Yesterday I visited another favela - the one on the hill right behind where I had been staying.
There seemed to be two primary parts to the celebration of Carnaval. At least to the uninitiated. The Samba competition and the block parties. The Samba competition is very much about group identity. Huge numbers of people from the neighborhood participate and others cheer them on, hoping their group wins. One of the locals explained it by comparing it to the loyalty people feel (fanatically!) for their soccer club. It is the Brazilian equivalent of the Yankees and Red Sox.
The block parties is what really mystifies me. The basic elements - a sound truck, with people on top, plays music in a neighborhood (mine was Leme in Copacabana) for six or seven hour. Sometimes there are people dancing (in costume) in front of the truck. Most people follow the truck bouncing and singing. There are vendors in the area selling food and booze (primarily beer). Most stay the course and sing and bounce for the full time. Everyone. Young, old, all. There are lots of these, all over Rio. My hood had one each night.
My last full day I found wonderful street art in Rio. If wireless ever appears again you will see some of it. I took the cable car to the wonderful old neighborhood of Santa Teresa and saw the art along the route of the cable car. Same kind of car as in San Francisco.
From the top of the route took a private taxi to see the iconic image of Rio - Christ the Redeemer.
It was after I got down from Santa Teresa that I walked the streets and stumbled on the art. And even accidentally found my way back to the cable car route and had the ability to capture images I wanted to get.
I'm writing this on the plane about to take off from Panama City for Lima. Best the airlines could do for me, get me to Lima via Panama City. About seven hours to Panama City and now three plus hours to get to Lima. I've got a good seat this segment.
Location:Lima
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