THE FEBRUARY SUPER TOUR - RAFA WILL WELCOME YOU IN HEAD OF STATE STYLE!!!

But not that FORMAL!!! :) I would say, the smile will be the same because when you come to Rio you make me happy, when you simply give me your travel wishes and I make them true, I feel complete and the sensation in the heart when in the end of the tour you tell me you will be again; then I know that I have made the best choice!!!

In February, I will welcome tons of guests...And I am prepared...I will be with you for several days and also my wonderful team of guides, Marcone, Françoise and Suzi; and some other associates of my total trust. The dreamof getting to know Rio is growing and I am working hard to be here and give you all the assistance you need!!!

12 years working to give you Rio a loca,l perspective, no matter if you are just yourself, a couple, 4 people or the whole paraguayan national force!!! I am here to welcome you with big smile and very informal way to make you feel special when you come to Brazil.

The door to Brazil is no doubt RIO DE JANEIRO...And here you can have m yself as your friend and the person who will show you the genuine path of a real traveller. I do with my guests what I do when I travel around the World. More than a traveller I am a travel researcher and very keen on places where we will have a unique experience!!!

I AM NOT THE GUIDE WHO WILL SAY - ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE YOU SEE COPACABANA BEACH, ON YOUR LEFT SIDE YOU WILL SEE THE CHRIST...Everywhere we go you will know alot about local aspects of our society and you will see beautiful spots all around the city!!!

I am an official guide of the Paraguayan Army when they come for the annual military lectures provided by our Goverment; I am also the official guide of the Spanish Navy when they come with the school ship Sebastian del Cano every year, but I can be your private guide as well...All about water in a way as you can see in the pictures above.

12 years of total happiness, many places covered, many friends made and my name all around the World as someone who are not so worried about the Tourism Industry for the simple fact that I am not an industry. I just enjoy to welcome people and give them a great time!!!

I know the culture in the States, in Europe and so many different countries that my guests belong. I know some cultures are very conservative, reserved and formal...but when you meet me...GET YOUR SPIRIT PREPARED!!!!!!!

I will be like someone you know for ages...I will be the person who will die of pleasure to see you here and do not be impressed that if I meet you I will give you a tight hug!!!

Brazilians are informal people in my case, I was born in Rio!!!! And worse!!!! I have spanish blood!!! My decendents came from the FIRE OF HEART LAND called Andaluzia!!! OLÉ!!!!!

And you know...RIO DE JANEIRO - BRAZIL - LATIN AMERICA - Here life is lived in a very pleasant way, despite of all problems a brazilian person will give you a smile!!!

So coming to Rio for your tours...bear in mind that your smile has to be shown. I want to meet the best of you because I will give you the best of me!!!

Working....Do I really work????? :) This is a question that my great friend Dolly from Arizona always ask!!! La Rae, my sweet friend from Spokane shared giant laughs with me!!! Nancy always had fun when we meet!!! On the ground and by the sea we will have a blast, because I have a blast every time I am touring. Trips, tourism and people are my major passion in life!!!

Well, my friends, fun, history information, real facts, real people, adventure, laughs and beautiful images are guaranteed everytime you make use of my tours. you will have a tour guide to provide you a very pleasant experience when you dock or land in Rio.

Not only me, but my best friends who greatly happen to be TOUR GUIDES as well, will be here in February and of course all year round to welcome you with great enthusiasm.

I might be busy for some days but be sure that once you are with my people you really have the same experience and the same quality of my tours!!!

RAFA IS HERE FOR YOU ALL THE TIME!!!!

Thank you sooooo very much for everything!!!! I am blessed because my work gave me wonderful friends all over the World, and you will be the next one!!!!

