When we met the couple from Ottawa they had been on a favela tour which is something I wanted to experience. So we got the info on the tour company from them and booked a tour for this morning. The city of Rio de Janeiro, is one of the largest cities in the world and is the second largest city in the country with more than 6 million inhabitants. A striking feature of the city is the presence of favelas (slums) that are particularly evident throughout the city. ...

Sugarloaf Mountain has stunning views of Rio. It is located at the entrance to Guanabara Bay and is made up of 2 view points with breathtaking views. Access to the Urca Hill is by 2 cable-cars, traveling some 575 meters from Praia (Beach) Vermelha to a height of 220 meters above sea level, with a beautiful view over Botafogo (neighbourhood in Rio) and Guanabara Bay. The second stage of the cable-car covers 750 meters to the top of Sugar Loaf, at a height of 396 ...

Today we decided to go to see the statue of Cristo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer, the largest and most famous Art Déco sulpture in the world, which started to be planned in 1921 and was developed by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. The drawings of the statue were taken to France, to Polish sculptor Paul Landowski who began sculpting the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world atop Corcovado. The monument was inaugurated in 1931. It is located at the Tijuca Nat...

Its calling for unseasonably hot weather today - 36 degrees. We decided to tour a suburb of Rio called Santa Teresa. It has lovely Colonial architecture, great views. and sloping, cobblestoned streets with streetcar tracks. Before Cariocas (locals) went to the beaches to get relief from the heat they found cooler climates in the hills surrounding the Centro (city centre). In the 19th & 20th centuries many prominent families built mansions in Santa Teresa. A stre...

We booked this trip 3 years ago and were heartbroken when I suffered a detached retina and had to cancel just 2 months before we were slated to depart. Then issues with my eye prevented us from rebooking until recently. So now we're finally getting to make this trip a reality. First destination is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for 5 days and then on to a 14 day G adventure tour that will take us to various places in Peru, including a lodge in the Amazon Rainforest, Cus...