kellita the señorita the ibby dibby dow: These Brazilians Really Know How To Party

To properly set this long post up, let me explain a little about Carnival. There are two main types of celebrations. The first is the one celebrated in Rio and Sao Paulo where huge parades of sorts are led through the Sambadrome by organized Samba schools. Some are watched by the public, and some allow public participation, but it's a costumed choreographed competition of sorts that schools spend all year preparing. The second type of big celebration is what happens in places like Salvador and Puerto Seguro. Bands play on a main stage or large trucks which celebratory Carnival-goers follow through the streets. Whatever the mode of celebration, Brazil stops completely for about a week. Everyone gets off work for the 3 days of Carnival as a public holiday, and most take off the rest of the week to continue the festivities. Puerto Seguro, where we went is called Carnaporto. It takes place the 3 days after that of Salvador, and is referred to as "hangover Carnival".

As we neared the downtown area of Puerto Seguro on Wednesday afternoon, the city was abuzz with final preparations for opening night. I sat in the back of our transfer, and as I had for days beforehand, droned on about how excited I was. The first stop was to pick up our tickets and Abadas. Abadas are the 3 colorful shirts for each night of Carnival. You have to wear this shirt and show an ID card which catalogs your fingerprints and photo to gain entrance. We spent about two hours waiting due to some confusion, but finally, with Abadas in hand Ju instructed me to guard mine with my life. Upon exiting we were bombarded by women with photo books, scissors, ribbon, and sewing machines; the works turning boring Abadas into a personalized works of art. We skipped this overwhelming process and headed to the hotel.

This week has been a backpacker's dream. Back up. This week is anyone's dream but is especially nice when you're used to sleeping in shared dorms and cooking the same cheap boring meals every night. First, Gu's beach house complete with Bea and her gourmet meals. Now an all-inclusive resort with pool-side rome complete with porch-hammock, usually $US800/night, absolutely free of charge. Keep it coming Brazil.

After a gourmet dinner, the U team took a nap, but I was way too excited to sleep. Finally at 11:45 we were ready to do the damn thing.

Night 1: As Ju and I waited for Gu to get his Abadas we watched a huge electrical fire burning in the corner of the Carnaporto complex from the hotel next door. It was pouring rain, and the fire was getting out of control. The hotel security guard stood by pointing it out to passers by, and I asked Ju why he wasn't doing anything. She and he both laughed at me asking who I would suggest they call. Ummm the police or the fire departments maybe? All I could imagine was Carnival burning down before I even made it inside. Eventually someone inside noticed and the problem was solved.

When Gu, at a snail's pace, rejoined us it was FINALLY time to go in. With ID cards scanned and complimentary mugs hanging from our necks, we hit the elevated covered VIP area where I stood wide-eyed gawking at everything, the stage, the band, the looming tent, drunk people, make-out people, personalized abadas, girls who took the personalization too far showing the world what we never wanted to see, everything. We filled our mugs with beverages and made our way up front to DANCE.

We danced like crazy to the first band on the main stage, me watching the rain soaked dancers with envy. Though I was glad for the covered VIP area, I know there's nothing like romping around like a crazy person in the rain. The second band was a country band, and as their truck roamed around the complex I was reminded of summer country concerts at Deer Creek. This, however, was Deer Creek on steroids.

After a mid-dance bathroom break, we headed to the food area, and I seemed to be the only one miffed that they were serving hot soup. Nothing cools you down after hours of sweaty dancing like a sweaty bowl of messy boiling soup. I ate some anyway and continued sweating balls. When the last act came on the rain picked up and I took my chance for a rain dance. Because my companions thought the rain would melt them, I bound solo down the steps where I spent 15 minutes jumping and dancing around, flailing hands overhead, face to the sky. I have sweet moves even when I'm sopping wet and it was everything I imagined it could be.

As the sun crept up, and dance and booze exhaustion set in, many of the party-goers were laid out on the benches in the middle of the room. But I kept going, turning circles around everyone, thankful for all the extra room, lost in the dance. At 6am the last band ended and we followed 25,000 other people to the exit, struggling to find an over-priced cab. I fell into bed at 6:45, exhausted from wearing out my dancing shoes, declining Gu's suggestion to wait up another hour for breakfast. I woke up at 1pm on Thursday to a rainy day, which made me feel better about being lazy. I had some lunch, went to the gym because I haven't done that in like a year, then cemented myself in our balcony hammock looking forward to night 2.

picking up our sweet duds

window into the room where abada transformation happens

upon arrival to our room, enjoying a complimentary fruit plate

bring it on Carnaporto (if only i could dry my hair every day)

the U team and I

buzz outside the gates

main stage

free mugs

truck carrying band #2

Ana and I

rain dancers

my turn

here comes the sun

Night 2: Per usual I was ready before the U team. When I finally woke them up at 11pm Gu informed me that Ju wasn't feeling well. While I felt bad about that, I didn't have time to wait around and see how it would turn out. So Gu arranged for me to meet Bruno and Ana at their hotel and go with them. He armed me with a long list of Portuguese phrases, his cell, Bruno's cell, our hotel, Bruno's hotel, everything I needed and sent me on my way.

