THE GREAT KIWI TOUR IN NITEROI

With my sister Bella and brother Sam in the beautiful roof of Niteroi!!! :) A tour with special people always give us a special day!!!

Niteroi is not so far from Rio, it is a city forgotten by most of our visitors!

I am sure my kiwi friends will always come!!! NEW ZEALAND has lots of things in common with Brazil. The kiwis are always opened for new adventures and I am always READY to give you new adventures!!!

TO ALL MY KIWI FRIENDS, spread the news!!!! :) Brazil can be a wonderful destination to all great people from New Zealand. I am proud and honored to have friends in my sweet kiwi people!!!

Missing you dearly folks...BIG HUGS TO BRAVE DAVID AND SUPER HUGS FOR YOU!!!!

Please never forget us!!!! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A FRIEND OF NZ!!!!!!! :)

MORE FRIENDS FROM TEXAS AND MORE FRIENDS FROM MIGHIGAN - WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!

I always say that in a Modern Art Place we take MODERN ART PICTURES! Thanks to our visit to Niteroi nwe can play with your imagination and I love doing it!!! We had a blast in the Oscar Niemeyer's Museum...Still alive this man, and still with a very active brain constructing very interesting buildings and monuments all over the World, and Niteroi had the honor to have some of his creation. Also, a wonderful opportunity to see some of the unique vistas of the Bay, in Niteroi's side.

Don't MESS with Texas!!! Well, I shake Texas, I am Sure!!! hahahahaha :) Everytime I have guests from this wonderful State. Texas always send me incredible people, this time I welcome my good new friends Tim and Jermy...We had a blast and they accept to join the tour that I was already planning with Robin and Barbara, sweet daughter and mother that wanted to come to Rio and have an explosion of fun with me!!! :) They are a real gift from a State that seems to love me, Michingan, THANK YOU MICHIGAN!!! :)

Well, a good tour have to start at Flamengo's park where you can see the traditional and expensive neighborhood of Urca, and also to have an idea about the beauty of our Bay Area, it is called Guanabara, also a great chance to get to know your people and get the feeling about what they want to do and what they like. In this moment you really feel that you get your friends for a life time!!! Tim and Jermy are wonderful people and I am proud to give them one entire day in Rio! :)

Selaron Stairs...the Rio's marterpiece, a must go place in the heart of the old centre. Selaron can be very crazy...some times he talks like a MOUTH MACHINE, sometimes he shuts his mouth up that we do not hear even a MICHELANGE OR DALI COMPLAINT...He loves to criticize. But going there is a chance for us to turn back time for our best trips because we will see tyles from all over the World. And this is also the chance to see two old and traditional neighborhoods, the bohemian Santa Thereza on the top of the hill and Lapa, the birth place of our Samba culture.

Well, our tour are not only visiting touristy places...actually very obvious places I simply do not take you, these are places very easy to reach, but I focus on our local culture and daily costums.

Niteroi is the funniest part of the tour with greast surprises too!!! We see a lot of places that people never think about visiting! We go to places that you will hardly find in travel books and Parque da Cidade, the point in Rio where we jump paraglyding is a must in the tour!!! Great views to the Ocean Side!

One of the secrets of our tours is visiting the beaches of Adan and Eve...wow, we see so many beautiful places and it is always a time for total laughs telling different stories about Rio de Janeiro!!! The fishing village area of Jurujuba is simple something that you should never miss.

Niteroi gives you lots of surprise and I am very familiar with the city. I lived there for 20 years...It is my homeland, it is my HOOD!!! :)

Now I live in Copacabana but my heart is always in Niteroi...a place that I love and a place that I let my guests love!!!

So if you want to visit a place that you will never forget, come to my tours!!!

Brazil will be always a special place for you!!! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

THE SUPER WEST SIDE TOUR IN RIO DE JANEIRO - THE RIO THAT YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN!!! :)

Rio is a big big big city and the best way to explore everything is going to places where no tourists go. And it is easy for me, I just take my guests to my favorite places and Rio gives us so many options. My Mission here is providing you a good time, specially because I know that you have been planning this trip to Rio with all your wishes, dreams and expectations.

