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On Friday we were trying to get to a parade in Santa Theresa, but because of the traffic & crowds, we never made it in time. Instead we went to one in a neighborhood called Lapa, which is known to be quite arty - think Obz but with skyscrapers. Most people going to the parade get dressed up in some way - so we bought some cheap costume things and followed the crowds. As more and more people joined, the street became a sea of people so that you couldn't see the end of the crowd in either direction. There was no music though - it was basically just a massive bunch of people walking down the road.
On Saturday afternoon got on a bus to go to the parade in Ipanema. The traffic was so bad though that everyone was just leaving the busses on the highway and walking. We ended up walking about an hour, and then once again joining a massive sea of people. The parade was a bit more organised than the one the day before - there were a bunch of dancers and quite a big band. It slowly moved its way through the crowd lead by a the police. After it had pased we went to chill and watch the sunset on the beach just to get away from the crowds.
So ya, basically if you want to watch the carinival in Rio - get tickets to the Samba Drome. Otherwise, find out before-hand from a local exactly how things go down and where all the parties are happening, and go with them if possible. If you just want to do the street-party thing, go to Salvador.
Update: We joined a carnival during our stay on Ilha Grande and, even though it was so small (few hundred people) it was the best parade we were a part of. It came right past the place we were staying so we just fell in behind and danced and sang along, even though it was all Potuguese and we didn't know the words. At the front was a cart with a huge generator, but you couldn't hear it because the speakers it was powering were even louder! The procession meandered through the streets for about an hour (they move really slowly) and eventually stopped at the small town square. There was quite a big stage setup and the band that took over was really good. We stayed and danced some more before heading back for a shower. Great night out.
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