Revelry Time In Rio

Roman emperors and space aliens will party together this weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. So will sultans and vampires, landless peasants and medieval knights, a few thousand drummers and countless topless dancers. No, it’s not the bar scene from “Star Wars,” it’s the Rio Carnival parade, the centerpiece of the annual four-day bash of drinking, dancing and sex that ushers in Lent. The revelry starts tonight and lasts through Ash Wednesday. Above, a worker walks past decorations prepared by one of the neighborhood clubs, called schools, for the fierce parade competition.