|
|
|
Da Lagoa Roderigo de Freitas is approximately 8km (5 miles)
around, and is the heart of Rio's Zona Sul (south zone), of which
Leblon and Ipanema are 2 neighbourhoods. |
 |
|
 Situated
2 blocks from the beach, the hotel that was to become so familiar to me.
The Claridge is located in a residential area of
Lower Leblon surrounded by restaurants, bars and fast food outlets, the
Zona Sul supermarket is right beside the hotel and the aroma of freshly
baked bread is always in the air. Designer shops, banks and movie
theatres, are also very close by. The beach is just 3 blocks away.
There is a covered pool, hot tub, sauna and showers, post-sauna rest
area, coffee shop, bar, squash court and game room. all with a panoramic
view of the sea and the Lower Leblon district.
|
|
|
Carnival Time
Most People think the carnival is something like our version that is
held in Notting Hill, a bunch of bands and floats parading through the
streets. In fact it is very different from this.
Carnival in Brazil is a competition between samba schools, with a
football style division system.
Each school spends most of the year preparing and building the floats in
complete secrecy, religiously practising their moves, music and dances.
There are around 5000 performers in each school and they are marked on
their song, story, dress, dance and rhythm.
A purpose built 1700 metre street (Sambadromo) lined with grandstands is
host to the 80,000 performers in the 16 first division schools, they
have an hour and a half to perform in front of around 100,000 people.
This extraordinary event creates jobs for tens of thousands of locals
and for the duration of the 6 day event, it is shown live on TV.
Plans are well under way for my visit in 2004,
when I will be taking my place amongst the other carnival spectators. |
|
|
