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Being a Louisiana native, experiencing Mardi Gras is something that I was able to check off of my bucket list many times over the years.
If attending Mardi Gras was number one on my list of all-time greatest parties, then experiencing Rio’s Carnivale was a close second.
The thought of attending Carnivale in Rio was something that had intrigued me for many years. I had been to Rio before and although I had navigated the city without incident, I must admit, I understood that it wasn’t the safest of places, so trying to find a hotel room and trying to figure out how the parades worked scared me off.
Luckily, I found myself in the position to be able to travel to Rio for work during Carnivale and actually be there for a whole forty-eight hours! The hotel room was secured, but I still had a lot of work to do to figure out how to go to the parades and festivities. And where were they by the way?
After phone calls to a friend with contacts in the city and a lot of googling, I learned a lot. Mainly that Carnival’s festivities differ a bit from Mardi Gras.
A friend explained that she had visited before and took part in the street parties that navigated the roadways in many of the neighborhoods. She described the costumes that the participants wore (a lot of tu-tus and bikini tops) and how crowded the areas could become thus necessitating many security measures. It was definitely something I probably would not want to do alone. She had never, however, gone to the Sambadrome to see the parades that roll through nightly.
Hmmm. Costumes needed to be packed and I was informed that the hotel would probably have a schedule for the street parties. But…this was not what I envisioned.
The Sambadrome…this was what I wanted to do! How could I say I had been to Rio’s Carnivale and not get to truly experience it in the Sambadrome? It did not take long to find a few websites advertising tickets for the parades. And yes…we were arriving Saturday morning and there were still tickets for that night’s festivities in the Sambadrome! Now, I just had to find friends to join me or would I be comfortable going by myself?
Reaching out to my coworkers, I found that a couple were excited to accompany me. We purchased tickets for Saturday night and everything was in place for a fun time.
And then I got the text.
Another of my coworkers, who originally hails from Rio, received a call from a friend. Did she or anyone else want to be a part of the Santa Cruz Samba school in the parade Saturday night?
Even though we had just purchased our tickets to watch the parade, we decided that this was an opportunity that we could not pass up! We could actually be IN the parade! This was truly the opportunity of a lifetime!
Quickly forwarding our costume sizes, we then found that we had to learn a song for our debut in the Sambadrome!
In Portuguese!
The day before the parade!
We embraced the challenge and wrote the song out phonetically…a bit of nonsensical jargon that only we could understand and any Brazilian would laugh at! Practicing all night, on our flight to Rio…it was quite comical!
Upon our arrival in Rio de Janeiro, we were quite exhausted but nevertheless excited. After finding a way to get our costumes, which were located an hour away, my Brazilian friend called us down into the lobby of the hotel to give us the huge bags with what we would be wearing that night.
Next on the list…finding the hotel where our tickets were to be picked up. We had ordered through a company called Bookers International. The website was easy to use and their representatives were extremely friendly and helpful when I reached out with the many questions that I had. Their setup at the Atlantic Hotel Copacabana was in a meeting room adjacent to the lobby and after a short wait outside, we were ushered in and our ticket packet was handed over to us.
Now, we only had a short time to get money (not easy when many of the ATMs were boarded up) and have dinner!
Getting dressed was thrilling! This was really happening and when we arrived in the lobby, all eyes were on us! There were many people who wanted to take pictures with us! Later, I would think back on this time and our costumes. They were interesting, but quite bulky…in fact, I think we looked a bit like green and white power rangers! When I finally saw some of the other costumes in the Sambadrome, I realized how much better they could have been!
Getting to the Sambadrome was not an easy feat. After investigating shuttle options, my friend decided that we would take Uber. Only because she was a native speaker was the reason that I agreed, as I had read that private cars were not allowed on the roadways near the Sambadrome. She was convinced, however, that we could get close enough.
The traffic was heavy and we barely fit inside the car with our unwieldy outfits. True to what I had learned, traffic was detoured a few blocks from the venue. Pulling over to the curb, we gathered our headdresses and made our way down the road, eyeing the lighted stadium in the distance.
The streets were wet from an earlier rainfall and the cheap shoes given to us made it hard to walk comfortably, each step causing distress on our soles. Finally, however, the roar of the crowd became deafening and we made our way into the ring. Walking along the outer reaches, we found the area where the many samba schools and floats were lined up.
Weaving our way around elegantly bedecked participants and huge, colorful floats, we walked for what seemed like miles. Even though we were running late, it was too hard not to lag behind and take these one-of-a-kind photos of the calm before the storm. Realizing that we had gone the wrong way, we finally turned in the opposite direction before finally spotting others dressed like us! The Santa Cruz Samba School!
Our entrance into the Sambadrome had been scheduled for eleven o’clock, however, the early rainstorms that had plagued the city had caused some major delays. We had a couple of drinks. We waited in line for the bathroom. We sat on the curb. We took a walk. We made friends. That eleven o’clock march into the Sambadrome finally turned into one o’clock in the morning. And by this time, the rain had returned.
Excitement was high as we linked arms with those marching beside us. Lining up in rows of twelve, we finally moved forward entering the amazing Sambadrome.
The crowds roared and our song played.
