Carnival em Rio de Janeiro
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Evyn
02 Maart 2013 | Brazilië, Rio de Janeiro
During the weekend it was already busy on the streets and at the beach. People were dressed up and ready to party, and celebrating Carnival. Monday would be the day that I would go to the Sambódromo, the place to be when you are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Carnival. The Sambódromo was built in 1984 by Oscar Niemeyer especially for the Rio Carnival, where different Samba Schools compete against each other during the parade. With bleacher on each side of the Marquês de Sapucaí, which is 700 meters long, the Sambódromo attracts thousands of visitors from Brazil as well as from all over the world during the Carnival Parade.
Monday February 11 2013, I was getting ready and nervous for this lifetime experience. Just when I was about to leave, my roommate told me that they just got robbed while they were celebrating carnival on the streets. If I wasn’t already nervous, I almost pied in my pence while I was walking on the street to meet up some friends with whom I was going to the Sambódromo. Trying to catch a taxi, my nerves were settling and turned into excitement nerves. I was getting ready for this, although I did not know yet what I could actually expect from all what was about going to happen. During the ride we were blocked a couple times by the police and being redirected to downtown Rio de Janeiro for the Sambódromo. Eventually we arrived and I was standing in front of a huge, beautiful, detailed, colorful, glittery float. When passing by some of the floats we also saw people preparing for the parade. Putting on their, sometimes enormous, costumes and putting face-paint on each other to complete the outfit. The costume outfits were breathtaking with the colors, feathers, glitters and also the nudity that appeared with some costumes, though the beautiful Brazilian woman can have it with their ‘huge asses’. There was just so much to see, that I sometimes did not even know where I needed to look, to not miss anything. I also needed to watch out for the thousands of people walking nearby the Sambódromo as well, so I would not get robbed, because some kids were running from the police while I was walking there as well. Getting around the enormous crowd, we tried to find our way to Sector 13 within the Sambódromo, which as you can see on the picture above was at the end from where we have seen the
greatness of the floats which was near Sector 2 & 3. Arriving on the bleacher, I got a reality check that I was going to experience this parade with more than 70,000 other people. Wow, there we just so many people in a good mood ready to dance the samba and sing the songs from the Samba schools. People from all ages, all dressed really colorful and ready to dance the night away. One of the Samba Schools just finished so it took about 10 minutes before the next one started. Once the music started playing the bleachers in front of us, which were especially for the disabled people, started to dance and sing. It’s incredible to see how much these people enjoy live here in Rio de Janeiro, and then especially during Carnival.
Standing ready with my camera to take pictures, so I would not miss anything, I was getting really impatience. On the screens I could see the next Samba School had entered the Sambódromo, but it took about 30 minutes before I could eventually see something! Though it was totally worth waiting 30 minutes to see the first glimpse. It just took my breath away, wow!!! One float was even more beautiful than the other and although I could not see the costumes of the dancers all the time I pretty much enjoyed just looking at the colors only already. There was just so many to see and to have a good look at everything, the parade was going way to fast. Though the first float got stuck and eventually even started to burn inside, so the dancers on the float needed to get off and others were pushing the float through the gate so the rest could go on. Everyone just started to applause when it got fixed and it was pleasant to hear everyone was so supportive even when it went wrong. At the end of the Marquês de Sapucaí there is a gate and if you look through the gate further up you could see ‘Christ the Redeemer’ on Corcovado Mountain lightened! It was amazing to see, it did something with me, which I am not able to subscribe in words. After 1 hour and 30 minutes the Marquês de Sapucaí became empty, and my friend told me that it was only one Samba School and there was a moment of astonishment. There was even more astonishment when I noticed that a lot of attributes and costumes were just thrown away ready to go to the dump. Which lets me back to the special bleacher for the disabled people, from which there are so many.
