Ah, Carnival. It's the time of the year when locals and international tourists alike can get together, join hands, and have fun while spending the majority of their days dancing. In Rio, Carnival is a five-day tour de force of revelry, partying, and forgetting the fact that you have a 9-5 job waiting for you at home. I've taken part in my share of Rio Carnival celebrations, and so far I've come out relatively unscathed. I'll tell you how to tie one on at the world's biggest party, and how to make it through the next day's hangover.

In my opinion, there really aren't any better parties than Rio's Carnival celebration. Productivity in Brazil grinds to a halt as its citizens flock to the capital to bear witness to Carnival's extravagant parades. The parades of the Rio Carnival take opulence and grandeur to the extreme – some of the floats cost up to $1 million each. Along with the floats, the parades also feature many entertaining samba dancers and steel drum bands, and the Rio Carnival experience is at the soul of the nation's fun-loving spirit.

What is a person supposed to do during all of this? Party, of course. The Rio Carnival celebration is the last hurrah before Lent, and locals invite visitors and outsiders to commemorate the festive tradition and take their own stories home with them. All of Rio's bars, clubs, and hangouts open up as patrons spill out into the streets. Rio's neighborhoods also have their own bands and street parties, totaling more than 300 across the city. For that matter, just walk up and down the parade routes and a street vendor is sure to offer you something tasty (and alcoholic). During the Rio Carnival festivities, it's easy to never pay to enter a bar and still have a great time...

...Until the next day. The Rio Carnival celebration is obviously going to leave more than a few wounded soldiers in its wake. I can't lie; I've been one of them. Everyone has his or her go-to hangover remedy, but my choice—delicious Brazilian coffee—works well and is a great opportunity to experience even more Rio culture. For coffee and a bit of food to take the edge off your post-Carnival pain, I recommend you head to the classic Café Gaucho. It's become my second home on Saturday mornings. Order a media (coffee with milk) and grilled buttered bread, and reminisce about your Rio Carnival experience. Or at least the parts you can remember.

What: Rio Carnival
When: March 4-8, 2011
Where: Rio de Janeiro
URL: http://www.rio-carnival.net/