Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia

On August 1, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn South America1 Comment

One of the first things that we did upon our arrival in Cochabamba was to visit the Cristo de la Concordia, which is a statue of Jesus Christ. The statue sits on top of San Pedro Hill and is accessible by a cable car or you can walk the 2,000 steps to the statue if you prefer. The statue is quite interesting, but since San Pedro Hill is almost 900 feet (265 meters) above the city of Cochabamba, the views are worth the visit as well.

The Cristo de la Concordia statue was modeled after the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. The similarities are obvious, but the statue in Cochabamba is actually slightly larger. The statue is position such that the left hand points south and the right hand points north. Visiting the statue and seeing the views of the city should certainly be part of any visit to Cochabamba.

Cochabamba Sits at the Base of the Mountains

Definitely Worth Taking the Cable Car Instead of Walking

Fortress with a View in Budapest, Hungary

On June 24, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Hungary6 Comments

The Citadella is a fortress that sits on top of Gellért Hill on the Buda side of the Danube River. The Liberty Statue that is located next to the citadel can be seen from throughout the downtown area of Pest. The bronze statue features a woman raising a palm leaf toward the sky and, although it was built by the Soviet Union, it still represents Hungary’s freedom from Nazi occupation. As interesting as the fortress and statues are, the main reason for making the trek to the top of Gellért Hill is for the views of Budapest. You can see the Buda Castle District, the Parliament Building, St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Danube River, and the heart of Budapest.

Looking Up at the Fortress and Liberty Statue from the River

We walked from our hotel down to the river where we crossed Liberty Bridge to start our hike to the top of Gellért Hill, which is 771 feet above the river below. The winding path is fairly steep and takes you through a wooded area as well as by the St. Gellért Monument. The hill gets its name because it is the location where St. Gellért was brutally killed and apparently tossed from the hill. It took us about an hour to make the walk to the top of the hill, but we stopped several times to take in the scenic views at the various overlooks.

As we reached the Citadella at the top of the hill, we had worked up quite a thirst and were quite happy to find out that their were several vendors selling food and drinks next to the fortress walls. In addition to the Liberty Statue, there were also two smaller statues that remain from the original four statues that were erected at the site. The other two statues were moved to Statue Park some time after 1947 when Liberty Statue was erected. Once at the top of the hill, we spent about thirty minutes walking around the fortress and statues. We happened to go on a Saturday and there was a mix of tourists as well as locals enjoying the beautiful weather.

Bird Along the Trail to the Top of Gellért Hill

St Stephen’s Basilica and the City of Budapest

There are many wonderful sites to visit while in Budapest and the Citadella is certainly one of them. We would definitely recommend going on a clear day in order to take full advantage of the incredible views of the city.

Emotion Captured in Stone Statues Around the World

On May 3, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge4 Comments

You don’t have to be an art critic to appreciate how lifelike statues that are carved in stone and marble can be. Not only do they somehow seem to capture the actual movement of their subjects, but often their eyes express an intense emotion. It is hard to imagine that these incredible works of art were once just blocks of stone with no semblance of the shapes that they would eventually become. Some of the facial expressions are truly amazing, whether showing fear, pain, or even passion. Here are some of our favorite statues that we have seen during our travels.