On the streets I have seen so many people begging, because of being poor but mainly because they need medical care which is not affordable for them. Or people who couldn’t afford it when they were born and have a disability now. Rio de Janeiro neither Brazil is very wealthy, but those costumes must have cost a fortune as well for the Carnival Parade and are just thrown away in a wink. It also shows how much people are willing to give to celebrate Carnival and come to the Sambódromo, because the tickets are that affordable either for some inhabitants. Of course it is amazing to see that the disabled people have an opportunity like this to come and experience the Carnival Parade in the Sambódromo, and even on the first row and see them enjoy and having a blast.
Together with Daniel and his mom from Spain, we started to loosen up some as well and starting to dance with our hips. Daniel his mom was definitely not the only person from outside Brazil, Sector 9 is also called the Touristic Sector which has arranged seating’s and are much more expensive than ours
tickets were. In my opinion though I think you miss something of experience with the real Brazilians who know how to celebrate Carnival and enjoy the music, dancing, colors and people when you are in Sector 9. With so many people on each other it was getting pretty hot and people started to undress so they can dance even more comfortable and totally don’t even bother about the people around him/her. Which bothered me, because I did not like the sweaty, naked torso of the old man who was dancing behind me and leaked on me with his sweat.
After the second Samba School, who surprised me even more with their floats which mainly represented animals, colors, movement and music I could sing-a-long with, my feet were getting really tired and so were the others. From 10:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. I was blessed to experience this life time opportunity, although it will take awhile to exactly realize it and next year I can actually say I have been there and would totally want to re-experience it, because it will probably be totally different each year, and it will surprise me again all over again.
The days after my experience in the Sambódromo, and seeing all the pictures on the internet about the Carnival in Rio, I am just still amazed that I was there and really have seen it. The pictures are just amazing and they do really show the detailed costumes full with color, glitters, feathers and the message they want to bring over to the audience. It is just amazing that these Samba Schools have practiced this parade since December already and it is just done in 1 hour and 30 minutes. So much effort which is put into the costumes, floats, dances, appearances, messages, music, planning, etc. The Samba School are already thinking about what to do next year, especially because Brazil, and also Rio de Janeiro are hosting the mega event of the FIFA World Cup 2014. We will definitely see this back in the costumes, floats, messages, etc. though this year we already had a taste of it with one of the floats of one of the Samba Schools.
Monday February 11 2013, I was getting ready and nervous for this lifetime experience. Just when I was about to leave, my roommate told me that they just got robbed while they were celebrating carnival on the streets. If I wasn’t already nervous, I almost pied in my pence while I was walking on the street to meet up some friends with whom I was going to the Sambódromo. Trying to catch a taxi, my nerves were settling and turned into excitement nerves. I was getting ready for this, although I did not know yet what I could actually expect from all what was about going to happen. During the ride we were blocked a couple times by the police and being redirected to downtown Rio de Janeiro for the Sambódromo. Eventually we arrived and I was standing in front of a huge, beautiful, detailed, colorful, glittery float. When passing by some of the floats we also saw people preparing for the parade. Putting on their, sometimes enormous, costumes and putting face-paint on each other to complete the outfit. The costume outfits were breathtaking with the colors, feathers, glitters and also the nudity that appeared with some costumes, though the beautiful Brazilian woman can have it with their ‘huge asses’. There was just so much to see, that I sometimes did not even know where I needed to look, to not miss anything. I also needed to watch out for the thousands of people walking nearby the Sambódromo as well, so I would not get robbed, because some kids were running from the police while I was walking there as well. Getting around the enormous crowd, we tried to find our way to Sector 13 within the Sambódromo, which as you can see on the picture above was at the end from where we have seen the
greatness of the floats which was near Sector 2 & 3. Arriving on the bleacher, I got a reality check that I was going to experience this parade with more than 70,000 other people. Wow, there we just so many people in a good mood ready to dance the samba and sing the songs from the Samba schools. People from all ages, all dressed really colorful and ready to dance the night away. One of the Samba Schools just finished so it took about 10 minutes before the next one started. Once the music started playing the bleachers in front of us, which were especially for the disabled people, started to dance and sing. It’s incredible to see how much these people enjoy live here in Rio de Janeiro, and then especially during Carnival.
