To end your Carnival festivities with style you must attend to the Tuesday Parade of Banda de Ipanema. It is one of Rio's most traditional street carnival events, where you are sure to meet people you would not have a chance to see elsewhere.
Two Oscar winners, a number of transsexuals, groups of Roman soldiers, angels, devils, are among the characters that stood out. A group of "girls" wearing rubber masks with pouting lips were also impossible to miss. Our favorite, though, as a caveman - that suspiciously looked like Fred Flinstone, who carried (or rather dragged) along a life-sized rag doll to play his catch of the day. If you missed this one, I guess we'll see you in 2010!