Rio de Janeiro celebrates its 450th birthday with a monster of a cake

#RioDeJanerio #birthdaycake #RioCarnival #OlympicGames2016 Rio de Janeiro was founded on March 1, 1565 by Portuguese explorer and city founder Estacio de Sa and celebrated its 450th birthday – with a minster of a cake as reported in zeenews.india.com dated 2 March 2015.
The cake was 450-meter (500-yard) cake and was made with 2.5 tons of flour, 2.1 tons of sugar, 1.5 tons of margarine, 3,000 eggs, 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of milk and an equal amount of whipped cream. It was served up on a long table that extended down Carioca Street in the heart of the city.
It was, undauntedly, the center of attraction of the city`s birthday celebrations, and thousands of people sang "Happy Birthday" before the bakers and local dignitaries started to dish out slices of the cake to delighted locals. The "Cidade Maravilhosa" -- or Marvelous City -- is well known for its beaches, stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and Christ the Redeemer hilltop statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched.
The celebration this year is an extension of the just-concluded Rio carnival. Incidentally, Rio would be hosting the Olympic Games in August 2016.

Rio de Janeiro carnival expected to net $780 million – 5 days of fun assured

#riocarnival #kingmomo #sambaparade #petrobras #brazil The annual carnival of Rio de Janeiro consisting of five days of over-the-top parades and raucous, alcohol-soaked street parties has kicked off as reported in foxnews.com dated 15 February 2015.
This carnival is famous all over the world and people rom far off places gather to join in the fun in spite of major problems that Rio is facing. Problems like more evidence of Brazil's stalling economy, an ongoing drought and a snowballing corruption scandal at state-run oil giant Petrobras. But, these have not dampened the spirit.
As a part of the annual ceremony to mark the official start of the festivities, Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of Rio handed over the keys of the city to King Momo, the mythical jester who reigns over the extravaganza.
Musicians from Unidos da Tijuca, the samba group that won last year's flamboyant parade competition, played a medley of the samba classics that make up the city's tried and true Carnival soundtrack while some dancers showed off their fancy footwork.
The Mayor said the festivities were sure to bring more than a welcome dose of fun. As per estimates, over 450 street parties were expected to bring an estimated 975,000 tourists out onto the streets and these visitors are expected to add nearly $780 million into the local economy.
The carnival would end on Wednesday after the all-night-long samba group parades at the city's Sambadrome, where there would be thousands of musicians, sequin and feather-clad samba dancers and costumed revelers to compete for the title of the year's top group.