Chronicles of On The Road Travel

Not-So-Lonely Planet Writers

We've all heard the Lonely Planet horror stories, about how the people writing your trusted guidebook, the one you sacrificed 5 extra pounds in your backpack to bring along, actually never lifted a finger to update the book. Clever insights and suggestions plagiarized from another source ( I saw this first hand while traveling through Guatemala with an LP and a Footprints guide -- did both authors really think of Jackson Pollack when they saw that restaurant??), or simply made from scratch but never actually verified (if you were a 22 year old who was given a bit of cash to update a guide, wouldn't YOU pocket the money and sit on the beach, making sure to call each hotel on the list to make sure they were still in business?).  In fact it's the reason we started OTR, in an effort to provide real editorialized content from local editors who know their cities and take pride in their recommendations.

For the first time an LP guidebook writer is coming forward and providing the true story behind the trusted reviews we have all relied and frowned upon. Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? provides the Inside Scoop on the famous backpacker's bible, detailing scandalous encounters and horrifying truths about the travel guide gods. Thomas Kohnstamm was responsible for updating the Lonely Planet's Brazil guide, among others throughout Latin America. I haven't read the book, but I have most definitely been led astray by his earlier works with LP. All I have to say is -- that one time in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, when my husband and I spent 45 minutes walking in circles trying to find a 'highly recommended' restaurant... it wasn't my fault!! 

Overhead Bin Blues

I was thinking about the overhead bin evolution a couple of weeks ago while boarding a flight from the east coast. Some airlines have now restricted carry-on bags to those who are seated in the 1st and 2nd seating calls. So if you flew on points or bought a deeply discounted ticket you are likely at the end of the line when it comes to boarding, and you are now forced to check your bags.

It used to be that overnight business travel caused the most stress. You typically ended up on a full flight and had to fight off the other like-minded travelers who were also trying to squeeze their roll-on bags into the overhead bin.

Then came the flight reductions, causing all flights, no matter what time of day, to be full. So, not only were you fighting off other business travelers, who knew how to pack an overnight bag, you were also fighting Joe Shmo, who travels once in a blue moon and has no idea how to respect the unwritten rule of airline travel. He has two carry-ons that are far to big, and he spends 20 minutes getting settled in, holding up the traffic behind him trying to load on to the airplane.

Then came the toiletry regulations, swinging the pendulum back while Joe Shmo decided it was too much trouble to pack his shaving kit into a zip lock bag. Bags were once again checked to avoid the hassle.

This article from the New York Times points out that the bin creep has once again returned as the general public decides to leave its hair product behind, enticed by the handy little toiletry packet that  hotels provide for a nice markup.

Buyer beware:  several airlines will soon start charging for a second piece of luggage. When will the overhead bin find a natural balance?

On The Road Again

We're back! After 7 frustrating days of waiting on hold with our less-than-stellar hosting company, and taking 2 steps back for every one step of progress thanks to their policy of not allowing technical support to speak with customers... we've finally fixed the issue! As we had expected, Startlogic had upgraded us to a new platform. It turns out platform 2.0 required programmers to do a number of changes to make sure that the files corresponded to the new platform. It would've helped if they'd let us know this before doing the migration. It probably would've also helped if they had copied over all of our files when they did this migration. Bygones... back to travel.

No News is Not Good News

Three days later and still no site... sorry! There does seem to be movement at Startlogic though! After many, many hours on hold with tech support they have identified the issue and recognized that it is their fault. It seems they finally (after at least a year) upgrade us to the new platform they are rolling out without any warning. In  the usual Startlogic way, they also managed to lose half the files when they did the migration! So... it's a work in progress.

In the meantime, Countries throughout Latin America are gearing up for one of the largest events of the year: Holy Week. Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru, provides these updates on the festivities in Cusco:

Cultural and student organizations in Cusco will stage the Passion of Christ in the surrounding areas of Sacsayhuamán this Holy Week. The ceremony will start early on the morning of Friday 21, in the main square of the city and will be taken through every cross in the whereabouts of Sacsayhuamán. 

