Carnaval in Rio !

[pauleiro]

My first Carnaval in Brazil ! Prices of hotels are much higher than usually, particularly in Copacabana and Ipanema. I will he hosted in Botafogo, close to metro. 

Somes questions for the one who have already gone to Rio for Carnaval : 

- Where is it worth going (bars, samba, street events,  ...) ? 

- Is it necessary to buy tickets for Sambadromo ? Where to be positionned ?

- When are the best shows at Sambadromo ? Is the final show with the champions (on Saturday February 29th) the best ? 

- Any other tips ? 

Thks ! 

 

[asdsrfr]

I have been to Carnival several times and always enjoyed it. Good that you are staying close to the metro as it is open 24hours during the days of Carnival and it is a great way to get around during Carnival. Uber and taxi's are still available but there are frequent road closures and traffic jams so metro is the way to go if possible.

For the Sambadrome there is a gay party on Friday night in a private box with open bar and a front row view of the parade. It's great to be right up front and to be able to go inside the private box to get out of the rain if it starts. Tickets are cheaper when bought months in advance but you can still buy them online here. https://www.candybox.com.br If you buy tickets you need to go pick them up in advance at their location in Ipanema. For other nights in the Sambadrome you will probably be somewhere in the stands which is certainly enjoyable but nothing like a front row view. For other nights you can generally buy tickets from various online ticket sellers. A couple of times I even bought tickets for the stands from scalpers outside the Sambadrome at a not too inflated price. Make sure you ride the metro to the Sambadrome as taxi's cannot even drop off or pick up close to there.

There are street parties everywhere called bloccos and the theme changes. One fun one I went to was the neon themed party that they have every year. The location changes every year so for bloccos ask some locals if they can help you find out where the best parties are every night. The big club The Week is busy during Carnival with Circuit type events but most of my friends in Rio avoid it during Carnival as there are so many free alternatives on the streets. I usually still go there at some point during Carnival and it is fun.

Needless to say watch your phone and wallet during Carnival in the crowds. Even my very savvy friend who has grown up in Rio has lost his phone during carnival. I have seen many fights and even been tear gassed during Carnival--especially in the later days of the celebration. Best to get away from the crowd at the first sign of any problem.

Saunas are busy and fun.

I am sure you will enjoy Carnival--or at least parts of it. Make sure to report back!

[pauleiro]

Rio. Very hot. Since I met a friend in the afternoon, I went late to 117. Many boys but none new to my liking. 117 is having special shows for Carnaval. I expect new faces to be seen ! 

 

[pauleiro]

Carnaval in Rio is really amazing ... I did not realize that there are so many street events ("blocos"). The atmosphere is that of supporters after a soccer game in which their team won the game : jokes, drinks, fun ... but it is in the whole city and during 5 days ! 

And it is sexy as hell. Lots of good looking boys, wearing only a short skirt and having fun.

Many blocos are gay or gay friendly (or is it the ones I went to ?). The bloco of Carmelitas started the ceremonies on friday at 1 pm in Santa Teresa. Saturday, starting at 7 am there was the bloco of amigos da onça (friends of jaguar) on the Flamengo beach. A very good one. Perfect for eye candy. Lots of young men (and women of course) in various stages of undress. Lots of drinks and so many beach vendors. Uninterrupted long line of men pissing in front of the sea or in front of Aterro ... Many couples deep tongue kissing everywhere. There are the couples who came together of course but also boys stopping in front of girls or boys they do not know but like and starting to deep tongue kissing as though the world was soon over. Mainly locals in Flamengo ie very few tourists only coming in small groups with a guide and grabbing their cameras as if they were sure to be robbed soon. 5 pm in Ipanema for Banda de Ipanema. A very famous group active since 50 years. Under rain at the beginning. Many many tourists there of course who attract a lot of pickpockets and boys from favelas. Extreme caution is needed there. Even when I came back at my olace in Botafogo was a local bloco ("pinta mas nao borra") in the streets !

[pauleiro]

 

Os amigos da onça. The friends of jaguar. Flamengo beach

[Latbear4blk]

Thanks for the reports! Are you staying at Botafogo?

[brockmiller]

See you next week, can’t wait to have fun with you @pauleiro

[pauleiro]

6 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

Thanks for the reports! Are you staying at Botafogo?

