COLORS OF PARATY - LOCAL ARTIST - LUIS MURCE

Any one who paints cats have my total admiration and all my respect right away!!! I am a cat person and I am a great fan of local artists everywhere I go. I love when people give their soul to express love for nature, love for the land and when people express the best of their sentiments and make it clear to us using a lot of colors. From this simple art (which I think it is not exactly "simple") it is possible to explain what a place is all about. 

Paraty also breathes art and culture...well...400 years of history...400 years living with people from all over the World...a massive region full of native population and a super green area full of nature resources...beaches, ocean, islands, portuguese heritage, green mountains, old portuguese farms, waterfalls, diverse wild life...a real Paradise!

I was blessed to come across with the colours of Luis Murce, a very sensitive and full of imagination local painter. With joy in his heart he shows the amazing diversity of species that Paraty has, same nature that we need to preserve. From his simple art we can understand more of brazilian legends, daily life and the magic and humble life of Caiçara People.

Luis came from Tijuca and had chosen Paraty to shown his art for all visitors and we should support him. The colours of Paraty and best memories that we have here should be present in our homes...somewhere in one empty wall in our living rooms, it is nice to have a joyful blue macaw happily saying good morning for us in our bathroom or a multi-colored toucan fullfilling with life our living room, making Brazil present in each moment of our normal and fast life.

I adore animals, I deeply respect the forces of Nature...and the art of Luis Murce goes deeply in my thought about "real Brazil", I can feel his love for the country, same love that makes me showing you every unusual place of this "Terra Brasilis". He is one of the most brilliant brazilian characters that I know. His art is contemporary but at least he uses an easy and fascinating language and with no words he takes us to a primitive journey in this marvelous country called Brazil.

I support local art and you, dear Reader, should do the same...a visit to Luis' place is always so full of joy, it is a way to learn more about Brazil, it is a way to see this person's love for all our birds, his deep interest about our fascinating legends and brazilian stories. Luis is a person that easily translates Brazil to you.

Visiting his "atelier" right close to the main pier is always a pleasant thing to do, he will welcome you with a warm smile and buying part of his heart will make him continue to give us lots of life to our homes!

He deserve to be known in the main art galleries in the World and I hope we can help...his arts should be displayed in New York, Melbourne, Dubai, Paris or everywhere  in the World which good taste and love for travels should be combined!

I deeply trust in his talent, I am sure he is one of the best brazilian artist that I know and now I have one more good friend in Paraty.

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A friend of Paraty

GOOD MORNING PARATY - POUSO DOS SAÍRAS

Since I started writing my blog, dear Reader, I decided never to use photoshop...so I do apologize my "pillow face", I just woke up in this foggy morning of 27th of October in one of the most fascinating colonial town of Brazil!!!!

YES!!!!! I AM BACK TO PARATY WITH ONE MORE TOUR...Again with Marcone and my lovely guests from New York which I will soon introduce to you...As I always do, I always try a different place to stay and this time, I am a little far from the historical center, I picked up a place where I could be out of bed with the sounds of bird and I could not be more mistaken...A rooster kept of singing all night long!!!!!! Well, taking the fact that we got here almost 4:00 am after driving since midnight in the curving road of Rio-Santos...I have to confess that I was not so happy with this rooster.

We say GALO in Portuguese....

Anyway...the first morning light just came out and by 9:00 am I decided to walk in the property and the name POUSO DOS SAÍRAS was more than correct...lots of happy singing birds everywhere, and Saira is one of the blue tanagers so common in the tropical forests of Rio State. I saw also lots of parrots!!!

The houses are spacious, coming to Pouso dos Sairas is like visiting a relative who has a big green property with nice houses. We are hosted at room 5, super nice room with a small kitchen and pristine bath room. I really like it...No luxury at all but lots of comfort and facilities. 