Well, here I am, much more than willing to be a good guide, I want to make sure that I will be your best friend in Rio and just like best friends do, I got lot of secrets to share!!!

The west side of Rio is full of surprises and places that I am sure you had never imagined to explore and here is the plan.

You all know that I am an outdoor person, and I am grateful to my work because it allows me to be in touch with our best attractions almost every day. I always say that I am a mix of INDIANA JONES and JACQUES COUSTEAU, so I will take you to many green places, and a great start is visiting our Botanical Gardens. A place full of stories, 200 years preserving the nature and always keeping Rio as a pleasant city to live. Going to the Botanical Garden is a real experience to get to know our main species and see some animals of our fauna like the Capuchin Monkeys, some parrots, some toucans and lots of other different colorful birds. Also without letting the authorities notice, eating some fresh fruits directly from the tree. The invitation for adventure start now!!!

Then after so much Nature and fresh air we will have some people watching in a real and genuine favela of Rio de Janeiro where pace of life is simple, down to earth and happy...We will see grocery stores that we were used to see when we were young. we will see narrow streets and walk through narrow alleys and little streets. We will see a lively poor community in Rio de Janeiro which richness can found in the bright eyes of a child and the endless innocent smile of the little ones!!!

So what about giving a social profile to your trip to Rio???? What about being part of our simple daily life in a poor community of Rio. Looking with a closer eye the real life of a big part of our population who live in the so called Favela. I am sure you will think it is dangerous, people back home will have a heart attack if they know that you went to the criminal favelas in Rio de Janeiro!!!! OHHHHH MY!!!!!!

No, nothing is going to happen with you...First you will get yourself into the best of our musical culture of Samba because the Favela is the SAMBA BIRTH; then you will find so manuy different people trully smiling at you and trying to talk with you forgetting the idiom bareer. And most important of all, you will be helping a lot of people with just one visit to the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We can stop in a grocery store and buy some food and make one family happy in just one visit to the Favela!

Not dangerous and visiting such a community will make you learn much more about our reality, you will see the stuff they buy, the things they cell, you will see a lot of simple business like so many barber shops, so many grocery store and even a MADE IN CHINA MARKET!!!

It is fun, it is informative, it is impressive!!!

Continuing our way to the west we will find secluded beaches where only locals go...we will see beautiful coastal landscape of a beautiful and shining city that we can only find in Rio. We will see way more of a touristic city. we will find out that Rio will always be part of our Resting Places!!! We will have a stroll in the beach of Recreio.

We will walk in the sand and see the Pontal Island which stands beautifully in the wild coast of Recreio!

You will visit the most beautiful beaches in the State of Rio, PRAINHA, you will realize that our city is not only Copacabana or Ipanema even though these are gorgeous beaches, but too much constructions, too much sophistication, and sometimes too much people. Visiting these other beaches you will see that Rio's Nature is simply endless!!!

We will also visit the virgin beach of Grumari, one of the last beaches in our coast, being there is like turning back time to the first Navigators...the enviroment is absolutely preserved and it will give a lot of inspirations for amazing pictures! Places that you will never see in any travel brochure!

After lunch we will visit a very interesting fishing village in Barra de Guaratiba, where pace of life is still very slow and lazy, we can also arrange a boat ride to the wetlands of Baia de Sepetiba and see a lot of wildlife. Also a great opportunity to hike if you feel like and witness one of the most unusual sunsets in the city!!!

This tour will make you feel a real expert of Rio de Janeiro, a real Carioca, one of Rafa's friend.

Much more than guiding you there, I want to place forever Rio in your heart and memory!!!

Write to me and I will give you all the price information, the tours take about 8 hours or more, it will depend of the day light, it will depend on your energy. You decide, all I can guarantee is that you will have a fantastic time!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Always concerned to make Rio your HOUSE!!!!

