RAFA TODAY!!! :) I AM BACK - SOME WORDS ABOUT RIO

Yes, dear Reader, I am back...it took me a long time to update my diary, or blog because high season and also a lot of internet working taking care of future tour meetings, trips and domestic life. I recently turned 45 years old (it is a secret, hahaha) and I realize that when you get older life gets busier and busier...Okay...but I am happy to share some thoughts, ideas and suggestions with you, dear Travellers, dear Guests and dear Friends. The joy of my life is making friend from all over the World!

Yes...Rio is still very stunning! Crime is not a big issue, I feel Rio way safer so when people get here they will experience the contagious CARIOCA STYLE OF LIFE, beaches crowded by beautiful people, amazing mountains and landscapes. 

Rio since 1501 always gave to visitors that good sensation of "I WILL BE BACK", my work here is to give you my passion for my own land, I love being your informal embassador, someone that you can always count. 

Every week I welcome new people and during my high season, I will hug a big group of INTREPID TRAVELERS organized by my friends Wayne and John...so I want to register in the blog how enormously grateful I am for all the help, trust and support. 

When Rafa is your tour guide, one very important spot you will know is the not so famous NITEROI, my homeland, a great surprise next door to Rio that you will love to explore. MARK MY WORDS, it is a big mistake not visiting Niteroi in your first time in Rio. Our famous architect Oscar Niemeyer loved Niteroi so much that he gave to us one of the most iconic construction in Brazil, the MAC MUSEUM, which is our Contemporary Art Museum. 

For the record, Oscar Niemeyer is our Worldwide famous architect that made Brasilia, our capital. He was a visionary, a good man and a very brazilian person. He gave us so many important buidilng combining the landscape and nature, his curving architecture is inspired by the curves of a female body. He was a good friend of our former President Juscelino Kubitschek that had the crazy idea to transfer the capital to the middle of nothing. The current capital was Rio and you can imagine how angry Rio got to loose the capital, but the crazy idea worked out...thanks to Brasilia we could develop the rest of the country and important cities like Manaus, Cuiabá, Campo Grande, Goiania had an amazing growth and we became such an agriculture power in the World. Oscar Niemeyer worked until his long 101 years old, and lived until 103 years wold with extraordinary memory, sense of humour and with a fantastic legacy for all of us.

Rio gives you a lot of unexpected surprises by discovering new places, Marcone and I will be waiting for you get your camera prepared for amazing pictures. I am an avid amateur photographer and I will be happy to share many ideas, we love to make Rio easier for you!!!

When touring is a big passion, not only work, Rio gets more and more fascinating, so be sure that here you will always find a friend and I am ready to wait for you with my arms wide opened. 

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

brazilrafario@gmail.com