Carnaval in Rio? Claro. But if Carnaval in Salvador is not on your bucket list, too, you need a bigger bucket. Carnaval in Rio is mainly a stadium spectacle; in Salvador da Bahia, the action is still in the streets. It’s centered on the trios elétricos: musical juggernauts, akin to monstrous Mad Max rigs or siege engines from Mordor, but with musicians rather than warriors astride them. Join the pipoca (“popcorn”) in the streets as passing trios turn up the heat. —E.E.

Carnaval was featured in the February 22, 2020 issue of Air Mail. Read on