* * * Sugar loaf Mountain * * *

Rio de janeiro is undoubtedly the most beautiful city in the world. There are many good times to make the ascent, but sunset on a clear day is the most rewarding.

A visit Pao de açucar is a must, but if you can, avoid it from about 10am to 11am and 2pm to 3pm, which is when most tourist buses arrive. Avoid cloudy days as well. Two cable cars of the sugar loaf moutain are connect to the summit 396m above Rio. The First ascends 220m to Morro da urca. From here, you can see Baia de guanabara (Guanabara's Bay) and the winding coastline. On the ocean side of the sugarloaf mountain is Praia vermelha ( red beach), in a small, calm bay. Morro da urca has it's own restaurants, souvenir shops, a playground, an outdoor theather and a helipad (for helicopter tours). Beneath the shadows of Morro da urca, the narrow Praia vermelha has superb views of the rocky coastline from the shore. It's coarse sand, unlike that of any other beach in Rio, gives the beach the name "Vermelha" (Red).

The second cable car goes up to Pao de açucar (sugar loaf moutain). At the top, the city unfolds beneath you with corcovado mountain and cristo redentor (christ the redeemer) off to the west, and the long curve of Copacabana beach to the south. If the breathtalking heights unsteady you, a drink stand is on hand to serve "caipirinhas or cerveja (beer)" The two stage cable cars depart every 30 minutes.

Those who'd rather take the long way to the summit of the sugar loaf moutain should sign up with one of the granite-hugging climbing tours offered by various outfits in rio de janeiro.

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