MY MISSION HERE - BE YOUR INFORMAL AMBASSADOR

I am sure when you decide to travel all you want is having fun...Okay, if you meet me, this tour or our tours will be so intense that you will have lots of stories to tell you for quite a long time!!! But I have something to confess...I ALSO HAVE LOOOOOOOOOOADS OF FUN!!!

The way to real happiness is doing what you really like to do and maybe my 10 years of hard working in the tourism business in Brazil explains why...

Well, I do alot of different tours so I never get bored and everytime I meet different an fantastis people.


Margareth came to Rio to celebrate her 93 years old...She waited long years to have a blast in Rio. She is from Santa Barbara, thanks God, California has been very generous to me sending lots of guests. We always have fun in local restaurants to taste the best of our brazilian food. We spent two days exploring with rich details all the beauties of Rio de Janeiro.

I have lots of fun with my Australian Friends... Margaret came to Rio with her husband Pete and we stopped in every famous bar to have some snacks. We went to so many places that I am sure if she'd spent more days in Rio she would be quite fluent in Portuguese. She runs a GuestHouse in Brisbane and I am sure one day I will go there!!!

There were days of endless fun and lots of adventures. Dolly came with her daughters and friends, she trusted me her trip to Rio and I decided to be a member of their families and I shown Rio like a real Father who meets his children after a long time!!! We had fun in Rio de Janeiro, Niteroi and Paraty and we are longing for more!!! My good friend Dolly is planning to be back next year and BRAZIL EXPEDITION PART TWO will continue.

Olga was one of my various russian guests. She came here with her husband but we went very deep in cultural events and we laughed alot in a japonese event in our State Bank Banco do Brazil Cultural Center. She lives in Chicago right now, and we are planning a second cultural marathon in Brazil.

Jenny is one of the most important Antique Collections in the States, she came from Richmond, Virginia to visit a lot of antique stores and markets in Rio de Janeiro, at night I took her to the POPULAR'S CULTURE TEMPLE - FEIRA DO NORDESTE...We painted the town!!! We dance forró like two NORDESTINOS!!! :) It was a glorious tour.

Marcone...what to say about Marcone???? Well...HE IS RAFA, THE CONTINUATION...hahahaha :) When I think about happiness and when I think about Marcone, I have the same conclusion. Marcone IS HAPPINESS and Happiness IS MARCONE.

He is such a complete guide full of knowledge and lots of energy to give to you....He will show you Rio in such a way that Rio will be simply the most interesting destination in your entire life!!!

Marcone has the smile of Rio, the heart of his homeland MARANHAO and THE SOUL OF BRAZIL.

If you want to visit Rio with a Brazilian Soul and I will be busy...be sure that Marcone will be your guide!

His english???? He is an English Teacher and the one who corrects my awful grammar mistakes...Knowledge, he sees Rio with the eyes of a visitor because he also came here for the first time 4 years ago and he loved so much that he decided to stay...LUCKY US!!!

And lucky me to get to know one of the most spectacular fellows in this World.

In my opinion, Marcone is an authority in the tourism business in Rio de Janeiro!

I also have fun in the middle of nowhere in the Amazon in Maranhão State...we stopped in one very poor house to offer food supplies to poor families in our way to Cedral, one of the most hidden fishermen villages in the distant countryside of Maranhao. Marcone joined me in this adventure in our TRAVEL RESEARCHES to find places to take our guests.

This is part of our STREET FOOD TOUR in Rio that I did with my friends Franklin and Zelda from Michigan, we were nibbling some BATATINHAS FRITAS in the outskirts of Rio, in a place called Irajá. I like offering a real local experience when all my guests come to Brazil.

My californian family which my great friend Jane trusted me to guide them to some good spots of Rio and we stopped in the Stairs of Selaron...what a fantastic example of human creativity. A great photographer was present in the group, Robert and we could exchange great ideas about best angles, resolution and places where we could take the best shots. That was a day that brings me incredible memories and lots of laughs.

I met him in the Peace World Forum in Caracas (yes...Caracas...but this time Chavez was in a very good temper, hahahaha) and he came here twice and brought me lots of guests from Venezuela which for their people it is a real act of courage to travel abroad. Their Government allows a very limited quantity of money for them to travel. Which is absolutely cruel and it is not for everyone...if you are someone important in Venezuela, you won't have this kind of restriction...So when they come here I honor every penny they invest to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the World: RIO DE JANEIRO.

Luis has also another special reason to come to Brazil every single year....He was born in Rio and spend most of his life in Caracas...Now he wishes to make up for lost time and he will always count on me.

Jonathan must be if no far to be mistaken one of the most important chefs in Malta, very talented hand, he made the happinnes of so many malteses and visitors all over the years...he came to Rio with my marvelous maltese guests that I am honored to welcome all year round.

His love for Rio gave him a lot of inspirations for his Gastronomy Plans and I am really proud to take him to the best of our brazilian restaurants in Rio, and that day in the Wetlands of Marapendi. He came to Rio thanks for the help of John Scicluna who runs the great idea of YOUJUSTLIVE ONCE who helps great adventurous travellers around the World.

Feel free to check more about this idea in this following link: http://www.youjustliveonce.com/

John is a expert travel agent and tour conductor, he is also one of my best friends, great husband, great father. :) Marie Stell is her Queen and in my opinion, SHE IS THE QUEEN OF MALTA.

Again with Venezuelan Friends, this time Omar came with his wife Monica and I planned a very busy full day as they just had one day to explore the city. The first thing I did was talking such a cool couple to see the Stairs of Selaron where I had the honor to place a tyle in his Stairs. It was an italian tyle with the image of Saint Francis, my favorite saint ever!

Selaron is really someone that you must know when you come here and he changed the life of a whole neighborhood in Rio placing tyles from all over the World in just one stairway.

Bruce...well is much more american than korean...but Korea has to be proud to have someone so bright, someone so great and someone so nice as him. He came to Rio in a honeymoon trip with Pamela....what a wonderful couple!!! Ww had lots of fun everywhere in Niteroi, and we loved to visit the fishing village of Jurujuba!!!

I wish you all the luck, success and love in this World.

So I have many reasons to let my people know that once you come to Rio, you will find a person really honored to have you here. You will find a friendly Rio since your first step in the airport or in the Port of Rio, because I also welcome lots of people who get to Rio by CruiseLine Ships.

Let's make an effort to allow more people to came. I am prepared and my guides are ready. We are committed to give you the best of Rio de Janeiro.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner