What a place! The energy in this town is amazing. It is such a contrast with anywhere Iīve used to live. It might be more energetic than any place Iīve ever been. Jeff and I went to the Sambodromo yesterday - this is where the professional samba schools strut their stuff in a parade that lasts from 9AM to past sunrise - maybe about 7AM. We lasted until about 3AM. The colorful costumes and floats are electrifying. The music is groovy, but we found it to be repetitive by the time the parade reached our section of the Sambodromo. Watching the remaining parade happening in the daylight on TV was a bit odd.
As for the article about commercialism below,. I donīt feel as if commercialism had gone to an extreme. There is commercialism on the outside of the sambodromo (Which is huge - it takes 1 school about 1.5 hours to parade the entire length moving a steady rate) with large banners, but nothing else distracting. At least as far I could tell no school had any noticeable corporate logos or endorsements - in contrast to the famouse Rose Bowl Parade (W) in California, among others. They could be thinly disguised commercials, but to my untrained eye I couldn't tell. Since I don't know that many company names and logos in Brazil, maybe I missed seeing them. One thing is for sure - we had to fend off the calls from enterprising everyday people outside the stadium trying to sell cold mineral water or beer.
We sat in the grandstands, where finding a view and / or seat is first come first served. Looking below to the smaller area below at ground level with separate boxed areas and individual seating I could see that many were taken up by tourists (They had tourist company shirts on). Iīve also read that many of the best seats go to private corporate sponsors. But, I didnīt actually see any corporate banners. I paid a little more than what we should have for our tickets in section 11 - Sunday, 220R / $60US (I found them later for 120R / $33US through a tourist outfit), but in speaking to other travelers who paid 20R / $5US - Sunday, I have a hard time believing that all tickets are priced out of ordinary Brazilians. But, it should be noted - those tickets that are $5 US are for very bad seats. With a view far inferior to what we had. You can see why on the map in the website link below. Some of the grandstands are set back and are near the end of the parade route. So - yes, I could believe that good seats are priced out of some Brazilians range, especially if they come from a poor area where one of the Samba Schools is located.
But Carnaval isnīt just about watching others strut their stuff. While walking around after a day on the beach we bumped into a raucous street party. This is the Carnaval that really gets me going. Everyday people (Including me) participating at a festive time. The professional costumes are nice - but oneīs Carnaval experience shouldnīt just be limited to this. Live it!
Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro (W) (Portugese only - but some Fotos of past Carnavals online, and maps of the Sambodromo)
- Maybe one of the translator links (Non-English Speakers link) at the beginning of my website can help decipher the text -
The stories about Carnaval could certainly be enough to write about, but they arenīt the only things we have experienced. The one thing that stands out in my mind that I havenīt mentioned yet are the sexual attitudes, and how I believe they shape the peopleīs behaviors here -- and increasingly - ours too! The world could definitely take some lessons from the Brazilians here. But, more on this later. It is time to eat dinner. The food selection here is outstanding! Oh yeah -- one more thing, the limited Portugese I learned before has helped immensly. That combined with a mini-dictionary I bought here has helped me / us blend in and get around much easier.
As for the article about commercialism below,. I donīt feel as if commercialism had gone to an extreme. There is commercialism on the outside of the sambodromo (Which is huge - it takes 1 school about 1.5 hours to parade the entire length moving a steady rate) with large banners, but nothing else distracting. At least as far I could tell no school had any noticeable corporate logos or endorsements - in contrast to the famouse Rose Bowl Parade (W) in California, among others. They could be thinly disguised commercials, but to my untrained eye I couldn't tell. Since I don't know that many company names and logos in Brazil, maybe I missed seeing them. One thing is for sure - we had to fend off the calls from enterprising everyday people outside the stadium trying to sell cold mineral water or beer.
We sat in the grandstands, where finding a view and / or seat is first come first served. Looking below to the smaller area below at ground level with separate boxed areas and individual seating I could see that many were taken up by tourists (They had tourist company shirts on). Iīve also read that many of the best seats go to private corporate sponsors. But, I didnīt actually see any corporate banners. I paid a little more than what we should have for our tickets in section 11 - Sunday, 220R / $60US (I found them later for 120R / $33US through a tourist outfit), but in speaking to other travelers who paid 20R / $5US - Sunday, I have a hard time believing that all tickets are priced out of ordinary Brazilians. But, it should be noted - those tickets that are $5 US are for very bad seats. With a view far inferior to what we had. You can see why on the map in the website link below. Some of the grandstands are set back and are near the end of the parade route. So - yes, I could believe that good seats are priced out of some Brazilians range, especially if they come from a poor area where one of the Samba Schools is located.
But Carnaval isnīt just about watching others strut their stuff. While walking around after a day on the beach we bumped into a raucous street party. This is the Carnaval that really gets me going. Everyday people (Including me) participating at a festive time. The professional costumes are nice - but oneīs Carnaval experience shouldnīt just be limited to this. Live it!
Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro (W) (Portugese only - but some Fotos of past Carnavals online, and maps of the Sambodromo)
- Maybe one of the translator links (Non-English Speakers link) at the beginning of my website can help decipher the text -
The stories about Carnaval could certainly be enough to write about, but they arenīt the only things we have experienced. The one thing that stands out in my mind that I havenīt mentioned yet are the sexual attitudes, and how I believe they shape the peopleīs behaviors here -- and increasingly - ours too! The world could definitely take some lessons from the Brazilians here. But, more on this later. It is time to eat dinner. The food selection here is outstanding! Oh yeah -- one more thing, the limited Portugese I learned before has helped immensly. That combined with a mini-dictionary I bought here has helped me / us blend in and get around much easier.
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