We are just a few days from the conclusion of this first segment of the world cruise. It has gone well. Stephen is a good travel companion. He will be going home at the end of this segment and Maria will join me for the next five segments. She will fly down to Buenos Aires on January 24 and join the cruise on the 27th.
I have been circumspect with respect to the junk I carry around, but in looking at some of our fellow travelers, I am traveling light.
The cable car system was inaugurated in 1912 and has under gone several upgrades.
There are two cable cars going up to Sugarloaf. They run in opposite directions and run every 10 minutes or so. There is a intermediate stop on the way up.
Each car could probably carry 30+ people.
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| One of the original 1912 cable cars |
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| A cable car of the 1970's and used in the James Bond movie |
Much of the beach front seen below is reclaimed bay using materials from the surroundings hills.
The airport is part of the reclaimed bay.
The second leg of the cable system is to Sugarloaf itself.
Copa Cabana from Sugarloaf.
The weather is still very overcast, but every now and then, you can see the statue of Christ the Redeemer.
On the way back to the ship, we stopped at the national cathedral.
We are docked at the Porto Maravilha in the Gamboa district of Rio de Janeiro.
They have an "eye" which only opened six weeks ago. It only operates during the day and is not lit at night.
After we got back to the ship, Stephen changed his shoes and we ventured out to find lunch.
We came across the "hole in the wall" Gracioso. It has been around since 1960. We tried the Brazilian national drink, the Caipirinha, several times! It is made with cachaça (sugarcane hard liquor), sugar, and lime.
We shared an order of the "Traditional", a huge slab of sirloin steak. With two rounds of drinks, and more food than we could consume, the tab was the equivalent of $50 US.
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| Traditional! Juicy Filet covered with tomato, onion, chili and fried garlic accompanied by potatoes Portuguese. $25.50 US |
Back in our cabin, the clouds had parted and we could see the statue.
