Rio Carnival 2012: Backstage at the Sambadrome parades


“Follow the feathers” was my strategy for finding the Sambadrome stadium in Brazil this past Sunday, the first evening of Rio Carnival‘s famed samba parades. The metro exit was packed with crowds moving in all different directions, so I had little choice but to follow the handful of people wearing large, extravagant costumes in front of me. They were obviously going where I needed to go.

The strategy worked out, because my costumed friends didn’t just lead me to the parade venue — they headed straight for the backstage staging area where hundreds of dancers and participants were being outfitted for the main event. As the costumed gentry walked through the security gates, I concealed myself in their feathers and followed along. Backstage access, secured.

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The highlight of Rio de Janeiro‘s Carnival festivities, the Sambadrome parades are all-night marathon spectacles of samba school processions that take place over the Sunday and Monday of Carnival. The parades start at 8 p.m. and last until well past dawn, with about seven schools putting on elaborate shows of about an hour each.

Rio’s samba schools spend all year preparing for the parades, constructing huge floats, designing extravagant costumes, and of course, choreographing and practicing complex samba numbers. Each samba school chooses a theme and a story, usually related to some aspect of Brazilian culture. This year, for the first time, booklets were distributed to all guests that laid out each act of the parade, highlighted special celebrities, and listed the lyrics to each samba school’s signature marchinhas, or Carnival songs.


The work pays off. Thousands of people, Brazilians and tourists alike, pay up to $1500 for a chance to view the parades, and the results are followed as closely as the American Super Bowl. Schools are judged by ten categories, including theme, samba song, percussion band, harmony, flow and spirit, floats and props, costumes, vanguard group, flag carrying couple, and overall impression. This year, Unidas de Tijuca took the top prize, with a theme centered around folk singer Luiz Gonzaga and the culture of Brazil’s northeast region.

And the parades themselves? Breathtaking. The floats were massive, with mechanized figures and fountains. The costumes were gorgeous, and with the binoculars I borrowed from my neighbor, I could see the intricacies of the sequins and beading. The dancing was tremendous, and the 3,000 to 5,000 paraders exuded an energy that infected the entire stadium. Everyone was on their feet.

What words and photos can’t describe, hopefully this video can. Or, you could just start planning for next year.

Check out Gadling’s full range of Rio Carnival 2012 coverage here.

10 free things to do in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain, is full of fun things to do and interesting sites to explore. Luckily, the city features many experiences for the budget traveler with free museums, walking tours, beaches, parks, museums, dance shows, and more. Use this list to help you save money while still experiencing the best the city has to offer.

Walk down Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas is the most famous street in Barcelona, and often the first stop on many tourists’ to-do list. Not only is the street lined with restaurants, bars, cafes, theaters, and shops; it’s also home to various street entertainers, performance art, and colorful markets, making the street both fun and aesthetically pleasing. I love seeing all of the people dressed in ostentatious costumes trying to act like still sculptures (Note: Some of them look really real. I actually leaned on one not realizing it was a person!). Las Ramblas is also a bit historical, as the famous native painter Joan Miró, who died in 1983, helped to create part of the street. You can see one of his mosaic creations on the ground of the main center walkway. Get creative at an art museum

There are many art museums in Barcelona that offer free entry all of the time. One really great venue to check out is the Fundacion Fran Daurel, which features various forms of contemporary art, like paintings, tapestries, sculptures, photography, ceramics, and more. My personal favorite art museum is the Metronom, which showcases really radical and sometimes erotic pieces that can be a bit shocking at times. Photography lovers should stop by the Fundacion Foto Colectania which houses about 2,500 works as well as features exhibitions, events, and workshops all having to do with taking pictures. Other great art museums that offer free admission at certain times include the Museo Picasso (first Sunday of each month and every Sunday after 3PM), the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (first Wednesday of each month) and the Museo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (first Sunday of each month).

Discover the unique architecture of Antonio Gaudí

Runner Bean Tours offers a free Gaudí walking tour where you will be taken all over the city to see many of his unique, sometimes eery, sometimes Dr.Seuss-like creations. While I’m not particularly interested in architecture, I absolutely loved this tour. The buildings are so out of the ordinary that it’s easy for everyone to get excited about the tour, and the history of this passionate man is hard to believe at some points. My favorite part of the experience was finding the hidden meanings in the architecture, like the religious symbolism in the facade of the Sagrada Familia, the sexual undertones of Casa Mila, or the face of Casa Batlló that appears to resemble skulls and bones.

