Carnaval in Bahia

Carnival in Bahia!!! That is if parties and crowds are your thing. Nowhere else comes close. Carnival Bahia is not nubile women in feathers high up on floaters à la Carnival Rio. It's YOU out there on the streets doing it 'til you drop. Carnaval (as it's spelled in Portuguese) 2007 starts Thursday, February 15th, and it runs through Tuesday, February 20th -- officially. Unofficially (and actually) it runs to the morning of Ash Wednesday, February 21st, and then continues in the arrastão (roundup) of Timbalada, which starts Wednesday morning at the Farol da Barra and winds its way along Avenida Oceanica to Ondina. The arrastão, which started several years ago and was only Timbalada has now seen other people and blocos jump on the the bandwagon (quite literally). It's grown to include at least three trios and blocos, winding up early Wednesday afternoon, and then there you are at Ondina's lovely beach, where the party continues at the barracas. In keeping with Carnival's theme, this year's Carnival has a "symbol", and that is none other than another venerable old-guard sambista...Bahia's own 85-year-old Mr. Dynamite!...Riachão! The man just doesn't know when to stop!