Back to Rio – It’s Carnival Time!

Friday, 24 February 2017, marks the opening day of Carnival season in Rio de Janeiro, and the pre-Lent anything-goes bash ends on Fat Tuesday, February 28.  The dates are scheduled every year in the week leading up to Lent and coincide with the Mardi Gras in the U.S.

Porta Bandeira leading in a Samba School
during the Rio Carnival

The word carnival comes from the Portuguese ‘carne vale’ interpreted as ‘farewell to meat,’ referring to Carnival being the ultimate celebration before a period of abstinence from meat, alcohol, and pleasure begins.

The annual Carnaval (in Portuguese) is expected to attract millions of tourists to the biggest party in the country—and perhaps the world. 

Traditionally the Carnival begins with the mayor symbolically passing the keys to the city to the Carnival king.  The country shuts down for the rollicking event as costumed revelers take to the street for the party.

The highlight of the festivities is the many parades that feature elite “special group” Samba schools who will compete through Sunday and Monday.  As many as 3,000 dancers could be performing at one time dressed in over-the-top costumes.

The elaborate handmade costumes are the key to the parades and are designed to reflect the theme of each school.  The cost of the costumes can range from $100-$10,000 depending on the popularity of the school.  Although just about anything goes, total nudity is not allowed even though you will see nearly naked Samba dancers on display during the parades.  (And sometimes it is hard to tell where the costume ends and the body paint begins!)

Elaborate float in the Sambadrone 

The extravagant floats sponsored by the Samba schools are as intricately designed as the costumes.  Being selected to ride on a float is a great honor and responsibility as a person can gain or lose points for the schools in the Samba competition. 

The center of attraction is the Sambadrone in downtown Rio where the Samba Parade has been held since 1984.  Each school is allowed 80 minutes to perform down the strip at the Sambadrone. 

Here a Porta Bandeira, elegantly costumed female Samba dancer carrying a flag, and her male counterpart, a Mestre Sala, lead in the school’s elaborate float topped with beautiful women in tiny costumes, flanked by other costumed members of the school, ‘alas’ or sections, with each section in a different costume to enhance the theme of the school—all in hopes of gaining points from the judges.

However you don’t have to be in a Samba school or in the parades to wear a costume.  Tourists join locals, or Cariocas, along the parade route and at the hundreds of street parties.

Carnival in Brazil dates back to 1723 when Portuguese immigrants from the islands introduced Entrudo, a ritual of soaking each other with buckets of water and throwing mud and food.  It evolved over the years to grand parades for masked aristocrats to costumed commoners joining in the fun.

It wasn’t until 1917, that the Samba became an integral part of Carnival, and today it is the Samba schools that are at the heart of the party with bronzed samba dancers and pulsating music.

Although this video is from 2013, it gives you a great overview of the stunning pageantry and performances of a Rio Carnival parade.

Get Ready to Samba in Rio!

The samba is a Brazilian music and dance style that actually originated in Africa and was brought to Latin America in the 16^th century.  It has become a symbol around the world for Brazil and its Carnival.

If you are a fan of Dancing with the Stars and think there is just one style of samba…then think again!  There are a wide variety of styles of the music genre and just as wide a variety of dances.  And the ballroom samba is significantly different from all the others.

No partner is needed to dance the samba.  The Samba no pé is a common solo dance whenever samba music is played.  The basic movement involves a straight body and bending one knee at a time.  Another solo dance, Samba Axé, originated at the 1992 Brazilian Carnival and is designed to follow lyrics, so there is no set routine or steps.

One partner dance, Samba de Gafieira, appeared in the 1940s in urban nightclubs.  Another partner dance, Samba Pagode, has less acrobatic movements and tends to be more intimate. 

The most traditional Afro-Brazilian dance is the Samba de Roda brought to Latin America in the 17^th century by Bantu slaves (also called Semba).  In the indigenous language, "samba" means roda de dança, or a circle to dance as the indigenous people danced in celebration on many occasions.

But it is the samba developed in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century that has become the musical expression of modern day urban Rio.  Portuguese Brazilian actress Carmen Miranda helped popularize the samba internationally.

Samba school performing in Rio Carnival

In Rio, samba schools are widely popular.  They are actually more like a dancing club or guild in a neighborhood or community, and they rehearse all year long to perform in the Carnival parade.

Rio is home to over 100 samba schools, with only 12 making it to the Elite or Special Group, a place of pride for many. These groups are what has made the Rio Carnival the biggest event on the planet with their incredible parades and lavish costumes. Many of the top samba schools have over four thousand participants with each one having a specific role to play in the samba parade.

