J&J Go South 2023 - Day 5 - One to Go
Even after the minor setback yesterday I was going to do whatever it took to make sure we made today's tour happen. Fortunately, I didn’t have to do anything, I woke up feeling 95% better and by the time the alarm went off at 6:30 AM, we were both amped to get going. We met our tour guide, Alexandre, downstairs at our hotel a few minutes after 7 AM and were off. Our first (and only stop) today was to go to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Christ the Redeemer statue. A good portion of the reason for our visit to Rio was to see this statue and it was worth it all.
We had the option of driving to the top or taking the tram. We chose to drive and it seemed to be a good decision because in low season (like it is now) you have to wait for the tram to fill up before it comes up. Alexandre drove most of the way up before we had to hike the last half mile or so to get to the entrance. After a nice hike up we got our tickets and boarded another van to take us to the top. We got to the statue a little after 8 AM and there were already several people there but nothing like when we left an hour later. For the first ten minutes, Alexandre walked us around and showed us some of the beautiful views from around Rio as well as some interesting facts about the statue. From there he let us just have our own time there.
We took more photos than I care to share and plenty of videos, but more than anything took time to just marvel at being in the moment. The older we’ve gotten the better we’ve gotten to understand that these moments are guaranteed and don’t happen every day. The time I will cherish the most is when we put the cameras down, and from a distance took in the moment. I remember thinking at the moment, this is what it is all about. All of the stress, all of the planning, everything that we did to get to this moment was worth it. It was a sight to be had and one that I’ll never forget.
An hour after we arrived we joined back up with Alexandre who drove us back down the mountain. On our way back to the hotel we did make a quick pit stop at Sambodromo the main spot for the Rio Carnival. Alexandre couldn’t contain his excitement for how much he enjoyed the week-long holiday and what a great experience Carnival is in Rio. The stadium was nothing to write home about and after a quick stop there we drove back to our hotel.
When we arrived we parted ways with our friendly tour guide Alexandre, we switched into our bathing suits and went back down to the pool. We spent an hour relaxing under the Brazilian sky before going to lunch at the hotel. We started with some cheese Pastels. Jenn had a beautiful crudo with a side of fries and a Pina colada, and I had a chicken Caesar salad.
It was a perfect light lunch before we made our way to the other main event today, the spa. What better thing to do after seeing one of the wonders of the world than going to the spa? Jenn booked a 90-minute massage and a 90-minute facial while I went with just a 90-minute massage. We spent a few minutes in the relaxation room before our 1 PM appointments and for the next few hours enjoyed incredible massage and facials. When I wrapped up ahead of Jenn I grabbed my laptop and worked on today’s post. Jenn met me at the pool and we went back up shortly after to rest for a bit and get ready for dinner.
Dinner tonight was in the hotel at a one-Michelin-starred restaurant called Restaurant Mee. It was an Asian Fusion restaurant that had some Japanese, Chinese, and Thai dishes. Jenn started with a glass of white wine and I had a Tom Collins. We began our meal with edamame and two giant pork buns that were out of this world. I always love pork buns but these were next level. We then ordered a string of nigiri (shrimp, salmon, fish of the day, and wagyu beef) which were phenomenal. I’m usually a bit leary about getting sushi at a place that doesn’t specialize in it but these were great. To wrap up our meal we went with their duck which they shredded in front and had a beautiful hoisin sauce. The entire meal was perfect and was a nice way to close out Rio.
We left dinner a little after 9 PM and finished packing up our suitcases, watched a quick episode of TV before going to sleep, and got ready for our next stop in Buenos Aires. But we went to sleep knowing that we only have one more wonder of the world left!
