A Night Out in Rio

After breakfast, we decided to head out to Rio's largest shopping center, Rio Sul. It’s packed with hundreds of stores all under one roof, and the prices are pretty good compared to what we’re used to in Denmark. You can find the latest fashion shops, photography stores, bistros, and more. However, we didn’t end up buying anything because we think we’ll pick up a lot of other things later on, so our suitcase will definitely fill up! We also asked about prices for various domestic flights since we might plan a round trip from Rio to Salvador. Around noon, we took a taxi to the Botanical Garden, where it was all about mega relaxation. It’s such a great way to unwind in peaceful surroundings filled with fragrant sensory experiences. There are countless plants, trees, and greenhouses. The garden is said to be one of the best botanical gardens in the world. Even though we’re not super into botanical gardens, the visit was nice as it really offered a break from the city’s hustle and bustle. :) On our way back, we bought a wristwatch from a street vendor for 10 reals (21 DKK). It was supposedly a Hugo Boss, but we seriously doubted its authenticity. :) In the evening, we decided to party, so we arranged to meet some people from the hostel at a nightclub at 11 PM. This gave us plenty of time to go out for a nice dinner beforehand. One of the staff at the hostel recommended a true Brazilian restaurant, which was absolutely fantastic. They had a huge buffet with a server who roamed around slicing meat. This way, you got to try all sorts of different meats along with excellent service. The restaurant felt quite fancy and popular, and the price was reasonable too—21 reals (45 DKK) per person, excluding drinks. Feeling very full, we headed to an Irish bar for cocktails before meeting up with the others. There, we struck up a conversation with a Brazilian girl who mentioned that you need to be a bit careful walking around alone at night. Despite being a native Brazilian, she had been robbed eight times, four of those times while threatened with a gun. We were already aware of this kind of information, and yes, Rio can be a dangerous city where you need to take precautions. But it’s not more than that, and you’d have to be really unlucky for something to happen to you. At the exclusive nightclub, we ended up getting quite tipsy. Sure, it was a very upscale place, but 14 DKK for a Smirnoff Ice was manageable! :)