Menu

Thursday, January 31, 2013

RIO OFF ROAD - BRAVE GUESTS RESCUE



Rescue????  hahahahahahaha Yes, it is true...when some of my guests agree to go to the spectacular viewpoint in Niteroi and jump with great instructors and good friends from a cliff using a paraglyding...So I take Luciano strong and gorgeous Land Rover to bring my people back to the summit, and we get to know part of the jungles in Rio and we also have the great opportunity to know a different daily life of Rio.

One Rio de Janeiro far from the buzz in Copacabana...a rural side of our State that very few travellers and visitors know!

Everything is possible thanks to the help of a very experienced pilot, Luciano Miranda, he is the head master of the paraglyding association in Niteroi.


I had the great opportunity to show to my Stugart Friends Matthias and Tobias my favorite spot in Rio, the viewpoint of Parque da Cidade. We scheduled two jumps and they saw the beauties of Rio from such amazing angles. 


Safety and adventure are waiting for you in Niteroi....



Simply 36 years of experience, wisdom and adventure. Luciano offers an impossible to forget adventure in the skies of Rio. 

Thanks Luciano to add joy, adventure and emotions to my work! :))))



Well, with such a majestic view...you do not need to do the classical tour like going to Sugar Loaf...Better going to places difficult to reach and this is my specialty. To give you unique places to your travel list. I am here also with my team to give you the real spirit of Rio and a local way of travelling.

Join us in this adventure, we are waiting for you!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

SHINTIA - HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE - MY BRAZILIAN REFERENCES


Dear Reader...I know you just got here to know more about my tours, but my blog is also my space to express my thoughts, feelings and to talk about people who have great importance in my life. And today I feel like writing about someone who is very present in my life and this person lives in my heart!!! :) She is one of the treasures of the brazilian amazon region. She is the pearl of Maranhão, lovely State upnorth that gave me unique people, like Marcone, like Mayara, like Poliane, like Laura, like Taryana and so many people that I love.

But Shintia has a enormous meaning in my life....I know I can count on her here in Rio and also in the most remote places of our Amazon. I visit her up there and she comes to see me in the main door of our lovely country which is RIO.


It is a special event for me to talk about her because Shintia is now living a special moment...She is going to marry a good friend of mine, Hervanio; they are both important lawyers in the State of Maranhão and I love meeting them when they have holidays and we explore isolated places in the north of Brazil such as an endless complex of rivers, lagoons and mangroves of Cururupu. 

As usual, exploring places that are never mentioned in travel books and these are places that I can take you if we organize a wonderful trip to the Amazon.





In every trip we take we follow closely the reality of our own people, we find different images of a Brazil that even the brazilians never think about visiting. Lands were just being outdoors are such a big event in some villages that we simply visit because of a local boat stop. It is a deep voyage to our wonderful country that keep us always in the same level of curiosity and mutual admiration. 

Shintia and Marcone have a lovely land called Maranhão, full of mistery and beauties...full of wild places to discover. 


My wonderful sister (she is so much my friend that I have her as my sister), be sure that I love you dearly, either here in Rio or in your State, gorgeous Maranhão where the ocean and the Amazon meets, you can always count on me, and my posting in my blog is a tribute for the marvelous person that you are!

Congratulations for thjis new period of your life, all my best wishes for this important step in your life! Just want you to know that you are very special to me!

Thank you very much, 

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Saturday, January 26, 2013

GOING TO THE BEACH AT 2:00 AM


That is what makes Rio special...while most of my friends in the North Hemisphere of this Planet must be shoveling the snow, I am here in Copacabana enjoying the Summer and when it is too hot at home, I just walk few blocks and I can swim a little in one of the World Famous Beach. Though it is not the most beautiful beach in the country but it is quite iconic and it is really pleasant simply going out with friends and take the like in the most positive way...We just went down to the beach to sip some super delicious coconut water and I jump into the water. 

And this is a normal  thing to do...as you can see I was not the only one....

Rio's people are super outdoor and here you see people late at night...We are late people, we hate to go to bed earlier...Life has to be enjoyed night and day!!!


Nowadays that drinking Coca Cola is forbidden, according to the Fitness Dictatorship, it is never a bad idea to get together with great friends...Here you can see Marcone and I with our cousins and best friends Sonia and Noeme, playing cards (to be price, playing UNO - the card game created in Ohio, 1971) and drinking Coconut Water (this is largely allowed by the FITNESS DICTATORSHIP!) which is very hydrating and great for hang over...ATENTION DRINKERS!!! :)

Just simple things in life can make all the difference...

