![\"OLYMPUS](\"https:\/\/bloodinyoursaltwater.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/P2072633-576x1024.jpg\")
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Once in a lifetime you have an opportunity that you simply cannot pass up. One of those events that \u2013 even with a life like mine \u2013 you know you will regret forever if you are foolish enough to let it pass you by. I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to have a few of those: Tekal, Petra, Ephesus by twilight\u2026<\/p>\n
And now, well\u2026<\/p>\n
This time of year, there\u2019s only one event worth going to in Rio..<\/p>\n
Welcome, to Carnaval 2016.<\/p>\n
Getting permission to attend the biggest street party in the northern hemisphere was neither simple, nor inexpensive (the tickets I mean, obviously asking was free!). It\u2019s an all night event so it drastically effects the nature of my schedule for not just one day but two. To get clearance for me my (amazing) supervisor had to speak to both the Entertainment Manager and the Cruise Director. I was just waited and held my breath; I got the call to the office part way through the morning shift.<\/p>\n
Okay Shaughnessy, you may go. On the condition that you leave your office keys with someone, and that you are going to be able to work the next morning. Please do not<\/u> screw that up.<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019m only going to be drinking water ma\u2019am, I promise<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s not the drinking, I know that, it\u2019s that you won\u2019t leave early. You won\u2019t want to. And the last time I went it took me two weeks to recover.<\/em><\/p>\n I promise. I\u2019ll just go straight to work, by a few shots of expresso and power through till my break, it\u2019s only two hours.<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s my girl. Okay, go, have fun. You know it will be just you right? Amras is working.<\/em><\/p>\n Yup, got that covered.<\/em><\/p>\n Then enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n Which is how I found myself on a bus in a truly insane snarl of traffic, fighting our way to the world famous Sambadrome. Even though it\u2019s not that far from the port termainl, it takes ages to get there; traffic is a beast this time of year, and the fact that there are eleven<\/em> ships in over the course of the weekend probably doesn\u2019t help matters much. Seriously! We almost had to tender! Into Rio! Can you imagine??<\/p>\n Our bus \u2013 the last one to leave the terminal- is very nearly late, which means we got there it was an interesting experience trying to find our seats! Thankfully I didn\u2019t have to climb over too<\/em> many people. The Sambadrome is outdoors, with tiered concreate seating, exactly like an open-roofed sports stadium, except this is definitely not<\/em> a sports stadium. Instead of a field, a huge alley \u2013 more the size of a city highway actually \u2013 stretches the entire length of the arena. This is the parade route, and it takes each \u2018school\u2019 just under an hour to transverse it (if they are running to time, and if they don\u2019t they lose points)<\/p>\n And this\u2026this is a parade that puts everything else you have ever seen to shame.<\/p>\n Even with the ill-tempered bickering of the couple behind me (the husband forgot to put the memory card in his wife\u2019s camera\u2026.biiiig mistake) \u2013 the energy in the place was overwhelming.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a twenty minute gap int between the six different schools of the parade, and it takes each of them about an hour to make the crossing ; any more than that and they are docked points for being over time. Every school has a different theme, which I imagine they must pick out a year in advance given how complex some of the work that goes into it is. And every parade starts with fireworks at the far end of the arena.<\/p>\n I will tell you this \u2013 all those pictures you see? Of the feathers and the sequins and the flags? They are all true. And seeing it all in person, knocks you off your metaphorical feet.<\/p>\n People really do dance in their seats, or rather on<\/em> their seats as it\u2019s bleacher style seating. And if you don\u2019t like crowds or volume this is not<\/em> the place for ou. If you are unable to relish the samba drums realigning your heartbeat then you don\u2019t belong here (part of me longed to tell this to the people around me who sat with their ears plugged the whole time)<\/p>\n The opening mini-parade was a small elegant presentation themed on the upcoming 2016 Olympics, the woman spinning the Olympic flag on the central float looked almost heavenly in the way she moved.<\/p>\n But the first float – which wasn\u2019t truly a school \u2013 paled in comparison to what came after. The first \u201cproper\u201d school presented a breathtaking hour-long tribute to St George and the Dragon, including the dragon<\/em>! I have never seen, nor experienced anything like it. They actually recreated the famous battle with a larger than life marionette horse that did everything from galloping to bowing, operated by tiny dancers dressed as angels who pulled on the massive controlling ropes to make the knight\u2019s mount come to life. And the costumes! You have never seen such costumes! Dragons, angels, knights in armor, devils that battled saints before your eyes. A float that presented Fairieland, complete with the fairies!<\/p>\n While all of this is spilling over yo, you forget that it\u2019s still boiling out despite it being near midnight, you forget that you\u2019re sitting on overheated concrete, you forget about the stress of work, the pressure and the homesickness. It doesn\u2019t even matter that you don\u2019t speak portraguese and can\u2019t understand a word that\u2019s being said! You just sit there and try and figure out what to look at first.<\/p>\n And then it hits you\u2026<\/p>\n That was only the first parade<\/em>!<\/p>\n The second school gave us Athletics, opening with a stunning tribute to the Greek Gods (\u201coh, hi Diana! Fancy seeing you here!\u201d) and moving onto hang-gliding (with people dressed as clouds for the hang-gliders to fly through), and a highly creative nod to almost every variation of water sports. There were even people dressed as beachballs!<\/p>\n IT was at that point that I started to see the ominous flashing red light on my camera. Despite my having left it on its charger all night to prepare for this, the poor battery just isn\u2019t used to this kind of heavy activity.<\/p>\n Thankfully said battery survived until three quarters of the way through the third school, which was a glowing sunset of red and gold that was clearly a favourite among the crowd judging from the amount of cheering it received. And the number of waving flags that erupted from the crowd when the school\u2019s parade was announced. The most impressive float I\u2019d see so far that night (other than the knight), featured a samba dancer performing in the outstretched palm of a giant golden goddess-figure, and that outstretched hand moved<\/em> (all that went through my head at the time was \u2018tiny dancer in my hand\u2019).<\/p>\n Without a camera though, and with fatigue lapping at the edges of my mind, I thought it best to leave while I still had strength in my legs and dance in my heart. I try to be responsible and I did, after all, make several people promises in order to be granted this glittering few hours away from reality. Also, looking around I saw not one person I knew, and I had promised I would stay close to the group.<\/p>\n Around here after all, it\u2019s still better safe than sorry.<\/p>\n Besides, for me, nothing could top the sight of a larger than life St George cowing a dragon. These days \u2013 for me at least \u2013 that\u2019s a visual I know I will likely call to mind many times in the future\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Once in a lifetime you have an opportunity that you simply cannot pass up. One of those events that \u2013 even with a life like mine \u2013 you know you will regret forever if you are foolish enough to let … Continue reading