My first Carnaval

Well my first Carnaval has been and gone. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The two main attractions of Carnaval are the blocos and the parades in the Sambodromo.

I attended a number of blocos but, to be honest, they were not quite what I expected. In my mind I had always imagined colourful and lively street parties filled with music. In reality, they were a little hit and miss. I definitely enjoyed the blocos during the day more than in the evenings. The evening blocos were a little sketchy at times whilst the ones during the day had a friendlier feel. However a lot of the time I found myself waiting around for the music to begin and, along with everyone else, confused about whether the bloco had actually started or not!

What absolutely exceeded my expectation however was the Sambrodromo parade. It was absolutely incredible. Here is some information that will hopefully help you if you are planning to attend:

Choosing a parade

There are a number of different parades that you can attend over the main weekend of Carnaval and the Saturday following. If you are in Rio prior to Carnaval weekend you can also attend a rehearsal parade from approximately 4 weeks before. The main parades however are held on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights of Carnaval and the following Saturday night.

The samba schools are split into two categories: Special Group and Access Group.

The Friday and the Saturday nights host the Access Group parades. The Access Group is like the second division and therefore tickets are considerably less expensive on these nights.

The Sunday and Monday nights are for the Special Groups which are the 12 top groups in Rio. Tickets for these nights are the most expensive.

The following Saturday night is the Champions Parade which is the 6 top placed Special Group samba schools. This is the night I went to and I would highly recommend. You see all the best schools but the price is significantly cheaper than the Sunday and Monday parades.

Parade timing

Each night, the parades typically commence at around 9pm and continue well into the morning. Typically they don’t finish until 5am and almost the entire crowd stays in the Sambodromo until the last float has gone through. On each night there are 6 samba schools on show and they typically take about 90 minutes each.

Where to buy tickets

Tickets can be purchased directly from the Sambodromo in the lead up to Carnaval for the cheapest price. Alternatively, you can use the website Rio Carnival which is recommended by the Lonely Planet. When buying a ticket you need to first pick the type of seating and then the sector. When selecting the type of seating, it really depends on your budget.

Choosing a ticket type

The most expensive option is either the Camarotes or Frisas. Camarotes are VIP seating like a corporate box. Typically you would need to be invited to a Camarote as a guest of the company who own the box. The Frisas are dedicated seating areas for 6 people with a little coffee table that are air conditioned and are a great option if you can afford it. However, on the busier nights (Sunday and Monday) you may need to purchase the entire Frisa as opposed to just buying one or two seats. The cheapest option is just to buy access into the main grandstands which is a non-dedicated seat on the benches that line both sides of the Sambodromo.

Choosing a section

In terms of sections, I would recommend choosing an even numbered section (e.g. 2, 4 etc.) as they are located on the side closest to the Metro station (Praca Onze). The odd numbered sections require you to walk right the way around the Sambodromo which can take up to half an hour. The higher the number section, the more you will be located towards the end of the parade. Section 8 is often a popular section sold to tourists as it doesn’t get as packed as some of the others. However, I would actually recommend sitting more toward the beginning of the parade (sections 2 or 4) as it can take a float more than 30 minutes to make it from one end of the Sambodromo to the other meaning that those in the higher numbered sections need to wait around the longest for the parade to start and end.

How to get there

The easiest, safest and cheapest way to get to the Sambodromo is by Metro. The Sambodromo is a short walk from the Metro station Praca Onze. Signage between the station and the Sambodromo is not the best however you really just need to follow the person in front of you to arrive at the Sambodromo without any drama. The Metro is also the best option for leaving the Sambodromo at the end.

Here are just a couple of photos from my Sambodromo experience.

Morning run

Let me start this post by clarifying that I hate running however, more than running, I hate waking up early in the morning!

So, you can imagine my surprise at writing for you now a post about my morning run; something that I have been almost enjoying in Rio for the past several months.

I think the difference for me here is the scenery. I am lucky enough to live only a very short walk from Ipanema beach. This means that the reward waiting for me each morning if I manage to drag my lazy butt out of bed in actually quite spectacular.

I don’t run far and I can’t say I have any desire to improve and run any further but for 30 minutes each morning, I am reminded of just how lucky I am to live in such a spectacular location.

