Rio Carnival!

Everywhere there are block parties, with live music, lots of drums, dancing, performers, street sellers and everyone having a good time. They can be either static taking up a street with both ends blocked off or are mobile and follow a route around the local neighbourhood. I was at one last night just around the corner from the hotel and it doesn't matter who you are but everyone is invited. They start at different times and end after a few hours so for the party goers you can go to one at 8am and continue throughout the night moving from one to the next. One went past the hotel and it was a complete contrast the next morning with no one around, a couple of views out of the front window of the hotel

                                      

The big day arrived an that evening I had tickets to the Sambadrome where all the different samba schools compete for the title of the best school. They would have spent months designing their costumes, rehearsing and tonight was the big play off.

I went for a walk to the Parque des Ruinas, a now ruined former mansion whose owner was a patron of the arts. Today it hosts art displays but because of the carnival it was shut.

I missed taking photos of the tram tracks so took a few on the way, such as this look at the tracks across the aqueduct.

Some of the interesting architecture and an opportunity for some one to do a bit of restoration work.

And everywhere there were people in fancy dress, either left over form the night before or on their way to a morning block party.

The arches of the aqueduct.

Some of the remnants of a street party. The council is excellent at clearing up. They follow the mobile block parties as the promenade and clear up as they go so there is no evidence after the party has passed that it was ever there. These are piles that had been swept up right after the finish of the party and I passed half an hour later and all these lies had gone.

A few views of the St Teresa neighbourhood.

A tram station.

I never did see a tram but this mural was the nearest that I got.

An old monastery in the centre of the city.

I came across the gathering point for the floats where thy are assembled ready for the evening parade. They are all huge constructions and impressive but without the performers, music or the atmosphere.

The start was twelve hours away but people were going to their start points at the 'Gathering of the Blocks'.

Another bit of a float being manhandled into position.

The plastic sheeting is protection against rain.

I had an idea to visit the Museum of Tomorrow withers fanciful modern a=design, but as with many things, it was shut for the duration of the carnival.

A selfie of me and the museum in the background.

As evening approached people began making their way to the Sambadrome, and the processions would last all night with the last ones not getting through until 8am. And most people were in fancy dress...you stood out if you were in normal clothes without any glitter or makeup.

Unfortunately I have no photos of the processions in the sambadrome as I didn't want it to get broken or stolen and besides I had no pockets to put it in as I was in fancy dress myself.

And it would only be in Rio that a major four lane highway could be shut for the duration of the carnival. But the city does a great job at hosting the five day event.

My hotel was a beautiful traditional building and converted to a hotel in recent years but it has kept many period features. It is in an ideal position for carnival as several block or block parties pass by infant, sometimes several in one day.

 An ordinary street scene to left.

 And a small flat party in the distance outside the large white building to the right.

 And then just a little later the street was full of people, dancers, musicians, drummers and followers as a street party went past with the PA on the truck and dancers on the roof.

 And the only photo that exists of me just before setting out to the sambadrome last night and I am still hoping for anonymity  because all of our faces are in shadow.