Brazil: In the streets at Carnival

Every time I told someone that I was coming to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro I got the same response: “That’s going to be ridiculous!” Unfortunately, this is one of the most vague statements. What does “ridiculous” even mean? Most of the people who said this to me had never been to Carnival, much less to Brazil; how did they know that Carnival would be “ridiculous?” The day before my flight I went to the dentist to have three cavities filled. With my mouth full of hands and metal devices the dental hygienist told me that she had been to Carnival when she was sixteen. I managed to ask, “How was it?” with a strange gargling noise. In a thick South American accent her response was, “Wooo woooo woooo.” Looking back, this was the best description and the best way to sum up my first few days in Brazil.


There are a few ways to enjoy Carnival. One of the biggest events is the Samba parade at the Sambadromo, a giant stadium that resembles a street in the middle of Rio. Different neighborhoods in Rio form Samba schools and practice throughout the year for Carnival. They create elaborate costumes, build giant floats, and write songs all about one theme. On the night of the Samba parade thousands of people in each school perform in the Sambadromo for a gigantic audience. We went to the first night of the parades, my first night in Rio, to the B class schools. This parade is much cheaper and is frequented by locals as opposed to the mostly tourist crowd on Sunday night. We only stayed until about one in the morning and only saw three schools, even though the parade goes until six a.m. I was exhausted after about 35 hours of traveling and a full day in the streets of Rio.

Lizz Heron-Sweet has been studying here in Rio for the past semester. Actually, she has studied in Niterói, which is across the bay from Rio de Janeiro. Through her history class last semester she met Vanessa, who is graciously letting us stay in her apartment in Niterói for a few days in Rio. Also living here is her boyfriend Renan, Ana Laura, and her boyfriend Celhao. Eric Harvey, Sage Sipchen, Lizz, and me have a room to ourselves and with two mattresses and a few sleeping pads where we have been very comfortable. It is great to be staying with locals down here and it is has really shaped our experiences. Every day of Carnival we went out with our friends and they showed us all the good spots. All around Rio during Carnival there are street parties called blocos. At each bloco there is a truck full of speakers with a band playing on top. They trucks drive slowly down the streets and blast music as a large crowd dances and sings all around, following the truck on its route. People sell beer, caipirinhas, costumes, and street food to partiers. There is always a bloco happening somewhere during Carnival: morning, afternoon, evening, and night. It wasn’t hard to find one.

One of my favorite blocos was on the main avenues, Rio Blanco. This street, somewhat similar to a Broadway or 5th avenue was full of people on Sunday night drinking and dancing. People of all ages come out to the blocos, we saw a wide-eyed baby dancing on top of a parked car with the help of her father; smiling ear to ear as she bobbed back and forth to the pulsing samba. We watched as four samba schools went by, all in costumes with their own drum section amplified through a truck full of speakers. We waited for our favorite school to go by and then we followed them down the street. After this bloco we went to Lapa, a favorite party area, for a large outdoor concert where we danced until four or five.

During the days of Carnival we mostly slept. We lived in cycles: twelve hours of partying followed by twelve hours of sleeping. Vanessa said that she wished that they could have Carnival three times a year; she was upset that it was ending so soon. I had different feelings, I was exhausted and it was good to a have some easy days of rest and relaxation after a turbulent start to my long trip. Yesterday we made our way to Santa Teresa, the Montmarte of Rio, to visit my roommate from school Angela Evancie who was living there for January. We hung out, talked, and ate pizza while listening to Brazilian folk music.

I am extremely grateful for the friends that we have made here. Having Vanessa, Renan, Ana Laura, and Celhao showing us around the city for Carnival has made the experience so much more than what I was expecting. Vanessa speaks very good English and she has taught me a lot about the culture and the history of Rio. Despite the language barrier we have still managed to become close friends with the others, sharing many laughs as we try to teach them English and as we mutilate words in Portuguese.

It’s good to see the city without a million drunk people in the streets; for a few days I had no other impression of the city. Now people are back to work and on with their lives, recharging again for next year’s Carnival. Hopefully in the next few days we plan on doing more touristy things. I may bring out my camera and post some photos if I get the chance.