A Tiny Piece of Carnaval








I journeyed to Rio during the Brazilian winter. This means that I didn't witness any actual nude sunbathing or glimpse the notorious Copacabana dental-flossed behinds. It also means that I didn't get to see Carnaval. Instead, I saw the half-mile expanse of the Sambadrome, empty of all the Carnaval crowds and clutter. Without the samba schools dancing and the floats rolling by, the space still seemed to vibrate with the energy left behind. There's nothing really spectacular about the Sambadrome itself, it's just a road flanked by spectator stands. But when I walked a few feet down the road, it was easy to imagine the seats filled with 65,000 screaming cariocas. You can see Rio's sweeping mountains dotted with favelas straight ahead. Off to the side, there's a small store bursting with the sequins and feathers of Carnaval costumes. You can buy or rent the costumes and I tried on a sparkly pink and orange confection. Marching down the Sambadrome with my feathers ruffled by the wind, I felt like I had experienced a tiny piece of Carnaval.















Comments

Anonymous said…
Always wanted to go to Rio. Someday :)
Nice pictures
September 23, 2008 at 7:37 AM
Anonymous said…
Thanks, that's a valuable compliment coming from a photographer! I'm sure you will get to Rio eventually!
September 23, 2008 at 9:29 AM
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