Christ who redeems us...

Saturday and Sunday night were spent in the luxury of Goncalo's three storey box at Rio Carnival's sambadrome. You may have seen the pictures. Here's a few more incase you missed them:

So the carnival was unbelievable. Highlights (apart from the luxury of the heavily air conditioned box, with champagne, sushi, stunning company and English speakers, were

1. the giant white eagal which was lowered to 'fly' beneath a TV bridge

2. the 'host' dancer (or if it were a ceilidh it would be the 'caller') who initiated the dancing amongst the English / American crowd

3. of course, taking part in the 1.5 hour parade through the purpose built, concrete sambadrome

Arriving back to our hotel a second night only vaguely before sunrise, we knew we only had one more day in Rio. So sight seeing it was. Need I mention that the breakfasts at the Grand Marina Palace hotel were exceptional? 

El Christo - what a stunner. Unfortunately he was wracked by an inopportune flock of humans scaling the thin point of rocky outcrop to smooth his big toe, or more commonly for 2015, to take a 'selfie' using said 'selfie-stick'. The crowds quickly scared us off after capturing his holiness in this beauty.

And on to no.2 biggest landmark it was… Sugar Loaf Mountain, aptly named, after a sugar loaf. Imaginative. Luckily one of the Brazilian storms was fast approaching (lightning striking el Christo) so the mass swarms of tourists were diminished slightly.