As I Climb Into Bed

I am saddened by the lack of quality and passion seen in the "Monday of carnival" by Rio's escolas de samba.

Usually the camarotes, the high-priced private balconies inside Sambodromo, are full hours ahead of time. But this time, you could see gaping holes where obviously nobody had shown up (or had not been able to afford to rent them). On the other side, in the bleachers section, the crowd looked like they had been double-ticketed, they were so packed. That tells me that the recession has well and truly arrived even in the most anticipated touristic event in Brazil's calender.

So far, only Salgueiro have what I consider to be an outstanding overall presentation.

Comically, Ronaldinho Gaucho and Pato of AC Milan called up the Globo presenters to say they were gathered with a group of carnival aficionados in Milan, even at that late hour. They called in specifically to say they were impressed by Salgueiro's band.

I'll post some photos for you to see -- though as Sundries readers know, the photos of the carnival always look fantastic. It's the narration that people like me provide, that separates the mediocre from the outstanding.

Unfortunately, I will have to shuck the chaff from the wheat this year.

It's late, there are still two escolas left to go at 4:30 AM EST, so please forgive me if I am not on time on Tuesday.

Beija-Flor 2007 Champs!

My favourite Samba School, Beija-Flor, are the new Rio Carnival School champs, again!

Street Carnival

My penultimate post on the Rio Carnival is here, and for a change, it's different than the usual T&A show I have offered you so far.

Now, I love giving you gratuitous boob shots and booty wide-angles, not to mention crotch close-ups.

I love showing you the finest bodies on the planet, especially since they are almost all tat-free, which should count for something these days, right?

But Brazil and more specifically, the city closest my heart for Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, cultural capital of Brazil, isn't only about plumes, babes, and tan lines.

Cariocas themselves rarely will step foot in the Sambodromo, which is kinda ironic, actually.

You see, back in the mid-80s, that site was planned by Governor Lionel Brizola the better to charge tourists a fee to enter, to see this traditional carnival display in all its glory -- but also to give a more organised feel to the parades of the Samba Schools.

Previous to the Sambodromo, the Schools would parade past in downtown Rio, called the "Centro".

Today, downtown Rio, as well as almost every neighbourhood and suburb of Rio, carries on their "bloco" tradition, of planned or impromptu street carnivals.

Here below, then, are some of the best shots of these block parties, where it's not fancy costumes, but creativity at work.

It's that kinky, topsy-turvy quality that carnival represents in Catholic countries, a relic of its pagan past. Enjoy!


RIO DE JANEIRO STREET CARNIVAL





No, they're not transvestites, for which Brazil is actually known. Heh.

One of the greatest traditions of any carnival, is that men and women trade genders for the week, and even in fusty countries like Germany back in the day, women could go up to men and proposition them -- whilst in Brazil, men dress up as women.

I'm calling this shot, "Lady and The Other Tramps".





These typical little Carioca kids are hanging around downtown Rio, waiting for someone to spray them with crazy foam.

The one to the left looks like Taylor Hanson, so I guess he's already prepping to look like a woman.





This is Sister Ostrogoda.

She has brought her Holy Water ("agua benta") and her crucifix to bless these heathens, and to pray for their many carnival sins.

But Sister Ostrogoda has a secret...





...at night, she comes out of the convent dressed like this!

(Vatican disclaimer: I would like to categorically deny that nuns are in any way lascivious, and it is not my intent to portray them as such. In reality, this photo is posted here to see if my readership is still paying attention. Thank you)





And speaking of coming out...

Actually, his Catholic schoolgirl look is quite becoming. Or at least that's what I told myself when I was in 11th grade.





Hey, guess who made it to Rio this year for carnival?

No, not Kate Winslet, sheesh.

That's 2005 Oscar winner, Rachel Weisz, visiting the Santa Teresa neighbourhood in Rio, famous for its tram cars, and aristocratic mansions.

I wonder if she knows someone there?

She doesn't look all that excited, nor do the citizens behind her because last year, they had Naomi Campbell.

Get a tan, Rache!





She should go amongst the real people, not the perverted knobs of Santa Teresa.

Like for example, these good folk celebrating elbow-to-elbow in downtown Rio, near Praça XV de Novembro.

Back when I was there, it wasn't the safest place in the world, but I notice Rio has really cleaned up its act. Good on them.

