I always say that my day deserves more than 24 hours...I work hard, touring nearly everyday, taking care of so many domestic stuff, trying to be a good family member with a lot of tasks in my life. Now everybody says that we have to keep fit, exercise our body to be able to continue this crazy marathon of life!!!I am doing my part in this FITNESS DICTATORSHIP...Great for health, great for your daily life, but it is like a tribe...if you are not part of the tribe you are not welcome in some groups...So at least go walk in the beach, climb up the stairs all the time you need. I really try very hard...I need more time but I will survive!!! :) I am part of the gym club FORMULA in Copacabana, the staff are really great...I need to find strengh to wake up early and obey the rules of our modern world!!!At least I will be always HANDSOME, hahahahahaha :))))))For the record, I know dear reader, when you access my blog you are looking for more information about my tours. You will have all the details you need to know when you write to me! This blog talks about my life, my work and everything that I feel like writing!I am so grateful with all new friends, new guests and new challenges that you dear reader, provides me!It is a great pleasure sharing my life with you!!!! :) Rafael Torres LopesTour Guide and Travel Planner
I am a little bit sad because I lost some good guests because when we go out, they do not bring any kind of document telling their names or any kind of id number....The places in Rio do not allow you to enter if you do not have any kind of stuff that shows who you are...Once we were going to Rio Scenarium which is one of the most important HOUSES OF SAMBA in Rio de Janeiro!!!SO EVERYTIME THAT YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THE FUN AND JOY OF RIO NIGHT LIFE, ALWAYS BRING YOUR DRIVE LICENSE OR ANY COPY OF ANY DOCUMENTS THAT YOU HAVE, OTHERWISE YOU DO NOT ENTER!!!
Our night tour is fun and very informal...it is the best way for you to feel the spirit of the city, to be with the locals, to dance, to laugh and hear good music!!! Hillel and I had fun tasting some exotic fruit juices that only in Brazil you can have!!! I am so proud of my israeli friends!!! Hillel, it is time for you to come back to Rio!!!! : )))))
This is all we have....when you get to know the Rio's night, you will see that our city is always friendly and ready to give you the best. And I always take my guests to local places, away from touristy traps!!!
One of the Meccas of our samba is CENTRO CULTURAL CARIOCA, a fantastic samba house in the heart of the bohemian territory...LAPAThis is where Marcone and I always take our guests, this time with Georeley and Wendy from Sweden!!! :)We love our guests, we always want to have a wonderful time...so VERY IMPORTANT...all the time you go out with us...bring your documents!!!!!ALSO, YOU DO HAVE TO WALK AROUND WITH SOMETHING THAT TELLS WHO YOU ARE...In case of emergency, it will be almost impossible to find you!!!Do tell me what you think, feel free to write to my email address which is donrafainrio@yahoo.es HAPPY TRAVELS,Rafael Torres LopesTour Guide and EXPEDITIONS Planner
Many people think it is a native fruit of Brazil but it is not...Well, something for sure...you can find everywhere in Rio, in the other States of our South East Region, North-East and North of Brazil and I LOVE IT. MANGO...The portuguese, 500 years ago brought this delicious wonder from India because they already knew that it is one of the most spectacular fruit in the World, and they new that our lands the mangoes would find a real paradise to spread all over...THIS FRUIT GIVES FOOD and shade from the tropical heat that we have to face when we choose this beautiful side of the Earth to visit!!!In the best restaurants you find it...actually everywhere you go...BUT VERY SELDON YOU WILL FIND THE MANGO THAT YOU, DEAR READER, SEE IN THE PICTURE!!!This mango is very rare, it is called MANGA CORAÇÃO DE BOI (or BULL HEART MANGO), you can find in my Aunt's Mocinha house in the outskirts of Rio...in a place full of homely traditions (including SAMBA) called Irajá. So juicy, so meaty and so incredible!!!Today I am writing simply about MANGOES...one of the most delicious fruits that you can find in your next trip to Brazil. I am writing about my family life...I decided to visit my so dear relatives and trying also to have a deserve rest after a marathon of tours, and feed my soul, my brain and my energy for the challenge and wonderful marathon in the near future!!!May God Bless you all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!Rafael Torres LopesTour Guide and Travel Planner
Every now and then I write about Niteroi, the city where I was raised and where I spent a lot of incredible moments in my life. The tours in Niteroi is a great opportunity to always visit this place that I am in love with. My AFFAIR with Niteroi exists since the time when I was 14 years old and now I am ..... GUESS...I am sure when you think about coming to Rio...NITEROI IS NOT PART OF THE PLAN!!!! Serious mistake, dear reader...NITEROI can be one of the greatest highlights of your adventure in Rio and right today in one of my first tours of 2012 I was there with my wonderful new friends Dallas and Steve from my sweet Toronto and their friends (and now my friends) Giti and Moh, one adorable couple who lives in San Diego and they bring a wonderful "cultural luggage" from Persia where they really come from!!!
One of the best spots in Niteroi to be visited is the PARQUE DA CIDADE which is part of a State Park called TIRIRICA. This is where paraglyders from Niteroi usually jump and you can jump too. In this afternoon I was with my friend Angela from Granada, Spain and we had lots of fun, she came with her boyfriend Nacho, another wonderful friend that I made!!! Parque da Cidade will simply surprise you...amazing views to Rio de Janeiro and also incredible landscapes of Niteroi itself. NITEROI IS A STRONG PART OF MY TOUR
More surprises you will find if you follow the coast of our Guanabara Bay, you will encounter with incredible angles of famous landmarks in Rio like the Sugar Loaf and the Christ, all together in the same picture! And you will get to know places like Adan and Eve after visiting the simple and fascinating village of Jurujuba!
For sure this is the only place in Niteroi that you have heard...The Contemporary Museum, MAC...the famous project of our architect Oscar Niemeyer...it is one of our most important icon of our modern architecture and it is present in a lot of travel books. But all these books do not explain what you can do in Niteroi.Personally I think the collection is quite poor and I am not so fond of Modern Art, but you should go there to see the incredible views to the Bay and also to the island of Boa Viagem and the beautiful district of Icaraí.Marcone and I always take our guests to see the place and it is always a great moment of the tour and this is our second stop in the city of Niteroi.
Dallas and I had a blast today in Jurujuba, our fishing village, a place where time stopped and we can really experience a real brazilian village where people are friendly and extremely curious to hear people talking in a wierd language (in this case, english). This is another spot in Niteroi where you can practice your photography skills!
Niteroi has so much more, Niteroi has so many places in the coast that you will love. One of the hidden gems are this tiny beach in the oceanside called SOSSEGO.Niteroi is my hood, it will always be and I will be always proud to show you a place which many visitors will never reach.RAFAEL TORRES LOPESTour Guide and Travel PlannerA friend of Niteroi....
