Street parties that celebrate the glee of Carnaval have been on the resurgence for many years. Partying in the streets is on the rise in Rio during Carnaval.
This list will blow you away regarding how many street parties there are. Caution: do not print it out. It is 66 pages long!
I have a lot of advice about which ones are cool or duds - but let me just say (as a gay man) that the Banda de Ipanema bloco has lost its luster. This used to be a famous gay bloco - but now it is way too straight and practically unrecognizable as a gay event. No offense to my straight companieros - but this is not a gay scene...
You have been warned.
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3 comments:
funny you see things as from the gay perspective and I the straight but are one on the bloco de Ipanema is BAD. to be it is just about tourists drinking - going shi-shi on the street - taped music and is really bad. a couple years back went to Santa Tereca and was really great - Brasilians not tourists enjoying the REAl Carneval.
While there has been a slow fade away from it being a party with lots of gay men in drag, I must say that the city is really trying to combat the public urination problem. Compared to a few years ago there are ten times more chemical toilets and last year there were hundreds of little signs stuck in the dirt by trees and bushes (and some being waved around by people) reminding people not to use the trees as a toilet.
AND - street vedors had to be certified by the city or their wares would be confiscated.
I can see the city is trying to improve matters. There may be hope.
But the old days of it being a gay bloco are definitely gone...
As you point out - it is often better to go to the smaller blocos.
Oh, goodness. I really do live in the right area of Brazil, where Carnaval goes by unnoticed. I really dislike big, drunken street festivals.
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