As you know, dear Reader, my blog is not only about tours or travel postings...it is my space where I express my thoughts, feelings and great things about life!

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

RIO IN A DIFFERENT WAY - THANKS TO MY ARGENTINEAN FAMILY


Dear Reader, when I say "family" I mean...all guests that I have is part of my life...I am always fortunate to meet lovely and brilliant people. I just turn of them and I take my people to places where they really never heard about visiting...Because commonly people tend to go to touristic places...but I love taking my people to very local and unique places like Itacoatiara!

I am not formal...this is the best personal experience that you can have in your trip to Rio. I had the great joy to welcome a whole argentinean family from Buenos Aires...my CHICAS, Shary, Melu and Mely came with their parents, my good friends Dardo and Esther.

We spent nearly the whole day exploring the beauties of Niteroi, in the ocean side where we visit beaches whose names are not famous but beauty is simply breathtaking. 



Ohhh well, beautiful sceneries, wonderful people and open spirit to visit what's new...that is the whole spirit of my tours in Brazil. Dardo, poor fellow, all surrounded and controled by 4 powerful women in the house. So he decided to take the girls for a good break in Rio de Janeiro. Esther is the Queen of her 3 gorgeous princesses, so we had a ROYAL TOUR in Niteroi!!! :)))))

As you can notice...I am not a type of a very serious and conservative guide...I am simply someone who really wants to be your friend when you choose Brazil to visit!!!


Special thanks to my great argentinean friends that make my work in tourism in Brazil way happier and full of fun. Special thanks to my argentinean friend that despite of all difficulties in their won country they come here and my task here is provide the best. My heart is filled with argentinean people. 

Big kisses to all my folks there and MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS A ESTA FAMILIA TAN HERMOSA Y TAN QUERIDA QUE YO CONOCÍ!

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

HAVING FUN IN A RIO THAT YOU NEVER HEARD ABOUT - PRAÇA GRANITO


I have a challenge for my friends in Pocatello, Idaho...would you come to Rio and reach a place called Praça Granito!!!????? And it is a challenge for every intrepid visitor that comes to Brazil, searching for wonderful secrets in Brazil...Some local jewels are waiting for you when we meet...Pure cultural tour in Rio visiting the Squares in the Rio's Suburbios (outskirts) and you will have loooooooads of fun!!!

It is part of my night tours now...We spend the evening together exploring unique parties and getting to know real people, away from the touristic places!



It is far from Rio's famous places...Forget about Copacabana....forget about Ipanema...forget about Plataforma...it is time for us to explore the SOUL of Rio...

Praça Granito is a popular spot right in the limits between the north and west areas of Rio. It is in the heart of a neighborhood called Anchieta and it has so many food quiosks and I am a Gastronomy Hunter, and I can tell you...this is by far the best place to eat street food and the best of our Brazilian Cuisine can be found there! And we will be surrounded by a crowd ready for party, with Samba and Pagode, and of course Funk Music. Happiness everywhere!!!

We can combine dinner at Granito and some hours in a genuine Samba School in the weekends. Come and join us, it will be a remarkable experience for you to understand the natural joy of Carioca People!



No doubt this is one of my favorite places when I bring dear friends just to have a great time. I only have cool moments when I visit Praça Granito...it is a MUST DO place in your trip to Rio and I am here to take you there.

I love being with my people. I love spend nights talking and talking...

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Saturday, January 19, 2013

LOVELY WORDS FROM A FRIEND IN NEW YORK - - RIO CAN BE "WHEELCHAIRABLE" WITH RAFA

Jon is a very dedicated son and a wonderful friend...He decided to take his mother, June, to Rio de Janeiro on the top of her very well lived 87 years old. One of their wishes was visiting Brazil and they needed someone really special to make this trip one of the best in their memories. June has some walking problems, so she needs a wheelchair. One of his concern was making this trip comfortable for her. Jon always took care of his Mother like all great sons do...My friend Jon is now giving back all the care, all the love and his personal dedication. He delivered his life to me and Marcone, meaning, we would have to take care of his lovely Mother and make sure she would be alright. I told him I would have Marcone, someone specialized in dealing with Elder People, he is a nurse also with geriatric and cardio specialty.




This tour was already special because I had Jon, a great friend from New York..with all his knowledge about life, his country and funny facts with their travels (He always travels with June), but I knew I would give more of myself so I decided to bring Marcone to help me in this challenging and great mission. Human Taste is something that I judge absolutely important in our tours. So we thought about not only showing Rio, we wanted to give a complete experience, so from the airport we went straight to Paraty where Brazil is more historical, where Brazil is wilder. Nature and Culture; but Paraty has cobble stone streets and not good at all for wheelchairs. No problem, we did even more, we put June in a boat to see the remarkably beautiful islands, small villages in islands like Sapeca, we shown the mean streets of Paraty and later we explored Rio for two days. Everything well planned among Jon, Marcone and I.