On Monday, 17 the traditional ‘Lord of Earthquakes’ procession and blessing will take place in the main square. According to devouts, in 1650 a canvas named ‘Christ of the Good Death’ stopped a strong earthquake striking Cusco, when indigenous people and Spaniards started praying together before him.

This celebration is especially interesting for it allows us to appreciate with clarity the fusion between Andean and Christian religions. As a matter of fact, the Cathedral of Cusco itself was built over the base of the ancient temple dedicated to the Inca God Wiracocha.

The image of the Lord of Earthquakes is taken on procession through different streets of the city in the same way mummies of Inca chiefs, priests and high governors were.

Finally, the central element of this celebration is the Ñucchu flower (sage) which was offered in the past to Wiracocha, and is now used to make the crown for the Lord of Earthquakes and is also thrown to the image during the procession.

This is quite an impressive religious celebration, which gathers thousands of people in the Main Square, all waiting for the blessing of this image in absolute silence, deeply touched, for they consider the Lord of Earthquakes their mediator between earth and heaven.

Around 3pm people start gathering in the Main Square, so for a privileged view of this sea of people, try a coffee shop or restaurant with a balcony, such as La Retama (recommended by OTR).

Snafued by Startlogic Again

Every few months it's something new... the folks at Startlogic (our hosting company) have done it again. This time it was during an 'upgrade' which they have been trying to roll out since last summer. It seems our ticket was up today. They appear to have switched us to the new platform, but forgot to transfer the proper files along with it. So... when you go to the site, you will now see the very first version of our website -- in Latin! As per usual it will take 24 hours for them to confirm that they've made the error, and who knows from there how long it will take  to get it back to normal. Stay tuned!

Time Stands Still in Guatemala

Daylight savings is a controversial topic in Guatemala. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Last year it came about out of the blue, with most locals not even realizing it was upon them. This year President Alvaro Colom has decided not to continue with the spotty policy, citing safety reasons. Despite saving approximately 60 megawatts of energy per day, the later sunrise would force many people to begin their walk to work in the dark, further exposing them to the threat of violence.

So -- if you're traveling to Guatemala, be sure to take this into account. Click here for more tips on traveling to Guatemala.

Travel to Brazil With Kids

The New York Times Travel Q&A column recently posted some suggestions for those planning to travel to Brazil with children. Many of the suggestions apply equally to adults: avoid tap water, strong currents and pollution, apply sunscreen liberally, etc. The comments beneath the article provide more substantial suggestions. Read how to spend a rainy day in Rio for recommendations of museums and other fairweather options.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Floods in Peru

The strike's may be calming down in Peru but the weather is definitely acting up!

If you’re travelling to southern Peru (Puno, Cusco or Arequipa) or are looking forward to spending sunny days in the north of Peru, notice that heavy rain is expected in both areas until the month of April.  In the north zone of the country, the city of Tumbes has been severely affected by rivers overflowing causing floods and landslides.

In Cusco, the city of Aguas Calientes is working on the construction of walls along the river to prevent floods which can lead to a disaster similar to the one in 2004, when a landslide covered part of the town, killing 14 people, destroying several houses and buildings.

So far, these rains have left around 1million affected people during this season.

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

Lots to do in Rio This Weekend

Carioca's may pause to take a breath after the Carnival celebrations but Rio de Janeiro hardly shuts down. This weekend is filled with events:

Tonight: Steel Pulse in concert at Vivo Rio. This world-famous British reggae band will be performing it’s politically charged—and yet upbeat-- songs for one night only in Rio.

Bob Dylan is playing at the Rio Arena Avenida Embaixador Abelardo Bueno (a new venue built to host the Pan-American games).

