The Rio Carnival - A Backpackers Perspective

Rio de Janeiro is well known for its yearly Carnaval; started in the 1930's,
it has turned into one of the most beautiful celebrations in the world.
Richly embroidered costumes, multicoloured feathers, neverending smiles and
the continuous sound of samba are present in anybodies mind when they think
of this festival. The hapiness and frenzy that the environment contains is
unbelievable.

Nevertheless, Rios carnaval isn't the only one worth mentioning. São Paulo,
Recife, and many other Brazilian cities / states have their own versions of
what makes a good carnaval. Each one has its special trademark, each one is
unique. And up in the north western region, in Salvador, Bahia, is where the
happiest celebration takes place. To let you know how happy it is, The
Guiness Book of Records has made it so.

This year, 2005, the uncontrolable boom of energy took place during the
first week of February, after the festival which honours Yemanja, Mother of
the Ocean ( 2 February).
It all starts when the Rey Momo ( King Momo) is handed the key of the city.
This tradition relates to when cities had walls and a key was needed to
pass. After that, the party begins.

Unlike Rio's Carnaval, Salvador's has huge trucks with many strong speakers
and dressing rooms inside. The bands / singers are set up on top of the
truck, and this is where they remain for the rest of the circuit. This
tradition began with Dodô and Osmar in 1950, when these two paraded in a
car, with driver and themselves (threesome) and is called 'trio electrico'.
A bloco is made up of 2 trio electricos, a main one and a support one,
singers and of course, the people who buy their bloco's abada and parade
behind the trucks. To limit the bloco, there are 'cordeiros', (security
people hired to hold a thick rope around the perimeters of the bloco) which
only let the people with the abada which corresponds to their bloco enter.
You must be asking: what is an abada? An 'abada' is a costume, usually a
t-shirt, which has the name of the bloco, the sponsors, and is of a specific
colour to ditinguish the day that you participate. There are abadas which
are more elaborate, like the ones belonging to the bloco "Filhos de Gandhi"
(sons of Gandhi), which consist of a long white tunics, hats and sandals and
many blue and white bead necklaces. A kit (abadas for three days), can cost
between  approximatly R$300 and can reach around R$1.300. What most people
do is buy a kit and split it between friends; it's cheaper and everyone gets
to go to the carnaval.

As you can see, this festival has become a huge money making business, it
moves enormous amounts of money. However, people like it sooo much (tourists
included) that they already start buying kits straight after the carnaval
has finished.

This year it was particularly exciting because most blocos were celebrating
20 years of Carnaval; Axe music was also celebrating its 20 years. I think
that bloco's could be compared with Rio's "Escolas de Samba". Just like Rio
has Beija-Flor (winner 2005), Mangueira, Portela, and so on, Salvador has
the blocos Camaleão, Cheiro, Banda Eva, Olodum, etc. The loyalty that the
people have for each is the same; to prove it, you see people with
Camaleão's symbol drawn on their heads, tatoos of the different bands and
the like.

Bloco "CHEIRO", Day 1 : Sunday 6 February

In a cloud of expectation and yes, aprehension (we might get robbed!), we
walked to the bus stop, wearing our abadas. We waited for the vehicle which
would leave us near the Corredor da Vitoria, the meeting place of all the
blocos that follow the Vitoria- Campo Grande circuit. There are other
circuits, the Barra- Ondina is one of the most popular, which begins in
Barra (where the famous Farol da Barra stands) and ends in -yes, you guessed
it!- Ondina. This circuit borders the beach and I imagine it is very
breathtaking at twilight.

After sitting in the hard seats and facing bumpy roads, we arrived at our
destination. I was very surprised by the fact that I did not get motion
sick, as the bus trip could be equally compared to a rollercoaster ride
(Salvador's steep and curvy roads make this possible, also the drivers need
for speed.). Just a couple of meters away and we would be in the heart of it
all.

My eyes took in all the different colours that danced in the hot glare of
Bahias mid- day sun. So much positive energy, so many people dancing,
singing, chatting, sipping drinks, flirting and enjoying life. Many
different races and nationalities joined by the joy of carnaval; the negros
with their sophisticated, platted hair and healthy, smooth skin; tourists
with their sunburnt, milky skin and awed expressions; all these thousands of
human beings wearing their abadas, some with creative personal touches,
others straight from the bag. Of course, I can't forget to mention the
"pipoqueiros" (people who just go to see the carnaval but do not take part
in a bloco).

