Time Out
Blame it on Rio
SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE
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Long days at the beach and longer nights at the clubs. Rio is the perfect place to unwind.
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PHOTO: AP
Spectacular view: Rio as seen from the Corcovado Mountain.
THE moment I stood at the foot of Christ the Redeemer, the statue, atop the Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain, Cristovo Leite de Castro's poetic impression of Rio de Janeiro as a woman framed up in sequence.
The foot of the statue forms the perfect vantage point as it offers a grand view of the historic city of Rio. On one side you have the vast expanse of the old and the new city fighting for a place beside the Guanabara Bay, and on the other side you have a view of the swathe of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches skirting the Atlantic Ocean, while silhouetted against the sky stands the Sugarloaf Mountain, like the well-shaped bosom of a Carioca woman.
Hard climb
It took me around 30 minutes from the hotel abutting the Copacabana beach to reach the foot of the Corcovado Mountain, winding through downtown Rio. A two-cabined train takes visitors almost on a vertical ride up the 710-metre mountain. And, as you disembark, placed against the deep blue sky stands the 30- metre tall statue of Christ with outstretched arms.
Conceived by artist Carlos Oswaldo in 1921, it was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted in France by Polish sculptor Paul Landowski. The construction began in 1921 and completed by 1931. There is also a small chapel that can accommodate around 150 persons at the base of the statue.
Coming back, I drove back through the Tijuca National park, the world's largest urban forest, covering over 32 sq km. The national park is the green spine of Rio, and it was replanted by Major Manuel Gomes Archer in the second half of the 19th century to protect Rio's water supply. The drive led me to the Cascatinha waterfalls, the pagoda-style gazebo at Vista Chinesa and the giant granite picnic table called the Mesa do Imperador.
Rio was founded by Portuguese explorers in 1502, and a couple of years later, as they gained a foothold over Brazil it was made the capital city. Since the bay was considered the mouth of a river, the city was named in honour of the day of entry, Rio de Janeiro or River of January. French traders also tried to settle in and around the Guanabara Bay in an attempt to gain an economic and strategic foothold over Brazil. After two bitter battles in 1565 and 1567 the French were expelled. Standing as testimony to the power struggle between the Europeans, the remnants of the old bastions of the fort that held heavy cannons once upon a time to ward of enemy ships can still be seen jutting out of the bay on a low tide day.
Looking for thrills?
Another spectacular spot that holds your attention in Rio is the Sugarloaf Mountain. The two-stop cable car ride to the top of the 396-metre tall mountain was fascinating. Suspended in mid air, one can have a splendid view of the city from all sides. But it could be a little too much for the faint-hearted as the car tends to swing a few degrees on breezy days.
Before I set foot at Rio, friends at Sao Paulo had said things like, "The night is always young at Rio" and "The city never sleeps". The city is virtually decked up with bars, restaurants, nightclubs and discotheques that operate only after dusk. On weekends, the hours get extended. Rio is the city to "eat, drink, dance and be merry". It is the place to unwind. Long days at the beaches and longer nights in the clubs.
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