Cuban singer, Omara Portuondo, joins forces with Brazilian Maria Bethania (sister of Caetano Veloso, and fellow Tropicalista) at Caneção.

Orquestra Lunar, the 10-member all-woman band which has been gaining popularity with its quality version of samba, choro and ballads, is playing at Sala Baden Powell.

Casuarina,a group of five young musicians who play traditional samba tunes in an informal “roda” (circle) will be performing at the Teatro Odisseia.

The Maze Inn will be hosting Jazz / Samba /Bossa on the hill.

Fore more information on these and other events taking place in Rio this weekend, check out our calendar of events.

Heli-Cusco flies to Machu Picchu

Travelers are again able to reach Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu, using the services of Heli-Cusco, whose operations started again after the favourable technical opinion of INRENA (Institute of National Resources) and the approval of the Ministry of Transportations and Communications.

The manager of Heli-Cusco, Herman Schwartzmann, said they are not flying over Machu Picchu and the company has carried out several environmental impact studies to assure flights and landing operations have no negative effect on the area.

In addition, he stated that the time flying around the area is no more than 8 minutes and that the resounding waves are not perceptible in the citadel due to the geological structure of the zone and the thick vegetation.

The approximate cost of the flight is US$200 per person and it lasts 30 minutes from Cusco. Read our Guide to Visiting Machu Picchu. 

Heli Cusco
Calle Arica 849 – Miraflores, Lima
www.helicusco.com
info@helicusco.com

Trip Tips for Argentina

The December issue of Budget Travel featured Buenos Aires in its Trip Coach column, providing tips to two sisters who would be visiting the city for the first time. Given it was a first-time trip, the usual suspects came up in the list: Casa Rosada, Evita Museum, the Recoleta Cemetary, and a day trip to Tigre. The article did have a few good suggestions for boutiques (a Buenos Aires specialty... there can never be enough recommendations here), including Divia Shoes and the Design Center.

Click here for more great tips on visiting Buenos Aires and unique things to do.

Cusco Loses APEC

Yesterday, Peru’s Minister of Defense announced that Cusco will no longer host any of the APEC meetings scheduled for this year. He stated that this decision was not made by the Government but by the ‘cusqueño people’ whom, with their violent actions and protests, made it clear they were not willing nor ready to receive visitors anytime soon.

‘These violent acts are a clear sign that Cusco doesn’t want members of the APEC to hold their meetings in this city. Some with their violence and others with their accomplice silence have decided on this.’

‘They ask the whole country to vote for

Machu Picchu

to be one of the seven wonders and once they win, they don’t want anybody to visit this jewel; they don’t want to treat their visitors politely. It is a shame for the country and it harms all of us.’

As soon as this statement was given, the President of the Cusco Region, declared there was no reason for this decision and considered it an insult to Cusqueños and their ‘hospitality’. At the same time, he announced protests will continue throughout March and issued a strike call for Holy Week (March 17-23). It is also expected that radical groups protest today and the following days against this decision.

It is yet not known where these meetings will take place, though

Lima

is still main host to this event.

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru.

Naomi Campbell's Secret Surgery?

Some news from the tabloids... it seems that former supermodel Naomi Campbell is one of the many who has discovered that Salvador de Bahia, the heart of afro-brazilian culture, is THE place to be for Carnival. She may also have figured out that Brazil is also one of the top destinations for plastic surgery tourism. Insider's seem awfully secretive about her apparent 'cyst removal', but it seems a bit odd that she would fly all the way to Brazil for this kind of procedure!

The Strikes Go On...

An update from Andrea Tello, our editor in Cusco.

Things are pretty much the same here...Cusco's radicals threaten with one more strike (72 hours this time) starting next week, which will leave the town without flights and buses and trains, etc.  Last Sunday there was this very interesting report on national TV, showing links between these strikes and Ollanta Humala (main opposition to the government, responsible for the killing of 4 police officers 2 years ago).  And they also showed a connection to Hugo Chavez, something that we already knew but didn't want to accept!