Some mornings I manage to catch the end of the sunrise, which never disappoints. But even if I miss that, it is a rare sight to have in front of one of the worlds most iconic beaches; completely empty save a few boot camps and volleyball enthusiasts.

However, by far my favourite element is the waves. They seem extra dramatic in the morning but perhaps that is just in contrast to my lazy eyes. It really is a special sight to behold as, one by one, these huge, powerful things roll in, crashing recklessly into the crystal blue water. It’s so calming yet absolutely awe-inspiring and chaotic… the perfect distraction to an otherwise painful morning chore.

Day at the races

Last weekend, I headed to the Jockey Club on the Lagoa to witness the annual Grande Prêmio Brasil horse race held on the first Sunday in August.

The Jockey Club has to be one of the most stunning race tracks in the world. It is beautifully landscaped and has the incredible mountains and Christ the Redeemer as its backdrop.

The spectator area of the Jockey Club had something for everyone. The south stand resembled the scenes you would expect to see at the Royal Ascot. Men in dinner suits with bow ties and top hats accompanied by women immaculately dressed with stunning fascinators and hats. Only members and invited guests are able to enjoy the race from this area but on the day of the Grande Prêmio Brasil it was packed full.

The north stand (aka the stand that I was in) was more a family stand with lots of activities for kids and people dressed down mainly in jeans or shorts. This area wasn’t actually too busy which meant it never took too long to place a bet with one of the bookmakers, buy drink or food, and there was always a clear view of the track when the race was on. And to top it off, entry was free, even on the main race day of the year.

Apparently, the Jockey Club has race meets almost every weekend so I will definitely be making a trip back soon.

 

Samba class

In a previous post I mentioned that I wanted to take up samba whilst I was in Rio. Well, last week I finally made it to my first class and, it was an experience. Different to what I had expected but an experience none-the-less.

My class was in Botafogo at a school popular for its well-known instructor – Jaime Aroxa. On arrival, I caught the end of the preceding class and was instantly intimidated by about 20 couples moving seductively around the room to Osvaldo Farres’ “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)”.

Then it was my turn and quickly it became apparent that I needed a partner. Most of the other people in the class had come as a couple, or else had been before and now had an established partner. When my partner-less status was recognised by the teaching assistants, they disappeared out the back of the school and returned with what I assume was some poor amateur dancer who had been dragged away from his lesson.

So, with a partner, the class could begin.

The next surprise was that the image I had of samba-ing up a sweat was slightly unfounded. Instead, the focus was on learning a handful of simple steps and then building on those steps to add a level of sexuality and seductivity that outside of the dance hall may have been considered inappropriate!

Not wanting to appear a prude, I played along as much as I could but there was no way I could take it as seriously as the rest of the class. I think if I knew my partner it would have been easier but I had not prepared myself for staring into the eyes of a stranger for an hour and a half.

Jaime Aroxa really was a great teacher though. Despite the class being in Portuguese, I understood most of what he was saying and even picked up on some of his many jokes that had the rest of the room in stitches. What was difficult however, was when he used the technique of demonstrating a good and a bad way of doing a step. I understood the difference between the two, but could never work out which he was saying was the correct way, much to the amusement of my partner!

My next class is on Monday but I am not sure I will go back. I have found another school that has a welcome class on Wednesday. The style is Samba no Pe which I think is a little more energetic. I am not clear if I need a partner for this class as well but I guess I will find out when I get there! Wish me luck!

The Pope is coming

Next month, newly appointed Pope Francis is arriving in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. My previous experience with World Youth Day was when some friends of mine were working on the project in Sydney in 2008. 250,000 pilgrams came to Sydney for the event and 400,o00 people attended the Holy Mass.

For World Youth Day in 2013, an incredible two million people are estimated to make the pilgrimage to Rio to hear Pope Francis speak and I will be so interested to see how the city copes!

It runs from 23-28 July with activity centered around Copacabana and Guaratiba. Copacabana will host the welcome ceremony on the Thursday and Friday and these days will be a public holiday across Rio. Unfortunately, I have some external stakeholders arriving in Rio that week as well and they are not as interested in celebrating World Youth Day as I would have liked! Therefore, so long as I can negotiate the traffic, I will be in the office.