A SOCIAL LOOK AND WONDERFUL VIEWS

Hearing about Favelas we always things about the problems that Rio had some years ago...Problems still exist but we are way more aware about our social problems and the population and also the Goverment is really trying to help. Less violence is clear as water and in some communities peace and joy are back!!!

Children can play outside and go to school without being worried to be victym of many cross fires, families can commute, business back in the little groceries, barber stores and lots of little restaurants opened in their own houses, and believe me, the food is gorgeous!!!


Some of them will stop you just to have there photos taken, some of them will show you their pets...anyway, the favela is the birth of a very deep culture in Rio de Janeiro, this is where the SAMBA comes from. this is where our Carnaval is created. We, Cariocas, we owe them!!!

If you are coming to Rio not only for the beach and night life, but also for the culture and to enrich your knowledge...A real experience in a FAVELA cannot be outside of your plans! And you will find out some unique views of the city!!!

Well, Michael Jackson visited one of the favelas and recorded one of his hits THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT US (believe me, now WE CARE!!!), so many social ventures happening there and you can help too, I know several families that needs help, so just talk to me and we can do something special. Maybe going to a grocery store and buy some food for some families that really need it.

We can change something and your trip to Rio can help a lot of people!!!

And I am your friend here, you can always count on me!!!

LOTS OF LOVE TO ALL MY DEAR READERS,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A friend of Rio :)

THE AMAZING FAUNA IN A FAVELA'S DAY - SANTA MARTA

You know those eyes who beg you to be taken home??? Well this is the risk of visiting a community when you LOVE ANIMALS just like I do....Street dogs in Brazil are well taken care off because people feed them and people are always ready to help or even take them homes. There are also a chance for them to be the PET of a certain street or community!!! We love animals!!! :)

A Favela is a fertile field for cats...millions of roofs and abundant vegetation for their hunting skills, besides it is clear that a lot of people love their cats. Walking in the favelas you cannot help looking inside of the houses and you always see a cat lying in the sofa or just sitting on the top of the living room TV.

Sydney, my guest and dear friend from New York had a blast when we were walking in Santa Marta Hill with her family, Jayne, Robert, Travis (TACO) and Juliana. Visiting a Favela is a nice opoortunity to see that no matter what social level you belong you will always see happiness and friendship among people. They are always ready to give us a large smile!!!

All the time wondering at Santa Marta Hill or Morro Santa Marta I always think that my cell phone rings. But you can hear real roosters. Chickens everywhere and for sure they are a good part of people's diet!!!

Dogs are also present in our day and they are plenty, always ready to play. People love their dogs in the Favelas but for sure they do not really care about their necessities on the ground...so BEWARE!!! :) WATCH YOUR STEP!!!!

If you are interested about visiting the famous poor communities in Rio that we name FAVELA, let me know. I can take you to many of them in Rio de Janeiro and I also know specific people that will help you in a social journey to the soul of Brazil. I can give you this experience not only in Rio but in places like Salvador, São Luis. And out of the country in Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

FOOTBALL IS A RELIGION AND FLAMENGO IS A NATION

It is not my team I have to admit, but Flamengo is everywhere when we walk in the narrow alleys of any favela, in this case we were in the Community of Santa Marta. Mikki and Atti came here from Israel.

We had a fabulous time with a closer look into our poor communities, they are poor, it is clear but there is a fascinating happiness going on in any Favela we go.

Friendship, smiles and curiosities are always present in the tours!

Football (Soccer as people know in the States) is something that makes all social levels united and it is present also in WALL ARTS that we foten see when we walk everywhere in Rio.

NAÇÃO RUBRONEGRA means RED AND BLACK NATION, those are the colors of Flamengo Football team which holds the biggest fans in Brazil, not only here in Rio!

VIVA is when you scream out loud LONG LIFE FOR!!!

SO VIVA RIO!!!! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

SENEGAL'S TREASURE IN RIO :)

I am sure she will be one of the most brilliant brains for Africa in the near future!!! :) She studies Foreign Affairs in Chicago and Chicago (as usual) holds in its home this "piece of paradise", my friend Matel!!! She came to Brazil as part of her language studies, she chose portuguese...quite smart as Brazil is growing fast and plays an important rule in the World's Business Scenery.