Carnival, for Brazilians, is the equivalent of the Super Bowl and the Fourth of July to Americans. It means A LOT.

Interestingly, though, a lot of the Cariocas hate carnival, and frequently flee their tourist-bogged city to more authentic carnival places, like Olinda up North.

I myself never did. Are you kidding me! I was in Rio FOR CARNIVAL! You ain't lived, if you ain't been.





These characters in famed Rio neighbourhood, Ipanema, are dressed as old-time musicians.

The one on the left is playing the cavaquinho (a tinIER ukelele), which a Brazilian boyfriend once tried to teach me to play!

Didn't work out so well. He dumped me.





Carmen Miranda and carnival are never far apart, even in her homeland which notoriously has always resented poor Carmen (she left for the States and Hollywood -- ergo, she's a traitor).

Here are some American coppers arresting a "lady" who looks like she just five-finger discounted a Victoria's Secret shop.

You go girl!





Since Brazil has an animistic tradition, a black arts religion called "macumba", during carnival you'll see a lot of people wearing white (the traditional costume of the voodoo priests and priestesses) plus wearing shells on a collar to ward off evil spirits.

Cubans have many of the same customs, since of course, they share a slave culture as well, perhaps the only two really strong predominantly-white cultures in the Americas to do so, after the US.

Here are some black celebrants acting the role of one of the gods of Candomblé/Umbanda/Macumba, the so-called "Preto Velho" (old black guy).

They intercede for you, with the "Orixas". Trust me, it's complicated...





...but this is easy.

Could never happen in the US, this costume, and for that, you can see how much I love Brazil! I mean, it's carnival. Relax.

Thanks, everyone, for reading my Carnival stories.

Have a good, blessed Lent, and Easter, everyone!

IN THE COMMENTS: A gracious Brazilian came to my blog with honeyed words of praise (not always the case, as you might notice above), and when I clicked on his blog, I was entranced to see photographs of his youth, dressed up in Carnival costumes -- a precious snapshot of the Brazil of yesteryear.

Check out Geraldo's blogpost here.

LOL!

Carnival isn't all Brazil, you know.

My mother's homeland does carnival, and how, but it's a little different. Instead of the sensuous, they go for the humourous.

Here is a Köln carnival float showing President George W. Bush and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, leader of the latest Axis of Evil.

Only the carnavalescos of Germany have riffed on the word, by translating it as the Achsel des Bösen:

Armitpit of Evil

Pee-yu!


ADDENDUM: Some more funny Cologne Carnival 2007 photos of floats.





Jew and Arab -- Can't we all just get along, as Rodney King once said?





Duck!! It's Hamas, Liebling!





And just to show you it's not all Islamofascist-centric, here are Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royale as battling cocks for the upcoming France Presidential election this April.

Cocorico!

Samba Schools 2007

(And the winners are...BEIJA-FLOR DE NILOPÓLIS, my favourite Samba School! Watch the announcement live here!)

Here is a photo collection of the BEST SHOTS OF CARNIVAL 2007 at the Sambódromo, in Rio de Janeiro.

As requested by a reader, lots of shots of 'nekkid women', although safe enough for work (hopefully).

DAY 2

This is from Monday, Day 2, in order of presentation.


BEIJA-FLOR





The lady holding the Samba School banner is Selmynha SorrisoZ, and that's her partner, the Mestre-Sala, and real-life husband, Claudinho.

In my not so humble opinion, she is THE finest Porta Bandeira that has ever been. Literally, flawless in her execution and intricacy of her movements, which of course are being graded by Sambodromo judges splayed out in secret, all over the catwalks.

"SorrisoZ" is her special nickname, a play on the Portuguese word for "smiles", which in this case translates as Selmynha Smiley-Face.

Not only is she graceful beyond compare, but after a stint as in the Corps of Firemen, she decided later to become a lawyer, having just graduated from Law School last year.

All that, and a brain! Can you tell I'm her Number 1 British fan?





Beija-Flor means "hummingbird" in Portuguese -- itself a reason why I love the language.

It literally means "to kiss a flower", an act which catches the hummingbird's raison d'etre mid-flight, captured in this gorgeously lighted float.

I have to tell you that after my initial excitement last night, I was less than impressed by my favourite Samba School's outting, the last of the final Day 2.

Africa again. Snore.