Peru is currently host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), but if protests continue in Cusco, this city will be excluded for safety reasons, as the preparation meetings of APEC 2008, the Meeting of Tourism Working Group (April 5th to 7th) and the Tourism Ministerial Meeting (April 9th to 11th) were supposed to be held in Cusco.

The Minister of Tourism, Mercedes Aráoz, said that the protests are now nonsense since Congress has already approved some modifications to the law in question, giving the regional governments the power to decide if they will license the areas close to the monuments considered cultural heritage.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Jorge Amado's Salvador de Bahia

Anyone who has read one of Jorge Amado's classic novels will recognize his enchantment with Salvador de Bahia, Brazil's center of Afro-Brazilian culture. It was during his high school years, which he spent in this former Brazilian capital, that Amado began his writing career, publishing his first novel at the age of 18.

Last weekend's New York Times published an article featuring what today might be Jorge Amado's highlights, from the Mercado Modelo to the cobblestoned streets of Pelourinho. 

Lee Weingast, our editor in Brazil, recently visited Salvador and wrote about Ribeira, the beachside neighborhood in Salvador's Lower City (Cidade Baixa). Lee's guide walks you through this former upper-class neighborhood, which today is a local weekend hangout. It's a great way to see how Soteropolitanos (natives of Salvador, Bahia) enjoy a day at the beach. Be sure to save up your appetite -- she's got food recommendations too!

Ribeira, Bahia, Brazil

Where the dazzling world of the Patagonia Begins

The February 2008 edition of Travel and Leisure Magazine has a wonderful feature on Bariloche. I can't seem to find the article online, so I thought I would reference it before it leaves the magazine stands. The article chronicles a road trip through Argentina's outstanding Lake District, exploring the beautiful towns and parks along the way. The town of Bariloche (the starting point for discovering the region) has become an all-season resort with plenty to do in both the warm summer months as well as the cooler, snow-filled winters.

Bariloche itself is fairly small and can be covered on foot. However, we highly recommend renting a car for at least one day to explore the surrounding area. This will allow you to plan your own schedule and spend as much time as you'd like admiring the views from the surrounding areas. Click here for more information on driving the regions 'Long Circuit' through Villa Traful, Villa Angostura, the quaint town on the northwestern shore of Lake Nahual Huapi, and ending in San Martin de Los Andes, the stunning village set off the banks of Lago Lacar, the last of the lakes on the 7 lakes route. If this scene isn't laid back enough for you, continue on to El Bolson, Patagonia's Hippie Headquarters.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Fly In to a Modern Guatemala

Returning visitors to Guatemala might experience a bit of shock. Gone is the nostalgically old-fashioned and dimly lit airport that once welcomed tourists, in its place visitors will find a completely modernized and expanded version of what was once one few remaining Category 2 airports in Central America. 

After almost three years of renovations and expansions, the FAA finally certified Guatemala’s International airport “La Aurora” as Category I in June 2007. On December 11th, 2007 the north wing and first part of the new installations was inaugurated and is expected to receive more airlines and tourists in addition to decreasing airfares by up to 40%.

Work on the second phase of La Aurora International Airport was set to start sometime this year but irregularities with the budget recently surfaced and a US$40 Million debt could postpone the inauguration of the future South Wing.

The Santa Elena airport in Peten “Mundo Maya” was renovated as well and a new international airport in Puerto San Jose was inaugurated in January of this year, the latter will now serve as an alternative in case of flight diversions (due to bad weather or other circumstances) instead of diverting flights to El Salvador as was previously the case.

Modernization plans for Guatemala’s airports began with Oscar Berger’s presidency and will be continued with Alvaro Colom’s government. The plan is to renovate all national airports and elevate some to an international category.

Public opinion on the modernization efforts is split, those opposed to the initiatives consider that there are much more pressing needs in Guatemala, like health and education, while supporters claim that the modernized airports will encourage tourism and consequently aid community development.

