Blogs from Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 33

Our last day in Botafogo we went to the football stadium to watch Botafogo v Vasco, which was nothing like we had ever experienced in our lives. Trying to enter the stadium we were pushed, shoved and squashed like never before. We both nearly lost our flip-flops in the crowds and were surrounded by fat, sweaty men with their shirts off. It was disgusting but an experience we´ll never forget. Once in the stadium it was a lot of fun. We ended up sitting on the Vasco side but we think they had the better chants anyway. There were flares going off, lots of people shouting and huge flags. People would stand wherever there was a space. There were lots of beers, ice-cream and local drinks going round. Botafogo ended up winning 2-0. To end the ... read more

Wow! Today was fantastic! (like any day of this trip will be anything less…) I woke up around 8 am, had my breakfast in my hotel before I got ready to do whatever. I wasn’t exactly sure what my day was going to bring, because I didn’t have any tour scheduled until 1930, so well after the sun sets. But hey! Right outside my hotel is the Copa---Copacabaaaanna!!! (sing it.) Copa is about 3.5km from one end to the other. And I’m at one end, literally… So I decided to walk it. I was kinda hoping to randomly meet with some of the ppl from yesterday’s trip, but to no avail. ‘sall good though. I walked the 3.5km…it was about 35degrees (about 95f). I didn’t realize how sweaty one can get…and then it dawned on ... read more

Arrive in Rio slap bang in the middle of Carnaval! From the moment you leave the airport you can feel the buzz of the city and the atmosphere. Thanks to our F1 approved taxi driver we get to our hotel in speedy time and are relieved to find that it does exist and it´s quite nice too - Bonus! Wasting no time whatsoever we head down to Copacabana beach......What a sight, never seen anything like it before!! The beach is enormous and stretches for about 2 miles. There are literally thousands of people drinking and dancing to the ever present Samba rhythm. Every other street corner has a samba band playing live music - hooked up to the biggest speakers you have ever seen!! Being pretty tired from the journey across the atlantic, however, we decide ... read more

We watched the crowd from the balcony of a steamy club on the first night of carnaval. The mass of people swayed and heaved and stretched as far as you could see. The humid temperature making it too hot to be inside, the party spilled from bars and clubs onto the street. Music thumped from every direction. Across the street, the Arches of Lapa are lit up and the massive plaza is full of young people standing around chatting and dancing. Vendors sell alcohol at ridiculously cheap prices. You can drink anywhere and anything. Welcome to Merry Making in Lapa a highlight of carnaval. The costume competition at Hotel Gloria is hotly contested by each of the samba schools. It features the showpeice costumes adorned by the most beautiful people in Brazil and is an astounding ... read more

A gringo's guide to joining in Carnival Taking part in the parade..... 1. Order the craziest costume you can find on the internet and have it delivered to your hotel along with the words to the samba song (in portugese) and instructions that you must learn it 2. Spend an hour getting dressed from head to toe in outlandish feathers, sequins and exploding orange colour 3. Adorn a massive and heavy headress, enourmous shoulder lapels and a hoop skirt and then try and fit two of you in an elevator 4. Fall out of the elevator much to the delight of the smirking doorman and try to regain your compusure as you tumble onto the street (in daylight) 5. Try and catch a cab on one of the biggest nights of carnival where the streets are ... read more