RIO CARNAVAL

---

by tim
After six and a half weeks we finally arrived in Rio. Nine Dragoman/Encounter trucks carrying 120 people had descended from all over South America on the Hotel Paysandu. Our first night there was the Red and Black ball. This we had been pre-warned was an event which saw several thousand people dressed in Red and Black converge on a nightclub called the Scala club. The point of it was fairly obscure apart from the fact that the woman generally got mauled by the local bloke's. I was'nt really looking forward to it but it was just one of those things we felt we had to do. The first few hours were as expected, my worst nightmare. The place was packed with blokes just out for a cheap thrill. Caroline and Precious, dressed in minimilistic style wowed the hordes of guy's with their disco style dance format. Richy, who had deemed himself Precious's personal protection agency for the evening found himself between her and any guy that approached her every couple of minutes. I just let Caroline get on with it, she can look after herself I reckon.
Donna, Vance and Vicky left after a couple of hours which seemed like a good idea, however, we started to get a bit of space and the mauling I had expected the girls to get hadn't really happened. The final few hours were a real good laugh. There were several absolutely stunning chicks wandering around. They were wearing hardly any clothes which was the only way you could tell they were actually blokes. A guy selling beer from an esky never wandered too far away, which was good and I even got chatted up. Unfortunately it was by a guy.
The next day Vance and I went to the Maracana stadium to see the football match between Flamengo and Botofoga. Although the stadium had held 200,000 spectators in the past, there was only around 40,000 for this game but they made plenty of noise with their samba drums. The game was really good too, with plenty of attacking play, some great skill in midfield, abissmal defending and plenty of goals. Flamengo finally won 3-2 which was good because that was the end we were in.
On the sunday night we headed for the Sambadrome. We went in groups of twenty but the walk from the metro through the hundreds of locals to the arena proved to be the most intimidating experience we'd have in South America. We wore our packs on our front and held on for all we were worth. Sticking together proved to be easier said than done and Rich had his camera stolen in a matter of seconds. When we got to the Sambadrome I realised I had been quite lucky. I had walked through the crowds with my wallet in a pocket on my leg and I had'nt had it stolen. Inside the Sambadrome the atmosphere was fantastic and the spectacle of the proccession was awesome. The first samba school came through at 9.00 pm and the last would be at 7.30 the following morning. We managed to stay until 3.30, a combination of too much booze and a lack of sleep ensuring a premature end to our evening.
The next afternoon we went on a booze cruise, after which we said our goodbyes to Mac who was heading to Easter Island. We would see him in again in New Zealand hopefully. We said goodbye to the rest of the gang the next morning. We'd lived in each others pockets for a couple of months and had got on really well. It's because of them we had such a great time and chose to extend our stay in South America, but it was now time to move on.
Oh, Caroline cried again.

