Like George W. Bush after his drinking days, I've found Jesus. And Christ he's huge.

You've seen photos of it. Towering 2,000 feet over Rio he seems about the size of the Statue of Liberty. Maybe not quite, but close. CNN occasionally uses in their promos a helicopter shot that flies around the back of it as the city spins across in the background.

"I found myself sitting practically all day."
And it ain't easy getting to our Lord and Savior. Actually it's called "Cristo Redentor," or "Christ the Redeemer." A taxi will take you there and back, but it's like $30. The city buses go there too, but it takes an hour each way. I didn't know that and found myself sitting practically all day getting to the statue and back. But it cost about 50 cents.

The final bit of the trip is a 20 minute cog railway ride to the top of the mountain the statue sits on top of. To call this a mountain isn't quite right. It's a rock clif that soars up close to downtown. There are several like it in Rio, but this one is really straight up and down.

"You're about to fall a half mile."
That provides for a bit of vertigo when you first get to the top. Know that feeling when you're on top of a high ladder and you look up at the sky? That's what you get when you first look up at this massive statue. You feel like you're about to fall a half mile down in to Rio.

The required photo seems to be standing in front of Jesus with arms similarly outstretched, as though blessing the entire city. I did so. But with my crappy disposable camera, of course. I'll develop everything in South Africa and post some new photos soon. Hang in there.

The funny thing is that on most beaches in Rio, where all the stuff happens that needs redemption, Christ the Redeemer is obscured by the high rises lining the shore.

Off to South Africa tomorrow.