Carnaval at RIO

There are carnivals all over the world but no one does it with a frenetic nationwide exuberance as Brazil.  And when in Brazil, the biggest party is in Rio de Janeiro.  Next year, the event starts in March.  The following is a budget guide, ala backpacker category.


CarnAval as spelled in Brasil (with an S in Portuguese) is held in many major towns/cities but the big one is in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, I was in Rio and to my dismay, hostels/hotels jacked up their prices to stratospheric levels and according to the web and ticket outlets, the only Rio Carnaval tickets left are in the $200 range. I wondered how can the ordinary guy in Rio see the Carnaval? Well read on, and the tips you are about to get can be useful for 2011 and the next few years. With the Brazilian currency Real (pronounced hee-ahy, yes “r” is pronounced like “h” in Portuguese) at R1.76 to US$1.00, one needs to be wiser in their budget.

Carnaval is an annual celebration 40 days before Lent. It is sort of the last hurrah to have unbridled fun before the fasting and abstinence from worldly entertainment during Holy Week. In 2011, the carnaval starts March 5th, Saturday.

The Rio Carnaval is like watching a glitzy, glossy, adult-version of the Rose Bowl parade, for two nights. Seven samba schools each night get to strut their stuff for an hour and a half in the Sambodromo. Essentially an enclosed street with several grandstands (called sectors) lining the way, the Sambodromo has 13 sectors. The parade starts in front of Sector 1 and ends between Sectors 6 and 13 (the cheapest section). The two nights of parade will be on March 6 and 7, starting at 9 p.m. and lasting till 7 the following morning – drink coffee. You don’t have to be there on time or all the time. Believe me, watching for fours hours or three samba schools is more than enough.

Each samba school presents a concept, such as peace to humanity or a love story, through a cast of hundreds. Imagine floats with girls in shimmering bikinis and two-feet headdresses, men in outrageous Elvis Presley like attires, and big black women encapsulated in saucer outfits, all dancing to the loud beat of samba music.

But the beauty of the carnaval can be found outside the sambodromo. During the day, walk through the ruas (means street, pronounced as hoo-wah) and plazas and see the smaller local parades. It’s like a block party happening at many blocks at various times of the day. The festive atmosphere is everywhere, be it on the beach or the mall. Try to be in Rio several days before the Carnaval week and sense the crescendo of a humongous party on its way. A great source of carnaval and Rio information is www.ipanema.com


Buying Carnaval Tickets
All hotels and tourist offices will tell you available tickets are only in the $400.00 per night per person range. It’s not worth it. If you were not able to line up the week before to buy tickets at the Sambodromo, don’t worry. There are scalpers selling a lot for half price as the night goes on. Make sure you get a plastic ticket with a magnetic strip with the right color code, the right date for the right sector showing your seat number. As a precaution, pay them when you get in the turnstile. They are everywhere and will find you.

Preparing for the Trip
Buy a travel guide and for Brasil, I highly recommend Footprint, “Brazil HandBook,” for its detail and accuracy.

Americans and Canadians need a visa to enter Brazil.

What To Wear
It’s going to be hot, hot, hot – so bring along summer wear, swim wear and 1-2 outfits for formal dining.

How To Get To Rio
For cheap airfares, search the web, e.g. www.lowestfare.com or call 1-800-FLY-CHEAP or 1-800-FLY-4-LESS. Latin American tabloids usually list travel agencies/ consolidators which offer discounted fares. These tabloids are available in consular offices or ethnic groceries. Rio De Janeiro is five hours ahead of Denver time. Most direct flights to Brazil leave from Miami, New York, Chicago or Houston in the evening.

At Rio’s Tom Jobim International Airport, get your complimentary copy of Rio city map and Rio Guide from the Tourist Info counter, located after customs.

Places To Stay
Everyone doubles, triples and quadruples their prices during Carnaval! Try staying in Santa Teresa where you can get a room for yourself and have enough cash for a taxi ride. Santa Teresa is on a hill, 20 minutes by cab from the beach. If you want to stay near the beach, the cheapest accommodations are youth hostels. Hostel dormitory rooms, prior to Carnaval goes for R20 ($10) per person. During carnaval, you pay R50 ($25.00) and share the room with five other guys.

