Carnaval In Salvador
Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval celebrations are world renowned, with colorful samba dancers parading around the stadium and that sort of flash. I chose to spend Carnaval in Salvador because I heard that the party was superior there. The way I would describe it is more like a mobile music festival than the mardi gras that people usually think it is... though there was by no means a lack of cross-dressing men. It was pretty crazy!
Salvador has three circuits: The Dodô or Barra-Ondina Circuit along the coast, the Batatinha or Pelourinho Circuit in the pretty colonial part of town, and the main one, the Campo-Grande Circuit, also called the Osmar or Avenidas Circuit.
The Barra-Ondina and Campo-Grande Circuits host a parade of trio eletricos, which are basically mobile stages pulled by semi-trailer trucks. Pop singers from all over the world perform and fans can buy an abadá, which is a shirt that grants them access inside the ropes around each trio eletrico. Together, the mass of people and the stage form a bloco. Everyone outside the bloco are pipoca, or "popcorn" since they tend to do a lot of moshing. This kind of event was bound to produce a fist fight or two, what with the crowds and the booze, but the ones that I witnessed were ended quickly by the regular patrols of armored police. Zero tolerance seemed to be the order, as evidenced by the utmost fear and respect of the parting crowd as the patrols marched through.
The Pelourinho Circuit does more traditional music, I think, though don't quote me on that since I wasn't able to catch that festival. For more information about Carnaval in Salvador, visit Bahia-Online or Salvador Carnival Info.
Having an abadá is a bit of a statement. They can cost hundreds of dollars, but you get to hang out with your favorite band or pop star in the relative safety of the ropes. I believe some can get you a ride on the trio eletrico if you're lucky. Most people are just happy to be part of the crowd and the party as pipocas. This is the most fun part, in my opinion.
I spent most of my week on the Barra-Ondina Circuit where people watching was the main attraction for me. I was not at all familiar with the current music of Brazil, so most of it went right over my head, but the crowds all jumping with their hands up and singing along as strobe lights flashed and singers dressed up got everyone all pumped, made for an exhilarating experience. Sometimes, I would fight my way out to the front and dance with people if I found a beat, or watch others as they went crazy between blocos. When I got hungry or tired, it was just a block to all the street food stalls and barbecues for some sampling, or a bit of a break in the hotel before rejoining the all night, all week festivities.
And if I thought the Barra-Ondina Circuit was good fun, the Campo Grande Circuit was madness! That was the day I thought to check out the Pelourinho Circuit, but decided to go via Campo Grande and then catch a cab from there. I followed the trail of tourists halfway across town from Barra-Ondina and joined the massive crowd. After watching for a bit, I jumped into the parade with a bloco of men wearing matching dresses. The parade narrowed between the stalls, turning the parade into a gauntlet. Water pistols sprayed at us, as did shaving cream and beer... and at the same time, a popular song came on that had everyone moshing. It was mosh or be mashed. Good fun! Needless to say, I never made it to Pelourinho.
In the early mornings after each night, a large team of cleaners mobilized with rakes, shovels and garbage trucks to sweep up the mess of the previous party. They were followed by another sanitation truck full of disinfectant, sprayed along the roads, gutters and footpaths by a man holding a firehose. I was glad they had the sense for it, even though each wall and corner continued to smell like a urinal. That didn't seem to bother the scores of people who slept off the party, lying on cardboard along the curbs, while some camped out in tents in the nature strips or gardens. It was difficult to tell what Salvador was like outside of Carnaval.
Pousada Cancún was just around the corner from the Barra-Ondina Circuit. It seemed like a typical dark and not particularly outstanding hostel, but worse was that they managed to lease out a cheap, dodgy and completely personality-less hotel building a block away for their overflow. There were shitty beds, no aircon, no windows and a completely inadequate fan for the tropical heat. Fortunately, my roomies were lovely Brazilian girls who fought for a windowed room with a ceiling fan for us, and at least one of them spoke a decent amount of English. On the plus side, the hotel was just a block from the action in Barra.
