Carne Vale!

I’m not sure Carnaval would be complete for me without a trip to the emergency room and a 6-hour stay in the hospital. I would love to say that I partied like a rock star but unfortunately I had some sort of food poisoning/24 flu that had me curled up in the bathroom, sick as a dog for the entirety of Thursday night.
My trip to the ER was pretty pleasant. I went to the private hospital, and it was the first time I had really come in contact with Salvador’s upper class. I am hoping this is my first and last time to the hospital on this trip.
An hour after returning from the hospital and 5 bags of saline later I was ready to go to my Camarote, which is an organized party on the parade route.
I wasn’t able to drink or eat anything at a party that was open bar and fully catered, but still being able to watch the carnival parade and all the crazy people in the street was spectacular.
There were millions of people in the street, some in organized Blocos that followed the semi trucks that carried the different bands but most of the people go ‘pipoca’ (popcorn) just smashed in the crowd dancing around drinking their .50 cent beers.
Most people from Salvador will tell you that Carnaval is very commercialized now and that 15 years ago Carnaval was celebrated how it should be. But for me it was still amazing and definitely unlike anything I have ever seen before.
I am hoping to make up for my less than stellar performance last night in the next couple of days of Carnaval. If not I’m sure Rio will offer me limitless opportunities to party.