My grandma always used to say “a little rain never hurt anyone”. And she was right. As a matter of fact, in Rio a little rain actually makes the party a whole lot better.

Kara, Bec, Leyla and I had been kicking up our heels in Rio for two non-stop days and nights. We had caught the “Carnival Fever” and the prognosis was dire – the infection was terminal. We would spend the rest of our lives suffering with the Samba steps in our toes and the drum beat in our souls! Samba, the exotic, lively, mesmorising dance was a part of us, always and forever. Now, the night of all nights was upon us, the event we’d been anticipating was here…the official Samba Parade. We adorned our pre-purchased feather headbands. We collected our tickets. We enjoyed a civilised pre-party picnic in the park. We entered the “Sambadrome”. We purchased some refreshments.