From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 23, 2007 7:55 PM
Subject: Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Rio DE Janeiro, Brazil – Day II
We got up even earlier today. 6:00 AM. Me. Would you believe, 6:00 AM in the morning? We had to order breakfast in bed. Oh, the hardships I must endure. We had a tour that started at 8:00 AM. We were leaving this afternoon so it was hard to find an afternoon tour. This one was to be a pretty through tour of most of Rio.
First we went to Corcovado. That is the mountain that has the huge statue of Jesus on the top. In clear weather you can see it from all over town. We could not see it from anywhere. It was very overcast again. But, we had paid so we went anyhow.
As we drove along, for about 45 minutes, our guide gave us all kinds of very interesting information and showed us many points of interest. Once we got to the base of the mountain we were given tickets to board what they call a cable car. It was in no way attached to anything by cable nor did it have cable TV. It looked like an electric subway train and rode on tracks. The only difference was, instead of a third rail it had a third track running down the center. This third track had regularly spaced square holes. It was really an electric cog train.
We got in line and waited to board the train. Shortly before the train arrived a group of Japanese showed up. Typical to everywhere in the world that I have seen groups of Japanese, from Japan, they try to push and squirm to get in line ahead of you. Several were very unhappy to have tried that on some very heavy Americans. I will give them this though. They are quick learners. After I stepped on the first two that tried to wriggle past me they didn’t try to do that any more. You aught to hear the funny noise that comes out when you squish them. Bobbi followed close behind me but one them suckers kept trying to push past her. Dear sweet gentle goody two shoes bubby Bobbi finally had enough and did a big flying elbow right to the gut. When you hit those little suckers, really hard, in the gut, all the air blows out of them and they make this really funny oof, ugg, sound. But then they don’t bug you anymore. By now all the people in our group got the idea and were working them over.
The train took about 20 minutes to reach the top. Some of the seats faced forward and some back. At several spots it got so steep you would go sliding off the seats if you didn’t hold on tightly. The ride was very interesting. Once to the top end of the train tracks we got off and lined up for elevators to take us about another 10 stories. We now got new Japs to try sneaking in line. These were the ones that had not yet had the experience of getting crushed. Everyone was ready by now and they did not get far. Many were now making those funny grunting sounds but not advancing in line.
After the lift to the top of the elevators, there was now an escalator. And finally we were all the way to the top of the mountain. We had come to see Jesus but I guess he didn’t want to see us. Jesus was hiding. We were told that sometimes he could be shy. All we saw was the black granite base the huge statue stood upon. Then little by little Jesus started to come out of the clouds. We finally got to see all of him. He was really huge standing there with both arms sticking straight out to his sides.
We were told he is sometimes called the Titanic Jesus. Remember, in the movie, where the hero guy, Leonardo DiCaprio, stands out on the very point of the bow of the ship? He puts his arms out as if he is flying. That’s the way this statue looks. Finally we even got a little clearing of the clouds below us too and we were able to see little pieces of the city a short way down the mountain. After we got all the photos we wanted, we went back down the way we had come.
As we got to the train we saw that the Japanese wanted no part of us any longer. They all walked down the tracks a little ways and got into a different car, or maybe they thought they won by getting in a car that would get to the bottom first.
From there we spent the rest of what was a four hour tour, touring. Again we had a fantastic guide. We have almost never gotten a bad guide from any tour we have arranged through Regent (Radisson). Whomever they use may be a littler more expensive but we have always gotten only the best people and equipment available. When it has been a large tour there have been people from the ship accompanying us also. They do a terrific job of making these tours safe and enjoyable. We drove around and had the different points of interest explained to us. Just before the final ride back to the ship we stopped in some very nice park. There was a huge amount of green space overlooking the bay with views of mountains in the distance in many directions.
Again, Rio was a great place. We loved it. I would like to spend a lot more time here. Especially when it’s sunny. I am very glad to have planned to stop again next year.
This evening Latitudes Restaurant became a Brazilian Churrasco. That’s one of their steak houses where they come to your table and slice chunks of meat from skewers onto you plate. The costumes and decorations were very good though not as far out as last years. It is always fun to hear the wait staff trying to be from somewhere they are not. The French waitress filled out her outfit extremely well in all the right places. Bobbi is mean. She wouldn’t let me keep her. The food was not very authentic but served in somewhat the same style. The steak was excellent filet. I doubt you could get near as good at the real thing. We happened to be sitting at a table next to some people from Weston. They too were originally from Chicago. I knew one of their relatives well.
