Wednesday, March 19, 2008

JC in RIO

Christ the Redeemer (Portugese: O Cristo Redentor), is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio. It stands 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, weighs 700 tons, and has stood on the peak of the 700 m (2,296 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park since 1931. Its visible from all over Rio and is an icon which has come to be synonymous with the city and Brazil as a whole. The views from its base are spectacular, though when I was there the clouds rolled in and everything was filtered by mist.
How could it be misty and sweltering at the same time?
JC has his ways and mere mortals should not bother to question such miracles.
There were also clouds of mosquitos which seemed to follow my colleague around but left this thin blooded non-catholic Canadian alone.
The Reformation of 1517 still has it's useful side it seems.
I've always meant to visit on previous trips but have never managed to carve out the time.
I'm glad I made it. My smoker's lungs were huffing and puffing climbing the stairs to the top though an hour or so later I managed a climb at lower elevations which was much steeper. The place was crawling with tourists but wasn't as commercialised as something similar in Europe of North America.
Whether you're a confirmed agnostic like myself, or taken a deep draught of the pope's kool-ade, you'll get something from a trip here.
It's a one of a kind monument and I'm not sure there's anything else I've seen to compare.That's enough of JC for today.
I guess I'm heading straight to hell when I kick the bucket.
Two more days and home
Love
T

1 comment:

Pan/Thanatos said...

I love this piece and would love to visit it myself someday. It's great that you don't have to be religious to enjoy the beautiful piece of sculptural art you've pictured. The religious relation to Christ is only there if you know about Christ.
And I didn't think agnostics were too worried about there even being a hell? =)