Get spiritual at the Catedral de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral)

There are many religious and sacred sites in Barcelona that are free to visit. My personal favorite is the Barcelona Cathedral, made in the 14th century with a very detailed facade, Gothic design, high bell towers, and gargoyle statues. Make sure to stroll through the garden, which is full of live geese and beatiful flora. The inside is immaculate as well, with magnificent stained glass windows, statues, and 16 chapels dedicated to various saints. I especially loved visiting the crypt, which holds a statue of Saint Eulalia, who was burned alive by the Romans for her radical beliefs. It’s free to enter the church itself, and to visit the church’s museum it’s only 1 euro. Moreover, a guided tour of the museum, rooftop, choir, and terraces is only 4 euros.

Spend a whimsical day at Parc Güell

Once you take the walking tour, you’ll know immediately upon arrival that this park was designed by Gaudí. Built in the very early 1900’s, it’s literally like walking through a fairytale, and you can easily spend hours getting lost in the various colorful quadrants filled with mosaic tiled benches, dragon statues, fountains, vibrant flora, artfully placed rock walls, and unique buildings like The Gaudí House Museum and The Pavilion. When I visited, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking through some kind of surreal Candyland game come to life. There are also locals with blankets set up around the park selling jewelry, souvenirs, and accessories.

Hit the beach

The beaches in Barcelona are beautiful, and also free. Most can be accessed by taking the Yellow Line on the metro. The most popular and crowded beach is Barceloneta Beach, which is closest to the city center. Here you’ll be able to lay out and relax, go swimming, or even partake in some adventure sports like surfing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing.There is also unique architecture in the area (Gaudí wasn’t the only architect in Barcelona that was a bit eccentric), and you can enjoy it while laying out on your towel. Nova Icária Beach is also a popular beach with a very young, trendy feel. On the other hand, Mar Bella Beach is well-known for being the nudist area, although technically in Spain you can layout in the nude anywhere as long as you don’t cause a disturbance.

Enjoy free tapas

While it’s not always easy to get free tapas in the bigger cities, there are some places that offer them with a drink if you look around. First there’s Ambiente del Sur, located in the L’Eixample neighborhood, a small Andalusan bar which serves free tapas like cold meats and cheeses, omelettes, and small salads with a drink. In the same area you can also visit is Bar Atrapatapa, which offers a wide variety of tapas and costs less than 2 euros with your drink. Other great options are Bar Mingus in the Gothic District and Gata Mala in the Gracia area, which both offer a free tapa with an ice cold beer.

See the Magic Fountain

In the evening, take a walk over to Montjuïc and see the Magic Fountain. It’s a beautiful showcase of water illuminated by different colors dancing to a mix of 70’s, 80’s, and classical music, depending which showing you catch. There are about 3,600 water jets, so you can imagine this isn’t your everyday fountain. Sit on the steps of the beautiful Palau Nacional Museum, the perfect viewpoint to catch the show. From October through April, you can catch shows every half hour on Friday and Saturday nights from 7PM-9PM. During the summer months of May through September, showtimes become more frequent, with viewings every half hour from Thursday-Sunday, 8PM-11PM.

Peruse ourdoor markets

Barcelona is home to many open-air markets that are fun to browse. If you’re looking for fresh, colorful foods, head over to Mercat de Sant Josep (Monday through Saturday), which is right off La Rambla. They have everything from seafood to fruit to meats to wine to already prepared lunches. For art, Mercadillo de la Plaça de Sant Josep is open on the weekends in Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol. You can peruse local art from various mediums and chat with friendly artists. My absolute favorite market in Barcelona, however, is the enormous Mercat Del Encants flea market in Plaça de les Glories Catalanes. It’s open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8AM-2PM, and is literally filled with the most random items you have ever seen, both of old and new varieties. Browse through books, electronics, fetish porn, cosmetics, old CD’s, accessories, vintage clothing, dolls, toys, housewares, collectibles, and more.

