It is Carnaval time, not Carnival.
Samba girl in Rio
It is that time of the year again in Brazil, and Rio is now in full swing expecting to receive over 800,000 tourists who will leave over 500 million dollars to the city and will hopefully enjoy the samba and the party spirit that hangs over every carioca corner .
It is fair to comment though, that more and more cariocas leave Rio during the Carnaval trying to escape the non-stopping parties and noise which are inevitable and expected. However, as always once the party starts everything makes sense and Brazilians become this proud People united in samba.
During the Carnaval, crime rates drop dramatically and Rio is indeed, one of the safest places to be. People of all colours, cultures and backgrounds get together for 3 official and several unofficial days of party. Celebrities, drug dealers, the homeless, the bourgeoisie all samba the same music and share the same open space: Sapucai. The Sapucai area is a giant concrete catwalk from where everyone can appreciate the samba schools with local celebrities, top models and actreesses parading their assests and talents.
- Madonna enjoying the samba parade
This year the new Brazil fan, Madonna, watched with boyfriend and children the whole show, sparkling rumours that she might herself join a samba school next year. Madonna was joined by Rodrigo Santoro, Nicole Scherzinger and Gerard Butler in the VIP area.
- Celebrities show their samba skills
This year, judging by the number of stunning aspiring actreesses, models, presenters or girls next door, the competion for the best godmother is hard, but as all is well that ends well, losers or winners will be delighted that Carnaval is over, so that they can start thinking about the next one… next year!