The evening started out with Africa, and ended with it. Frankly, I thought Salgueiro had a better, richer "Africa" theme, overall, so it was anti-climactic perhaps.

Still, the standards are high for Beija-Flor, the darling of the catwalk and High Society, not to mention perennial 2nd place winner.

We'll see!


GRANDE RIO





Just to show you that pregnant women CAN and DO walk that mile-long passarella great with child.

Astonishing, isn't it?

I've often fantasised about my mother having done so with me, when I was in her belly.

Typical of me, I would've decided to have been born just as the judge was watching, though I had a great somersault planned to get my Samba School extra points.





This is famed Brazilian soap (novela) actor, Jose Wilker, who has played every role known to man, from Oedipus to Brasilia-founder, Juscelino Kubitschek, and seen here reprising his role as Tenorio Cavalcanti.

Who was this guy, you ask? Well, in short, a Duque de Caxias (Rio suburb) politician who was famous for wearing a black cape wherever he went, like Franklin Roosevelt.

Unlike Franklin Roosevelt, the cape was a good hiding location for his machine gun, used to intimidate the voters and his rivals alike, which he called "Lurdinha" (little Lourdes -- he was very religious).

People, you can't make this stuff up. Seriously.





Remember I mentioned in the comments how the guys who are driving the floats have the best seat in the house, but don't get to see a THING during Carnival.

Well, these guys, Grande Rio's choreographers, have a great seat, but they're upside down.

Not too sure why, but it must really suck.



IMPERATRIZ LEOPOLDINENSE






Imperatriz! My second favourite Samba School gave a knockout, and highly quirky performance on the night.

This however, isn't quirky but she is a knockout.

That's model/actress Luciana Guimenez (she must be of Spanish origin, which is unusual), as the Imperatriz Leopoldinense Rainha da Bateria.

Your requisite cheesecake shot, fellas. Enjoy!






Imperatriz were celebrating a few themes tonight, and one of them was honouring the equivalent of American variety show presenter, Ed Sullivan, called Chacrinha.

Only Chacrinha had some Harpo Marx in him, and throw in a little smarty-pants, W.C. Fields too.

Like Sullivan's "We have a really good show for you tonight" catchphrase, Chacrinha was known for his "Teresinha!! Ooh, hooo, hooo!" catchphrase, which sent his audience into spasms of laughter -- this catchphrase was Imperatriz' song theme tonight.

The much loved presenter wore a funny wig, made the show's contestants do silly stuff to win prizes, and loved Rio football club, Botafogo.

Simpler, but oh so much happier times.

Check out Chacrinha in action here, on Youtube!






Rosa Magalhães, to my mind, is A WORLD TREASURE.

Not only is she the most prestigious carnavalesca of the Rio Carnival since the retirement of Joãozinho Trinta, but since she's a Professor of Art at a Rio university, she's also a HIGHLY cultivated woman, whose research for the float themes goes above-and-beyond the call of craziness.

When everyone and their grandmothers were choosing Africa to honour this carnival, she chose Norway (two years back she chose Denmark's Hans Christian Andersen)...

...Chacrinha

...and cod.

Yeah, you heard me -- cod.

Here they are, strutting their codhood on the catwalk.

Only Rosa Magalhães. Mwah!





One of the most amazing floats I've seen, was this one Rosa decided to squeeze in after she was done with the fishies.

Not to sure why, but four black guys are drumming the lava from a volcano.

Maybe it makes cod taste better?

Either way, as Brazilians say -- genial!



PORTELA





To my mind, this is the most perfect body not only of any Rainha da Bateria in the Sambodromo tonight -- but of any woman I've seen in the carnival so far.

Here is Adriana Bombom ("bonbon" or piece of candy), who was in São Paulo for their carnival last Saturday, doing exactly the same thing there as she is here -- being a stellar Queen of the Band!

Beyoncé has nothing on her. Look at that face, that skin and those abs. Butter.





Portela's theme was tied to athletics, the Olympic Games, and the idealisation of the human form in all its glory.

But even I wasn't expecting these skaters in one of their floats, doing the most outrageous flips and 900s, as the ground underneath them moved!

God, how dangerous. And speaking of which...





Here's Brazilian Olympic medalist, Diego Hypolito, doing his trademark parallel bar exercises, likewise, as the float moved under him.

These people are nuts!

Can you imagine the lawsuits if Kerri Strug and Mary Lou Retton got on a Mardi Gras float in New Orleans, and started doing flips?







