In photos: Carnival kicks off in Brazil
Print Brazil's Carnival kicked off last Thursday with millions of people taking to the streets of the northeastern city of Salvador de Bahia to dance and party, effectively putting the nation on a week-long hiatus.
Over the coming days, the festivities will consume the entire country of 193 million people.
The climax arrives Sunday and Monday with Rio de Janeiro's extravagant and sexy parades, replete with near-naked dancing queens and over-the-top fantasy floats.
Rio will join the festivities Friday night, like most of the country.Some 760,000 tourists are expected in the city for Carnival, dropping 600 million dollars into Rio's coffers.
With so much samba music, drinking and skimpy clothing on display, sex is a reality the government is tackling head on, notably by handing out 20 million free condoms.
Rio's officials have also launched a campaign to reinforce their city's reputation as a gay-friendly destination by cracking down on any discrimination.