For Chicago I have to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for sending me so many interesting people, it is one of the cities in USA that always look for my tours!!! MUITO OBRIGADO!!!

We had one day to explore Rio and we also had the company of our New Yorker friend Brandon which I will talk about in one of my next posts. Of course, we stopped in one of Rio's landmark...the multi-coloured stairs of Selaron, a work made by just one man that really gave to Rio the title of GRAND TRAVEL DESTINATION. And I am a big fan of Selaron which I am proud to have him as a friend of mine. Seeing the stairs is like reviewing our Travel Life, you find tyles from all over the World.

IMPORTANT!!!! Check if you can find a TYLE with the name of your hometown written in it, and bring it to us, I will take you to Selaron's Stairs and we both will give to him...It is a gift to the city and it is a way to recognize his fabulous work and contribuition for a more beautiful World.

As we know, Selaron Stairs not only belongs to Rio but also to all over the Planet...So HELP THE PLANET TO GET EVEN MORE COLORS!!!

No doubt, Senegal gave to the World one precious pearl. Matel was a real gift to my photography hobbies...combining human presence and modern architecture. And we were in Niteroi visiting the famous Niemeyer's Monument...and this monument is a museum, our Contemporary Art Museum. And going there will be your chance to see an unique view to the Bay of Guanabara.

For every traveller visiting Rio, going to Niteroi is always a pleasant surprise...It is our most important city after Rio and sadly it is forgotten by most of our visitors, but I am here to show you all the secrets!

You can write to me asking details about having one day in Niteroi.

We also stopped in the charming fishing village of Jurujuba right in the celabrations of St. Peter's day, the Fishermen Protector...lots of local food all around, all types! We had a lovely Feijoada in the local's church. Beautiful colourful boats and lots of green all around.

Many thanks to Matel's friendship that made possible one more brilliant day in my career. Many thanks also to Brandon's presence that also helped to give us a very fun day. We had a blast and Rio became even more fascinating with such a Princess visiting our lands!!!

I am proud and honored to be your friend, Matel. Thanks for making our day so special with your knowledge, travel curiosity and very sweet presence!!!

And your portuguese is simply perfect...We know you will come back many times!!! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

WE GO EVERYWHERE IN RIO :) ROCINHA

Some people name it Favela, some other people prefer to name it as Community...Rocinha is the real name...famous place in the west side of Rio and also spot of so many bad and good stories of our city routine. But Rocinha is a very interesting neighborhood of Rio, for me it is a PLANET...You can find everything there and you can find any kind of people...So diverse and so fascinating walking in the alleys of the Favela!!!


No no no, I am not famous there....

Once in a while I take my guests to see this famous Favela...and sometimes I go there to buy clothes, eletronic devices or food in the sunday market which is the well known FEIRA DA ROCINHA. And it is fantastic to see the great diversity of a place full of hardworking people and people always ready to help you.

I took my guest and new friend Suzanne from England, living in Australia, right now...she came to Rio in her brazilian trip, and we had some hours to see Rio "under the rain" and we stopped to see the lovely "community's artcraft store" in the base of Rocinha next door to the Samba Rehearsal Place and we strolled around Via Apia and the neighboring streets...

A visit to Rocinha will make you learn a lot about various social projects that is changing people's life and the colourful houses are a must to see. A visit to Rocinha is a real journey to the Favela's Culture, you will learn more about our music, art and a different daily life.

My friend Zezinho is one of the guys who are real experts to take you to a clear and fascinating tour that will get you in touch with Rocinha's life style with its incredible views to the Atlantic Ocean on São Conrado Beach, you can find him on my FACEBOOK - He is the Funkeiro de Raiz. Zezinho has the impressive way to translate the passion of his Hood and you will go back home with a fantastic idea of what a Favela really is!

Personally, I think Rocinha is one of my favorite places in Rio, it is always very fun every visit I make!

Thanks to all friends there!!! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A friend of Rocinha