Ciao Rio de Janeiro

After two months of travel, it's almost time to board my flight home. Carnaval has been amazing, and sitting on the reception couch has made me realise how absolutely drained I am. Five days of Rio Carnaval really takes it out of you!

During the past few days, no moment passed that you couldn't hear music on the streets, or the distant drum of a moving party heading towards you. Everyone was happy (and most likely drunk) and apart from a few unnoticed pickpocketing incidents, I felt very safe amongst the thousands of other party-goers.

For me, the highlight of Carnaval was Monday (the 4th day of Carnaval), during the day we caught the train with thousands of others to attend the Sargento Pimienta bloco (the Beatles party). This year over 250 000 people joined the festivities to sing along to Classic Beatles songs in both Portuguese and English. After a few hours of reggae Beatles renditions we were ready for the Sambadromo, the main feature of Carnival. The procession was spectacular, I have never seen more costumes, dancers and floats in one place! It's mind-blowing how many people are involved in the parade.

Enjoy the photos from some of my last days in South America, and wish me luck for the 26 hours of flying that awaits me...

Compulsory floral wear for Beatles Bloco  

Taking a break from the dancing crowds