Carnaval and the Sambadrome! (1 of 3)

Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is one of THE most festive events in ALL the world! From Friday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon, the city is FULL of locals and visitors, many like me, on their first trip to South America or Brazil. While planning this trip, one of my biggest concerns was that of safety. I was traveling alone, and I speak no Portuguese. Furthermore, recent news reports spoke of police officer strikes in Rio. I can say that in the seven days that I visited, NEVER, did I feel threatened or at risk...NEVER! To the contrary, I met some of THE WARMEST, most GENEROUS people. 

Upon arriving in Rio, I failed to heed the advice of my apartment rental landlord regarding taxi transport from the airport to the city. Instead of stopping at one of the taxi kiosks inside of the airport terminal, I simply walked out of the terminal and selected what appeared to be a reputable, marked taxi. Although the taxi was official, what I FAILED to do was confirm the rate from the airport to my apartment, prior to initiating travel. As a result of this mistake, I ended up paying FAR MORE than what I should have for the trip. Oh well! I CERTAINLY did NOT repeat this mistake on the return trip! Honestly, this was the ONLY unfortunate incident affecting me throughout the entire trip.

No visit to Rio during Carnaval is complete without a trip to the Sambadrome. The Sambadrome is a HUGE stadium, specifically designed to host the throngs of revellers visiting Rio each year to see LAVISH costumes and some of the most SPECTACULAR displays of color, pageantry, dance, and music! Because I was traveling alone and knew no one in Rio, I decided to purchase my Sambadrome tickets prior to arriving. Each night, from Sunday thru Wednesday, for close to 12-hours, the stadium is PACKED with loyal supporters of Samba Schools competing for he top school honor. Tickets are pretty pricey, so I opted to attend the festivities for just one night. Below, you'll find pictures from my experience (simply click on an image to see it in full size).