You know, carnival is fun, but it really is like a gift from God to males the world over. I'm sitting here blogging about nekkid ladies, for your pleasure.

But just like that, God decides to reward me for my patience with this sight:

10 blond Greek gods re-incarnated in Rio tonight.

Holy Washboard stomachs, Batman!






But back to my duties. Another passista lovely from the Avenida de Sapucaí.

Call me crazy, not that you don't already, but I rather think I look like her. I mean, not NOW.

But if I hit the gym, did my Pilates religiously, and painted my body gold...

All I need are the posties, and I'm off to carnaval!



SALGUEIRO





But enough of representations, and allegories. Sometimes you have to see the real goods!

There is this "destaque" from Salgueiro, who had a very strong showing just now.

Their theme, once again for tonight, was Africa, but for Salgueiro it is used with a hope that they will once again, be Rio Carnival champions.

See, 4 of the 8 times they have won the title, they've done so with an Africa theme to their allegorical floats.







And here is their Queen Nefertiti float, which looked even better on television, never mind what it might've looked live.

She had a face for the ages, but I believe this below...





...is called a body that won't quit.

Brazilians have a term for a woman whose body is like a statue of perfection.

They call this type of woman, "um monumento". Or "uma catedral".

A monument and a cathedral.

That's quite a pile of bricks keeping up those flying buttresses.



UNIDOS DA TIJUCA





A plumed lady destaque in the second Samba School to file past, this Monday.

Unidos da Tijuca have been threatening to win the title for a few years now, and a lot of the Globo TV presenters were wowed by this presentation.

Instead of the popular African theme this Brazilian Carnival 2007, Unidos da Tijuca had as their theme world images -- like paintings and photography.

To that end, they truly impressed me, and sometimes...







...they made me laugh.

I told you below that not always do you get to choose your costume, whether you're a man or a woman!

You take what they give you.

By the way, as you can see, the burkha was highlighted in this photograph, to show how beautiful a woman is when her face and eyes are uncovered.

They say the Cologne carnival this year saw the return of the satirical floats where NO ONE is a sacred cow -- not even the Imams and the Mullahs, which they banned last year after the Danish Cartoon brouhaha.

And I can't help but think that Brazilians got the memo, too.






Get it?

That's Mona Lisa as she would've looked if she had been covered by a burkha.

The emphasis becomes, what beautiful women and unforgettable images are we missing, because of this veil custom?

Hundreds, thousands, if not millions of images, lost to world culture.

Ah well.

As for the next allegorical representation of a photograph, who can forget the little Vietnamese girl running away from an explosion, naked and crying.






So here you go.

But the representation which most touched me, as it would any American reading this, was this evocative "capture" of the flag raising on Mount Surabachi, during the Battle of Iwo Jima.





Wow! That I didn't expect.

And I deeply appreciate it, considering that last year, the winning Samba School, Vila Isabel, had a float called "The Americas" -- where the only flag missing was...the United States of America.

A float paid for by President Hugo Chavez, it goes without saying.

So for this lovely touch, I say:

Valeu, Unidos da Tijuca!!




PORTO DA PEDRA







Poor Angela Bismarck, the 6-foot Rainha da Bateria of Porto da Pedra, a minor Samba School which got the unprestigious first spot, for Day 2.

She lost her crotch coverlet, which Brazilians call with wicked humour and honesty, "o tapa sexo" (sex manhole cover).





That's okay!

The show goes on. It just goes on a little happier now.





There. All better now.

Elaine Ribeiro and Angela Bismarck, the Godmother and Queen of the Band, together and most importantly -- intact!



DAY 1


This is from Sunday, Day 1, in order of my preference.


VIRADOURO







So far, the punter's favourite to win the Samba Schools Championship are Viradouro.

Their highly inventive display had a "Vegas" gambling type theme, and above you can see the jackpot if you're a very very good boy.

That's Rainha da Bateria, Juliana Paes, dazzling again this year, as she leads the Viradouro band.







Viradouro strike me as having one of those better parades when you were watching them live, than they actually had.

This is especially true when you look at the photos later.

But I tell you, this upside down float, with the wheels on top, and the people upside down -- well, pure genius.

That's some headache that guy is going to have!



