The Summit of Pão de Açúcar

       We were finally standing at the summit of  Pão de Açúcar, staring down in awe at the ground beneath us. Much like Morro da Urca, we had an astounding view of Rio de Janiero, from the tropical vegetation, to the bustling city squares, to the solemn statue of Christ the Redeemer, standing aloof on the peak of Corcovado. But, what really set it apart from its shorter wider brother, was how much higher and more imposing it was. Although I initially struggled to to believe that the views from Pão de Açúcar could be that much better than those of Morro da Urca, I immediately changed my mind when we reached its summit, for I was transfixed by the sweeping view of Morro da Urca below. It was incredible. After all, how often does one get the feeling that he or she is looking down on a mountain of such tremendous proportions?
        We could've stood on the quiet peak of Pão de Açúcar for hours, never tiring of the view nor the silence, and yet we did have to meet Evandro at the central station by 5:00 PM. Come to think of it, what time was it? We immediately checked our watches, to find it was nearing 4:45. It was time we started to descend this magnificent peak. While my parents hurried me along, warning me that they would be late and that we still had much to see, I found it hard to pull my eyes and feet away from the place. As I took one last look at the numerous,thriving plants, the smooth surface of the coffee-brown granite, the rich azure of the sky and sea, I finally turned to meet my parents gaze a little wistfully. Who knew if we would ever come back there? After a few short minutes, we approached an open cable car, before shortly beginning our descent of Pão de Açúcar.