Sorry for being so silent for the past week, but guess what – I went to Rio!!!!! So, instead of moaning in front of the TV screen about how uninventive the costumes / songs/ floats were, I got to see the grandeur and the schools’ true colours live at the sambadrome during the Winners’ Parade (Desfile das Campeãs) last Saturday. And as you can imagine, my sensation was quite different from the one at home. I simply loved it! It was all more stunning than I could ever have imagined. What can I say, you may admire the teeny-weeny detail of a passista’s* skimpy glittery outfit or marvel at the golden threads on a school’s flag, your face glued to the screen, but seeing it with your own eyes, amid thousands of cheering carnival lovers, puts things into perspective. Literally.
The sambadrome is a huge construction with concrete tribunes along the 700-metre-long stretch of the Marquês de Sapucaí street. And unless you are one of those lucky ones able to afford a seat in the camarote (luxurious booth), forget the cherishing the intricacies. Instead, switch to enjoying the exuberant, pulsating string of colourful alas**, every now and then divided by floats sticking out like enormous birthday cakes, with the decorative elements bouncing up and down to the rhythm of samba enredo.
I made numerous videos with my excitedly shaking hands, so if you want a glimpse of what it was like, have a look here, and keep checking the channel for more videos.
Special thanks to Rafael and Lina for making it possible.
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