A lot of people think that the capital of Brazil (population about 218 million 2023)is Rio De Janeiro (6.12 million) or even Sao Paolo (11.45 million) which is incorrect. Brasilia is seat of government of the country and is considered the third most populous city. It is located high in the Brazilian Highlands in the Central-Western area of the country.
Contrasting photo of a favela and Rio’s modern skyline.
There are over 100 favelas in Rio. Favelas are slums, ghettos or shantytown located in the outskirts of Rio and Sao Paolo. They have been a chronic social and inequality problem of the country since the average life span in the favelas is 48 years old. Crime is rampant that sometimes law enforcement refuse to go into them. Despite these problems, Rio is a wonderful place to visit, just know where to avoid at night and be constantly vigilant.
After a so-so buffet lunch, the tour guide announced what everybody had been waiting for -a last stop to Christ the Redeemer. This Art Deco sculpture was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa between 1922 and 1931. The total height is 124 feet including the base with the arms stretching 92 feet wide. A symbol of Christianity around the world, the statue has also become a cultural icon of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil and was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. (Wikipedia)
By this time around 3:00 pm, the clouds have formed but fortunately the wind would carry them away from the statue. It was a hit or miss photo session but the clouds added some aura to the statue as some of the photos will show. After the guide handed us our entrance tickets, he showed us where the elevator going to the statue level is. He also informed us that you can take the stairs – I opted for the latter!
One of the items in my bucket list is to see The Severn Modern Wonders of the World! After our visit to Rio to see Christ the Redeemer, there is only one left in my list – Taj Majal. The following is a list of the Seven Modern Wonders and the year we visited them:
- CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico – 1992
- GREAT WALLS OF CHINA – 2003
- COLOSSEUM, Italy – 2007
- MACHU PICCHU, Peru – 2010
- PETRA, Jordan – 2018
- CHRIST THE REDEEMER, Brazil – 2023
- TAJ MAHAL, India – ?
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