Yes. In front of metro

[pauleiro]

117 : Lots of boys and customers. Regulars plus some new faces. No stunning boy in the new faces for me. Shows with Drag Queens even crazier than usually. 

All prices are increased during carnaval. In restaurants, on the menu, a tape is simply put on usual prices and new prices, increased by at least 30 %, are indicated. Hopefully, they will remove tape by wednesday ...

The carnavals in the street are amazing. They are everywhere. There are so many gorgeous men in Brazil. Most are bare chested, often wearing only a short skirt. Lots of eye candy ! It is same as Ipanema beach on sunday, except that it is in the whole city and day and night during 5 days ...

Sex symbols are everywhere (but real thing is better).

 

 

 

[pauleiro]

Sunday. Gafieira Elite in Centro ...

It used to be a very famous dancing place in the 1930s. It is still open and run by the same family. Do not be afraid by the aspect of the building or the very steep staircase to go to the 1st floor. The place is amazing. Live music, performed by a band of 8 musicians is great. It is normally a str8 place but every friday before carnaval and during the 5 days of Carnaval it is gay. Not (m)any tourists there of course ! I went there with a friend who made me discover the place. Entrance is at street level. Dancing at 1st floor and Mezzaninu is used as a back room. You can be naked there and have fun before going back dancing and drinking beer below ...

Only drawback is that since it is very close to Sambodromo, it seems that uber pick up place in the area has to be the Sambodromo. We had to walk back in Center at 3 am. Luckily, there were still many people and police in the streets. The manager advised us not to walk holding our phone in our hand though ... 

Pic above is hetero party from FB Elite site.

An even bigger party is planned Tuesday Feb 25th.

[pauleiro]

In blocos to which I assisted, there are many messages against Bolsonaro :

Also some funny messages for example this one making fun of people thinking or even trying to demonstrate that earth is flat

 

[axiom2001]

Your posts brought back the time that I was in Rio de janeiro during Carnaval.  Continue to enjoy immensely.  And yes, the prices of most items, ,etc. do decrease after Carnaval; I know that's how it was when my friend and I were there.  [Plan to attend one or more balls?  We went to one of the famous ones (name forgotten) and just loved the myriad of visions.] 

Muito obrigado!

[pauleiro]

Pointe 202 Carnaval monday

New lockers for customers, new stage screens, multiple tv screens around the room are some of improvements at Pointe. Many customers and boys. A few new faces. It was a good evening in Pointe.

March 7th is the 15th aniversary of Pointe until ... 5 am : buffet, RJ/SP strippers, ... worth going.

[Walker]

On 2/23/2020 at 8:04 AM, pauleiro said:

 

 

Os amigos da onça. The friends of jaguar. Flamengo beach

This costume is really too hot for Rio.  It looks more like the Carnival costume for Cologne.

[pauleiro]

1 hour ago, Walker said:

This costume is really too hot for Rio.  It looks more like the Carnival costume for Cologne.

I totally agree. I wonder how the guy managed to spend a few hours inside this costume. That day, luckily for the guy, it was rather cold with rain from time to time. 

[pauleiro]

Blocos da Rua (Street Carnaval)

Internet sites (eg blocosderua.com) give a comprehensive list of blocos with time and meeting place ("concentração"). Internet site riogaylife.com.br gives a list of all gay and gay friendly blocos with time and concentração.
Gay blocos are having difficulties to be organized : the city and military police are trying everything to cancel gay blocos. The bloco Minha Luz e de LED (my light is from LED) for instance received a list of actions to be done (presence of ambulance, of toilets, of security, of fire extinguishers, ...). They did comply to it and to all bureaucracy demanded but at the end of the game, they were not authorized because of incidents which occured last year where attendees blocked circulation of cars in a tunnel for some time.
Gay bloco Saymos do Egito had to be held in private places.

The famous band of Ipanema which is having his bloco at 5 pm since many many years was first asked to move it to morning, ...
In addition, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, an evangelist bishop, Marcelo Crivella, started to reduce by 50 % subsidies to samba schools in 2018 and then cancelled all subsidies in 2020.
The best gay or gay friendly blocos to which I participated are : Bloco das Carmelitas, Bloco das Quengas (prostitutes) certainly the gayest, Bloco dos Amigos da Onçã (on the beach). I did not really like the Banda da Ipanema (the music was good but too many tourists. It is not as genuine as what happened in front of bar das Quengas for instance).