Want to spend some time practicing?  Here are a series of samba dance steps for beginners.  Happy feet!

Cruising the Guanabara Bay in Rio

Get set to enjoy the famous icons of Rio de Janeiro…from the water!  Take in Rio’s most iconic sites and stunning coastline as you cruise around Guanabara Bay, the second largest bay in Brazil.  From the bay you will view Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer Statue, and the white sands of Copacabana Beach.

Guanabara Bay

From this unique perspective, you will also view the beaches of Niteroi, fortified walls of the seafront Santa Cruz de Barra fortress built in 1555, and admire the hillside fortress of São João.

The harbor of Rio de Janeiro, surrounded by majestic granite mountains, was named one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

The cities of Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias are located on the western shore of Guanabara Bay, while on its eastern shore lies the cities of Niterói and São Gonçalo.  Four other municipalities also line its shores.

The bay is 19 miles long and 17 miles wide at its maximum, and almost one mile wide at its mouth to the Atlantic Ocean.  The mouth is flanked on its eastern tip by Parrot’s Peak and Santa Cruz fortress and its western tip by Sugar Loaf and São João fortress.  In the entrance is the island-fort of Laje, temporary site of a Huguenot settlement in 1555. 

Guanabara Bay

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive on its shores on 1 January 1502.  According to some historians, the bay was first called “Ria de Janeiro,” or January Sound.  But it seems there was some confusion between “ria,” meaning bay or sound, and “rio,” meaning river, as some thought the bay was the mouth to a large river.  In the confusion, the name became Rio de Janeiro, and the city was named after the bay.

The name Guanabara comes from the Tupi language and translates “bosom of the sea.” 

More than 130 islands dot the bay, which is crossed by the 8.26-mile long Rio-NiteróiBridge.  Numerous smaller bridges connect the mainland to the two largest islands of Fundão and Governador.

Those Famous Beaches of Rio!

Why exactly are the beaches in Rio de Janeiro so well-known?  The answer is simple—there are just so darn many beautiful sun-drenched beaches all in one locale, in fact over 50 miles of beach shoreline—and the most famous are Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach.

Copacabana Beach is by far the most famous beach in the world.  (No doubt, Barry Manilow is singing his hit “Copacabana” in your head right now.)  The beach was named after the Copacabana Palace Hotel which caters to the rich and famous. And if you look at the lyrics, you’ll see the song is about the hotel, and not the beach!

Its white sands stretch long, wide, and crescent shaped and are perfect for sunbathing and swimming.  It sits anchored at one end by Sugarloaf Mountain and the old Copacabana Fort at the other end.

The bustling beach is noted for its wavy mosaic-covered promenade, Avenida Atlantica, making it an ideal place for strolling or people-watching.  It is also party-central 24/7 with a hubbub of activity.

Copacabana Beach

The 2.5-mile long beach was made famous in the 1950s lined by nightclubs, casinos, and hotels.  The beach is quite wide in places and flatter than neighboring Ipanema Beach, as well as having calmer waves.  In addition, it is the site of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve party, Revéillon, where thousands come dressed in white to watch the fireworks at midnight and party until dawn to watch the sunrise.

Ipanema Beach, on the other hand, is a narrower beach with rougher water.  (Ipanema is a native Indian word for “bad or dangerous water.”)  While Copacabana tends to be more popular with tourists, Ipanema attracts a more upscale crowd with its beach lined with high-end condos and expensive hotels.  It has been dubbed the world’s sexiest beach!

Ipanema Beach is part of one long beach flanked on the upper end by Arpoador Beach and on the lower end by Leblon Beach.

It will forever be associated with Tom Jobim's famous song “The Girl from Ipanema,” which he and the poet Vinícius de Moraes wrote while sitting in a bar watching “tall and tan and young and lovely” girls walking to the beach. (Go ahead…I know you’re humming it right now!)

Ipanema Beach

Arpoador Beach is the dividing line between Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach.  This 600-yard area is more family friendly.  It is most notable for the giant rock that juts out from the shore into the crashing waves.

The most recognizable beaches in photographs, however, are the Botafogo and Flamengo Beaches.  Botafogo Beach is the horseshoe shaped beach seen in aerial views that overlook the Christ of the Redeemer Statue looking toward Sugarloaf Mountain.  Flamengo Beach sits adjacent on Guanabara Bay and houses the Museum of Modern Art.