Santa Cruz de Barbalha-Um Conto Popular No Cariri Cearense
Saudade tenho do meu Cariri
Minha terra onde nasci
E deixei meu coração
O verde admirava da varanda
Era doce minha lida
O suor do meu sertão
Êh muié guerreira
Batiza o meu lugar
A bênção a Padim Padi Ciço
Vi capitão Virgulino
Que se chamou Lampião
Maria Bunita da saia rendada
Me ensina menina prendada
A cantar como o Rei do Baião
Oh moça solteira
Oh pau da bandeira iaiá
Oh moça solteira
Pede ao santo padroeiro
Um sinhô pra ser seu par
Onde versa o trovador
Nasce a fé e alegria
No Araripe o soldadinho
Anuncia um novo dia
Nos altares eu pedi ao pai
E na fonte agradeci em paz
Lava a minha alma e cura minha dor
No peito a Santa Cruz do amor
Vou voltar
Santo Antônio de Barbalha
Ilumine essa batalha
Minha gente pede ao céu
Vou voltar
Santo Antônio de Barbalha
Ceará tem paraíso em forma de cordel
Onde plantei o meu valor
Colhi meus ideais
Vai ressoar o meu tambor
A voz que ecoa dos canaviais
Having been told that we were under the scrutiny of the judges, stationed along the length of the venue, we needed to dance, sing and smile for the entire duration. We started out strong and it was quite overwhelming to see the bystanders lining the route. They were all having a great time drinking, dancing and taking our photos!
As thrilling as it was, it was quite exhausting! Singing the same song over and over and continually dancing…in the light rain…with shoes that were falling apart…halfway through, I wondered if anyone would notice if I jumped the barrier and joined the revelers! Continual movement for over an hour and for almost half a mile, for each school to complete their performance is a LONG time!
Finally, reaching the end of the route, we mingled with the other participants in the Praça da Apoteose (Apotheosis Square), each removing as much of our costumes as we could and graciously accepting water from the volunteers assigned to make sure that we were all hydrated.
Following my friend, we made our way to our assigned seats, grabbing a beer and some snacks along the way. Watching the parade from this viewpoint gave us a whole different perspective and as I watched each of the remaining schools, I learned that there were many aspects that each school was being judged on.
First and foremost, each school had between sixty-five and seventy-five minutes to make their way through the Sambadrome. No more, no less or points would be deducted. Each school had a theme and a song written specifically for that school and their theme. Most of the wealthier schools had fireworks ignited for their introduction and as we watched I began to notice similarities. Each school began their march with a dancing duo followed by percussionists, spinning ladies in their large ballgowns, the marching groups, the floats and the groups of dancers all spectacularly adorned. Be warned, however, though the costumes are elaborate, there is lots of skin being shown off!
As tired as were were, I was glad that we stayed through the night watching one of the greatest shows on earth!
Having had the experience of being in the parade and watching from above, I think next time, we all agreed that it would be nice to purchase tickets to watch from the ground level in the Camarotes (VIP boxes) where some of our friends had spent the evening. Making our way back to the hotel, we realized that we had lots of time to make a plan for the next year. The sun was rising, our beds were calling and we had the rest of the day to enjoy the beach in one of the most breathtaking cities in South America!
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Note: All photos were taken with an Iphone, due to the security aspect and because I could not carry my Canon in the parade. Therefore, pictures taken from the grandstands are not as clear as if I had taken them with the Canon due to the distance factor.
Rio Carnivale
Our first stop, the beautiful Torre de Belém. Sitting in the middle of the water, on a small island, it is accessible by bridge. Built in the 16th century, this fortified tower was once a part of the defense system at the mouth of the Tagus river and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was commissioned by King John II and is composed of a bastion and a four story tower built in the Portuguese Manueline style.
As I took picture after picture, I realized that this beautiful structure reminded me of a sandcastle still standing even after the tide has surrounded it. Though I would have liked to tour the tower, it was getting late, there was a line and my travel partners were not interested in waiting. Reluctantly, I walked away to discover the other monuments in the area, knowing that I would have to make this a priority when I returned.
The next monument along the shore was the Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar. Similar to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., this monument pays tribute to those who fought in the Portuguese War in Africa, from 1961-1974. Both striking and somber, the monument, designed by artists Carlos Guerrero and Batista Barros, is comprised of three distinctive sections…the flame, the monument and the memorial wall. While the flame burns eternally, you can take note of over 9,000 names of the fallen inscribed alphabetically and by year on the marble wall behind it. Standing in the shallow pool, are two large angled pillars jutting out above the flame.
A small chapel is located inside in the monument and there is a museum adjacent which focuses on Portuguese Overseas Wars, the modern Portuguese military and World War I objects. There is also a tomb of an unknown soldier from this war, brought from Guinea-Bissau.
The monument, erected in 1960, celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries when Porgual dominated the sea trade between the continents. Observing a design originally conceived by Jose Angelo Cottineli Telmo and then Antonio Pardal Monteiro, the structure was adorned with thirty-four sculptures by Leopoldo de Almeida, including Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan. The main statue of Henry the Navigator, as well as the others, represent those who have contributed to Portugal’s reputation in the age of discoveries; poets, explorers, navigators, crusaders and mapmakers.
Though we did not enter the structure, we were informed that it is divided into three levels. The ground floor covers the history of Lisbon, the second has two exhibition halls and four other rooms on the third floor. The top of the monument is accessible and used as a watchtower.
The festival’s main idea is to bring together the entire peninsula and increase the awareness of its unique culture and traditions, especially with the incorporation of the pagan masks which are common in the Spanish and Portuguese cultures. Besides the regional groups participating, this year’s parade included Boi Tinga from Brazil and The Mummers from Ireland.
After the parade was over, we followed the crowds into Jardim de Belém discovering dozens of stands showcasing local products such as wine, cheese, chocolates and handicrafts. Grabbing a beer and a delicious prosciutto and cheese sandwich, we acquired seats at a picnic table and enjoyed our dinner in the late afternoon sunshine while local performers entertained us on the nearby stage.
