go to bed.
