Carnival Baby! (and home again)

Firstly, apologies that it has taken me a while to add this final blog entry, and I promise that I will check this one for spelling mistakes before I post it. (Sorry to all those who noticed the errors in the previous blogs - I can only blame fast typing and the pressures of the internet cafe!) An English Teacher who can't spell.... tut tut!

Anyway, so I left you in Rio (at the favelas, I believe). Rio Carnival has to be one of the craziest experiences of my life. Never before have I seen such vast numbers of people on the streets enjoying themselves for days on end. Some of the street parties had millions of people attending. The Sambadrome is just an awesome experience. 7 samba schools, 1.5hour procession each school, and over 2 nights. Another sight that just has to be experienced. Photos can never do it justice.

The city is just taken over by the carnival. People just live and breathe it. You see guys, that presumably normally dress in conventional clothes, walking down the street holding hands with their girlfriends, but wearing a dress, as if it is the most normal thing in the world. The streets become awash with spilt drinks and bodily fluids; knee-deep in rubbish and discarded carnival paraphernalia, and the smell is ripe to say the least!

So, I will leave you all now. I am back home, safe and sound. Watch this space for my next trip, whenever that may be!