The visit to Cristo Redentor (or better known as Christ the Redeemer) was a very special one for me. Not to make it about religion, but I myself am Catholic so this experience was especially breath taking. Though the clouds were heavy when we went up, just being up there was good enough for me. I tried all angles to look at Cristo Redentor but to little luck.
This was still very humbling in the sense of just how large the monument was. I mean just being around different parts of the city for a few days before actually being up there, you could see Cristo Redentor at almost every stop you made. I have hundreds of pictures of him at different angles all in different spots. But actually being up here puts the thing in perspective.
I had a very nice moment to myself up there religiously but I also took the time to examine the statue as a whole. It is truly amazing the detail that this statue has. For as big as it is, you wouldn’t think it would be that detailed. But the cloak that Christ was wearing (which was almost all I could see) was very detailed. I also enjoyed the train ride up. Going up through Corcovado provided a lot of good scenery and views. I am planning on going back to see it when the sky is clear which will hopefully be Friday!
I also thought that this experience was breath-taking. It is definitely a moment that I will never forget. It truly is amazing just how large the statue actually is. It was even difficult to gauge just how tall the statue was because you couldn’t see where the statue ended. I was most amazed because it seemed as if the statue was rising into the clouds, which holds a lot of religious and spiritual metaphoric meaning.
The statue in general I believe is most symbolic in the sense that it is generally visible just about anywhere you go. However, my favorite view was from the roof of the hotel. There is something very moving about looking out from a more expensive place in Rio, to see the favelas climbing up on the mountain slowly dissolving into the edge of the tree horizon which located on top is the illuminated Christ the Redeemer statue.
My favorite moment while visiting the statue was when I jokingly stated that I thought Jesus was suppose to signify light, which was ironic because the sky appeared so gloomy and gray … Less than 10 seconds later the sun illuminated through the clouds lighting up the entire sky. In that moment I was completely breathless. It was truly an experience that I will never forget.