Enjoy a free dance show

Cafe de Los Angelitos in the Barceloneta Distrcit has a really artsy interior with sculptures and paintings and also offers free tango and jazz shows on Wednesdays and Sundays. While not completely free, Los Tarantos offers the best flamenco show in the city for only 8 euros.

Dancing at Denver International Airport

There are only so many ways to kill time at the airport. You can eat overpriced food, drink overpriced alcohol, read or dance. OK, there might be more things to do at the airport, but for the sake of introducing this video, let’s pretend that those are the only options. This young lady was bored at Denver International Airport and decided to cut a rug right there in the terminal. Not to be outdone, a random traveler walked by, booty bumped our dancer and, in one motion, stole the scene.

We could all learn a lesson from both of these rhythmic travelers: don’t get stressed at the airport. Delays will happen, flights will get canceled but you can always control your attitude. Keep your cool and have some fun when you’re traveling. Oh, and always booty bump when you have the chance.

Video: SNAP featuring Brooklyn

SNAP from andrea gise on Vimeo.

Agise & dancers is a Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based dance company headed up by a talented lady, Andrea Gise. Gise is a dancer/choreographer who has been releasing videos of her work lately. Agise & Dancers recently released an amazing video, titled SNAP. The video work for SNAP was done by Philip Knowlton.

Why am I telling you about this video? Because it features Brooklyn in a beautiful way. Shot in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, these guys did well with their location-scouting because the Brooklyn backdrop for this video is so very Brooklyn. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Check out the video for some excellent dance and beautiful Brooklyn moments captured on film.

Ten (more) random observations about Ethiopia

When writing last year’s Ethiopia travel series, I collected twelve random observations about Ethiopia. These were interesting bits of information that didn’t fit in any of my articles. While writing my Harar travel series, I collected ten more.

1. The standard traveler’s money belt that hangs from your neck and is tucked under your shirt is very amusing to Ethiopians because Oromo women wear them. You’ll often see them digging them out in the market to get change. The above photo shows them being made.

2. The banknotes smell spicy. This is because Ethiopians eat with their hands and then handle money in order to pay for their meal. A few years of this treatment makes Ethiopian money smell like a spice stall in the market. Crisp, odorless banknotes fresh from the bank don’t seem real!

3. The currency is called birr, which means “silver.” Before coins became common, people used more practical objects as currency, such as bullets and slabs of salt.

4. Ethiopians have a unique dance called the uuzkista in which you jiggle your shoulders back and forth. Check out the video to see how it’s done.

5. I noticed that many crosses people wear are all the same bright green color. I wondered about this until one night I was walking down a dark street with an Ethiopian friend and noticed her cross was glowing in the dark. Soon I was seeing glowing Crucifixions everywhere.

6. Since most streets lack lighting, many cell phones come equipped with a mini flashlight.

7. To get a waiter’s attention, snap your fingers or clap your hands. What’s rude in one culture is normal in another. I saw a guy get kicked out of a restaurant in New York for doing this because in the West it’s the ultimate in low-class boorishness. Here in Ethiopia it’s completely acceptable, but it took me a long time before I could bring myself to clap at a waiter.

8. There’s a shortage of postcards in Ethiopia. Ethiopians aren’t in the habit of sending postcards and the fledgling tourism industry hasn’t printed many. Some entrepreneurs have taken matters into their own hands. In Gondar a local photographer wanders around the castles selling images he’s taken. It isn’t a proper postcard, but the post office accepts them.

9. When Ethiopians shake hands, they bump each other’s shoulder. If your hand is dirty because you’ve been eating, keep your hand closed and your arm straight down to signal that you can’t shake hands. Instead the other person grabs the forearm and does the shoulder bump. If both people’s hands are dirty, you touch forearms and still do the shoulder bump. Don’t forget the shoulder bump!

10. Farmers often carry water in gourds. Now some entrepreneur has come up with the modern equivalent-plastic gourds in bright colors! Some fashionable farmers are carrying these instead of bothering to prepare their own natural gourds.

This wraps up my series Harar, Ethiopia: Two months in Africa’s city of Saints. Thanks for joining me on my adventure through the Horn of Africa!