We were in Rio during Carnaval - the huge celebration that takes place over a week each year. Although Carnaval is celebrated throughout Brazil, Rio´s is the most famous, attracting over 500,000 tourists to the city specifically for it.
Rio is crazy during Carnaval - the city was packed, vibrant and seemed to never sleep the entire week. Street parties/blocos took place throughout the day and night in numerous locations all over the city, with the sounds of samba in the air as thousands of people filled the streets (and spilled out onto the beaches!) to dance and have a good time.
We managed to get tickets to the 2nd night of the main parade at the Sambodromo, where, along with some 30,000 others, we watched the top samba schools compete. The parade consists of elaborate floats flanked by thousands of pounding drummers and costumed dancers. It was incredible! The parade doesn´t start until after 9pm, and with the 6 schools each having about 85 minutes to perform it made for a very late night! Even though we could only afford the cheap seats, being part of the buzzing crowd and atmosphere made it well worth the investment! (The photos below will give you some idea of what the parade was like!)
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