There is no greater word to describe Cristo Redentor than iconic. The soapstone statue of Christ gracefully extends his arms atop Corcovado mountain welcoming all visitors to Rio de Janeiro below. Most people focus on taking a selfie with the statue — it’s absolutely a bucket-list photo — or the panoramas of the “cidade maravilhosa” (marvelous city) and gorgeous Guanabara Bay below.  However, I think one of the most unique views happens on the approach. As I walked up the steps to the back of the statue, I began to appreciate the scale of the art deco statue, the beauty of it’s design by French sculptor Paul Landowski and the complexity of its construction by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. The people in the photograph add scale and life to the photo capturing the excitement of the climb to the top of one of the world’s man-made wonders.