Day 3: Rio de Janeiro

Bright and early at breakfast, we met the South African choir with which we'll be spending the next few weeks. They had arrived late the previous night, so we didn't see them until the morning.



We left for Corcovado directly after breakfast in an attempt to get to the Cristo Redentor statue before the inclement weather did. At the bottom of the mountain, we boarded a bright red cog railway. The train pulled us up the mountain through the rainforest while providing us with spectacular views of Rio de Janeiro and the Atlantic Ocean. We even got to be serenaded by a samba band that hopped on the train.

Upon climbing the last few stairs to the top of the mountain, we arrived up close to the gigantic statue. It was fascinating to see the individual pieces of faintly green soapstone that covered the exterior of the statue. The base of the statue also provided extraordinary panoramic views of the entire city and harbor of Rio de Janeiro. Adding to the unbelievable experience was the force of the wind on the mountaintop. Our anoraks made as good sails as they did jackets.




After the journey down the railroad, we took a bus tour of downtown Rio de Janeiro, passing famous sites like the opera house and the train station. We even had a few minutes to hop out and wander around the National Cathedral, which the locals call "the Volcano" out of their hatred for the dictatorial government that built it.

Our bus tour ended at the National Historical Museum, where we spent an hour wandering through the expansive exhibits. The museum showcased artifacts from the entire history of Brazil (and occassionally had English translations). We lunched at the museum's cafeteria, ending up a few chickens short of 23 full meals.

After quickly changing at our hotel and picking up the South Africans, we went to a music school for an exchange with the locals. This music school serves as community center, bringing residents of the slums together through music. As part of the exchange, the samba school students taught us one of their songs, and both we and the South African choir performed for them. It was a truly enlightening cultural experience.

After an hour of rest time, we met in the hotel restaurant for dinner. After enjoying the buffet, we had yet another exchange, this time with only the South African choir. We performed a few of our pieces, and the South African did a few of theirs. We then taught the South Africans "Abanije," and we wrapped up the evening when they taught us one of their pieces.

And now a message from our singers:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN!!!!!! I hope it is amazing, that your trip went well, and that you enjoy the nicely baked cake that’s iced in green and sitting at home. I love you! And once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
~Hannah M.