Rio de Janeiro - March 2

I wake up around 11:30 and my hips and knees are sore – maybe a bit too much dancing last night.  In fact our fitbit says we walked 35,000 steps yesterday and I am not surprised and my body agrees.  I can still hear the music and feel the beat I swear it!

Blocked off streets

trying to clean up

garbage everywhere from the partiers

Up to Horizon Court for a bite to eat and then back to the cabin to grab our things and head ashore for a bit.

Now remember this is Carnival and the city welcomes about 4 million more people to the city that want to enjoy Carnival too.  Most streets are closed off, many parks and main squares are featuring music and dancing and well lots of drinking.  Most establishments (stores/banks/restaurants) are boarded up and closed to protect themselves.  I wish this blog had smellavision because the streets and roadways just reek of garbage and urine.  I can’t tell you how much urine smell there was.  Seems there are not enough washrooms around and beer is cheap and well what goes in must go out.  Even during the day you witness numerous guys just leaning into the wall and peeing.  This was a downfall and something I didn’t like.  But I know this is not normal.

Our goal today was to go back to Cafeteria Colombo but as we walk towards it we know it is going to be closed as every business around here is closed for Carnival.  We are disappointed but well we just have to go experience something else then.

We walk around quite a bit, but even all the museums and galleries are closed.  So after about two hours we just walk back to the ship.

I need a nap and when we wake we agree to just head to Horizon Court for dinner.

Sailaway is late because of all the traffic many tours are late and so we don’t set sail until very dark and sailaway pictures are hard to take. 

My goal tonight is to watch the Oscars that are being broadcast in a few areas.  Club Fusion, Muts and in the cabin.  But because of the time change it doesn’t start until 10:30 pm.  Bernie is falling asleep in the cabin so I head up to Muts and grab a lounge chair that is very wet because of the humidity.  I layer a beach town and a few wool blankets down.

I am sitting here watching Ellen host the Oscars off the coast of Brazil with the stars above and I am just in awe, and I tag it – Live the Dream! 

I managed to stay up until 12 midnight and then I make my way down to the cabin.  What a great day.