PHOTOGRAPHY WILL SALKELD (IPANEMA BEACH) & GETTY IMAGES (SAMBA DANCERS).152 GOURMET TRAVELLER
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ometimeswetraveltoescapeother
people.Sometimeswetraveltofeel
banginthemiddleofthings.Atthestart
oftheyear,depletedaftera particularly
gruellingworkproject,I hituponthe
perfectprescriptionformynexttrip:
I neededa party.Andnotjustanyparty.Oneofthe
mostglamorous,hedonisticandiconiccelebrations
ontheplanet:RiodeJaneiro’sannualCarnaval.If
thisdidn’thelpmegetmymojoback,nothingwould.
BystealingmyselfawaytoRio,I wasputtingmyself
inthehandsofthepartypros.ThefirstcarnivalinRio
tookplacein1723,a relativelyciviliseddatedreamedup
as onefinalchancetogorgebeforethe 40 frugaldaysof
Lentbegan.(Theword“carnaval”is derivedfromthe
Latincarnevale,“farewelltothemeat”.)Brazilians,true
toform,dedicatedthemselvestothisfinalblowoutso
seriouslythattheRioCarnavalsteadilyswelledintoits
modern-dayincarnation,a six-daybacchanalthatdaily
bringstwomillionrevellerstothestreetsofRio.There
is nobiggercarnivalontheplanet.Andthere’sno
moredemocraticcelebration,withfestivitiesrunning
thegamutfromopulentballstogrittyblockparties.
Astraditionhasit,partyproceedingsarekicked
offwiththeSaturday-nightballat theBelmond
CopacabanaPalacehotel– andbystayingat the
hotel,inthewordsofCinderella’sfairygodmother,
“Youshallgototheball!”Ticketsstartat $820,and
reach$1560forservicedtablesintheGoldenRoom
ora VIPbox.IntheweeksbeforeI flyout,I daydream
giddilyaboutpartyingwherethebestandbrightest
revellersinhistoryhaveclinkedChampagneglasses
anddancedthenightaway.
TheCopacabanaPalaceis quitethebackdropto
liveoutallyourmostregalfantasies.Grande-dame
hotelsdon’tcomemoreiconicthanthisbeautiful
beachfrontproperty,nowa lovinglypreservedyet
lavishlyluxuriousBelmondhotel.ThePalaceopened
inAugust 1923 intheheadydaysoftheJazzAge,and
hostedRio’sinauguralCarnavalBallthefollowing
February.Theyhaven’tstoppedthepartysince.
Asloversoffood,music,sensuality,danceand
laughter,therearenobetterpartyhostsontheplanet
thancariocas(residentsofRio),andtheballhaslong
drawntheinternationaljet-set.Overtheyears,theparty
packhasincludedOrsonWelles,GingerRogers,Mary
Pickford,LanaTurner,RitaHayworth,BrigitteBardot,
ZsaZsaGabor,KimNovak,KirkDouglasandmany,
manymore.TheCopacabanaPalacebecamenotorious
as a playgroundfortheglobalglitterati.Today,theball
haslostnoneofitsA-listappeal,withrecentrevellers
includingGerardButler,SirIanMcKellenand
ChristianLouboutin.WithinBrazil,thehoipolloi
spendmonths– andthousandsofdollars– dreaming
up dazzling outfits in which to stalk the red carpet.