The highlight of the cruise - Carnaval Parade. Carnaval is really a week-long party with 100s of block parties, mainly at night, but the highlight is the Carnaval Parade at the Sambodromo - a km. long street with bleachers for 90,000 people. Over two nights, 14 Samba "schools" (7 each night) each present their program of floats and thousands of dancers. Each "school" creates an original music score (although they all sound similar, with plenty of drum beats), fireworks at the start of their presentation, and the parade. It lasts over an hour each, starting at 9:00 pm, so the entire program lasts all night for both nights.

It is without doubt, the most fantastic presentation of this type we have ever viewed. The floats are very elaborate, some at least 3 stories high. Thousands of dancers are elaborately costumed. The "schools" are really organizations that spend the entire year preparing for the Parade and will spend $3 to 4 million on their presentation, although that seems a low estimate. Each has a major sponsor. Great honour and publicity is the result of their placement after judging by a team of experts.

We attended day 2 and lasted through five of the "schools" until 4am. Phyllis could have stayed all night but I was wiped. Earlier in the day two men who had attended the first night said they had been at both the Macy's and Rose Bowl parades and neither holds a candle to Carnaval.

We will post a dozen or so photos out of about 60, but photos do not do it justice. We will attempt to find a video to bring home.