Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro

Copacabana beach where the crowds have some fun in the sun (though it was way too hot for us to think about sitting outside)

So we´re finally here in Rio and though we imagined it would be wild, it´s actually been a very manageable kind of craziness. Except for one small incident where two guys tried to pickpocket Kevin, we have felt really safe. Luckily, we´ve heard so much about robbery in There are loads of police out and though there has been a lot of alcohol, I haven´t seen any really loutish behaviour! Our hotel is located very near the Sambadrome and last night we got to see the Samba parade in the stadium (which is itself an impressive site. It was such an amazing experience to see these Samba schools competing. They pull out all the stops--6 or 7 giant floats and about 2,500-4,500 dancers, drummers, and singers (per school) making their way down the gigantic Sambadrome. It´s such a joyful event with audience members singing along, dancing and laughing continuously. We joined in lots of the fun, but it took a lot for us to stay awake till 6 am which was when the competition ended. The creativity and planning required for these parades is extensive. We were so impressed.



In back of us on a giant ledge is the place where all the reporters and journalists stand. We were in an open seating area, though many tourists left by about 1 am so our seats kept getting better and better.



One of the many imaginative floats. This one seems to have a brain on it!