"Rio de Janeiro" Rio de Janeiro by nickyte

Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide: 4,269 reviews and 6,524 photos

Rio de Janeiro Carnival

IT IS PARTY TIME AT RIO

Rio's Carnival is frothed with the parade of the samba schools that is held in the $24 million Sambadrome, a stretch of grandstand some 800 meters long. There are sixteen major samba schools that compete during the carnival for two consecutive nights from 9 pm to 8 am. Each school has some 3 to 5 thousand students who are given a one hour parade sked during the carnival night. With each school displaying some 10 floats each, you are in for a real treat. Get ready. The 68,000 spectators at the Passarella do Samba (sambadrome) will rock the night away.

The dance Samba is the heart and soul of Brazilians and is revered with so many samba schools. A school is a congregation of so many working people mostly in the favelas and residential areas of Rio. They exist not like the school we know but an association of those working citizens who meet and rehearse on a regular weekly basis prior to the Carnival. A lot of people earn their livelihood from these from the seamstress, the painters, the electricians and the carpenter who prepare the floats, the fashion designers, the models, the dancers, the choreographers, the musicians all walks of life in Rio benefit from this festival.

While the tickets vary from US$80 to US$400 for each night depending on where you wanna sit, it is damn worth it as the parade unfolds in your eyes. When the samba notes start to beat and the dancers gyrate in mini steps as the onlookers do the same, you will be immersed in a joyous celebration. A thrill of a lifetime, one moment in time when you are all by yourself and yet part of the big party.

It is inconceivable to think of Rio without thinking of the Carnival. Both seems to coexist with each other. BE THERE.

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Intro Updated Mar 17, 2005
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Reviews (9)

Rio Carnival 2006 video - Rio de Janeiro

Rio Carnival 2006 video Favorites (1)

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Parade at the Sambadrome - Rio de Janeiro

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International Phone Card - Rio de Janeiro

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Local Customs (1)
How to join the Rio Carnival Parade.

Warnings Or Dangers (2)
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Comments (4)

vijoux Oct 3, 2009 at 11:10 AM Report Abuse

I'm a native Carioca who's lived in New York, Hong Kong, Toronto, Miami, and London; this is BS. My NYC savvy spouse was held up by the POLICE in Niteroi after a fender bender; most of my family has been robbed or carjacked, and they know how to dress.
julienhem Jan 17, 2009 at 5:56 PM Report Abuse

My husband and I were mugged by three cariocas with knives on Copacabana beach 4 days ago. The reaction by the tourist police was less than helpful and we were informed after the fact that they leave the beaches at 8pm.
Karolina01 Feb 25, 2008 at 4:41 PM Report Abuse

Very good tips, and wonderful pictures!
mangueirense Dec 10, 2005 at 3:21 PM Report Abuse

FGreat comments here in CCarnival mostly, I loved yoiur sights on this spot :) But the description of crime is also very nice, it is exactly what I felt too. Keep up the good work! Evelyn