I got up late because I slept late, way too late after the first day of Carnival—not that I partied until dawn, but I caught up with life until madrugada because I had partied all day and I still had to cook, work, chat with Feng, do the laundry, and more things.

The “B” dilemma—beach or bloco?

I went with option C, coffee, then looked up and decided to put on my swimsuit instead of my Carnival gear. On Sunday, everybody within walking distance of the beach in Brazil goes to the beach. There will always be time for Carnival later. Fortaleza is a late-night city, anyway.

The best city beach around is Praia do Futuro, but I would have to take an Uber. I just walked to Meireles, 25 minutes away. It’s pretty decent as well, and the skyline is quite amazing, especially from the very long pier.

My Carnival plan for the day was to check out the mysterious (to me) Avenida Domingos Olímpio to watch the parades, starting from 4:20 p.m. until late. I didn’t even know what address to put—where did it start and where did it end?

My Uber driver didn’t need much explanation.

“Don’t worry, I know where to drop you off.”

And he did. I have no idea what Avenida Domingos Olímpio looks like outside Carnival, but that day it was a giant Rio-style sambodromo with bleachers. And just like in Rio de Janeiro, the parades were a lengthy, complicated affair because it takes forever for a school or group to walk and dance from one end to the other.

For outsiders, it’s entertainment, but for many participants, it’s serious business and the culmination of a year of work. Don’t be surprised if all of them look stressed out or straight terrified—I would be too, probably.

After watching a couple of groups, I started wandering through the side streets where I discovered they had been turned into open-air changing rooms. This is where costumes were being fixed, sewn, assembled, tried on, and more.

The behind-the-scenes adventure made my day. It was like stepping into another world.

I called an Uber when I reached the end of the avenue to check out the concerts at Iracema Beach and finish the sunset with music.

If Fortaleza were a balance board, it would tip over—the city is completely empty except for three or four Carnival hotspots where hundreds of thousands gather to drink, dance, and party.

A break at the apartment later—still this whole catching up with life thingy—I headed out again to Iracema to see the big band everybody was talking about, Noda de Caju.

Holy shit, it was packed. I didn’t even know there were that many people in Fortaleza. I had a flashback to pre-Carnival São Paulo just a week ago, but this time on the sand—fortunately, we’re not talking millions here… well, probably not.

I left before the concert and the party ended. It was so crowded I couldn’t get a phone signal and Uber was down, so I walked halfway to my apartment and eventually found a ride for the last three kilometers.

I soaked up all the Carnival energy. I’m happy but maybe a bit sleepy…