This article was posted by Yvonne Faass, our editor in Guatemala.

The Magic of Miró

If you're planning to be in Buenos Aires in the next few weeks, be sure to check out this exhibit. Over 60 works of art are on display at the Centro Cultural Borges reflecting the wide career of Catalan artist Joan Miro. There are over 35 drawings and 28 etchings in addition to a collection of paintings.

The Centro Cultural Borges is located inside Gallerias Pacificas - one of the best and most beautiful shopping centres in Buenos Aires. Historial buildings, boutique stores and lots of shiny surfaces - well worth a visit.

For more information on this and other events in Buenos Aires, check out our Calendar of Events

Buenos Aires: A Fashionista's Dream

Argentina is known for its high-quality, internationally renowned designers – whether it is fashion or home décor -- whose creations can be obtained at reasonable prices. Next month's Travel and Leisure Magazine has a great article on shopping in Buenos Aires, giving you a neighborhood by neighborhood breakdown of the Argentine capital's best venues. 

You don't need to travel all the way to Argentina to find some of these great buys (although that's half the fun). I recently purchased one of my favorite bags ever from Palermo's QARA store, directly online.

Click here to see some of OTR's favorite shops and boutiques, and find more articles about Buenos Aires.

Follow Up on Cusco's Strike Situation

An update from Andrea Tello, our editor in Cusco:

It's so difficult to follow up on this strike!  They change their mind every 5 minutes!  Not much happened on Friday, though the airport is being secured by 300 policemen since that day. Saturday and Sunday everything was OK (strikers don't work weekends) and we were all expecting chaos for today and the rest of the week.

Only last night at 10pm there was an announcement...apparently, a big sector of the unions finally understood (finally read the law, I guess) that it is up to them if/where private investors can build close to archaeological patrimony.  If the regional government decides they don't want private investment there or anywhere, then that's final!  So only at 10pm they decided that airlines could fly in, trains could run, etc.

Less than 200 people were marching around Cusco today, followed by 10 policemen and everything seemed just fine...airport was operating normally and so was ground transportation...until 10am when the railroad was blocked from Poroy until a bit after Chinchero, so trains couldn't run from that hour, though some trains were able to run from Ollantaytambo with police security...I talked to my contacts in Perurail and apparently no trains are running tomorrow (again, it's not definite)...

This strike started today with the Agriculture Union and the Union of workers in Cusco, tomorrow the Transportation Union and the teachers are expected to march on Wednesday...

More to come... or maybe not.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Travel Warning for Cusco

The president of the Regional Workers of Cusco and Regional Assembly, Efraín Yepes, who is considered a part of the extreme opposition, announced an indefinite strike in the region. The strike is in protest of a law allowing private investment around archaeological sites. This law has been criticized by several unions and social organizations in Cusco, who feel it would endanger properties declared patrimony of the nation. 

The strike is scheduled to start tomorrow (Thursday), in what has been called ‘a strike with violent actions’ by Efraín Yepes. “We plan to take Machu Picchu, the airport and the main square of Cusco”. For this reason, most airlines that fly in from Lima have suspended their flights to Cusco and Perurail will announce the cancellation of its services this afternoon.

However, it is said that this strike will likely be postponed until Friday, due to an important soccer match at Cusco’s stadium on Thursday. The visiting team is due to fly in from Lima tomorrow.

Travelers should take extra precautions while traveling in the area and recognize that it may be difficult to leave Cusco if the airport is shut down.

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru.

Carnival 2008 Photos

While Rio de Janeiro is recovering from a Carnival hangover, Lee Weingast, our editor in Rio, has posted these photos from the event..