Standing ready with my camera to take pictures, so I would not miss anything, I was getting really impatience. On the screens I could see the next Samba School had entered the Sambódromo, but it took about 30 minutes before I could eventually see something! Though it was totally worth waiting 30 minutes to see the first glimpse. It just took my breath away, wow!!! One float was even more beautiful than the other and although I could not see the costumes of the dancers all the time I pretty much enjoyed just looking at the colors only already. There was just so many to see and to have a good look at everything, the parade was going way to fast. Though the first float got stuck and eventually even started to burn inside, so the dancers on the float needed to get off and others were pushing the float through the gate so the rest could go on. Everyone just started to applause when it got fixed and it was pleasant to hear everyone was so supportive even when it went wrong. At the end of the Marquês de Sapucaí there is a gate and if you look through the gate further up you could see ‘Christ the Redeemer’ on Corcovado Mountain lightened! It was amazing to see, it did something with me, which I am not able to subscribe in words. After 1 hour and 30 minutes the Marquês de Sapucaí became empty, and my friend told me that it was only one Samba School and there was a moment of astonishment. There was even more astonishment when I noticed that a lot of attributes and costumes were just thrown away ready to go to the dump. Which lets me back to the special bleacher for the disabled people, from which there are so many.
On the streets I have seen so many people begging, because of being poor but mainly because they need medical care which is not affordable for them. Or people who couldn’t afford it when they were born and have a disability now. Rio de Janeiro neither Brazil is very wealthy, but those costumes must have cost a fortune as well for the Carnival Parade and are just thrown away in a wink. It also shows how much people are willing to give to celebrate Carnival and come to the Sambódromo, because the tickets are that affordable either for some inhabitants. Of course it is amazing to see that the disabled people have an opportunity like this to come and experience the Carnival Parade in the Sambódromo, and even on the first row and see them enjoy and having a blast.
Together with Daniel and his mom from Spain, we started to loosen up some as well and starting to dance with our hips. Daniel his mom was definitely not the only person from outside Brazil, Sector 9 is also called the Touristic Sector which has arranged seating’s and are much more expensive than ours
tickets were. In my opinion though I think you miss something of experience with the real Brazilians who know how to celebrate Carnival and enjoy the music, dancing, colors and people when you are in Sector 9. With so many people on each other it was getting pretty hot and people started to undress so they can dance even more comfortable and totally don’t even bother about the people around him/her. Which bothered me, because I did not like the sweaty, naked torso of the old man who was dancing behind me and leaked on me with his sweat.
After the second Samba School, who surprised me even more with their floats which mainly represented animals, colors, movement and music I could sing-a-long with, my feet were getting really tired and so were the others. From 10:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. I was blessed to experience this life time opportunity, although it will take awhile to exactly realize it and next year I can actually say I have been there and would totally want to re-experience it, because it will probably be totally different each year, and it will surprise me again all over again.
The days after my experience in the Sambódromo, and seeing all the pictures on the internet about the Carnival in Rio, I am just still amazed that I was there and really have seen it. The pictures are just amazing and they do really show the detailed costumes full with color, glitters, feathers and the message they want to bring over to the audience. It is just amazing that these Samba Schools have practiced this parade since December already and it is just done in 1 hour and 30 minutes. So much effort which is put into the costumes, floats, dances, appearances, messages, music, planning, etc. The Samba School are already thinking about what to do next year, especially because Brazil, and also Rio de Janeiro are hosting the mega event of the FIFA World Cup 2014. We will definitely see this back in the costumes, floats, messages, etc. though this year we already had a taste of it with one of the floats of one of the Samba Schools.
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