1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #162 - Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #162

- Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro

(Hopping onto the cable car to ride up to the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain was an experience indeed. Being a public holiday, the queue snaked a long way back, taking over 1-hour to get onto one. But once up there, after going through this 2-stage cable car system, the view was simply unbeatable. We were lucky enough to catch the best views before a thick fog rolled in from the ocean. Rio from up here is almost a magical place, right out of a postcard. See the video below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #161 - Jeep Ride, Rio

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #161

- Jeep Ride, Tijuica Forest, Rio

(How about an open air jeep ride around this beautiful city of Rio. And then on to the Tijuica Forest, which is the only true rainforest park inside a city as big as Rio? Made possible by this old Toyota jeep restored to perfection. It is refreshing and different, especially with cool winds brushing your hair. Very nice indeed.)

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #160 - Copacabana, Rio, Brazil

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #160

- Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

(Am I showing too much delight having reached this most famous of beaches in Rio, Copacabana? Hey, who cares..it's once in a lifetime. The weather's perfect at 24C, the sand is superfine and the water is cool, probably 20C - I can see now why this beach life in Rio is talked about all over the world. With an obligatory pair of Havainas, we hit the main beach area, one of over 200 stretches of beach in Rio - what an inheritance indeed. Can't help but hear that song, Girl from Ipanema, when you are here..)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #159 - Santo Domingo Cathedral, Cusco, Peru

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #159

- Santo Domingo Cathedral, Cusco, Peru

(The main Santo Domingo Cathedral at the centre of Cusco city is quite an imposing building at night, looking grand when lit. The surrounding square and the fountain in the middle makes for a nice stroll, especially with the cool climate here in April)

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #158 - Ollantaytambo ruins, Peru

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #158

- Inca ruins, Ollantaytambo, Peru

 

(The town of Ollantaytambo had a different set of Inca ruins, with faces of kings carved out of mountain-sides, and huge stone slabs hoist to the top of one of its ruins. Till today, the mystery behind how these giant stones were brought to the top remains. This town is cozy, but was packed during this sacred Easter week. Picked up some cute Minion hats for the kids in school)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #157 - Sacred Valley, Pisac

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #157

- Sacred Valley, Pisac, Peru

 

(The Sacred Valley in Pisac gives out a really calm feeling as you approach it. It is a beautiful valley, and one can see why it means so much to the people there..it is so fertile all kinds of crops grow there. The town and the ruins of Pisac are both worth visiting, with the market area offering local produce and crafts)