MY ENGLISH FRIENDS WITH INDIAN TASTE

This is the privilege of making friends almost everyday, and I make REAL good friends!!! And Fecebook helps to keep in touch....YUPIEEEEE VIVA FACEBOOK!!! :) Shohil contacted me first telling that we would come with his wife Arti and another friendly couple Minesh and Varsha!!! ABSOLUTELY VERY SWEET PEOPLE!!! I think it took less than two seconds for us to be GREAT FRIENDS forever!!! We had a blast in Rio and in Niteroi. We focused our tour on many social profiles in Rio, we decided to learn how CARIOCA PEOPLE LIVE!!! These two couples live in London, city where I always have wonderful friends, and they are more friends from this incredible and special country called England. England that now welcomes all people from all over the World. India plays a important part in England's live offering very efficient professional in all areas and also increasing the english gastronomy with their exquisite and hot food. I always welcome indian families in my tours...coming straight from India, from England, Canada and USA and I am proud to hear that the wuality of my work are reaching those families and I WANT MORE!!! IN THE FUTURE I WILL HAVE BETTER STRUCTURE TO WELCOME INCLUDING THE MOST TRADITIONAL FAMILIES WHERE THEY WILL FIND IN BRAZIL THE FOOD THEY EAT SPECIALLY MADE FOR THEM!!! I just apologyze for not speaking not even one of the more than 400 languages and dialets from this country which I think it is one of the most fascinating countries in the World!!! I wish I could speak Hindi, Urdu, Concani, Kanara, Meithei, Marata, Nepali, Dogri or Kokborok... BUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART IS UNIVERSAL AND THESE WONDEFUL FOUR FRIENDS LIVE IN MINE!!! A VISIT TO LAPA DURING THE DAY GIVES US A CHANCE TO FOLLOW THE BEAUTIFUL WORK OF STREET ARTISTS THAT WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES, BUT WITH THEIR ART THEY EXPLAIN THE CULTURE OF BRAZIL AND THE MAGIC OF SAMBA!!! LIKE THIS MURAL IN ORDER TO MAKE A TRIBUTE TO OUR FAMOUS SAMBA COMPOSER BEZERRA DA SILVA. LAPA IS MUSICAL, LAPA IS PLACE WHERE YOU CAN REALLY EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF OUR LOCAL VIBE. IT IS JUST ONE STREET NAMED JOAQUIM DA SILVA, BUT SOMETIMES IT MEANS A WORLD TO US!

VISITING THE QUIET FISHING VILLAGE OF JURUJUBA IS NOT EXACTLY A TOURIST ATTRACTION, BUT IT IS A GREAT CHANCE FOR YOU TO SEE A COLORFUL NEIGHBORHOOD OF RIO THAT NO TOURISTS GO. AND YOU KNOW ME WELL, I AM NOT SOOOO WORRIED ABOUT "TOURIST ATTRACTIONS" I SHOW YOU INTERESTING PLACES IN RIO THAT WILL MAKE YOUR TRIP THE MOST SPECIAL EVER!!!

SOME SEEDS ARE WONDERFUL TO EAT AND THIS ONE I FELL IN LOVE. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS A DELICIOUS INDIAN WONDER BUT I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT SESAME IS ABSOLUTELY TASTY!!!

THIS WAS OUR ITINERARY:

We stopped by Flamengo's Park to have a privileged view of the Sugar Loaf and Guanabara Bay. Then we drove to Centro to go to Santa Tereza, we strolled around the cobbled stones streets and watched the impressive portuguese colonial architecture and we saw a lot of local life in the neighborhood with an interesting stop at Selaron Stairs. Before reaching the bridge, we stopped in a very old Monastery, São Bento Church and visited the first barroc church in Rio de Janeiro built in 1590. We crossed the bridge of Niteroi and stopped by the Modern Art Museum, impressive modern construction by the famous brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, from there we could see maervelous views of the Bay Coast such as all over Icarai Beach, the island of Boa Viagem and the mountains of Rio altogether. Our next stop was lunch in a local brazilian barbecue restaurant Verdana...What a wonderful stomacal experience there!!! We went to the viewpoint of Parque da Cidade, famous city's paraglyding plataform. The Hill we went is called VIRAÇÃO. Our last stop before going to the Christ was the fishing village of Jurujuba. We took photos of the charming simple way of life in the community. We tried to save a cat which was quite ill and after finding a place where we tried the AÇAI CREAM.

After a quick and wild drive coming back we reached the Christ where they could see all over Rio in the day and in the night.

Thanks folks for your good spirit, thanks for your accurate sense of adventure, thanks alot for your smile and thanks for being part of my work, once you did that you are all part of my life now.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A Friend in Rio