Rio Carnival - it doesn't disappoint! (From Bournemouth Echo)

Rio Carnival - it doesn't disappoint!

1:45pm Thursday 25th February 2010 in

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The weekend of Rio Carnival has now been and gone. The anticipation that filled the streets since our arrival reached a memorable climax.

Locals and tourists have been wandering about decked in all manner of fancy dress. Street parties became every more prevalent as it seemed just about everybody dressed up and drank to the rhythm of samba.

The street carnival is as famous as the official parade. We hear of Block Parties in every part of town. The rowdy behaviour is good natured as people from the favelas and those from expensive apartments celebrate together. Trucks with booming speakers drag themselves through crowds as revellers dance through the beer sellers and food vendors.

We have tickets for the main parade at the Sambodromo on Sunday night with 30,000 others. We take the metro and walk through crowds of people in a shady area through half hearted ´money now´ threats towards our turnstile.

We finally find our entrance that is through the smallest gap into a stand that is already rammed. There seems to be nowhere to sit so we barge our way through until we find an gap that vaguely looks like somewhere to view the carnival.

We are fazed and confused until we see the first sight of a procession and the hassle of getting there seems worthwhile.

Tori has been looking forward to this for months so the early feelings of disappointment are soon replaced by a big, excited smile. Each samba school´s procession lasts for about an hour and a half.

Colourful costumes, intricate dance routines and dazzling floats are on display. Everything is completely flamboyant, over exaggerated and lively.

At times, the same costume is worn by hundreds of dancers to create a sensational mass of colour. The floats are an unbelievable sight.

Like huge mechanical monsters in fancy dress ambling along the parade route, they have superb attention to detail and elaborate decorations. Some have acrobatic performances, some have skiing batmen.

A number of samba schools pass through. We decide that Unisos Da Tijuca is the best. Turns out we have good taste as they go on to win the overall contest. The final school pass through and it is six am. We wearily head back to the hostel.