Carnaval in Brazil

[endlessdream]

I’ll be in SP during the carnaval this year. I’m seriously debating if I should buy tickets now to the sambodromo parade. I can’t tell which website is the official seller and the prices vary greatly from site to site. Maybe partying from midnight to 7 am is too much for me. 
 

Some blocos are selling tickets too. I think I can buy the entrance when I’m actually there. I’m more into the bloquinhos anyway. 
 

I have one free week before the carnival in Brazil. I’m considering either Salvador or Porto Alegre. But most probably I’ll end up in Santos as it doesn’t require booking flights in advance. I’m so bad at organizing things… 

[Xclay]

Highly recommend doing it once in your life, so splurge and do it right!  Let me make a few suggestions:

●  Get a friend to join you. (Maybe invite guys here if you do not know somebody.)

●  Buy three seats for the two of you. Allocated space is small and you'll be grateful for the extra room after an hour or more.

●  Spent a few extra bucks and get good seats. Balcony seats can be good if they are the front balcony not the distant rows.

●  Bring industrial-strength ear plugs if you want to avoid destroying your hearing. I bring ear plugs for when the saunas make it deafening but the Sambodromo's speakers are even more deadly.

●  Of course take 10mg melatonin at noon, sleep for 8 hours, then chug caffeine!

It will be unforgettable. Let us know how it goes.
 

[Xclay]

One more Carnaval suggestion:

Ten years ago I managed to experience Carnaval in Recife where it consisted of fantastic, totally immersive street parades, featuring a giant rooster.  (I have forgotten the story of how this Big Cock was related to Carnaval.)

Recife did have a few parades with small "floats" but you were up close ten yards away not a hundred yards away as you might be in Rio. The young man below adorned one such float.

I've heard the parades in Salvador is similar. You mentioned maybe visiting Salvador, so you might try to catch one of the days of its Carnaval too.
 

[scott456]

These days I prefer the Carvinal in Cologne Germany than in Brazil.

[msclelovr]

On 1/17/2023 at 8:03 PM, scott456 said:

These days I prefer the Carvinal in Cologne Germany than in Brazil.

Will you please expand on this and say why?
 

Brazil has many fit-bodied young men who, at least in my experience, enjoy meeting older men. How does Germany compare on that front?

[scott456]

19 hours ago, msclelovr said:

Will you please expand on this and say why?
 

Brazil has many fit-bodied young men who, at least in my experience, enjoy meeting older men. How does Germany compare on that front?

I wouldn't take the risk to say anything bad about Brazil on this board.

[Xclay]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:56 PM, msclelovr said:

Brazil has many fit-bodied young men who, at least in my experience, enjoy meeting older men. How does Germany compare on that front?

In another thread at the moment ("Sao Paulo and Rio in January 2023") some are discussing older visiting white guys doing unexpected well with younger non-GP free guys in Rio saunas. That has been my surprise in Brazil as well.

In my experience, those of us who are pale males do not do remotely as well in Germany (or northern Europe in general) where we are not at all a novelty. 

Of course, your mileage may vary.