Christ the Redeemer

By Lee | May 2nd, 2007 | 4 Comments »

Yesterday I did a profile on one of the new seven wonders finalists that I feel should certainly be voted in. Today I am going to write about a finalist which I feel just barely misses the final cut to seven. The statue of Christ the Redeemer, looming over Rio de Janeiro like a father to the entire city is an amzing thing to see because it’s viewable from throughout the city. Basically anywhere you are in Rio, you can look up and see Christ looking down upon you and watching over you.

The statue is perched high up on Corcovado Mountain in the center of the city after a long train ride up or drive through the Tijuca Forest. The staue is massive and looms larger than life once you get close up to it. His outstretched arms embracing the city of Rio are very welcoming. If you are firtunate to see it on a cloudy or rainy day then it looks incredibly eerie and very gothic in its up close appearance. The views are amazing. You can see everything in the city. In my opinion, the views from atop Corcovado are much better than from Sugarloaf Mountain, its city rival for tourism.

The reason I think Christ the Redeemer falls just short is that it doesn’t really have the history. It was built in the last century and while it is in an amazing spot and tough to reach, it has since been converted into a tourist trap. The statue, although stunning and beautiful is just that…a statue. It has no real history to show deeper meaning. For instance, we all know about the mystery and historical significance of the Pyramids and how Machu Picchu was lost for centuries, etc. Basically, it doesn’t have a sense of mystery around it. It is very cool and a great place to visit but when it comes down to the voting for the final seven wonders of the world, I vote no.