Carnival 2008

Beckham's Brazilian Resort to Support Aspiring Local Soccer Stars

The New York Times this weekend reported that soccer star David Beckham is building a luxury resort for athletically-inclined travelers in Brazil. Located near the coastal town of Natal, the resort will feature a professional training center with eight soccer fields and a stadium that seats 10,000, in addition to three hotels, a spa, fully equipped gym and private residences.

The complex will also be home to the third David Beckham Soccer Academy, a camp for young aspiring athletes. A five-day session at the US campus costs nearly $1,000, however the Brazilian Academy will offer a scholarship program for Brazilian children. Click here to read more about soccer in Brazil.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Panama City: The Five Hour Tour (Part Two)

You see? There is alot you can squeeze into five hours! We left off at Cerro Ancon in Part 1...

My quick tour of the city left me pleasantly surprised. Despite the fact that nearly every corner of the city is under construction, anxiously awaiting another condo development or high rise to add to the competition, there are some areas that ooze charm and welcome visitors with open arms.

Panama City has the benefit of a great location, tucked in along the Pacific Coast. Avenida Balboa runs along the Bay of Panama from Punta Paitilla in the east and feeding through to Casco Viejo at the western tip of the Bay. Casco Viejo is a colourful neighborhood filled with European architecture and beautifully restored buildings (many still in progress). These unique features are surely the reason it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

I had visions of exploring every nook and cranny and discovering wonderful art galleries to bring home authentic gifts, but sadly a 5 hour tour doesn't allow for authentic discoveries. Instead we did a quick runthrough of all the highlights, from parks to museums to the beautiful views from Plaza de Francia, where we treated ourselves to much-needed sno-cones. From here you can see the bay, the city, the opening to the canal and the Bridge of the Americas. I was pleasantly surprised by the Museum of the Panama Canal, which caught our interest for its modern approach. For the $2 entry fee, it's worth checking out, even if you do the 15 minute breeze-through as we did.

We were excited to hear that Nacho had a cancellation and would be able to accompany us for another hour or two. We hopped in his car and headed to the Miraflores Locks, a tourist-accommodating platform for viewing ships as they enter and exit the Canal. The Miraflores platform is perched above the Miraflores Locks, with several floors of observation deck and of course a restaurant and souvenir shop. I was a bit skeptical about this one.. after all, how exciting can a big set of locks be when you're being trampled by paparazzi-like tourists on a mission? But the Canal and the locks had caught my eye while we were preparing to land on the flight from Bocas and I figured: how can you go to Panama City without seeing the Canal? It was actually fascinating to see the boats coming through and realize that they actually were tailor-made to squeeze through this exact canal. Barely an inch to spare on either side (or at least from our vantage-point!). We could also see where they are beginning construction on a larger, parallel canal to accommodate more modern, larger ships.

With an extra 45 minutes to spare, we made our way to the Amador Causeway at the western tip of the city, which connects three small islands filled with restaurants and shops, and offers outstanding views (great for sunset!). We capped off the day with a drink at Nacho's favorite restaurant on Flamenco (the farthest out), watching the sun set over the multi-million dollar yachts in the marina. As we were leaving, two Lamborghinis flew by... not the Panama City I had been expecting.

Read more about 5 hours in Panama City and see photos here..

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Lots to Do in Lima, Peru

This past weekend's San Francisco Chronicle featured a great article about Peru's cultural capital. Christian Mesia, a Peruvian native and a consultant to Peru's National Institute of Culture, reveals his favorite spots around town -- from archeology sites to restaurants to the beach.

OTR's Veronica Montero, who is also a native of Peru, recently returned from a visit and brought us a list of great day trips from Lima.

For more recommendations and articles, check out our relevant readings for Lima.

Ines of My Soul

Ever since I finished The House of the Spirits, I have been seeking the opportunity to read more of Isabelle Allende's work. I took advantage of a week without electricity in Panama to dive into her latest novel, Ines of My Soul. I love reading historical fiction, even more so when it is based in my favorite region of the world, Latin America.