by caroline

Day 92
After having are rooms reallocated nine of us take the metro into the market shopping area. The streets are very narrow and lined with hundreds of small shops. I can't quite get my head round the paying system, first they give you a ticket which you take to a kiosk and pay, then they give you another ticket to go and collect your goods from another counter,sounds a bit like argos but believe me it's not. I managed to get a head dress which will do for the Red and Black Ball and the Sambadrome all I need to do is use different coloured feathers for each night. Precious, who I'm shopping with got herself a black bikini and a red grass skirt, cool. We all meet for lunch at Mickey D's and head back to sort out our outfits.
5PM is our welcome Rio Carnival meeting with a free drink, 51 and mango juice (51 is lumpy vodka ) Yuck! After dinner at what's becoming are favourite restaurant, it's time to get our toggs on. The first bus left at 11pm but we had to wait an hour for it come back. Once we were there the place is like a huge night club, the first couple of hours were a bit crappy but once it started to thin out a bit we had a fantastic time. Getting a drink was a bit like the shopping experience, first you pay and then you go to the bar with your ticket wierd.
Tim got chatted up by some guy, he must have liked his out fit. By the end of the night the floor was swimming in beer, grim! Stayed to the bitter end, got kicked out about 5.30am.
Day 93
Today we have a city tour at 9am, woke up to the phone ringing, it's Donna saying its 8.45 oops.
No time for a shower, just threw on our clothes and ran. Its not until I'm on the bus I realise the state of my feet from last nights dancing. First stop is Sugar loaf Mountain, my first stop is the toilet to wash my feet, what a tramp. Its only a short cable car ride to the top but the views are stunning, the landscape can only be described as Jurasic Park meets Baywatch meets New York.
Next stop is the tram for the statue of Christ, we manged to miss the next train so we had a hour wait, by this time I'm starving, the only thing on offer is a hotdog, that will have to do.
The tram took about 20-30 minutes, but again the views are stunning across the city, I take a picture of the Maracana stadium for Tim or rather Rich did, just can't seem to get the hang of it, Tim and some of the others are there watching a football match. We get taken to Copacabana beach for lunch in one of those kilo places, by now it's 4pm glad I had that hotdog.
Back at the hotel Rich and I go to collect the laundry, it's shut oops. Time for that much needed shower I feel minging. Tonight we've supposed to be going to the Arches for a massive street party, in the end we give it a miss, all burnt out.
Day 94
It's great to get a lie in, after another failed attempt at collecting the laundry, hope they open before we leave, we catch up on some internet, this afternoon we have a favela tour.
The houses are built very close together and rapidly encrotching on the surrounding Jungle.
Although the people are very poor it didn't seem as bad as I had imagined. They all seem to have electricity, running water and sewage systems. Mind you I wouldn't fancy trying to sort out an electrical fault, the wiring was just like great lumps of spaghetti.
This evening we head down to Copacabana beach and Rosies bar. At 11pm there is a street parade to watch. After fantastic fish'n chips the heavens open forcing us inside missing the parade.
Day 95
Should have a relaxing day, finally pick up the laundry, I sort out my head-dress feathers for the Sambadrome, supposed to wear orange, black and white, Dragoman colours.
Getting every one to the Samberdrome was a bit like a military exercise, we were split in to 6 groups of 20, Setting off at intervals to the metro, once off the metro we had to walk for about 1/4 of a mile through large crowds of people, which I have to say was a little daunting and probably one of the only times I felt vunerable, and not with out cause as Rich had his camera stolen with in seconds and none of us saw a thing.
The Samba schools didn't start until 9pm so there was a bit of time to kill, the tour leaders had brought a couple of sponge balls and rubber rings, which ended up getting thrown up and down the terraces, AJ and Jay had filled up supper soakers with 51, things could get messy.
The Samba schools are amazing they can have up to 3000 people in each one. They have 80 minutes to cover 1000m of the Sambadrome or they lose points.The costumes are stunning, when they've finished they literally throw them down into the street.
One of the tour guides picked up a couple for us to try on and take pictures. We left at 3.30am even though it was only half way through, it didn't finishing till 7.30am
Day 96
Well folks it's our last day in Rio, it feels wierd having travelled for so long with the same familiar faces to be going our separate ways. I've had the best time and I'm going to miss you all very much.
After a fairly chilled out morning I've got a craving for Kentucky for lunch but we're out of luck it's closed, I guess its Mickey D's again.
5pm we have a harbour sunset cruise, its a fair old walk to the marina where we jump aboard a schooner. The tour guides have set up a bar. The cruise is about 2 hours, seeing the last of that amazing landscape that makes Rio so spectacular. I think most of us are feeling a little subdued, like we're coming down off a massive high but all good things have to come to an end.
Back at the hotel we go to the restaurant at the end of the road for our last meal together,
tonight is Mardi Gras, the famous Gay Ball unfortunately we are leaving at 8.30am tomorrow so we dicide to give it a miss, I think my candle has finaly burnt out, need to recharge.
Just want to say thank you guy's for such an unforgetable and fantastic trip, it would'nt have been to same with out you.
I also want to thank all the Dragoman tour leaders for making our Rio experience so much fun and hassle free, and a special thank you to Svava, AJ and Zoe, for all the hard work that goes into running these trips. Hope to travel with you again some time.

---

Photos

colour coordinated
caroline and me dressed up for the red and black ball

The Girlies
chrissy sarah caroline anne donna toni and precious with a butch looking chick on the end

Rio De Janeiro
a view from the sugar loaf mountain

Favelas of Rio
a rooftop view of the poorest district. however there is a reasonable infastructure now with many people being able to purchase their homes through a mortgage system.

A Typical Home In The Favelas
an average house in this district would cost on average the equivelant of 10,000 pounds

Tim and Caroline
a view of rio taken from sugar loaf mountain

Black, Orange and White
dragoman colours

Carnaval
some lovely lovely ladies

Carnaval
one of the many floats

Comments

[Linda and Theresa]

Thanks for keeping us updated with your travels. You both look so well. Here's to enjoying your next leg and keep safe. Hope you get to see England perform!!!