Rio Carnival
Copacabana Palace Magic Ball 2013
Completely captivating – how else do you describe the world’s biggest party in arguably the world’s most exciting city?!
My friend, Sarah and I had been talking about going to Rio for carnival for a long time so finally for 2013 we decided it was about time ! The idea was to spend four days at carnival and then peel away to Ihla Grande – a peaceful beach haven where we would spend another few days.
I arrived in Rio the night carnival officially started and we wasted no time. Straight after settling into my friend Jess’ house in Barra da Tijuca, Sarah and I headed straight back into town dressed to the nines to go to the iconic Copacabana Palace by Orient Express. It’s still inconceivable to me, but there we were at the famous Magic Ball. Hosted annually at the hotel to ring in the carnival celebrations, it’s where the famous and Rio’s elite mingle in a whirlwind of colours, samba, crazy costumes and lavish decor. it’s by far the most elaborate and beautiful spectacle I have ever been to. It’s seriously the best way to start the party!
In our four days in Rio, we managed to do the main things but I’m already dying to come back as there’s so much more to see. We spent a day on Ipanema Beach, drinking out of coconuts and buying deep-fried snacks whenever they came round… SO not good for the waist-line! Here it’s a social affair so if you want to blend in, don’t bring a towel or a book. Instead, watch as the ladies socialise in their micro-bikinis and the men show off their glistening pecs while they strut around on the beach!
A real must-do at Carnival was our night at the Sambodromo, watching the impressive samba schools parade. It’s pretty tricky to get tickets for so if you know someone on the ground, that’s the way to do it. We checked out various ‘blocos’ – the carnival street parties which take over every neighbourhood…music, dancing, salty street-food…. It’s important to find the right blocos. We stumbled into Gloria, for example, and that just didn’t feel relaxing. I felt a little uncomfortable, as if I had to keep a close eye on my belongings. Just a few steps away from here though, we discovered my favourite area, which was Santa Teresa. The bloco here was bit more low key and the neighbourhood had a village feel. The crowd was a great mix of local young people, musicians, artists and tourists. Santa Teresa felt a bit like Old Havana with beautiful crumbling 19th century mansions and a bohemian and laid-back atmosphere. We spent most of our time sipping caipirinhas in Cafecito. An adorable open-air cafe with a terrace overlooking the main buzzing street. It was in Santa Teresa that we made some new friends (as Sarah and I always do wherever we go). We wandered into the cutest hostel, Santa Mix. Sarah actually stayed here on her last night and I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Rio on a budget. It’s brand new, squeaky clean and intimate. It also has a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the city. The cool hostel hosts who were our age invited us to join them and their guests for some caipirinhas on the terrace and then to go as a group to the street parties of Lapa. Known as the hub for nightlife and samba clubs, this area also has a reputation for being a sketchy part of Rio so going in a group is a good idea. Being the only two girls with handbags on us… we would have been kind of easy targets. Here though I had the best night out I’ve ever had. We danced till the early hours to the sound of baile funk, under the arches of Lapa…