Salvador has three circuits: The Dodô or Barra-Ondina Circuit along the coast, the Batatinha or Pelourinho Circuit in the pretty colonial part of town, and the main one, the Campo-Grande Circuit, also called the Osmar or Avenidas Circuit.The Barra-Ondina and Campo-Grande Circuits host a parade of trio eletricos, which are basically mobile stages pulled by semi-trailer trucks. Pop singers from all over the world perform and fans can buy an abadá, which is a shirt that grants them access inside the ropes around each trio eletrico. Together, the mass of people and the stage form a bloco. Everyone outside the bloco are pipoca, or "popcorn" since they tend to do a lot of moshing. This kind of event was bound to produce a fist fight or two, what with the crowds and the booze, but the ones that I witnessed were ended quickly by the regular patrols of armored police. Zero tolerance seemed to be the order, as evidenced by the utmost fear and respect of the parting crowd as the patrols marched through.
The Pelourinho Circuit does more traditional music, I think, though don't quote me on that since I wasn't able to catch that festival. For more information about Carnaval in Salvador, visit Bahia-Online or Salvador Carnival Info.
Being Pipoca Is Okay By Me
Having an abadá is a bit of a statement. They can cost hundreds of dollars, but you get to hang out with your favorite band or pop star in the relative safety of the ropes. I believe some can get you a ride on the trio eletrico if you're lucky. Most people are just happy to be part of the crowd and the party as pipocas. This is the most fun part, in my opinion.
I spent most of my week on the Barra-Ondina Circuit where people watching was the main attraction for me. I was not at all familiar with the current music of Brazil, so most of it went right over my head, but the crowds all jumping with their hands up and singing along as strobe lights flashed and singers dressed up got everyone all pumped, made for an exhilarating experience. Sometimes, I would fight my way out to the front and dance with people if I found a beat, or watch others as they went crazy between blocos. When I got hungry or tired, it was just a block to all the street food stalls and barbecues for some sampling, or a bit of a break in the hotel before rejoining the all night, all week festivities.And if I thought the Barra-Ondina Circuit was good fun, the Campo Grande Circuit was madness! That was the day I thought to check out the Pelourinho Circuit, but decided to go via Campo Grande and then catch a cab from there. I followed the trail of tourists halfway across town from Barra-Ondina and joined the massive crowd. After watching for a bit, I jumped into the parade with a bloco of men wearing matching dresses. The parade narrowed between the stalls, turning the parade into a gauntlet. Water pistols sprayed at us, as did shaving cream and beer... and at the same time, a popular song came on that had everyone moshing. It was mosh or be mashed. Good fun! Needless to say, I never made it to Pelourinho.
After The Party
In the early mornings after each night, a large team of cleaners mobilized with rakes, shovels and garbage trucks to sweep up the mess of the previous party. They were followed by another sanitation truck full of disinfectant, sprayed along the roads, gutters and footpaths by a man holding a firehose. I was glad they had the sense for it, even though each wall and corner continued to smell like a urinal. That didn't seem to bother the scores of people who slept off the party, lying on cardboard along the curbs, while some camped out in tents in the nature strips or gardens. It was difficult to tell what Salvador was like outside of Carnaval.
Pousada Cancún
Pousada Cancún was just around the corner from the Barra-Ondina Circuit. It seemed like a typical dark and not particularly outstanding hostel, but worse was that they managed to lease out a cheap, dodgy and completely personality-less hotel building a block away for their overflow. There were shitty beds, no aircon, no windows and a completely inadequate fan for the tropical heat. Fortunately, my roomies were lovely Brazilian girls who fought for a windowed room with a ceiling fan for us, and at least one of them spoke a decent amount of English. On the plus side, the hotel was just a block from the action in Barra.
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