LOOK! Up there on the cliff!
It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Superman! Well, actually it's not Superman, it's Giant Stone Jesus – sorry to disappoint you.
Although now that I am thinking about the two of them, Giant Stone Jesus vs. Superman in a battle to the death would certainly be entertaining (even though Superman would be the clear victor).
Inspired by this view (above – not the image of Superman v. Jesus), I decided that I would hike up to Senhor Jesus shortly after this picture was taken. Yes, from the spot this picture was taken up to Mister Jesus on foot; it took about 1 hour 45 minutes door to door.
Granted it may not have been undertaken at a decent hour (just before dark), and it may have been better to know where I was going prior to leaving (hint: the trailhead is in Parque Lage), but I would say that on the whole, the operation was incredibly successful. My time in Brazil would not be complete without a Corcovado hike.
Upon reaching the top I was not allowed to enter the monument without first taking a van down to the bottom and buying a ticket (that's Brazilian efficiency for you).
Despite being ready for hand-to-hand monkey combat, I remained unmolested throughout the trip to the top.
The hike itself was more difficult than I had expected (aka all uphill – but when you think about it, there's nothing else you can expect).
About two-thirds of the way up the mountain you hit the tracks that the tram runs on, and you just follow them up to the top (at least that's what I did). I don't think that you're technically allowed to do this, but if I have learned anything here it's that the rules are usually more a sort of suggestion.
Should you find yourself in Rio de Janeiro and you have some time to spare I would definitely recommend doing this hike.
As I said, it is challenging, so make sure you bring plenty of water and spare yourself plenty of daylight before attempting it.
