Carnival: Brazilian small town alternatives

by Anna Brones on

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.

Get ready for Carnival

by Jerry Guo on

The Mangueira shantytown, which you’ll see looking up the steep slopes below the Christ the Redeemer statue, isn’t a place you want to be caught walking through. Drug dealers swinging automatic guns are a common sight, for one.

But travelers are already flooding the district, which is in the middle of preparations for Carnival (Feb 3-4). The streets of these slums have been turned pink and green (the colors of Mangueira, one of the most well-known samba groups in town). It seems work has been going on for six months already, and $1 million has been poured into this year’s celebration.

At first glance, you might be thinking, “These people are crazy! They live in shanties, for God’s sake. A million dollars can feed a lot of people!’ But it seems the $1 million also goes to keeping a lot of people employed as construction workers and dancers for the floats. And it does keep drugs off the street.

So you do the math.

In Trinidad and Tobago soldiers help keep the streets safe

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’ve ever traveled in places where soldiers help man the streets, it can be a bit disconcerting, particularly in a place that should evoke an image of paradise.

I read in the World Watch section of today’s The Plain Dealer, (besides news Justin already posted on about lithium batteries and luggage) that for the next month or so in Tobago and Trinidad, seeing soldiers on patrol will be a common sight. Police can’t control crime by themselves so the military has been called in for reinforcement.

Because crime rates sky rocket this time of year, having soldiers frequent where people go for fun will hopefully put a damper on criminals’ good times. After Carnival in February, crime goes down, but I’m not sure how much since there are also reports of more police posts being established in rural areas.

If you go, besides being on criminal watch, don’t wear any camouflage. It’s illegal. I found that out from reading the Tobago and Trinidad Web site.

Video: Carnival Rides at Oktoberfest’s Funfair

by Justin Glow on


If you wander just outside of the massive beer tents during Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, you’ll find the funfair. What’s cool about the funfair is all the crazy-looking carnival rides they have. In the United States, carnival rides are usually rusty death traps operated by drunk amputees, but the rides in the video above look absolutely amazing. Not only do they look safe, but I’ve never seen many of them before — they even have full size roller coasters. At a carnival! The coolest ride is at 01:26 (remaining) — the giant flipping, spinning, flower-like thing that dangles riders and shakes them about.

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany runs from September 22, until October 7.

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Tenerife Just Got Lame

by Jonathon Morgan on

One of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the world has just been canceled…due to noise.

A Spanish court ruled in favor of a group of citizens who complained the festivals violated their human rights. You know, their God-given right to live someplace that didn’t get too loud once a year.

Before the ruling, festival used to full of parades, dancing, music and fireworks, culminating in the “burial of the sardine.” The gigantic sardine is depicted sitting on a throne, and hauled through the streets followed by trail of faux mourners, pregnant men and widows.

Really, it’s just hysteria. And revelry, and an internationally recognized good time. If only it didn’t get so dang raucous.