In the clouds of Rio

I am a big fan of the “must-sees” of a city…you can’t visit Rome and not the Coliseum sort of philosophy. So off to the Sugar Loaf it is. I have no idea why this mountain has such a funny name, nor why it was chosen, amongst all the other very similar rock formations in Rio to be the tourist hot spot. I suppose it is possible to find the answers to these questions – but for now I will choose to live in blissful ignorance.

We met a few girls at the B&B we were staying at who advised us to plan a trip to the Sugar Loaf for sunset in order to get absolutely stunning photos. So after a carefully planned day of sightseeing…we arrived to our gondola to guarantee us enough time at the top to plan that perfect photo.

There are two stops on this adventure – the first is at a lower mountain (or monolith to be more accurate) Morro da Urca which has its own amazing views – along with gift shops and restaurants. From here you board the teleférico for the ride up to the peak - Pão de Açúcar  

If there is one cloud in Rio it will be over Sugarloaf Mountain…and it will arrive as your gondola is heading up to this final peak. You may start to feel disappointed but don’t – turns out that cloud gives you a unique opportunity – a serene and peaceful moment in downtown Rio.

Gone are the sights and sounds of a big city – instead it feels as if you are on an island…that is glowing in an orange fog. Realizing that we were missing the ‘peak sunset’ we elected to explore the area rather than wait for the cloud to lift and discovered a jungle area with trails. While the intent had been to see the city at sunset, the opportunity to wander through a tranquil area and watch monkeys frolic was a pleasant surprise.

And luckily we dawdled long enough…watching wildlife…eating cake… the usual distractions for me…that we were able to see the city at night, which was amazing. I’ve decided that I like Rio from up here much better – far removed from the bustle and chaos. Up here is a private paradise – spectacular views, snack bars and monkeys!