There's no celebration quite like the Brazilian Carnaval, thousands of overheated bodies moving on the street parties to the music of the trios elétricos and their own desires. Michael, an American traveler, is there to enjoy the unequaled experience of being right in the thick of things, guided by a gracious host and his own quest for adventure. Happiness, enjoyment and freedom are the rules of the night. Cheap alcohol flows easily, kisses are traded among strangers and everyone seems to share into the infectious atmosphere of it all. That's when Michael meets Maria Luiza, a beautiful Brazilian blonde who he can't tear his eyes from. They are separated during the festivities and the packed crowd makes finding any one person nearly impossible. But Luiza stumbles on Michael again before he can make a fool of himself in the biggest party of the world, surrounded by people who don't speak his language. The night is over when she takes him home to sleep his drunkenness off in her bed, but their time together is just beginning.