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 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - Revelers packed Rio de Janeiro's beaches and danced in streets littered with pieces of glittery costumes Tuesday, soaking up the final hours of merriment after the climax of the city's world-famous carnival.
Earlier, as the sun came up, the samba group Beija Flor — "hummingbird" in English — wowed a capacity crowd of 60,000 in Rio's Sambadromo stadium with a celebration of Brazil's African roots. Opening with an enormous float featuring a gilded hummingbird and leaping impalas, Beija Flor followed with an army of dancers in various states of plumage and undress.
"It was so elegant and exquisitely put together, and the crowd had so much energy," said Andre Deckrow, a 22-year-old student from Seattle. "I've never seen a parade on that scale."
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