Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2010
After hours of travelling, I remember getting to the house. It was dark, hot and sticky. A French guy greeted me. Nobody else was in. I found a spare bed and I think not long after that I fell asleep. I remember waking in the night to the sound of a band rehearsing and possibly a tropical storm outside but kept drifting back to sleep.
The next morning I woke up and went upstairs in search of a bathroom. The shower was massive - it was more of a big private room with a shower head. After walking past people moaning about dogs running around the house with fleas, weeing everywhere and the state of the tiny kitchen, I stood in the shower and cried. What the hell had I done? I was now stuck here for over a month, in this grotty hellhole, not knowing anyone. I don’t really remember exactly what happened after that but I soon changed my opinion of the house, the people and the place.
I did meet some lovely people but bravely/stupidly spent a lot of time going off on solo adventures - heading to the beach after finishing at the samba school for the day, checking out local spots and popping to the shops. I wanted to make the most of every moment. Rio was the most energetic, colourful, beautiful mishmash of a place I’d ever seen and I completely fell head over heels. Don’t get me wrong, I was on constant high alert checking that nobody was following me, drawing cash out from inside the bank and stashing it in my bra or socks and I was the only one who had an ‘attempted mugging’ and managed to get away - nobody else was that lucky.
Despite it being the most dangerous place I’ve ever been to, I’d go back in a heartbeat. I’ve never experienced such a feeling of magic. The green peaks of Sugarloaf Mountain contrast with the bustling city that melts into some of the most jaw-dropping beaches I’ve ever seen. Flashes of rainbow-coloured carnival costumes. It’s just so breath-taking. I miss the fresh coconuts, acai and grilled cheese sandwiches. The people are poor but they have the happiest faces I’ve ever seen. They have a sparkle in their eyes that I’ll never forget because they’re from the Cidade Maravilhosa, the Marvellous City, and don’t they just know it.
Despite it being the most dangerous place I’ve ever been to, I’d go back in a heartbeat. I’ve never experienced such a feeling of magic. The green peaks of Sugarloaf Mountain contrast with the bustling city that melts into some of the most jaw-dropping beaches I’ve ever seen. Flashes of rainbow-coloured carnival costumes. It’s just so breath-taking. I miss the fresh coconuts, acai and grilled cheese sandwiches. The people are poor but they have the happiest faces I’ve ever seen. They have a sparkle in their eyes that I’ll never forget because they’re from the Cidade Maravilhosa, the Marvellous City, and don’t they just know it.
