My flight to Atlanta to get to my flight for Mexico City to get to my flight for Guadalajara was not until late Saturday night so fortunately I had a free day to go around and sight see a little bit. I ended up signing up for a tour with the hotel and expected it to be me in a big bus with lots of other foreigners. Well did I get a surprise!! When my tour guide came to get me from my hotel my transportation was just a small car. At first I was the only person but then we picked up a family of three from another city in Brazil. Our tour guide was a young guy from Argentina, so he could speak perfect Spanish, English and Portuguese. So for 130 Reales I got a personal tour guide in a car run on sugar cane!!
We drove past the beaches of Barra de Tijuca and then went up the mountain some to the largest urban rainforest, Tijuca National Forest. It was a really neat place and I wish I could have spent a lot more time there. The national forest was so much different from any of the national forests in the US.
Once we went through the forest for a little bit we headed further up the mountain to the Christo Rendetor (aka Christ the Redeemer). It is a really surreal sight!! You have this massive statue on top of this mountain overlooking a huge city with lots of beautiful beaches. It was not the best day to be up there because it was really cloudy. Sometimes you could not see the statue because you were in a cloud. You could see God though through the beauty of the mountains and the sea and even the city.
After the seeing the Christ the Redeemer I was dropped back off at the hotel and packed for the 24 hour trip that was ahead of me. I hope that I can go back to Rio some day and really get to be a tourist! God answered many prayers by allowing safe travel, nice people, and a overall great week!!
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