Whereas in Santa Teresa, it is a steady R22-30 per night for your own room, some with shared bathrooms. There are two simple, no-frill hotels in the area owned by the same people: Hotel Santa Teresa (Rua Almirante Alexandrino, 660 Tel. 508-9355 or 508-9088) and Hotel Bela Vista (Rua Pascoal Carlos Magno, 5, tel. 242-9346). No one speaks English in these establishments so make sure you have someone who can speak Portuguese when making reservations. The Hotel Santa Teresa is along the Santa Teresa’s tram (Rio’s exciting version of the cable car) with stunning views of the Atlantic. In addition, there are good restaurants near the two hotels.

If you can handle the backpacker crowd and you really want to be close to the beach, actually five blocks away, try the Copacabana Praia Youth Hostel (Rua Ten. Marones de Gusmao 85, perpendicular to Rua Figueiredo Magalhaes, Tel. (21) 547-5422 or fax (21) 235-3817, English spoken, www.wcenter.com.br/copapraia). The hostel has private rooms in the R100 ($50) plus range.

The Beach
During the day, hang out at Copacabana (more for families) or nearby Ipanema (for singles). Copacabana and Ipanema are neighboring beaches separated by a granite hill.

There are juice bars every three feet and Rio has some of the best selections – try their wide and exotic variety of fruit juices. The watermelon juice is something to crave for in the southern heat.

Safety
Make sure you carry a moneybag inside your clothes. Never stand too long by yourself on the beach, even at daytime and do not advertise yourself as a tourist with a camera. The city is fairly safe but just like anywhere else … a backpacker friend of mine decided to be by himself, 20 yards away from anyone, and muggers zeroed in. Always take the cab at night, always!

Other Spots Worth Seeing
When in Rio, you must, MUST visit two landmarks. Take the cable car to the stunning Pao De Acucar (the Sugar Loaf granite mound, RT costs R18=$9) and the enjoyable train ride to Corcovado, a hunch-backed peak, where the Christo Redentor, or Christ The Redeemer statue, towers all over Rio. It’s like the Statue of Liberty on top of a mountain. RT costs R18=$9.

If you are NOT a museum buff, the one museum you should visit is the Museo Chacara de Ceu, an industrialist’s mansion in Santa Teresa, filled with Monets and Picassos. The museum is a stop in the Santa Teresa tram, which is as enjoyable as riding the cable car in San Francisco.

Or take the bus to Petropolis, the Imperial City where you can visit the palace of Brazilian Emperors. If you have two to three extra days, take the bus to the colonial town of Paraty and be transported back in time. On the way, you’ll drive through one of the world’s most spectacular highways, the coast-hugging BR101, which is more scenic than Pacific Highway 1 on the U.S. West Coast.

Money
How much money? Airfare ranges from $600-1000 RT. For a couple, estimate food at $30-40 a day and no-frill hotel rooms at $30 - 50 a day. Other expenses for admissions and tickets should total a maximum of $200.00 plus extra for shopping and cab rides. The most convenient travelers cheque to bring is American Express. The best places to encash your cheques are at the Amex branch in the airport (outside customs) or at the branch in the Copacabana Palace Hotel along Avenida Atlantica facing the beach. Another good place to change is Citibank.

Avoid Banco Do Brasil (except for their ATMS) in making TC transactions. They charge a whopping commission of $20.00 per cheque regardless of amount! American Express is open on weekends during the carnaval and offers the best exchange without commission.


Dining Out
If you are looking for something exotic to eat, like food from the Amazon, try Arataca at Rua Domingos Ferreira, 41 Loja B in Copacabana (Tel. 549-2076 or 548-6624). Remember the song, “The Girl from Ipanema”? The lyrics were composed by Brazilian lyricist, Tom Jobim, while eating in a restaurant in Ipanema inspired by a girl on her way to the beach. This restaurant, now called “Garota de Ipanema,” the song’s namesake in Portuguese is just a few blocks off Ipanema Beach. Everyone knows this restaurant.


E-mailing Home
The cheapest internet service is at Cyber Place, in the basement of Clube Israeli Brasileiro (Tel. 257-1963, where local Jews socialize), Rua Barata Ribeiro 489 (near Rua Figueredo Magalhaes), a few blocks north of Copacabana Beach.

More Questions?
Contact the author at ILOVETOTRAVEL77@hotmail.com