When I couldn't tolerate standing up or sitting down anymore, and after
seeing and hearing the other blocos (Coruja, Camaleão, Papa, Banda Eva)
start their adventure - 3 long hours- we finally heard a magestic sound
being issued from the loudspeakers: "CHEEIIIROOO!!!!!" and then, the real
party began.

With the words "Levanta as mãos pra cima e tira os pés do chão!" (Raise your
hands up in the air and take your feet off the ground!), the couple of
thousands all started to jump in one massive block, shake their bodies to
the sound of axe music and just enjoy themselves as never before.
At first we passed many flats and buildings, all the balconies full of
people waving and getting a privileged view of the singers. These would stop
singing, ask if the espectators were enjoying themselves and sent them all
their love.
A slight bend in the road and we entered the "Pasarela Campo Grande". Full
of people in their hired boxes, and most importantly, TV crew. It was now or
never. I took the small poster which said "Argentina"in block capitals
(intended to call anyones attention), and looked around for the cameras that
filmed our blocos' progress through the circuit - who wouldn't like to
appear on television?.Everytime I saw a camera I unfolded the 2 pieces of
paper which were now covered in beer and other unknown liquids, and held
them above my head, in the hopes that one of the cameramen would film my
Aunt and I. One saw me and made a sign with his hand, only then we realized
that the poster was upside-down! How I laughed. I think that we must have
appeared in every TV channel.

A man was throwing caps, water bottles and t-shirts down from his box, and I
tried to catch (more like snatch one from somebodys hands), but I nearly
sprained my finger in the process - the crowd was really fierce-, so I gave
up.

On and on we danced and jumped; at one stage there was a fight between
cordeiros and pipoqueiros and the lead singer had to call the police, who,
as they were nearby, quickly solved the problem. Apart from that, the
Carnaval was very safe.

When we got to another bend, my aunt and I left the bloco. We squeezed our
way through the many pipoqueiros and finally, ( after getting covered with
more strange sweat) we met up with my Uncle, who was waiting for us at the
end of the street, eating an acaraje (a fried mashed bean bun) and drinking
a can of beer. After walking down some alleys and  arriving at the bus stop,
we took the bus back home and, approximatly forty unnecessary minutes later,
we got back home. The end of the day but not the end of carnaval up-close.

Day 2: Monday 7 February

The day proceeded very much like yesterday. After jumping for I don't know
how many hours, I really felt that I couldn't move a single muscle again. I
imagined myself trying to jump and only being able to do so like a feeble
old lady. Luckily, when the music started all the tiredness left me.
There were many more people and in the crowd we distinguished some
Australians and Americans. I had lost the poster that I had carried with me,
but we got filmed anyway, and while we danced we hit the huge, red, plastic
balls that advertised a mobile phone company. At a bend in the circuit there
is a 'funnel effect', and when everyone started pushing and shoving I nearly
fell and got trampled on.

I think that the only way to describe the amount of people there were today
would be comparing the crowd to a group of slippery eels; it was a sea of
sweat. My Aunt and I left the bloco at the same place as before, only that
today we presenced the meeting of two blocos, and here it got nasty. It was
impossible to move, we were like sardines in a can; I nearly got the life
squeezed out of me, but I believe that I had never had such a great time. We
crossed the neighbouring bloco and saw Ivete Sangalo, one of Bahia's most
well known female singers. The crowd was in ecstasy, their mouths open and
their eyes following all her moves.

Sadly, we went down the side street and met up with my Uncle, and started
our trip back home. Only one shocking incident happened here: after getting
onto the bus and waiting for the traffic lights to turn green, a youth threw
his sneakers in and lifting himself up, he just simply slipped in through
the window and didn't pay the fare. My skin nearly jumped off me.

> Home Page

> DESTINATIONS

> SOLO TRAVEL TIPS

> BUDGET TRAVEL

> SOLO TRAVEL IDEAS

> ALL ARTICLES