Carnaval is the most famous holiday in Brazil, and the planning has already begun. The main festivities are celebrated 40 days before the Catholic holiday, Lent, which occurs February 17-20, 2007 this time around.
Tourcaster has three audio tours in Rio de Janeiro, that you can download to your iPod or mp3 player. There is also a driving tour of the Discovery Coast that can be played through an iPod or car CD player. The Discovery Coast tour starts in Porto Seguro, takes you north to Belmonte, and then back south, ending up in Caravelas.
Brazil is such an amazing country with so much to offer, one could spend days just in Copacabana, a small district of Rio. With so much to offer, make sure when you're planning your samba and capoeira lessons, that you leave time to explore the sites. Venture beyond Rio de Janeiro and Tourcaster can guide you.