Foto: View over Rio de Janeiro (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Brazil - In the afternoon, we go with the group to Pão de Açúcar, the Sugarloaf Mountain. From this characteristic rocky peak at the entrance of the bay, you have a beautiful view over Rio de Janeiro. We take five taxis to the cable car entrance. A cabin takes me to the first plateau. From this mountain point, I already have a nice view of the city center. The sun may be in the wrong position; there is quite a bit of backlight for the photos. The sun is already setting on the horizon. With a second gondola, I continue to the 396-meter-high Sugarloaf Mountain. I see Copacabana beach, the boulevard I drove along earlier, the old city, and the ships in Rio’s bay. I just don’t see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue yet. The enormous statue, 38 meters high, on a rocky peak should be visible, right? It must be in the clouds. As the sun sets, the clouds clear, and the Christ statue appears between the clouds. It’s farther away than I expected, but the view is beautiful. Around half past six, the last bit of sun sets behind the mountains. Applause breaks out from the hundreds of spectators on the mountain. I’m not sure why. After sunset, the city actually looks even more beautiful. I see more and more lights turning on below me. On the horizon, the Christ statue is lit up white on the mountain.
Authentic Paraty
Brazil - Back in the city, Philippe takes us directly to the old town. The tide reaches its maximum height around three o’clock, and it’s already half past three. We walk briskly to the historic center. Although the water is already receding, I still see several ...
Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil - Traffic is backed up in several places, but eventually, it starts to crawl forward. After leaving the main road, the driver heads into the mountains. With each bend, we climb higher. Eventually, I'm dropped off at the parking lot by the information center. ...
Iguazú Falls
Brazil - I get off the bus at the luxurious Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, right in the middle of the National Park. Why aren’t we staying here? I can already hear the river and waterfalls behind the trees. As I walk along the path toward the water, I see the ...
Paradiselike Ilha Grande
Brazil - On the east side of Abraão Beach, a hiking trail begins to one of the most beautiful beaches on Ilha Grande. Praia Lopes Mendes lies on the other side of the island, on the ocean side. Because of the surf, the beach is difficult to reach by water taxi. ...
The Pantanal wetlands
Brazil - As soon as the truck drives onto the dirt road, I see beautiful birds on both sides. With a tap on the cabin roof, the driver stops. It’s not easy to take good photos. The sound of the vehicle scares the animals. In the puddles where there is still ...