Barra da Tijuca Beach is actually the longest beach in Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the least crowded Brazil beaches you'll find in Rio and a favorite with surfers.  Other notable beaches around Rio include Sao Conrada Beach, popular with hang gliders; Vermelha Beach, at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain where one might spot monkeys playing in the trees above; among many more.

Along the beaches are numbered postos, or lifeguard stations, set every few hundred yards and are some of the most common landmarks along the beaches.  Sand sports are also common, especially futebol (soccer), vôlei (volleyball), and futevôlei (foot volleyball!).

And here, too, is the beach you’ve all heard about—Abrico Beach.  Located in the Grumari area in the far west of the city within a nature reserve, it is the one chosen by those who wish to swim and sunbathe in the nude.  In fact, this beach legally became a nudist beach in 2003.  Topless sunbathing is prohibited on all public beaches in Rio, except for Abrico Beach.

And last, but not least, there are some “unwritten” rules when visiting Rio beaches:

1. Never bring valuables to the beach.

2. Bring no food or drink with you.  You are expected to buy from the hundreds of beach vendors.  (As well as rent or buy anything else you may need.)

3. Wear your havaianas, Brazilian style flip flops.

4. Absolutely no one uses a beach towel. They use a kanga, or sarong.

5. And everyone wears skimpy bikinis or Speedos, not bathing suits.

Seriously…would I lead you wrong?  You don’t want to be branded a gringo in Rio!

Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio

Sugarloaf Mountain on Guanabara Bay

If you are watching the Summer Olympics in Rio, in almost every aerial shot of the city is the Christ the Redeemer Statue, and just across Guanabara Bay you’ll see the iconic cone shaped hill that also defines Rio de Janeiro…Sugarloaf Mountain, or Pão de Açúcar in Portuguese.

Rising 1,299 feet, it sits at the mouth of the bay on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean overlooking the harbor.  It gets its name from the traditional shape of concentrated loaf sugar, a name coined by the Portuguese in the 16^th century during the heyday of the sugar cane trade in Brazil.

Cable car ride up to Sugarloaf Mountain

It is known for its cable car ride to the summit and the majestic 360-degree views of Rio from the top.  The first aerial tram opened in 1912 and those wooden cars were used for 60 years.  In 1972 the tram system was upgraded to carry ten times the passengers, up to 65 people.

To reach the summit, passengers actually take two cable cars.  Sugarloaf is only one of many hills to rise along the water’s edge in Rio.  The first car rises from Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) to the shorter Morro da Urca for 722 feet, and the second ascends to Sugarloaf Mountain. 

The 360-degree views you'll enjoy along the ride and from the top of Morro da Urca and Sugarloaf Mountain encompass Rio beaches – Flamengo, Botafogo, Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon – the Corcovado, Guanabara Bay, downtown Rio, the Santos Dumont Airport, the Rio-Niterói Bridge and Dedo de Deus (God's Finger), a peak which rises from Brazil's coastal range (Serra do Mar) in Teresópolis, RJ, about 50 miles from Rio.

Sunset at Sugarloaf Mountain

The entire ride in the bubble shaped cars takes about six minutes.  The cable cars run from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. in 20-minute intervals.  Currently tickets are about $20.  One of the best times to visit is sunset for the spectacular views.

Visitors can watch rock climbers on Sugarloaf and neighboring Morro da Urca (Urca’s Mountain) and Morro da Babilônia (Babylon Mountain).  Together they make up one the world’s largest urban rock climbing locations. (And incidentally, you just learned your first word in Portuguese…morro = mountain!)

Sugarloaf Mountain has made its mark in cinema.  It was featured in the 1942 Bette Davis movie Now, Voyager.  In 1979, James Bond shot a fight scene for Moonraker in one of the cable cars.  And even The Simpsons cartoon featured the iconic mountain in an episode.

Watch this video and enjoy a virtual ride on the Sugarloaf Mountain cable car.

Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro

Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio

Voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on 07-07-07, the Christ the Redeemer statue located atop Corcovado Mountain looks out over Rio de Janeiro.  This breath taking Art Deco icon was built as a worldwide symbol for peace and funded entirely by donations of local residents.

The entire monument stands 38 meters (124 feet) high with the statue alone at 30 meters (98 feet) making it one of the tallest statues in the world.  All this stands atop a deck situated on the mount summit at 700 meters (2,300 feet).

The span from fingertip to fingertip is 28 meters (92 feet) with a small chapel housed in the base.  In comparison the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, stands at 67 feet tall.

