25th October 2006. First full day. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This morning Jorge collects me at the hotel and we head in to the central offices of the Cultura Inglesa here in Rio.

I spend the morning in meetings with various academic staff before we head for lunch at Bistrô da Jaque in Botafogo.

The afternoon will be spent visiting Corcovado Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. A world recognised icon of Rio, the art deco statue stands some 125 feet tall and our journey to the mountains summit and the statue will take us up through the Tijuca Forest National Park.

The Corcovado rack railway that climbs the mountain is the only train in Brazil using the rack rail system. Quite simply the track consists of grooves that hold the trains toothed wheels.

In January 1910, the first electric train in Brazil ran on this route.

All constituent parts of the statue were carried to the summit on the train.

I am taking the same train journey that His Holiness Pope John Paul II took on his visit to Rio in 1980.

As we near the summit, the old Rio tuberculosis hospital comes in to view. The location of this santitorium high on the mountain side in this forest in the city was well chosen due to the infectious nature of tuberculosis.

From the hilltop the Pope blessed the brazilian people and he could not have chosen a better site. The open arms of the the statue of Christ the Redeemer are believed to be a symbol of the warmth of the Brazilian people.

The statue is constructed from reinforced concrete has an outer skin of soapstone. It was inaugurated on October 12th 1931 and this year on the statues 75th anniversary the chapel in its base was consecrated by the Archbishop of Rio.

An interesting fact is that no accidents occurred in the construction.

On my way down I am thrilled to see a peace pole located next to the rail tracks, for me, a comforting symbol of home.

Back in the city I am to deliver my first major lecture tonight at the Botafogo branch of the Cultura Inglesa.