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide - Travel Planner - A friend in Rio

BUZIOS???? THE BEST "DAY OFF" PLACE

Well, you all know...I worked as a bull during my high season. I have been everywhere in Rio taking my guests to see very unique places, to make my people to experience real and local life in their trip. You noticed that I really did my be worked dearly to make your trip to Rio and your trip to other parts of Brazil something very special!!! After days and days touring I decided to accept my cousin's Luciana invitation to spend the weekend in Buzios with her daughter Giulia (which is also my cousin). I had one tour scheduled but I had no doubt, I accepted...even though I had to go back to Rio and have a tour with my Singaporean friends David, Swee, Annie and Esther. BUZIOS WAS THE SCENARIO OF MY SO WELL DESERVED REST...Our famous beach resort in the north of Rio de Janeiro State, a place where the beaches have blue turquoise water, a peninsula with a big number of inlets with breathtaking beaches and we stayed in a house in the quiet PRAIA DO CANTO. The only day free I had meant to me a whole vacation...I simply forgot about life and baked under the sun, I enjoyed the pool, I played with our family dog Nina and I felt like a child and really had heaps of Fun with our little Giulia. She is smart, brilliant and so funny to be with (well, no wonder she is my little cousin), but it is nice to be surrounded by people you dearly love and sometimes all we wish is spending great time with the family. We simply had a blast and I looooove thhis photo!!!

Nina made the whole difference in our weekend...She is an adorable puppy, a real child crazy for water. It was difficult to keep her away from the pool...You do not need to much to have fun in your life, just grab some people you love and express such a sentiment. Giulia with her clever mind also made me laugh and Luciana as one of my best friend just provided such a glorious weekend for us to get our chat updated!!! :)))))

I am an old dog....but I have my puppy spirit!!! Special when we meet Giulia...we painted Buzios like our playground. We love going to the beaches and we spend the afternoon in one of my favorite beaches, Azeda, a very tranquill corner where the sea is not rough and where I could take the most memorable nap in my recent days.

I am tired, but I am pleasantly tired, having a sensation of mission accomplished is simply priceless, but more tour are coming, I just recharged my batteries!

Luciana....we grown up almost together...This is the advantage of an only child, when we have cousins at the same age we never feel lonely. And I grew up with Luciana and my other cousins, but Lu (this is how I call her) is more than a simple cousin, she is one of my best friends and this time in Buzios was made for us to laugh about life, to discuss about family affairs and exchange some FAMILY GOSSIPS!!! :)

Your Tour Guide is very happy with his family and above all, your tour guide is happy about life!!! And thanks to you, you all provide very special moments and in turn I give you special moments too...

Being in Buzios is total pleasure...it is really one of my favorite places in Rio!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide - Travel Planner - And Good Cousin

ANOTHER DANISH FAMILY VISITING - BUT THEY ARE SPECIAL!!!!

It seems that swallowing the Sugar Loaf is a sort of fashion among my guests, eh????

But they really swallowed the HEART AND THE MAGIC OF RIO, and now the city is in their heart!!! : )))))) More danish guests, but these ones are REALLY SPECIAL...I mean, absolutely special people...if you read about my brother Jakob in my blog, then you have the main clue....THEY ARE THE PARENTS OF MY BIG BROTHER AND GREAT FRIEND JAKOB!!!!

Yes...I had the honor to show Rio to my friends Anita and Bent, and I did my best to show every little corner of this city, and they went to so many unique places that no tourists go!!!

We saw the forest, the natural springs of Paineiras, we went to the tiny little beach of Joá and we saw the oldest monastery of our State, São Bento with its incredible barroc architecture, and of course we ended our day in the so hidden city of Niteroi!!!! We also went to the Christ!!!!

To see more about them, you can go to you tube and watch this following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXo8qWhzZlo

There you can see a very kind message from parents to their son in Rio, in danish of course!!!! :)

I am sure they will come back, right now they are experience the countryside of Brazil, maybe somewhere in Iguazu Falls!!!!

But they know that they are my danish family, people I will always admire and I am very grateful and honored that they had the chance to experience my tour that I full dedicate myself to show to my people what Rio de Janeiro really looks like!!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

donrafainrio@yahoo.es