The Corcovado was recently chosen as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The view from the toes of Rio's mountaintop Christ is spectacular: the mountains, the bay, and the city all lay revealed beneath your (His?) feet. It's enough to give you a feeling of omniscience. The statue was intended to mark the 100th anniversary of Brazilian independence in 1922, but in true Carioca fashion it arrived a decade or so late in 1931. Access is via a steep narrow-gauge railway, followed by a pair of escalators that whisk you up to the base of the statue. Allow 2 hours round-trip.