MOCIDADE INDEPENDENTE DE PADRE MIGUEL






But when your body grows old and sags, but you still want to pretend you're leading the band of a samba school, you can become a "Madrinha da Bateria" or their Godmother, instead of Queen.

This is Janaina Barbosa doing just that.

And yes, if she was judged to have been a little too old in the tooth to have a proper body for a Rainha, you can imagine the standards of beauty excellence in Brazil.

Tough crowd.






One of the most original themes of this carnival, Mocidade wowed the Avenida de Sapucaí with this amazing tryptich this year.

This series of photos is showing a page of the Bible.

That's a rather feminine looking Jehovah casting Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.





And that's Adam saying, "Stop! You can't touch this!", and jumping out, Hammer-style.





Adam says, Who needs the Garden of Eden, when I have the Passarella to myself!





I have so many shots of Mocidade I could show you, but this was one of the best. A long shot of their Porta-Bandeira and Mestre-Sala, with the second float behind them.

Gorgeous!



VILA ISABEL (REIGNING CHAMPS)





How do people get on those floats, you ask?

Simple. The people from each of the poor neighbourhoods where these Samba Schools traditionally come from, prepare for the next carnival in terms of costumery, ideas, songs, THE VERY NEXT DAY AFTER CARNIVAL ENDS.

So they've been signed up all that time, and the commitment is very binding, trust me.

But just folks like you and I, including tourists if they can commit to the timeline, can pay a fee and be assigned a costume (you don't always get to choose where and what).

Each costume is luxurious to the nth degree, and it depends what you are wearing but it usually runs from 100 US dollars to 1000 US dollars.

Consider that an average poor family of 4 in Brazil earns 100-150 US dollars PER MONTH, you can imagine what kind of a monetary sacrifice this is on the family budget.

But for carnival, Cariocas would eat dog food for a month to afford it!

Hey, it's an once a year, and you get 80 minutes on that catwalk. When you have no teeth, are illiterate, and have a lot of heartache in your life otherwise, it's worth it.






Here is Viviane Araujo just chillin' during the Vila Isabel presentation.

Famous people such as actors, actresses, singers, politicians, and high society celebs don't do the months of rehearsals expected of the regulars, but they do pay for their costumes in full.

No freebies, and they can't "add on" or change them in ANY WAY, else they'll be barred from going on the floats or appearing in the walk-through.






This woman in the Vila Isabel parade isn't famous, to the best of my knowledge, but I bet you all the clothes I'm wearing (and it's cold today again, so I'm actually dressed for a change), that she's from the High Society of Rio.

How do I know this?

Just a hunch, but she has the requisite tell-tale signs. For one, she's blonde.

For you to be a member of Brazilian café society, you don't need much. But you need to be white.

Even having money isn't as important as that.

But there IS only one thing which trumps race and money in Brazil -- and that's beauty.

This carnival is living proof of that obsession with the body, that Brazilians worship as you and I worship the other gods, which resonate more in our cultures.

Those of you in the United States of America may now stop reading this, and go back to work, so you can worship the god of success.



ESTÁCIO DE SÁ






Poor Estácio. They had the jejum (bad luck) of having to be the first Samba School to start the night off.

And yes, as you are thinking, that's because they sucked last year, and are "rewarded" by this unpromising position because of that.

Have there ever been a champion come out of first parade place? I don't think so.





And Estácio's rather dismal display, big lions notwithstanding, didn't do anything to alter this bad luck placement.

Check out the dangling feet of the tourists in the box seats -- the so-called "Camarotes" (kah-mah-raw-cheese).

Can you imagine this death-defying position happening anywhere outside the Third World?

It's a 30-foot plunge below, people.

Heck, in the US, the most you can do is dangle from college football uprights, and if you fall, you got no one else to sue but your sorry self.


IMPÉRIO SERRANO





Uh. Okay.

Is that Einstein?

I know what E=mc2 means now.

It means having your face on top of a Brazilian beauty's cootch. That's gotta be as good as the Nobel Prize.






As you can see, Império Serrano (which means Valley Empire), didn't exactly bring their A-game to the Sambodromo this year.

They did have an excellent and rather touching innovation in their programme, when they invited kids with Down Syndrome as part of their parade.

But mostly, their theme could be summarised by this rather downhome but universal sign,

Mãe Te Amo!

Yep, you guessed it.

"I love ya, Ma!".

