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WITH A dizzying swirl of gyrating samba dancers and pulsating music, Rio de Janeiro's Carnival is one of the world's biggest and most flamboyant celebrations.
Thousands of dancers, many wearing little more than feathers and smiles, parade through Rio's streets and party all night long before Lent, the traditional solemn Christian period before Easter.
Carnival is an all-city blowout for this Brazilian metropolis, where gritty shantytowns edge up to high-rise havens that tower above silky, white-sand beaches.
Dozens of the city's samba schools will compete in Carnival, in early March this year, each with hundreds and hundreds of dancers prancing to drummers' beats. Hawk-eyed judges watch them strut their stuff in the Sambódromo, a viewing area with grandstands, declaring the samba-school champion (and runners-up), a fiercely prized honor in Rio.
Nab a ticket in the Sambódromo bleachers or splurge for a seat in a private box. Or head to the city's outdoor Carnival parties, where tens of thousands cavort to the music. To really get in the Carnival spirit, some samba groups let foreigners dance along.
Just keep your wits in mesmerizing but crime-plagued Rio, so no pickpockets or other criminals rain on your parade.
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