22 Pictures From Rio Carnival 2010

 
Rio de Janeiro commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is famous for its natural settings, its carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova and hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Rio Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. The country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities. Each Rio neighborhood has its own Carnival street band. There are more than 300 in the city, and every year more and more are established. The bands perform along pre-determined parade routes and are always accompanied by samba dancers in exquisite costumes.