One more fat black guy wearing funny clothes, and Império Serrano could've passed for Al Roker pimping the crowds in The Today Show.



MANGUEIRA







Mangueira are touted as the second favourites of night 1, just after Viradouro.

But I tells ya, they didn't impress me.

And in trying to highlight their parade for you in photos, I STRUGGLED to find adequately cute pics to show you.

Try to wow yourselves with this shot above of the Porta-Bandeira (flag-bearer) and the Mestre-Sala (Salon Gentleman, her cavalier), which IS rather colourful.

But I simply refuse to place that fat Rainha da Bateria that Mangueira had, which shows you just how much McDonald's has come to mean to Brazilian society, so instead here is one of their better floats.






As a gossip aside, legendary samba singer, the already aged Beth Carvalho, caused a scandale royale because she wanted to go on one of the floats, instead of the scheduled walking role she had in the "Baluarte" wing -- the one dedicated to the famous fans of Mangueira, from the world of the arts.

Well, the President of Mangueira, Max Lopes, said no way, get off, and also dissed her make-up.

Beth (pronounced Brazilian-style, Beh-chee) walked off in a snit, and said that her relationship with Mangueira was over and done with, at the Sambódromo.

Ooh, handbags at the Brazilian Carnival! Meow!



BONUS SHOTS





If you've ever wondered how these ladies in carnival costumes look so perfect...well, it's not all due to God's gifts.

As ever with us ladies, we have our secrets of the trade, and here is Tathiana Pagung getting prepped to enter her Viradouro costume back in 2005.

What are they using to hide her tan lines, and spider veins, you ask?

Why, just hair spray, is all.

Apparently, it makes the skin glisten, reducing the imperfections of the skin.

I swear to you, you could douse hairspray on my whole body, AND Grecian Formula, and I'd still wouldn't look that great.





Here's Tathiana this weekend on Copacabana Beach, doing her finest Daryl Hannah impersonation.

Pagung sounds Thai or at least, East Asian, so I think she's Eurasian, with perhaps a little black inside her too.

But whatever the combination, you can't deny, she carries it well.

Just look at the kids' expressions (and their dads').






The Brazilian Britney Spears?

That's singer, Ivete Sangalo, looking eeriely like the pre-bald Louisiana songstress, pumping the carnival crowds in Salvador, Bahia.





Hangliding perilously close to the Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) statue, the very symbol of Rio de Janeiro on top of Corcovado mountain.

I've been THIS close to Our Lord's face, since my dad took us on one of those helicopter tourist rides.

Remember when I told you that I suffered from Stendahl's Syndrome, and almost fainted in front of the David statue, in Florence?

Well, guess what happened inside that helicopter? Not pretty.






Paris Hilton does the Viennese Carnival -- Fasching!

Yes, America's most notable intellectual, Paris Hilton, had the honour of having been chosen the Guest of Honour at the HIGHLY prestigious Opernball in Vienna...

...which, by the way, I once attended at the age of 18 -- having been taught to dance the waltz, minuet, and other intricate court dances, in a special dance academy for 2 weeks straight, in preparation of the ball afterwards. Trust me, the Viennese take this VERY SERIOUSLY. I had to wear white gloves up to here!

So, how did Paris get into this joint?? Oh, I remember. She was the invited guest of a local, elderly playboy millionaire.

Figures.





Here is Paris Hilton in the Imperial Box which once contained such worthies as Kaiser Franz Joseph and his gorgeous consort, the Empress "Sissi" Elisabeth.

If you think she looks bored with the formalities, and the Opernball is VERY formal in the most Old World sense, you would be right.

Earlier that day though, she went to a scheduled appearance at a local mall, where she could hang out with kids more her own age and speed.

So guess what happened?

They threw lipstick, cigarette boxes, and shopping bags on top of her, in riotous protest.

Tough crowd.

But don't worry, Paris graciously replied when asked about the incident, "I love my fans".

Stick to the Opera crowd, Paris.

They might have less rotten tomatoes on them.


RELATED READING

Rio Carnival 2007

Rio Carnival 2006

UPDATED LINK: Check out Made In Brazil's insider photos, which he took inside the VIP camarotes ("executive" boxes, if you will). He is a great resource for all things Brazilian, and I happen to like his blog a lot, since we share a love of fine-looking guys, but usually I don't link to his blog for pics, because being explicitly-gay they are not work-place friendly. These are though!