The world's biggest party

---

I’m pretty sceptical when I hear a title similar to this, especially as when in New Zealand I saw something with the label “probably the biggest hedge in the Southern hemisphere”, but after being in Rio during Carnival I have no doubts over this assertion.

I don’t think Brazilians ever sleep as over the 5 days I was there the party was happening 24/7 all over the city. If you weren’t at a bloco (a street party with more people than pavement), a bar (where the action also spills on to the street as the music is that loud) or the hostel (where it was hard to tell the staff apart from the backpackers as everyone was dressed up and drinking) then you still had no doubts as to whether Carnival was going on as samba parades were all over the TV and parade floats would constantly be going past you in the street, with over excited followers running into restaurants or popping streamers. And when I thought I’d found solace on the metro a woman in the seat opposite starts breast-feeding her son and some people taking part in the main parade got on in full alien costume – ay caramba!!

Seeing the parade was definitely a highlight, I just can’t believe that it still hadn’t finished when I left at 6am!!! The rainy weather certainly didn’t have any effect on the party spirit in Rio, in fact it was probably a good thing that Christ the Redeemer was clouded over and didn’t have to witness what was going on.

---