June specially loves animals...a visit to Paraty was great...we met a lot of dogs which made her day and we went to a very old Sugar Cane Farm in Cunha with a lot of wildlife, colorful birds like the restaurant we went in Bocaina Mountains....where we had the whole view of the jungles. All this with a wheelchair...believe me, lots of work, lots of thinking but as a result we just had pleasure, joy and we were honored to make everything possible for someone (June) who dedicated her life to help people. So I made sure that she would have good taking care with the super essential help from Marcone and also Jon that gave us hints about dealing with all the difficulties.




We had wonderful moments in this "different" tour as a result, Jon wrote some words about his days with his Mother June that I am happy to share with you, Reader:

"I went to Rio with my 87 year old mother in a wheelchair who saw the Statue of Christ from the top and Sugar Loaf at dusk to see the city light up. You can choose where next. We drove around and ate in hilly trendy Santa Teresa. Rafa loves his job as much as he loves Rio. When you meet him, you are family and you become a Brazillian going to tourist or non tourist places.
Marcone is a warm and loving trained nurse. Who specialty is caring for older people. We even went to the village of Paraty and did a boat ride and ate off an island. Rafa and Marcone can tell you what to expect while keeping your care in mind

Rafa can make adventures, make the most of your custom trips. When our flight was canceled til the next day, he had already adjusted everything to work. She liked birds so we went to a small cafe on the side of a mountain where they put fruit on some branches to attract birds while you eat. She loved seeing the birds in the wild in a place that we would never have known about. He is a native who loves the city and wants to show it off to the world to see with an interestt in everything Brazil. Make his ever growing knowledge work for you."


 

Thank you Jon for all the kind words, thanks a lot for your friendship and to the great gift that you gave me, taking care of your trip to Brazil. It was a great pleasure for me!

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

STAIRWAYS TO HEAVEN - GOOD BYE SELARON

I always wanted to write about good news, telling you the best places to go, also writing about my life as a Tour Guide and also I am very opened about my personal life here in my blog. It is my space where my friends and my guests can get to know me better, my way to express my feelings and my opinions. I have wrote about anyone who passed away but this time, it is different...I lost a friend and Rio, my home and my land, just lost an icon...Someone that I always said...a symbol of Rio....


Selaron died because he could not stand greedy...his creation was his own madness...he loved to say that...24 years ago he started changing the life of a whole neighborhood by placing little red tiles on the wall, he was an artist that chose to live in Brazil because Rio was a city that conquered his heart and we welcomed him so greatly that he paid us back with the best of his talent. He changed a whole stairway in two very old districts of Rio: Santa Tereza and Lapa.

Sadness was not his thing...he had his crazy opinion and he was not modest at all, but all great artist has the right to be arrogant and special...


Every meeting with Selaron was one of the highlight of my tours...Selaron was a great friend who always supported my work, and his assistant Cesar was always there ready to make Selaron's Stairs even more perfect. I had the honor to place one italian tile of Saint Francis, because Selaron knew that I am a cat person and Saint Francis is the protector of animals. My friend Omar from Venezuela was there and we had lots of fun!


I had the privilege to learn more about his personality...he gave me the chance to take so many pictures and I got together all the best photos that I took and I gave him my best work as a tribute to him. This day we told jokes and we could talk about daily life, He was one of my friends and someone who always gave a plus in my tours. One of the main rio's character always ready to tell funny stories to all my guests!!!


Selaron gave me time to take to his stairs maybe one of the biggest groups that I organized and I had the great help of Marcone and Sonia. We told our group that they were about to see some of the greatest symbols of the city. And they were so excited to see the artist in his stairs and we had this historical pictures which we are honored to be there in such a special event. They were members of Semester at the Sea, families from USA, CANADA AND ENGLAND. 


This is the work of an excellent brazilian photographer Carlos Levitanus that I took the chance to post in my blog with great honor, thankfulness and happiness...This is Selaron in a very rare moment, but it is the last of his photo that I post in my blog...A tribute to one man that gave his life for his incredible work that changed the history of our city!!! Rio is now the city where Selaron left his most incredible work. 

He usually sad...I am better than Michelangelo...Picasso was a failure...he said he was the most complete painter in history...If he was right, I will never know but for sure he was big in our hearts and lives and as a real Carioca I must say...THANK YOU SELARON FOR EVERYTHING!

