Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Shall we go to a block party?

Carnival, squindô, squindô! And when it comes to carnival, we immediately think of Brazil, right?

We forget that it originated in Greece or even the more glamorous ones like Venice, which end up in second or third place. Our country ended up sponsoring and becoming the biggest carnival in the world and the course of the festivities was gradually changed.
When we talk about this festival, we immediately think of the samba schools in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the trios elétricos in Bahia or the Frevo umbrellas in Olinda! It's a lot of fun and a program for all types and ages.
Today I'm going to talk about Rio de Janeiro's carnival and its street parties, which are growing more and more and I particularly love it, I like it even more than the carnival of the samba schools, of course the schools and their mega productions, with incredible costumes, still have their appeal, I like it even more than Bahia's carnival.
What? What do you mean? You prefer the street carnival to the most famous carnival in the world?!?! Yesmmmm! Let me explain: a month or even a little earlier, the streets of Rio de Janeiro are filled with blocos of all kinds! Blocos for children, adults, fuller, emptier, famous, unknown, marchinhas, axé, funk, and even rock get into the dance. People get into the mood and the vast majority even go out in costumes, ranging from the simplest and most improvised, the best and funniest in my opinion, to the most elaborate and decorated. The important thing is to take part and have fun, I love it!

Well, I haven't been to the Recife - Olinda carnival yet, but for me so far the Rio de Janeiro carnival is the most democratic, without having to spend tons of money on an abada or box. The blocos go out onto the streets, squares and beaches without charging anything and the only thing you really need is a lot of entertainment!
Of course, a good idea of which block to go to is also good, for example:

• Monoblock:

The city center today is the most crowded, it brings millions to the streets and you walk and move without wanting to, just being carried along by the crowd, super, mega, ultra crowded!

• Suvaco do Cristo:

It's very crowded, but if you stay further away from the drums that lead the bloco, you can be less crowded and enjoy it.

If you're looking for something quieter and emptier, opt for the blocos that leave very early in the morning and aren't very well known, children's blocos are a good option to go out with the family and enjoy all the marchinhas without too much fuss, last year I went with my little sister to Bandinha de Ipanema and I really enjoyed it!

They gave the kids confetti, popcorn and streamers, with the light atmosphere of the old marchinhas and children jumping around! It's also a great option for those who are going to celebrate Carnival as a couple and don't want the hustle and bustle, without any stress with happy children.
Ahhhh, you don't like samba, axé or funk? There are rock bands! Sargento Pimenta grows every year with Beatles songs mixed with carnival drumming or even Bloco do Cru with pop rock in general, they're really cool!

I always opt for blocks earlier in the day and near Aterro do Flamengo or the beach, as they have a larger physical space and it's easier to escape the confusion if you get tired of partying.

But everything ends early at Carnival! No!!! In addition to the blocos during the day, during the afternoon and early evening there's still Lapa for the more lively, with a good end to the day with more partying and people jumping around! But be careful not to overdo it, because the next day it's all over again first thing in the morning.
Hey, it's not all partying, isn't it?
First of all, Rio de Janeiro is very hot and the sun is punishing, so prepare your sunscreen, light clothing and LOTS OF WATER! All of this is very essential, can you imagine not being able to enjoy Carnival anymore because your only costume is a SHRIMP and you can't even walk because you're so red? Or worse, ending up in hospital due to dehydration and becoming king and only staying on the throne because you forgot to hydrate yourself? You can't!

There's also the issue of safety, as in any crowd there are thefts, so why take more than you need or leave your cell phone lying around?! Not to mention the fact that those who drink too much end up losing too many things. If you don't take it, you can't lose it, so only take what you really need.

Driving a car? No way, at this time of year many streets are closed and there's no point in getting even more crowded with such a piece of junk, since the buses and subways are an attraction in themselves, with people having their pre-party right there, turning it into a real bloco!

So let's enjoy it! Are you ready to jump? Come on, let's go and maybe we'll bump into each other at some block?
Alá lá ô ô ô ô ô ô ô ô...
The sun was hot and burned my face...