Rio DE Janeiro, Brazil – Day II
We got up even earlier today. 6:00 AM. Me. Would you believe, 6:00 AM in the morning? We had to order breakfast in bed. Oh, the hardships I must endure. We had a tour that started at 8:00 AM. We were leaving this afternoon so it was hard to find an afternoon tour. This one was to be a pretty through tour of most of Rio.First we went to Corcovado. That is the mountain that has the huge statue of Jesus on the top. In clear weather you can see it from all over town. We could not see it from anywhere. It was very overcast again. But, we had paid so we went anyhow.
As we drove along, for about 45 minutes, our guide gave us all kinds of very interesting information and showed us many points of interest. Once we got to the base of the mountain we were given tickets to board what they call a cable car. It was in no way attached to anything by cable nor did it have cable TV. It looked like an electric subway train and rode on tracks. The only difference was, instead of a third rail it had a third track running down the center. This third track had regularly spaced square holes. It was really an electric cog train.We got in line and waited to board the train. Shortly before the train arrived a group of Japanese showed up. Typical to everywhere in the world that I have seen groups of Japanese, from Japan, they try to push and squirm to get in line ahead of you. Several were very unhappy to have tried that on some very heavy Americans. I will give them this though. They are quick learners. After I stepped on the first two that tried to wriggle past me they didn’t try to do that any more. You aught to hear the funny noise that comes out when you squish them. Bobbi followed close behind me but one them suckers kept trying to push past her. Dear sweet gentle goody two shoes bubby Bobbi finally had enough and did a big flying elbow right to the gut. When you hit those little suckers, really hard, in the gut, all the air blows out of them and they make this really funny oof, ugg, sound. But then they don’t bug you anymore. By now all the people in our group got the idea and were working them over.
The train took about 20 minutes to reach the top. Some of the seats faced forward and some back. At several spots it got so steep you would go sliding off the seats if you didn’t hold on tightly. The ride was very interesting. Once to the top end of the train tracks we got off and lined up for elevators to take us about another 10 stories. We now got new Japs to try sneaking in line. These were the ones that had not yet had the experience of getting crushed. Everyone was ready by now and they did not get far. Many were now making those funny grunting sounds but not advancing in line.
After the lift to the top of the elevators, there was now an escalator. And finally we were all the way to the top of the mountain. We had come to see Jesus but I guess he didn’t want to see us. Jesus was hiding. We were told that sometimes he could be shy. All we saw was the black granite base the huge statue stood upon. Then little by little Jesus started to come out of the clouds. We finally got to see all of him. He was really huge standing there with both arms sticking straight out to his sides.We were told he is sometimes called the Titanic Jesus. Remember, in the movie, where the hero guy, Leonardo DiCaprio, stands out on the very point of the bow of the ship? He puts his arms out as if he is flying. That’s the way this statue looks. Finally we even got a little clearing of the clouds below us too and we were able to see little pieces of the city a short way down the mountain. After we got all the photos we wanted, we went back down the way we had come.
As we got to the train we saw that the Japanese wanted no part of us any longer. They all walked down the tracks a little ways and got into a different car, or maybe they thought they won by getting in a car that would get to the bottom first.
From there we spent the rest of what was a four hour tour, touring. Again we had a fantastic guide. We have almost never gotten a bad guide from any tour we have arranged through Regent (Radisson). Whomever they use may be a littler more expensive but we have always gotten only the best people and equipment available. When it has been a large tour there have been people from the ship accompanying us also. They do a terrific job of making these tours safe and enjoyable. We drove around and had the different points of interest explained to us. Just before the final ride back to the ship we stopped in some very nice park. There was a huge amount of green space overlooking the bay with views of mountains in the distance in many directions.
Again, Rio was a great place. We loved it. I would like to spend a lot more time here. Especially when it’s sunny. I am very glad to have planned to stop again next year.
This evening Latitudes Restaurant became a Brazilian Churrasco. That’s one of their steak houses where they come to your table and slice chunks of meat from skewers onto you plate. The costumes and decorations were very good though not as far out as last years. It is always fun to hear the wait staff trying to be from somewhere they are not. The French waitress filled out her outfit extremely well in all the right places. Bobbi is mean. She wouldn’t let me keep her. The food was not very authentic but served in somewhat the same style. The steak was excellent filet. I doubt you could get near as good at the real thing. We happened to be sitting at a table next to some people from Weston. They too were originally from Chicago. I knew one of their relatives well.
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