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To reach the top of Corcovado Hill, the train crosses the largest urban forest of the planet, also the first to be replanted.
The Tijuca Forest is located at the heart of Rio de Janeiro and it separates the South and North zones of the city. It is one of the most popular places for walking or bicycle riding, specially on the weekends.
But it hasn’t been always like this. In the eighteenth century the forest was devastated to give place to the coffee plantation.
This jeopardized the city’s water distribution, forcing emperor Dom Pedro II to make a revolutionary decision in the year of 1881, the replanting of the area.
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Major Manoel Gomes Archer was chosen to accomplish the task. Together with six slaves, he planted 60,000 trees during 13 years. The job was so well done that animals like monkeys, sloths, lizards, snakes, birds and butterflies returned to the forest, and can be seen by those who travel in the Corcovado train. It was due to the success of the replanting that Tijuca National Park was chosen as the symbol of Rio-92, the World Environmental Conference.
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