Days 161-162: March 8-9, 2025 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is synonymous with El Carnaval, the most famous and largest carnival in the world. It’s an exuberant, colorful, over-the-top festival, culminating with the Parade of Champions, where the best strut their stuff in a final parade. The parade runs from 10 PM to 5:30 AM the next day. I wasn’t quite up to pulling an all-nighter, but by 3 AM, I had seen more than I could process. Here, a few scenes from the night.