No swimming pool...well, we are in Paraty all surrounded by beautiful beaches, wonderful islands and lots of waterfalls in the jungle...So pools are not so necessary everywhere you stay. But for those who love plants, POUSO DOS SAÍRAS is a nice choice!

We are paying less than 60 USD a day, so the price is quite fair, it is a price for two people, the onwer Ney is sooo friendly, he really make us feel at home. Very pleasant ambience and I would highly recommend this cottage as one of the greatest options when you think about places to stay!

This is just the first day and this visit of Paraty is very special...I am with a very dear friend from Queens, Jon who brought her sweet mother June in a wheel chair...Challenging and fascinating task to do...We will put all our heart in this short trip to the past and to the Nature of this piece of Brazil.

HAPPY TRAVELS, 

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

AGUA FRESCA COTTAGE - LITERALLY "FRESH WATER"

I live in a big city though this city is blessed to be Rio de Janeiro. Here I have the ocean, I have the mountains and so many stunning surroundings, but it is a big city. Sometimes Rio is crazy when you are here not for holidays, when you have your daily life in a big urban centre, so you need to escape to a place where all the noise you hear will be the sound of the waters and the pleasant melody of the birds…And you will not see cars, buses, buildings and funk music everywhere…you will see trees, blue sky and such a lush green wilderness everywhere your eyes look for.

AND SUDDENLY YOU WILL BE AWARDED BY THE ENERGY OF ONE OF THE BEST WATERS IN BRAZIL…Cold, relaxing and fresh water recharging your batteries. 

This is my secret when I want to get out of the mad craziness of a big city and find myself in the quietness of Agua fresca Cottage in a very unknown village of CACHOEIRAS DE MACACU.

Boa Vista River at Tenebroso Falls

In the trails of Santa Fé

Colegio Peak in total lush green

Water in the Cottage and water in the jungle…Everywhere you go, you will be surrounded by water. 100% Fresh Water, amazing quality of pure mineral water that you can drink from every spring.

This paradise is not so far from Rio, you get there in less than two hours and the region has so many options if you love the Nature, if you seek for freedom and rest. This green paradise has amazing wild life and lots of confort for you to spend one night, two nights or if you are lucky enough you can plan about a week with someone that you love or simply very special people just for you to enjoy the nature.

Cachoeiras de Macacu stands right in the biggining of Tres Picos Range, a wonderful region with the best of Rio’s Mountains. 

In the picture Marcone and I were having fun in the waters of the stunning Tenebroso Falls.

Relaxing in the Pool - Mineral Water Pool

Agua Fresca Cottage

Open parking place

Agua Fresca is the name of our headquarter in the mountains. A very nice lodge organized by local people, the owners Horta Family will take care of you during your stay there. The Cottage is equipped with spacious room made with granite rock, the rooms are close to Macucu River and the water will give you a sweet lullaby at night. The main house has a exotic decorated living room and space for meals are close to the pools, the balcony is absolutely shady. The pool is surrounded by green and the whole property seems to be a wonderful Botanical Garden!

The rates are really affordable, just do not expect a five star hotel. At Agua Fresca you will feel like you are spending the days in your country house, so you will need to do some of the tasks yourself, you are free to go to the kitchen and prepare anything you like, you are free to prepare your own coffe. It is like a big shelter in the wilderness with warm bedroom, hot shower and above all, your sacred price.

The water is renewed every second.

My Cousin Sonia and Little John

Happiness is our names

From Agua Fresca Cottage all the tours in the wilderness will be planned and organized, it will be our reference point to explore all the hiking trails and to visit the regions of Cachoeiras de Macacu and Friburgo. It will be a trip of Rio that you have never imagined; it will be also an experience of a life time if you have some more days free in your trip to Rio. Me and my guides will be happy to introduce you a very NATIVE BRAZIL. A Brazil of trekkers and intrepid explorers.

I fully recommend Agua Fresca, this cottage is one of my references in the mountains of Rio, I truly believe in the quality of their service and I love their warm welcome.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner