But more than a wonder of epic size and technology, the gracefully curved bridge, supported on needlelike piers, is a masterpiece of daring and majesty.

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On the road back to Rio, we stop underneath a spectacular old iron railway bridge - "the first curved iron bridge in the world, " Mauricio informs me, with some pride.

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The bridge's curved overhead girders are higher in the center of the bridge but sweep lower toward a driver's right side.

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The moon made a last dash, traversed the curved grillework of the bridge, tipped toward the sea, crashed into the water like a brick, and sank, sending thousands of little bubbles to the surface.

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Climbers head out from the BridgeClimb storefront at the foot of the bridge, proceed along a catwalk under the highway, climb several ladders and then walk up the curved span to the top.

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