*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” – Ephesians 1:7 Particularly to those who harbor an inexplicable and irrational fear of heights, a trip to the pinnacle of Mount Corcovado is bound to rouse the kaleidoscope of butterflies in one's stomach, and at the very least, cover one's palms with a glistening film of sweat. A maximum of 345 passengers board the boxy, ribbon-red Trem do Corcovado. These modern, Swiss-made train carriages are perfectly safe, but the mechanical whirring and the rhythmic click-click-clicks as the train chugs up a set of sturdy tracks about 2.4-miles in length, to a summit that is 2,329-feet above ground, only adds to the suspense. But they say that what lies on the top of Corcovado makes the jarring trip up the mountain well worth its while, for this is none other than the home of the Cristo Redentor, one of the most famous statues in the world. Others say this fabled monument is best appreciated after dark and from a distance, ideally from the crest of Sugar Loaf Mountain, the aptly-named loaf-shaped peak sitting opposite the Corcovado. Under the twinkling night sky, with Corcovado cloaked by layers of lingering fog, the glowing figure seems to float above the constellation of city lights, like the city's very own North Star, guiding and guarding over the maze of modern buildings and classic “shanty towns” of Rio de Janeiro.