There is also a partial holiday on the Tuesday, 23 July from 4pm and Monday, 29 July until 12noon. During all these holidays, however, many things will remain open to service the tourists and locals during this period like restaurants and shopping malls.

The most hectic period will be at the weekend in Guaratiba, which is just west of Barra da Tijuca. Activity will be focused around Campus Fidei, which was built just to host World Youth Day. The roads around Campus Fidei will be closed for kilometers in all directions to allow the attendees to make their final pilgrimage to the event.

I am not sure if I will stay in Rio for the weekend or take the opportunity to get out of town and see a new part of Brazil. Either way, I will report back on what it is like!

Maracana

I have been fortunate enough to attend three football matches at the famous Maracana since arriving – England v Brazil for an international friendly and then Italy v Mexico and Spain v Tahiti for the Confederations Cup.

My experience at all three has been faultless. They were, in my opinion, incredibly organised and I felt really safe at all times. The fact that the stadium itself is incredible goes without saying.

Below are some pictures I took of the crowds and the pitch itself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crowd at the Spain v Tahiti games was particularly wild. There was a lot of support for Tahiti but also an incredible amount of Brazilian patriotism being shown within the context of the anti-corruption protests happening outside and in the city. Apologies that the photo is not very clear but on this gentleman’s shirt were the words (in English so clearly directed at the international supporters and media): Our cry is not against the national football team, it is against the national corruption that ravages our people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a protest of another ilk was being made by the gentleman below (who looked remarkably like the famous Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho!) His banner was against FIFA banning the pandeiro (brazilian tambourine) from the World Cup after the controversial vuvuzelas of South Africa. This is a real shame to me – I hope he succeeds in getting that decision reversed!

Samba in Rio

Anyone who has met me since the age of about 16 always finds this hard to believe but, when I was younger, my absolute favourite thing to do in the world was dance and I took classes for almost 8 years. I say that people find it hard to believe not because I don’t still dance whenever I get the chance but due to the fact that, since I stopped having lessons, I am not would you call “very good at dancing”!!!

Lately, I have been thinking of perhaps rediscovering this passion by enrolling in some samba classes.

I have found a place not far from my house called Samba Fit which I plan to check out this weekend. I am extremely nervous about this but I think it could be a really incredible experience if I throw myself in and give it a go. I know I will probably feel quite stupid and inadequate in the beginning but considering that the language barrier pretty much makes me feel this is the way everyday at the moment just doing normal things, I figure now is the time to give it a go!

I am putting it on my blog so that I will feel compelled to follow through with it and not chicken out. Wish me luck and I will report back soon how I get on!

Also, if anyone has any recommendations for a good place to attend dance classes (samba or otherwise) in Ipanema I would love to get some information.

The short straw

Just thought I would share that I am on my own the next five days as my partner is on a work trip observing the X Games at… wait for it… Iguazu Falls… http://xgames.espn.go.com…

 

 

 

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

Bolt in Copacabana

This morning I headed down to Copacabana beach to witness Usain Bolt’s attempt at the 150m world record. He was up against two world-class sprinters and a local wildcard who qualified on Saturday by beating a field of Brazilian runners.

The atmosphere was great and gave a fantastic insight into what the Olympic Games might be like when the Beach Volleyball, Road Races, Triathlon, Marathon Swim and Diving are all taking place on and around Copacabana beach.

Unfortunately, Bolt didn’t actually break the world record, he missed out by something like .07 sec. But he did put on an incredible show, was so generous of his time to the fans and even did a dance with some of the other competitors at the end which had everyone thrilled.

 

 

 

View of the starting line

 

 

 

 

 

And the finish line

 

 

 

 

Bolt makes his way to the starting line… or Usaini Balti as the announcer called him!

 

 

 

 

 

And here he comes, easily in the lead with about 50m to go

Operation PPS

There is a gym in our temporary accommodation apartment block! Why I did not think to check this earlier, I do not know but it was a very exciting find! Operation PPS (Perfect Physical Specimen) starts for us tomorrow!