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

THE TOUR OF HAPPINESS IN RIO - PURE SAMBA - PURE LIFE!!!



Ahhhhhhh one year starting and Carnaval is in the air...February is coming closer, but we can find PARTY TIME in every neighborhood of Rio, specially in the quadras of many samba schools. Music, DRUMS...smiles...all kind of dances and people in extasis...Get prepared because I am here to take you to the hottest Carioca Way of Life...The Samba...the heart beating of Rio everywhere...In the streets, in the Ensaios, a full complete journey to the Brazilian Culture. YES...IF YOU REALLY WANT THE REAL EXPERIENCE, I AM HERE TO INTRODUCE YOU A WORLD OF JOY AND LOTS OF FUN!!!



Well, it is hard to say that it is my work. My passion for Rio is genuine, it is my people, my hood!!! I am so happy that my work is a combination of total pleasure and pride to be what I am...a brazilian who love to be Brazilian. And we can start this wonderful journey to the Brazilian Culture visiting Samba Schools, or when february is close in the many blocos (street parties) all around Rio specially in Copacabana, Ipanema, Santa Tereza and Lapa.

OUR NIGHT TOUR WILL TAKE YOU TO ALL THESE FUNNY SECRETS OF RIO DE JANEIRO....You will see your mouths smiling more than usual that is for sure!


But do you think it is enough???? Oh no!!! Just be brave because the brazilian party will have to continue...And do not eat anything...because after the Samba we are going to the largest public market in Rio de Janeiro...A place full of tradition, a place where food is plenty with some genuine and authentic restaurant showing the best food from so many remote places of my Brazil. Not only food, but more music, more incredible genuine crafts to buy.

One night for you to experience REAL BRAZIL, one night for you to understand why we are so friendly and how we care about our happiness!!!



Nordeste means North-East and Nordeste is one of the five regions of Brazil...Despite of the progress of our country, this region is still the poorest region in Brazil, so massive people left their lands to try a good chance in the big cities, and Feiras like Feira de São Cristovão or Feira do Nordeste are the place where people from all the States of Nordeste (9 states in total) get together to celebrate their traditions, their music (forró) and where they can buy all the ingredients for their food which we call it as COMIDA NORDESTINA.

So a real lesson of Brazilian life in a night tour...what are you waiting for!!!??? :)

For sure, lots of fun, lots of great photos and one Brazil that you will never expect to find!

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Monday, January 7, 2013

A SUPER IMPORTANT MEETING IN RIO AND NITEROI


We always love to welcome great friends when they visit us in Rio and this meeting had a very special reason. It is a meeting of great travel experts to discuss the future of new travellers coming to Rio and make the city and also the country of Brazil easy and special for every one. Marcone and I had the honor to meet this morning one of the biggest names of World Travel, the Anyroad.com family Jonathan and Daniel. This friendship was everlasting sealed this morning, starting in the bohemian and absolutely cute neighborhood of Santa Tereza and with a grand finale in the city where I was raised: NITEROI.

We chose the unknown and absolutely gorgeous viewpoint of Parque da Cidade at Viração Mountain Range, a place where you see how magic Rio is and also a spot where you understand that Niteroi can make your trip to our Rio so special and absolutely unique.

The four of us want to make RIO authentic and REAL for you!!!




A visit to Rafa's land always had to be special and as we want to make Rio different among the places you choose to travel, thanks to my friend and instructor Alexandre, we provided a new angle of Rio in this visit. Jonathan jumped from the hill of Parque da Cidade. It is a wonderful experience as usual that any one with good sense of adventure and health in the heart can do! :) I highly recommend a flight in Rio in the hands of Alexandre and his associates. I am sure that this morning was so unforgetable for all of us!!!




Alexandre is a great friend of mine full of kindness, good heart and energy. He feeds the adrenaline of many people in Niteroi for many years, very talented and experienced and he is our representative in Niteroi. I highly recommend you to see a different Rio with him. This is one of the people I can count with to make your visit unique and absolutely special. We always use his services. Alexandre is the person we trust and the person that will be one more friend you will have in Brazil!!! :)


Of course, as you know, I AM NOT A NORMAL tour guide...Oficially I am a licensed tour guide but I like to be your best friend in Brazil and when I have my guests, they always belong to a famous gallery that I have on FACEBOOK. So for you to understand why we cry so much, you have to friend me there. But this little indigenous boy is becoming famous and my guests CELEBRITIES.

Jon and Daniel came with me to Santa Tereza and now they are part of this weird and funny family!

RAFAEL TORRES LOPES
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A friend of Anyroad.com