Tchau Brazil!

The Final Farewell

I have never been great with goodbyes, so it's a little strange I chose to write about our farewell dinner in Rio de Janeiro. On the last night of our 10 day long adventure, our group had the opportunity to celebrate at one of the most lively restaurants in the city called Rio Scenarium Pavilhao da Cultura.

Outside view of Rio Scenarium

Clocks everywhere

 Our amazing guide, Federico, chose this perfect spot for our customer experience based class's last group dinner. The three story building contained the perfect mix of culture and entertainment. The top two floors had a museum-like feel, featuring eclectic, antique decor that easily distracted from the waiting time between drinks and meals. In addition to this, the first floor welcomed dancers of all skill-levels and ethnicity, while various musicians entertained the crowd with jazz-infused samba. Jill, Stuart, Yi, Nina, Kaixin, and I took advantage of the dance floor and showed off our skill (in Stuart's case) or sad lack of samba moves (in my case). Here, lies my first insight. I was not blessed with rhythm, but it's never too late to learn something new. Thankfully, a couple of seemingly local women took it upon themselves to teach me a couple simple steps that I couldn't butcher too badly. With their help (and some from Jill and Stuart), I discovered a hidden interest in the possibility of learning to dance. Like real dance, not the "millennial dancing" that one learns on an 8th grade dance floor. Despite my devastating lack of samba experience, I really enjoyed my time Rio Scenarium. It was a fantastic nightclub/bar vibe that perfectly highlighted the lively Brazilian nightlife so many tourists are looking to experience.

Umbrella collection

New Brazilian friend

In terms of cuisine, our table ordered a large spectrum of appetizers that ranged from shrimp puffs, to chicken kabebs, to a sampler of traditional northeast Brazilian food. For main dishes, there was a mix of orders between various meat dishes, fish, and pasta/risotto. The dishes were all amazing, but quite large. Insight number two: take every opportunity to experience the local culture. Often, these opportunities are presented in the form of food. I have learned throughout my 21 years of traveling that your experience becomes so much more authentic when you set aside your expectations and trust in the local taste.  

My last insight from this farewell dinner is in regards to the price. Understanding this a highly recommended tourist favorite hangout spot, the experience is not cheap. Being a tourist comes with a price when you want to visit a popular attraction, because you pay for quality. Rio Scenarium charged a 50 real cover fee in addition to the 11+ real drinks, 29-56 real appetizers, and 34+ real main dishes. And should you still have room for it, this does not include dessert. As a college student traveler, fiscal responsibility when travelling is important to me. However, sometimes it's worth it to splurge on a great experience.