Tuesday, August 29th, 2006...6:33 am

UK Carnival : a big celebration of humankind

"The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which takes place in Notting Hill, London, England each August, over three days (a weekend and a bank holiday). It is led by members of the Caribbean population, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s. The carnival attracts up to 1.5 million people, making it the largest street festival in Europe. " (Wikipedia)

I had absolutely no idea that this was scheduled to happen while I'm in London, so when a few people mentioned it I thought it would be some small festival. Nothing has prepared me for what I was about to see.

It was, by far, the biggest event I've ever been to my whole life. I've been to some Love Parades and maybe some outdoors parties I thought were pretty intense, but nothing has come close to this. I've been hearing so many stories about the big Carnival in Brazil for years, never being able to quite picture how it might be. Even with all the photos and stories there was no real way to know what it is really like.

It was an ongoing attack on all senses with an endless variety of sounds, colors, smells and oddly enough - taste and touch. It didn't matter what race, religion and gender you are or what looks you have - everybody there was just plain beautiful.

To get a small taste, here are some photos :