3 January 2014 / leggypeggy

Happy New Year—wherever you are in the world

beaches, Brazil, cable cars, Flamengo Beach, mountains, New Year's Eve, Oasis Overland, overland travel, Rio de Janeiro, Rosedale, scenery, South America, Sugarloaf Mountain, travel

Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) seen from Morro da Urca

After several years of roaming the world on New Year’s Eve, this year we enjoyed a lazy and home-based time at Rosedale beach on Australia’s southeast coast.

We watched the live coverage by the ABC, Australian national broadcaster, which included interviews with personalities (there was even one with Reg Mombasa) and lots of snippets relating to previous New Year’s Eves.

It brought back wonderful memories of our 2012 New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro.

Looking down to Urca Beach and surrounds

Urca Beach

That day, Poor John and I set out early on foot from where we were staying near Flamengo Beach. We were on our way to see Rio’s amazing Sugarloaf Mountain.

Sugarloaf sits at the mouth of Rio’s large Guanabara Bay, on a peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several monolithic granite–quartz hills in the city that rise straight from the water’s edge. It’s almost 400 metres tall (1300 feet), and the fittest and most adventurous can actually climb the rock.

After walking five kilometres and standing in the entrance queue for about 90 minutes, Poor John and I opted for the two cable cars to the top. The first leg ascends to Morro da Urca, which is 220 metres high. The second ascends to Pão de Açúcar (sugarloaf in Portuguese) itself.

Views—from both the top and the glass, bubble-shaped cable cars—are sensational and pretty much 360 degrees. The city, its beaches, its ritzy suburbs and its waters spread out before us. I wonder how many people have made it to the top of Sugarloaf. There’s been a cable car arrangement there for 101 years.

The Portuguese coined the name Sugarloaf back in the 16th century when Brazil’s sugar cane industry was first flourishing. They thought the mountain looked like the conical clay moulds that held blocks sugar that were to be shipped from Brazil.

We explored every corner of the peak and managed to fill the whole day, until it was time to buy supplies for the after-dark celebrations on the beach with a group of our fellow overland travellers. Lots of wonderful memories and a fantastic start to 2013—which was a very good year too.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous new year—wherever you are and whatever you do.