Known in Portuguese as Cristo Redentor, the monument was designed by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski, and local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa oversaw the construction of the iconic statue of reinforced concrete with an outer mosaic layer of triangular soapstone tiles.

Corcovado Railway

The statue is accessed by a 20-minute ride on the Corcovado Railway, and then a climb up 222 steps.  Escalators and elevators are now available for those not wishing to make the arduous climb.

The idea of a religious monument on Corcovado Mountain dates back to 1859 when Vincentian Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss made the suggestion after witnessing the beauty of the mountain, but it was never acted upon.  The idea revived again in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio when they began fundraising.  It was not until 1927, however, that construction began.  The monument was officially inaugurated in 1931.

The statue received a thorough cleaning in 1980 in preparation for a visit from Pope John Paul II. 

In 2006, to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the monument, a chapel at the base was consecated to Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Our Lady of the Apparition), the patron saint of Brazil.

Escalators up to the statue

Lightning struck the statue in 2008 damaging the fingers, eyebrows, and head.  All the stone used in the massive restoration in 2010 came from the same quarry as the original statue stone. 

As remarkable as the statue is, many feel the real experience is the view from the top of the city of Rio.  Enjoy this collection of 45 absolutely amazing photographs shot from every possible angle. 

This 2011 article celebrating the statue’s 80^th birthday shows several vintage photos and a chart comparing the statue to other taller statues around the world.

And for a heart-stopping experience, join this photographer as he climbs through the inside of the statue to the crown and takes a selfie “from the top!” (Be sure to watch the video at the end of the article.)  Not for the faint of heart!

2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

The 2016 Summer Olympics are being held in Rio de Janeiro August 5-21, and even though we will not visit until next summer, we can begin to get a feel for the atmosphere that makes up one of the largest city in Brazil as we watch as “armchair” sports enthusiasts.  It will be the first ever Olympic and Paralympic games in South America.

Rio Olympic slogan over a highway tunnel

The good news about visiting Rio a year later is that hopefully the 500,000 tourists expected for the event will have a year to return home and leave behind a city that will have spruced up for the big event the year before. 

This video “Rio Olympic City is Already Reality” (3:01) documents the city’s transformation.  The film starts with spectacular views of the recently inaugurated Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) and Museu de Arte do Rio (Art Museum of Rio), both in Rio's renovated waterfront district.

Viewers are then treated to shots of recently arrived high-tech trams making their way through central Rio and aerial views of the new roads, tunnels and Bus Rapid Transit corridors that now criss-cross the Olympic city.

The film then moves on to the Olympic venues that have been built or renovated for the Games, many of which will be open to the public while others will be converted into schools following the end of the festivities.

Want more?  Then watch NBCUniversal’s network and digital unprecedented 6,755 hours of broadcasting!  The opening ceremonies airs Friday night, August 5 on NBC.  Rio is just one hour ahead of the Eastern Time zone, so it will the most live Olympics ever.  Broadcasts are sure to feature such Rio icons as Copacabana Beach, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Christ the Redeemer statue.

Generally swimming will dominate the first week’s events, with athletics during the second week.  Gymnastics straddles the first and second week of the 17-day competition.

You’ll want to watch swimming legend Michael Phelps who just won a place on the U.S. swim team for his fifth Olympics.  The most decorated Olympian in history, he has won 22 Olympic medals, 18 of them gold.

You can access a full list of spectator guides for all events so you don’t miss a single one of your favorite sports.

Olympic and Paralympic Mascots

 And just so you are in the know…the Olympic mascot is named Vinícius, and the Paralympic mascot is Tom.  Find out all about their creation and meaning here.  Nature and sustainability will be featured on the 2,488 medals produced for the Olympics. 

The official Games slogan, A New World, is featured in all their promotions.  At Rio 2016, their goal is to create a better world and leave this as a legacy to the generations to come.  The official Olympic Manifesto in full reads:

Building a new world.
With new eyes, new examples, new heroes.
Making new friends, creating new families.
Breaking down barriers.
Respecting one another, what is different, alternative – celebrating what is new.
Promoting gatherings, mixtures, unity – peace can be one step away, right there!
Surprising with new gestures.
Adopting new attitudes: all you need is the desire to change.
Because life is movement, passion, transformation.
Together, we can transform the world.
And this victory will be for all of us.
RIO 2016
A NEW WORLD

…And this, we hope, leaves a better place to visit for future travelers like us.