ONE MORE FANTASTIC JOURNEY TO ILHA GRANDE

United States are not a kingdon, but I am sure this country has a Queen and a King....

They are from Texas...actually the Queen is from Mississipi, but Texas is for sure in her heart!

And this ROYAL COUPLE is in Ilha Grande right now!!!!! This royal visit happened to be just for two days, but enough time for them to see a genuine side of Brazil that very few people experience it.

Cappie I and Robert II are enjoying the best of the island...simply doing the basic places of the island. They haven't come here so prepared to explore the incredible wilderness of the island, but they could experience the peace of ABRAÃO VILLAGE, they could walk in the dirt road streets of the residencial side of the island and they could hike in the old ruins of our Lazzaretto Aqueduct, telling us the glorious past of this pirate shelter, an island full of lush green and exotic animals like the SCREAMING BUGIOS....

They could taste the best of our native food at Rei do Camarão and they slept in a wooden little house in the mountain forest of Parrot Peak!!!

Two days completely relaxing in an island where no cars are allowed, in a place that for everything you do, you have to use your own legs to do it. A place where everyone welcomes you with a huge smile at the face!!!

Cappie and Robert are very happy in Ilha Grande and they will be very happy to share such a fantastic experience with you!!!!

ILHA GRANDE is certainly more beautiful now after a delightful royal visit!!!

Me and all the island are grateful for such a visit!!!!

If you visit the island for sure your portuguese will increase, you will learn to say BOA TARDE out loud for every person you come across. A place that the houses have no bells, you've got to clap in front of their gate, and they come to talk to you!!!

A hidden paradise until nowadays. this fantastic island with more than 100 beaches are waiting for you to discover!!!!

And you know what...I know the easiest way for you to have a life time trip!!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide

donrafainrio@yahoo.es

MY JACQUES COUSTEAU SIDE

I am very into photography, actually I spend my life provinding some interesting images of my land for so many visitors that I welcome!!! Everywhere I go in Rio, I see many species of our fauna and so many plants that makes Brazil one of the most incredible countries regarding animal life.

I love these shots and I keep an eye on tree branches...and taking my great texan couple Cappie and Robert to our Botanical Gardens i finally could take pictures of our toucans...

Beautiful colorful birds that we find quite often in our forest and in many other countries in our South America.

Finding toucans here is a clear sign that preservation in Rio is something that we take very seriously. So proud of this moment..they are difficult birds to be photographed in the wilderness...

But the nature today decided to be very kind and generous to me....I got pictures of another very naive fish, mostly found in the Amazon, the TAMBAQUI, huge river fish crazy for nuts, searching for nuts it gets a easy target for hungry fishermen...I also could get pictures of another very common bird of our flora...the NOIVINHA...cute white and black bird...

My pleasure to share with you images taken today, october 26th, 2008.

We had such a fantastic afternoon in one of the top ten botanical garden in the World!

MY BRAVE TEXAN FAMILY

Some guests I have are so special that they become dear friends for life time. As many great people I have met and who are now so dear to me, Cappie and Robert invaded my heart and they got here to stay.

When my guests come here I want them to experience everything and get to know Brazil as a real country, not a country made for tourists to do touristic things...No...they are here to walk everywhere, they are here to tell others that you do not need to be afraid to stroll around all over the city, they are here to say to others that our people are friendly, that our people are struggling alot to stop crime and we demanding even more attitudes to make Rio a better place to live and to be visited, my guests are here to see Rio from its past, its present and help us to build a future!

So my brave friends in their second day...well, we decided to explore the CENTRO using our subway system, very efficient and it serves the city greatly well, we walked in the city and saw the main old buildings and some colonial churches, we went deep in our hstory, and we had lunch in typical restaurants, and in our way back to Copacabana, they took a bus just like every single Carioca.

Sometimes experiencing the simple things of life can make any trip to be really spectacular!

AN ENTHUSIAST TRAVELLER FROM MISSISSIPI

We are in touch for quite a while...she was planning to visit South America and so she started to research about places and guides. Robert had Rio in mind..and she knew it. So Cappie started reading about which countries in the Continent they would like to visit, and Brazil was for sure part of their list...

She understood that a guidewould be necessary for them to explore Rio properly and help them about places to go...suddenly they googled guides in Rio, and they found my name ( I have to tell how fortunate I am for such a great decision), according to some reviews about my tours she decided to write me such a kind email.

I responded...months after we are now the three of us together in Rio and we are in our second day..and believe me, we are doing a lot!!! Two days here is like two weeks here and we experienced everything Rio can offer.

They visited strange places like a PRIVATE CONDO???? Yes, and they had loads of fun!!! We found out one of the wildest beaches in Rio called Joa. We could also see the very green Tijuca Forest.

First time of this remarkable woman in Rio makes my work richer and makes me very honored!!!

And she is here with her husband Robert, another very curious about Brazilian Culture, wonderful and dear friend.

They will write great stories in my tour book!