visitors who will explore carnival rio off the beaten path might run across groups of  bate-bolas (balls slammers).

despite their beautiful and elaborate costumes, these are not blocos or parades, instead they can be rival gangs challenging one another while wearing costumes.

as international visitors could not easily tell the difference between peaceful / traditional  bate bolas, and the 'gang variation', it is always best to leave the area and never to take any pictures - especially at night.

we posted more information on bate bolas on this page - anyone who is interested in discovering carnival in areas that are not normally visited by international tourists should do so accompanied by a local guide.