Halfway to Paradise

Ways to Experience Morro da Urca Halfway to Paradise Review of Morro da Urca Reviewed August 4, 2015 In Paradiso, Dante ascends through nine celestial spheres to reach the transcendentally beautiful Empyrean. But even places half-way up—the Fifth Heavenly Sphere for example--were so heart-stirring that Dante was tempted to pause, only to have Beatrice nag him: “Dante, stop dawdling! We need to get in line to catch the next gondola! Trust me, the Empyrean will make this sphere look like chicken feed! Geeze, there’s gotta be a thousand souls lined up in front of us already; if you don’t shake a leg, we’ll never get up there!” To which Dante responded “I’m coming, Bea, I’m coming, already!” as he thought, “I never got this kind of grief from my last tour guide, Virgil.” (All of this was put more poetically in the book.) Morro da Urca plays Fifth Sphere to Pao de Acucar’s Empyrean. If you’re going to Pao de Acucar, the gondola stops on top of Morro da Urca. But unlike the train on Corcovado, which stops, and then keeps heading up to the top, this gondola stops at Urca and then heads right back down again. You need to get off, walk to the other station on the the hilltop, and then stand in another long line to get to the top of Sugarloaf. I’m betting that if folks had the option of staying on the same gondola and going all the way up, 50 percent of them would skip Urca altogether. Under certain circumstances, rushing across Urca to catch the next gondola might make sense—for example, if you under-estimated how long the first wait would take, and the sun was already setting. But I also saw people on the way down from Sugarloaf racing to the second line without so much as a pause for breath, apparently on the premise that having already seen the view from Pao de Acucar, any view from halfway down would be a waste of time. That’s like skipping a view from the Matterhorn, because it’s only half as high as Everest. On Sugarloaf, you feel like you’re on top of the world. On Urca, you’re halfway to Pao’s Paradise, but also halfway from there to Earth, so you get a soaring eagle’s view of what’s below, rather than the twin-engine Cessna view from Sugarloaf (see Halfway to Earth photo). You get a closer view of landmarks (see Fortaleza de Sao Joao photo), and of the boating activity down on the bay, even being able to make out wakes and currents (see Boating on Guanabara Bay photo). The top of Urca is verdant, not treeless like Sugarloaf, and the wide terrace (see Terrace of Urca photo) is a splendid place for taking selfies and photos of friends (on the debatable assumption that these are even more photogenic than the unobstructed skyline and mountains of Rio across the bay, see Selfies and Friends photo). Or you can just find an open bench and bask in the sun or sit in the shade of a tree (see Bask in the Sun photo). Even prominent landmarks present a different perspective from Urca (see Corcovado from Urca photo), and for two landmarks, the best view is from Urca, not Sugarloaf. The first is the view of the curve of Copacabana Beach (you have to walk around to the southeastern tip of the lower station to see and shoot it). The second, which is obvious when you think about it, is the view of Pao de Acucar itself (see Pao de Acucar from Urca photo). Bottom Line: if you had to pick only one height, I’d certainlyly recommend Sugarloaf over Urca. However, you can’t pick only Sugarloaf—to get there, you must go via Urca. That’s an opportunity, not a nuisance. The view from Urca is quite spectacular in its own right, and is quite different from the view from Pao de Acucar. The same ticket buys you two of the finest prospects in South America; take advantage of both of them. Ways to Experience Morro da Urca   Full Day in Rio: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Maracana and Selaron with Lunch This full-day tour of Rio de Janeiro with convenient hotel pickup is a popular choice for visitors with limited time in the area. Going with a guide means you hit all the city’s highlights without the stress of navigating and hear important context about landmarks along the route, including the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Selarón Steps. Round out the tour with a well-deserved Brazilian-style lunch. Halfway to Paradise 빌리 퓨리의 노래 I want to be your lover But your friend is all I've stayed I'm only halfway to paradise So near, yet so far away I long for your lips to kiss my lips But just when I think they may You lead me halfway to paradise So near, yet so far away, mmm Bein' close to you is almost heaven (heaven) But seein' you can do just so much It hurts me so to know your heart's a treasure (treasure) And that my heart is forbidden to touch, so Put your sweet lips close to my lips And tell me that's where they're gonna stay Don't lead me halfway to paradise so near, yet so far away Oh, uh, oh so near, yet so far away Mmm so near, yet so far away 나는 너의 연인이 되고 싶다 하지만 당신 친구가 내가 머문 전부에요 천국으로 가는 길의 반밖에 안 됐어요 너무 가까이서, 너무 멀리서 나는 너의 입술이 내 입술에 키스하기를 갈망한다 하지만 내가 생각할 때 그들은 당신은 나를 천국으로 반쯤 인도한다 너무 가깝지만 너무 멀리 떨어져 있어요 너와 가까이 있는게 거의 천국이야 (천국) 하지만 당신이 할 수 있는 것을 보니 너의 마음이 보물인걸 알기에 마음이 아프다 (보물) 그리고 내 심장은 만지는 것이 금지되어있다 너의 달콤한 입술을 내 입술에 가까이 대라 그들이 머물 곳이 거기라고 말해줘 나를 낙원으로 반쯤 이끌지 마라 너무 가까이서, 또 너무 멀리서 오, 어, 오, 너무 가깝네요, 아직 멀었어요 너무 가까운데 너무 멀리 있네요