CARNAVAL!

Rio!

When we started our year-long trip, one of our big objectives was to make it to the Rio Carnaval (Picasa link). We never really got around to planning for it, and it was finally in December, while we were sitting with our feet up in India, that we decided to look into the Carnaval. Well, tickets we selling out fast and we barely managed to get tickets to it. And so, two months later, on a warm Miami night we took off for Brazil. About 24 hours later, weary from an overnight flight and then a 8 hr. bus ride from Sao Paulo, we finally got to Rio. We were staying with Roberto, a fellow traveler we had met in Turkey, and it was with considerable relief we entered his house and crashed. The next morning we woke up to views of Corcovado and Pao de Acucar - two of Rio's most iconic sights. You see, Roberto lives on the 21st floor of a high-rise right between the two peaks and is ideally placed to enjoy them both.

Bloco madness!

First things first though - it was the official start of the Carnaval and Roberto insisted we make our way over to a 'bloco'. Blocos are parties that decades ago started off with just a couple of friends and their drums and drinks, making their way around the neighborhood. They quickly out-grew that phase and are now serious affairs that can easily include over 10,000 participants. For those from Pune, think Ganapati visarjan from each of the 'peths'. For those from the US, think wild University Halloween parties, but on a scale that's unimaginable. There are over 100 such blocos taking place all around Rio over the course of a week. We headed to one of the older ones, the Santa Teresa bloco, which wound its way through the old, historic and beautiful neighborhood of Santa Teresa. We spent the next couple of hours following the band around, dancing for a bit and trying to not get trampled apon, before the heat and crazy crowds got too much.

Realizing that we probably needed some peace and quiet, Roberto then took us to the best place possible - the Parque de Tijuca. The park, formed in the latter part of the 19th century, is the largest urban forest in the world and its location means that you can escape to it within 10 minutes from almost anywhere in Rio. We spent the next two hours checking out stunning vistas of the city and doing a short walk to a waterfall. After a spot of lunch at a typical Brazilian 'kilo restaurant', we then retired to the fabulous Ipanema beach for sunset - and unintentionally got caught up in another bloco. Thus ended a packed day in Rio.

Need's no introduction

Another day, another bloco. This time it was in Centro and the parade culminated into a gigantic open air samba concert. After extricating ourselves, we took the funicular up Corcovado, to do as all tourists do - to see the famous statue of 'Christ the Redeemer', the symbol of Rio. We managed to time it well enough that we caught the last of the daylight, and then enjoyed stunning views of the city lit up at night.


Finally, dawned the big day. We were heading to the big Carnaval that night and in preparation, spent the afternoon in the peaceful environs of the botanical garden. After getting home and packing some sandwiches we headed to the Sambadrome. A few lines on the how the Rio Carnival works. There are 12 schools that strut their stuff over two days (six on each). Each school makes its way down the Sambadrome - think six football fields lined up end to end - and each school gets an hour to do that. The schools are judged on a number of criterion, including, theme, costume, dance, singing, crowd appeal, and timing. The last two teams from each year are relegated to the second division for the next while the top two from the second division make it to the first. There's big money and prestige in being one of the top twelve, and as a result the competition is intense. We got there in just in time to watch the first school, Sao Clemente, make their way down the Sambadrome.

CARNAVAL!!

The next eight hours were an assault on the senses and we enjoyed every minute of it. At 4.30AM as things were finally winding down, we escaped the madness, and caught the subway home. A deep slumber ensued and we woke up to post-Carnaval blues to try and figure out how we were going to spend the rest of our days in Rio.

It was bloody hot in Rio and so, on one of the days we decamped to the hills, specifically Petropolis. Petropolis was built in the 19th century and served as the summer residence for the Emperor and later the government - and its not too hard to see why. Only an hour from Rio, its a beautiful town high in the mountains. Stepping off the bus, one would think you've stepped into small-town Europe. As it was built for the Emperor, it has all the trappings of a quaint European town. Think Cathedral, canals and the obligatory palace, and we spent a happy and cool day exploring the town.

The rest of our days in Rio were occupied by walking around the neighborhoods and of course, laying on the beaches. The juxtaposition of high granite peaks and beaches is something that is unique to Rio and is what makes it such a stunning city. For example, on our last day in Rio, we hiked up a peak with a naval fort at the top, called Forte de Leme, to enjoy some views of the harbor and the city. Feeling the heat we made our way down and walked right onto Copacabana, for a refreshing dip in the Atlantic. There's just so much to see in the city, that even 10 days proved quite inadequate and its with a heavy heart that we took its leave.

Next up is Salvador and the Bahian culture. From what I understand, its even hotter up there.

- Ashish