The Bloco das Carmelitas was created 30 years ago. Its name refers to a Sister Carmelite who was so attracted by Carnaval that she used to escape from her convent during the Carnaval days. Of course she was very visible in her outfit so in order to hide her in the crowd, people started to wear also the Carmelite oufit. Walking down Santa Teresa on the track of the bonde (tramway) together with the Bloco is really great.

[pauleiro]

Will 1 Euro be over of 5 Reais ? It is very close ! USD also is very high compared to R$ ! 

Highest value in the last 10 years 

 

 

[pauleiro]

Pink Flamingo

This gay bar in Copacabana, close to Cardeal Arcoverde metro, opened last year and seems to be a great bar with shows.

Anyone already went there ? 

[brockmiller]

Went there on my last trip but did not see any gogo boys. Good music, drinks are just okay. 

[pauleiro]

117 Wednesday and Friday

Wednesday was Feijoada da Monik. Entry, including feijoada, was 100 R$. Lots of people, mostly customers. Good food. Funny show. But the place was totally disappointing boywise. Just a few guys. Noone I really liked. Except Thiago who is a short guy with a large smile and a large dick. But only top. Never bottom.

Friday. Regulars are back. I saw many many foreigners but did not see any new face appealing to me. Went with regulars for good sessions. I always enjoy M.  and the huge colored dragon he has tattoed on his back. Fucking M. is fucking M AND the dragon. Always hot ! 

Before coming during Carnaval, I had  understood that many boys were coming from other cities to Rio for Carnaval to deal with the many foreigners present but, as mentionned elsewhere, this is not true at all. 

I was thinking to go early to Lyons to see what was going on and see new boys. But I had a drink in the bar in front of entrance and in 30 minutes, the only 2 persons who entered were customers. So I went to 117.

 

[pauleiro]

On 2/28/2020 at 5:45 PM, brockmiller said:

Went there on my last trip but did not see any gogo boys. Good music, drinks are just okay. 

Gogo boys are on mondays. Since this bar is a 5 minutes from my place, I will go tomorrow to see what the boys look like. 

[pauleiro]

Blocos da Rua Rio de Janeiro

In addition to above comments on the subject, some names of blocos are funny or interesting.

"Concentra mas não sai": there is concentração but nothing is going out ... this bloco stays at same place and does not pass. It is very popular.

“Suvaco de Cristo”: Christ'armpot (since it is held in Jardim Botanico which is under Corcovado statue, so under Christ'armpit)

“Que merda é essa? ”: what is this shit ?

“Parei De Beber, Não De Mentir“ : I stopped drinking, not lying .

“Fogo na Cueca“: fire in underwear 

“Bafo da Onça”: jaguar breath

“Papo de Cachaças” : chat with cachaças (alcool used for caipirinha).

“Se não quer me dar… me empresta”: if you do not want to give it to me ... lend it to me. "Dar" can be understood in the sentence as dar culo (to be fucked). 

“Se me Der, Eu Como! ”: if you give it to me, I eat it (der is same verb as "dar", comer is fucking).

“Chupa mas não baba“: Suck but don't drool

(I wish I had time to go to these 5 blocos, particularly one of the last 3. Bafo and papo are blocos for people drinking a lot.

"Pinta mas nao borra" : paints but does not stain

[pauleiro]

Pink Flamingo, rue Duvivier close to Cardeal Arcoverde metro. 

New (only?) gay bar in Copa. Nice place. Lots of young men, even on a Monday nite. Good music. I know that some boys from 117 go there to have fun and eventually pick up a customer. Did not see any es ort while I was there. Cheap : no cover charge until 10 pm and 2 beers (corinitas = small coroas) 15 Reais ie less than 3 € at the current rate. 

No discrimination here, even for toilets

Worth a visit. 

Nearby is Beco das Garrafas very good bossa nova bar

[pauleiro]

1 Euro = 5,04 R$ ! 

1 USD = 4,51 R$

[pauleiro]

Strange to see strippers with mask in saunas in Rio. But they do remove underwear at the end of the show :-))