An old post I never finished about Carnaval...!

 So, right now in Brazil it is Carnaval time.  Carnaval is traditionally a festival that would occur 40 days before Easter, basically to kick off lent, and involved the removal of eating meat.  It is definitely the biggest holiday here and typically lasts for about a week.  Everything shuts down, the banks, stores, schools, and everyone takes it to the street to party.  Well, I shouldn't say everyone.  I was disappointed prior to Carnaval time to hear that nobody in our social circle really enjoys taking part in the Carnaval festivities.  It's not even that I'm a big party animal, it's just that I am feeling less and less like I am on holidays in a new exciting place and more and more like I am becoming a permanent resident.  Although, that IS true, and I'm happy to feel like I live here, I still want that excitement of being on holidays and being a tourist and doing all of the touristy stuff that locals hate because of the sheer number of people it brings.  I WANT TO BE THAT SHEER NUMBER!  :)

So, now that I am finishing this post AFTER Carnaval, it really only makes sense to show you the pictures of how we spent our Carnaval, which was FUN!  We just moved to Recreio, which is a beach neighbourhood, and so this was our first time walking to the beach, with our beers in tow, to take part in the excitement that is Carnaval.  I'm pretty sure that what was more exciting for me was the drinking outside... I was reading another bloggers blog about Carnaval and how much she dislikes it because Porto Alegre has a bit of a different culture surrounding Carnaval.  It's true that Carnaval seems to be a Rio holiday that is broadcasted country wide.  I imagine Brazilians elsewhere feel the same sort of resentment towards Rio that Canadians feel about Toronto, especially during Carnaval.  When it's Carnaval time here, you know it.  It's all over the news, the commercials, the stores, the streets.  As I mentioned, everything closes for 5 days.  It truly is a holiday that I don't understand - especially when I can see the passion in the eyes of the Brazilians we passed down at the beach.  They LOVE Carnaval.  Love it with a love that I can't even compare to any North American holiday, except for MAYBE Christmas.  But, it being my first Carnaval, I'm pleased that we got to spend a little time shaking our booties (read: I danced, Ro stood) and so without further ado, here are a few of the things we did/saw during Carnaval in Recreio. 
 This is Rio: Speedo clad men, drinking beer, walking in bare feet.  Well, at least this is Rio during Carnaval.

 

Enjoying a lovely corn on the cob:

 

 

Drinking a beer ON THE STREET.  Love it.

 

People sexin' it up to a Funk Party bloco:

Looks fun?  Well it is, for about a day.  After 5 days of Carnaval partying it up right outside our house, taking over our tv, we were pretty much finished with it.  Did you know that in the Sambadrome each school plays their song over and over and over and over for an hour and a half?????  Crazy (and annoying).  Whatever.  I'm happy to have experienced the Brazilian people's absolute craze for Carnaval but I don't know how pumped I will be for Carnaval time again.  For anyone reading this who wants to come here, I think it's way better to go watch a Samba school rehearsal to get the feeling for Samba.  Good times!  The end.