Carnival spirit is in the air, and since it’s cold and raining outside my window, I am happy to dream about more exotic places. A popular one for the pre-Lent festivities is of course Brazil. Common spots to take part in the action are big cities Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, but as the tourists come in, the locals go out and head for the off-the-beaten-track destinations.
This weekend’s New York Times gives us an article about these lesser known celebratory Carnival locations, like Laguna and São Luiz do Paraitinga. Don’t worry, although smaller than the bigger cities, they still promise the colors, sounds and flair that the holiday is known for.
The drawback? Carnival starts on Friday, last minute tickets to Brazil are more than $1000, and accommodations are pretty booked, so without flight or hotel reservations, you might want to consider planning ahead for Carnival 2009.