Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

After several months on the road I have finally arrived at Rio in time for the carnival. Carnival starts on the Friday evening so we had time to spare to go sight seeing...and of course number one thing to do i.e. is visit Christ the Redeemer.
A view from the distance

 and a view from right underneath.

 The views were great but could have been better on a clear day. It was early in the morning but there was still a haze.

 Sugar Loaf mountain towards the right of the picture.

 One of the several lagos that divide up the city.

 and an atmospheric photo with the sun shining across one arm.

 On the journey around the city there are plenty of favelas, over 1,000 but not all of them are as big as this one overlooking St Teresa neighbourhood.

 St Teresa was one of the first neighbourhoods to be developed and it is famous for its architecture nd its trams. There were plenty of tracks but the trams only run intermittently and I saw none.

 The cathedral is a large concrete built cone, an interesting piece of architecture, rather too brutalist for my liking and as an ecclesiastical building it is also far too modern as I like my cathedrals built of stone, dark and cool

 The bell tower set to one side of the main entrance.

 An an inside photo of one of the four floor to ceiling stained glass windows It too was in a modern style and depicted a scene from the bible but in such a modernist style that although I know the story, I wouldn't have been able to tell which story from the bible it was depicting unless I had been told...and even then I had trouble working the picture and the story together.

The Escadaria Selaron or Selaron Steps. Selaron was an artist who started to decorate the steps outside his house in the 1990's. He continued with his mosaics until he completed the whole set of steps which gives the colourful staircase seen today. There are many countries represented here and it is always a challenge to fin depictions of your own country somewhere up the steps.

                                       
A few more photos of the steps.

On a vist to the largest favela in Latin America, Rochinha where 200,000 people live. It is a cramped sprawling mass of concrete one of two room houses up to six stories high climbing up the steep mountain behind the small flat strip of land between the mountains and the beach. We were taken on a tour but one of the locals.

There was a little danger as the drug gangs are still dealing here but after a long struggle between the police and the gangs, there is a sort of calm. The police patrol the outside and the gangs still deal but without the inter gang warfare so that the area is safer than it used to be. This is a reasonable conclusion for the politicians as it is compulsory to vote in Brazil and there are a lot of voters in the favelas.

A view looking across the favela towards the beach.

 The top of the favela where the mountain side gets too steep even to extend the favela.

 A detail of the main thoroughfare through the area.

 A steep side street off the main track.

Another photo not for the people but to show the mass of telephone and power cables above your head. Some people steal the electricity but others pay for it partly as it gives them an address and therefore access to post, residency, land claim etc. The ground underfoot was similarly covered with water pipes and below them sewage pipes. So you always had to watch your head and where you put your feet not only for the pipes but also for the dogs hit that is everywhere until it is washed away by the rain. I was only wearing flip-flops and no one had mentioned the dog shit was I was very careful where I put my feet. 

Some areas have been frightened up by sponsored graffiti to add colour.

 No trip to Rio is complete without a trip up to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain so it was time to find the two stage cable car to get to the top.
                                      

 The views are great and after a bit of wind there was less haze.

 A view of the legendary Cococabana Beach from Sugar Loaf Mountain.

 A less popular beach, it is very sheltered and there is an almost  imperceptible film of oil on the water from the many boats moored just off shore. With so many excellent beaches to chose from, this one s often empty.

 The helicopter landing pad on the first of the two sugar loaf mountain hilltops for those that don't want the full experience but want a short cut to the top.

 One of the two forts that protect the harbour across the strait.

 A picture of myself with Ipanema Beach over my left shoulder which some people claim is better than Cococabana Breach...I disagree as the beach shelves steeply with some strong waves but Coco is a more gentle slope and better for families and weak swimmers.

 Between Coco and Ipanema beaches is a rocky headland where the military built a fort that has undergone several refurbishments and although still a military post, it is now a museum.

 Some of the heavy calibre naval guns deployed at the start of the twentieth century.

 The entrance to the underground complex.

 And some of the tunnel, armouries, power plants and barracks all built underground for protection.

 And one last shot of Sugar Loaf Mountain from Gloria Beach. I was reluctant to take shots of the other beaches as there were so many thongs, strings and very skimpy bikinis on display that I didn't want to appear to be too interested in them which was hard. So my advice to female visitors that before they visit if they want to fit in tis o save the money on designer wear and get two pieces of coloured string,  go on a two week diet and make the effort to get an ALL over fake tan. Otherwise stay off the beach.