The concierge gave me a hard time, questioning why he hadn't seen me before if I was really staying at the hotel. Semi-convinced I was legit, he called me a cab. When I arrived safely to Bruno and Ana's hotel, their front-desk man also gave me a hard time, telling me I couldn't walk to the room, but that they had to come get me. I came to the logical conclusion that both hotel man thought I was an American prostitute. Nothing else makes sense, right?

We arrived at 12:30, in time to grab drinks and get to the front as the show started. A few songs in, as the rain let up, we abandoned the sheltered VIP space to dance with the common folk, surrounding the blaring truck. After a full dance revolution around the complex we headed back up and met up with the U team and Ju was feeling good. We stayed put dancing around for band #2 on the main stage before heading below for the final truck of the night. Gu and Ju decided to stay up top and we agreed to meet back there to return to the hotel together.

Ana and Bruno led me through the crowd but had to wait a moment while I experienced my first drive-by Carnival make-out. The rule is if you're single, you have to make out with lots of boys, and if nothing else, I always follow rules.

I later parted ways with Ana and Bruno and arrived back to the meeting point, but Ju and Gu were nowhere to be found. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity I gave up and continued dancing around the truck. As night number two ended I went back to the spot, but still couldn't find them. The sun was up, and I didn't have enough money for a cab by myself, so I decided I would walk the 6km back to the hotel. Nice morning jaunt. You know what? 6km is a lot further than I thought. And lucky for me a cabbie pulled over 30 minutes into my walk, told me I was crazy, and drove me the rest of the way for 1/4 of the price. Thank you Mr. Cab.

I arrived back at the hotel to find the room dark and the door locked and hoped Ju and Gu weren't still waiting for me, and more importantly weren't going to come home mad. So I got in the hammock as there was nothing I could do with no phone and no Portuguese. Ten minutes later I heard, "Kelly Suzanne Kraft, we're going to kick your ass," followed by drunken giggles. We laughed as we recounted our missed encounters and how we must have kept walking past each other. Since it was 6:30, we showered and headed to the best breakfast ever where I shoved copious amounts of eggs and bacon in my face. Night 2 success.

ready for #2 with my cue card from Gu

ana, me, bruno, hitting the streets

crowd action

VIP

view from the front of Jammil's truck

view from the top sans rain

it's all happening

sick percussion beats

sunshine

crazy pants walking home - don't worry it's light out and i felt safe or i wouldn't have been smiling

breakfast - best damn coffee ever

pool in the rain

time for bed

my usual rainy hammock position

Night 3: The last night of Carnaporto was definitely the best. As it was a Friday night the previously rowdy crowd was bigger and more ready than ever to PARTY. Plus they saved the best bands for last too which made it all better. Bruno's favorite, Claudia Leitte, was up second and we quickly made our way to the main floor, front row of the truck to catch her in action. Here I was stopped by another cute 22-ish-year-old-shirtless boy who spoke a bit of English. Yay for English! So what to do? Kiss him. Oh 22-year-old boy who wanted to get my phone number so we could hang out the next day. Someone should have told him the Carnival rules and that I don't have a phone. Moving on.

Then the five of us, Gu, Ju, Bruno, Ana, and me, we danced. And danced. And danced. I got really excited when Claudia sang a Mariah Carey tune because it was one of the only songs I could sing along to. As band #3 hit the stage we returned to the VIP area, but we never stopped dancing. At one point another man walked up to me, realized I didn't speak Portuguese and simply shouted, "KISS ME" to which I replied, "no" and walked away. See I do have standards. Soon the sun was up and we danced our way out of the last night of Carnaporto, running into Ju's friends for a free ride home, arriving just in time for breakfast. All I did on Saturday was sleep and lay in the hammock and think unapologetically about how I kissed 8 boys in 3 nights. Don't hate the player, hate the game. I'd say I'm a first-time-Carnival success story. I wish I could spend 6-8 hours dancing like that every night.

Claudia

if i had a guitar, i would want it to be this one

Best part of the whole thing is you don't have to worry about what to wear because they give you a uniform. Unless you're me and you worry that your 25,000 best friends will remember that you wore the same skirt last night so you try on your 3 bottoms 34 times before deciding on your shorts that stretch out when you move around too much. Then when you get to the party and realize you're showing everyone your underwear you have to make-shift a belt out of the string for your necklace mug. I'm nothing if not resourceful.