its worth it


Salvador, in the State of Bahia, is a festive artistic city, and the stage for the World's biggest street Carnival, as registered in the Guiness Book. Millions from all over Brazil join local "baianos" to follow traditional neighborhood bands, trail live concerts inside "electric truck blocks" and groove in "camarote" private lounges.


Follow the Electric Truck Blocks!

The "Trio Eletrico", or "Electric Trucks", have been entertaining Carnival goers since the 50's. Picture this: massive trucks transformed into powerful sound systems; popular bands on top playing Afro-Brazilian beats (samba, "axe", lambaerobic, etc); Then add hundreds of people forming "blocks" to follow these roaming stages, dancing, drinking and meeting new friends or romance. These moving concerts parade for about five hours in 2-mile stretches by the water front and will pump your energy up as if you were in that intense aerobics class. Put your hands in the air and take your feet off the ground! Will you keep up?

Hundreds of "blocos" keep the city busy almost 24 hours a day. Millions of people gather in three street circuits to watch the parades forming what it's called "Pipoca" crowd. This Portuguese word stands literally for "pop corn" and describes the heated jumping moves of the masses.

Abada Uniforms are your Tickets to PARTY Inside the "Blocos"

This is a street festival; still, participating in blocos is similar to joining a ticket concert. Marching close to the trucks requires purchase of the colorful "Abada" uniforms. The blocks are actually surrounded by a multitude of bouncers holding a rope. They will only let people inside the ropes who are wearing the specific abada tunics for each block. Wear the abadas to avoid the overwhelming compacted "Pipoca" masses; you gain insider's safety and convenience. Inside the ropes you will also find a second support truck offering services such as toilets, food, drinks and medical service, should the need arise. Curiously, Abadas become currency in Carnival and people even trade them depending on popular demand. Our group will land in Salvador owning abadas for the best blocos and "camarote" lounges. We will watch bands like Chiclete com Banana, Asa de Aguia, Ivete Sangalo, Timbalada, Daniela Mercury and groove in Camarotes with the best infrastructure.

 

"Camarotes" are like VIP lounges

Morro Bay

After playing inside the block, the best next stop is to join the parties at the "Camarotes", the VIP lounges set along the parade circuits. They host a couple of hundred people offering great views of the circuit and convenient infrastructure with multiple bars, shops and dance floors. Some of the most talented local DJs command the multiple environments playing a variety of rhythms ranging from house & electronica to rock and from hip hop to reggae. That way you extend the party time beyond the hours inside the block and get a taste for the other bands and blocks parading throughout the night.

And that's how we party for five nights, selecting and blending different blocos and camarotes, tasting delicious cocktails, drinking beer for less than a dollar, ... Ah, and during the day we will have time to visit some beaches and city neighborhoods. And after all of that intense partying it will be time to relax after party decpmpression.