Christ the Redeemer, ( Cristo Redentor in Portuguese), is perhaps one of the most impressive monuments in the world. Not because of the statue itself, although it is still mightily impressive viewed from just about anywhere in the city of Rio De Janeiro, but because of it’s location atop Rio De Janeiro’s Corcovado peak in the Tijuca Forest National Park.

The statue stands 39.6 metres (130 feet) tall, weighs 700 tons. I climbed to its base via the funicular railway. This in itself was quite a journey. The trainline winds itself around Corcovado at an impossible angle climbing through the forest. The canopy finally breaks and then suddenly spectacular views of the sprawling great city, favelas climbing skywards clinging to the rugged terrain and then with a twist, the Atlantic Ocean and the famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana.

Once off the train, you walk. Climbing stone steps up and up, around the base of the statue and upwards once more. I think in total it took about 35 minutes but in the end it was worth it.