Travel

Rio Carnival…where the parties don’t stop!

Samba bands lead the street parties

Samba bands lead the street parties

I had heard so much about Rio Carnival but you don’t realise how crazy it really it is until you experience it.

For four days the street parties go on from sunset to sunrise. Music and colour fills the streets, men dress as women, women wear as little as possible and the dancing never ends.
Even despite the odd torrential downpour, it doesn’t stop people from going crazy with their samba moves – something I am still trying to perfect.

Rio is unlike any other city I have been to. The rich and poor areas are so divided and it is not the safest of places to be alone or carrying valuables, but it certainly has a buzz to it, and at carnival time the atmosphere is electric!

An evening spent in the Sambadrome watching the samba schools parade in their flamboyant costumes and floats has been a huge highlight so far. Six schools parade for almost 10 hours right through the night and the crowds don’t stop either. People of all ages partied through the night and I joined them. The amazing evening was topped off by watching the sun rise over the Christ the Redeemer statue in the distance and then heading back to the hotel at 7am for breakfast.

So far I have managed to get to Sugar Loaf Bay where the views of Rio and the sea are incredible. The famous Cobacabana and Ipanema beaches are also a must-see.

Top tip…the buses here are probably best to be avoided. They are driven by complete maniacs! We made the mistake of getting a bus to Sugar Loaf on the first day and I got thrown out of my seat several times. These drivers clearly don’t feel like they need to stick to a speed limit, (or brake slowly) so the metro is probably the quickest and safest way to get around.

With only two days left in Rio I hope to get to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue (if the clouds stop being so stubborn and just disappear) and spend some more time relaxing on the beach before its time to start my tour through the rest of South America.

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