This story follows the life of Inés Suárez, a woman of great power and accomplishment during the time of the Spanish conquest in Latin America. She is an actual historical figure and events in the book are 'creatively' based on documented historical facts. I am far from being a lit. major or book critic, so any attempt to explain the story's strengths and weaknesses would be much less useful than the reviews you'll find on Ines of My Soul. I can tell you that it was a great read, and highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Latin American history, or who is planning to travel in the area.

If you're the type of person who likes to read books about the country you're in or are traveling to, check out our recommended readings sections for Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala and Peru.

Travel Advice and Recommendations From Local Experts

Carnival's Grande Finale

Today, terça-feira gorda (Fat Tuesday) is officially the big finale for Carnival but true to Brazilian style, the party won’t be ending when it should. Blocos (carnival street bands) will be parading in various areas of the city until next Sunday.

Here are some options for prolonging the carnival festivities: 

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Banda de Ipanema. For over 40 years this group has been flooding the streets of Ipanema with a stream of creatively costumed revelers. The Banda is known for extravagant costumes and a gay-friendly atmosphere. Gathering: 3pm in Praça General Osório. Parades along Avenida Viera Souto (Ipanema beach)

Rio

Maracatu. It’s not all samba here in

Rio

. This group brings maracatu, a traditional drumming and dance form from Pernambuco state in

Northeastern Brazil

, to Ipanema beach. Gathering: 3pm in Arpoador, by the big rock point at the end of Ipanema beach. 

The

Rio

Branco parade. This is the popular, non-commercial, less glittery version of the famous Sapucaí version of carnival. Blocos from

Rio

’s suburbs complete with scantily clad dancers atop floats make their way down the canyon of the major downtown Avenida Rio Branco. The parade starts around 7pm at Avenida Rio Branco and Avenida Presidente Vargas and makes its way down in the direction of Cinelândia square. The last two blocos –Bafo da Onça and Cacique de Ramos- are the most famous and attract thousands of participants and viewers. Parade ends somewhere around 1am.

Vem ni me que Sou Facinha. This bloco, whose name means “come to me, I’m easy”, will play traditional marchinhas and samba tunes in Ipanema’s Praça General Osório. Gathering: 5pm at Rua Prudente de Moraes, #10. 

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Me Beija que Sou Cineasta. It’s important to understand the name of this bloco: “kiss me, I’m a filmmaker” because participants will be given color-coded bracelets depending on kissing preference: blue for those who kiss only men, red for kissing only women, green for both sexes and black if you kiss anything that breathes! This bloco’s merrymaking also includes a dip in the fountain. Gathering: 8am in Baixo Gávea (the square near the Jockey Club).

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Voltar pra Quê? Parade through the streets near Cinelândia (downtown) with this traditional bloco whose name means “why go back?”. Gathering: 8pm on Rua Alvaro Alvim, at the famous “Beco da Cirrose” (“cirrhosis corner”). 

Friday, February 8, 2008

Só Tamborims. This band consists of only tamborims (a small, tambourine-like instrument which creates quite a loud sound when hit with a plastic stick). Gathering: 9pm at the Travessa Mosqueria, at the corner of Avenida Mem de Sá (in Lapa).

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Bafafá. This traditional bloco meets at 5pm at Posto Nove (lifeguard post 9) on Ipanema beach. 

Mulheres do

Chico

. Meets at 5pm in the Praça Antero de Quental (in Leblon).

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Monobloco. Hundreds of drummers and percussionists attracts even more revelers with their lively, percussive versions of popular Brazilian songs. Gathering: 9am in front of Hotel Sofitel, Posto 6, on the Avenida Atlântica (along Copacabana beach).
 
Barangal. While the name means “ugly woman”, this bloco attracts folks of all types and is a great option to end your carnival with a bang. Gathering: 4pm at Posto Nove (lifeguard post 9) on Ipanema beach.

For more events in Rio de Janeiro check out our calendar of events.