HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT COBAL?????

If you like local markets...maybe this is a cool suggestion...right located in a very populated district of Rio, Botafogo in our way to my tours in the Favela Santa Marta!!!

Fresh fruits, gorgeous flowers, very smart bars where to locals go to meet with their friends and simply have a good time!!!

COBAL HUMAITÁ is one of the street markets of Rio where food is absolutely awesome!!!

My South African friends, Fazlyn, Nitasha and Cindy was there with me...

I miss you badly girls...we should repeat this adventure!!! Because more and more I want Rio de Janeiro to be your home as I have South Africa very deep in my heart, much deeper now that I got to know you!!!

Come for another GIGGLE TOUR!!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide - Travel Planner

A friend to South Africa!!!!

BAFANA BAFANA!!!! I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE OF THE WONDERFUL PARTY SOUTH AFRICA PROVIDED US IN THE WORLD CUP!!!

INDIA AND BRAZIL - YOU WILL BE SURPRISED

Brazilians are always fascinated about India and we are very curious about Indian People...in the big cities like São Paulo, Rio, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and some other big cities in the North East of Brazil such as Recife and São Luis, YOGA is very popular. In Rio, Shantalla is a fever, many mothers go to YOGA CENTERS to get their babies deeply relaxed with this incredible indian massage. The costuns, the indian landscape and the deep conexion with Goa, also so many vegetable species that we have in common with India like the Mangoes, the Jack Fruit and the incredibly shady almond trees...

In 2009 in the World of Soap Operas which Brazil is the leading capital we decided to show INDIA to all Brazilian, in noble time in our TV...TV GLOBO started with the absolutely luxurious CAMINHO DAS INDIAS production and we invited as a co-work the huge giant movie makers BOLLYWOOD!!!!

Go to youtube and see the opening of the NOVELA, this is what we saw everyday between august and november 2009 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0k5UGDCQuk&feature=fvsr

And also this indian scened performed by brazilian artists - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxo0tS3VrzM - that is the moment when the Dadi of Raj tells the family that his son died and the widow Maya got desperated.

LOTS OF INDIAN DANCE IN BRAZILIAN VERSION - SOOOOO FUNNY - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcCwYIsb3MM&feature=related WHAT THIS VIDEO ENTERILY!!!

We decided to send our actors and actresses to India where they spent months learning the culture, the language, the habits and dress code. It was a great fun time for Brazilians in India, until then a very difficult destination for us, but since the Soap Opera started, India became a very common destination for Brazilians.

Hindi words like the romantic and full of desire sentences like MEN TUNSYE BAHUT PYAR KARTA HUN which means I love you so much (in very intimacy moment); we also learnt that there different kind of love in the Indian culture like the PYAR which is a love full of desire and PREM which is a divine love, something beyond description, a sort of love that you do not care about being loved, you just love!!! :)

Or if you want to put an end in any topic you are discussing...just say SHIVA SHIVA SHIVA or DURGA DURGA DURGA which is evoking a God as powerful as Shiva...

Even funnier is listening from every one in the streets of Brazil words like DJA DJA (which means go go go) or more impressive when a single brazilian says out loud AREBABA!!! (more or less like MY GOD!!!). Also we know that in a more repsectful way there are brazilians that says ARABAGUANDI...Also it was very common to say in Rio TIKE HE...which means ALRIGHT!!!

Also some angry words like saying GANDU to one person, for sure an indian person will be very offended, but it means calling someone as very stupid. Or KUTTA which means DOG, calling someone as KUTTA is not a good idea.

In My Tours I am PRIVILEGED to welcome so many people from India...indian people living in the UK, indian people living in the USA, indian people living in Australia, indian people living in South Africa...I think that the indian community do like me; maybe because they know that I also admire their culture, maybe they know that I am very curious about India and somehow I understand their culture and habits so I make their stay in Rio de Janeiro and in the rest of Brazil very easy and comfortable for them!!!

If you read my old postings you will see that I had great experiences with my indian friends!!! :) I am just not so used with the spicy food, but I love some soft flavors...

Anyway...

My interest for India is something that follows my whole life...I am sure I will go there one day and I will report in this blog my INDIAN ADVENTURES!!! I am a great fan of their culture, I am a great fan of their geography, I would love to learn more about the forests of Kashimir, the coast of Kerala, the joy and excitiment of Goa with their very similar costuns that Brazil and Goa share...the misteries of Jaipur...the majestic HIMALAIA RANGE; one of my dreams is spotting the lions in Gir region. India for me means FASCINATION. It is for sure one of the countries in Asia that I am mad about visiting....

I am so crazy to visit India that I even would love to understand the so complicated rules of CRICKET which I know it is like football here in Brazil.

NAMASTE to all my Indian Friends and NAMASTE to all Indian Readers which I deeply thank you for your attention!!!

Send me wonderful indian families, I am always here ready to show you the best of Rio and the best of my country to you!!!

DHANYABAD or simply CHUKRIA for all your interest, curiosity and friendship!!!

With all my love,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A friend in Rio

MY ENGLISH FRIENDS WITH INDIAN TASTE

This is the privilege of making friends almost everyday, and I make REAL good friends!!! And Fecebook helps to keep in touch....YUPIEEEEE VIVA FACEBOOK!!! :) Shohil contacted me first telling that we would come with his wife Arti and another friendly couple Minesh and Varsha!!! ABSOLUTELY VERY SWEET PEOPLE!!! I think it took less than two seconds for us to be GREAT FRIENDS forever!!! We had a blast in Rio and in Niteroi. We focused our tour on many social profiles in Rio, we decided to learn how CARIOCA PEOPLE LIVE!!! These two couples live in London, city where I always have wonderful friends, and they are more friends from this incredible and special country called England. England that now welcomes all people from all over the World. India plays a important part in England's live offering very efficient professional in all areas and also increasing the english gastronomy with their exquisite and hot food. I always welcome indian families in my tours...coming straight from India, from England, Canada and USA and I am proud to hear that the wuality of my work are reaching those families and I WANT MORE!!! IN THE FUTURE I WILL HAVE BETTER STRUCTURE TO WELCOME INCLUDING THE MOST TRADITIONAL FAMILIES WHERE THEY WILL FIND IN BRAZIL THE FOOD THEY EAT SPECIALLY MADE FOR THEM!!! I just apologyze for not speaking not even one of the more than 400 languages and dialets from this country which I think it is one of the most fascinating countries in the World!!! I wish I could speak Hindi, Urdu, Concani, Kanara, Meithei, Marata, Nepali, Dogri or Kokborok... BUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART IS UNIVERSAL AND THESE WONDEFUL FOUR FRIENDS LIVE IN MINE!!! A VISIT TO LAPA DURING THE DAY GIVES US A CHANCE TO FOLLOW THE BEAUTIFUL WORK OF STREET ARTISTS THAT WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES, BUT WITH THEIR ART THEY EXPLAIN THE CULTURE OF BRAZIL AND THE MAGIC OF SAMBA!!! LIKE THIS MURAL IN ORDER TO MAKE A TRIBUTE TO OUR FAMOUS SAMBA COMPOSER BEZERRA DA SILVA. LAPA IS MUSICAL, LAPA IS PLACE WHERE YOU CAN REALLY EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF OUR LOCAL VIBE. IT IS JUST ONE STREET NAMED JOAQUIM DA SILVA, BUT SOMETIMES IT MEANS A WORLD TO US!

VISITING THE QUIET FISHING VILLAGE OF JURUJUBA IS NOT EXACTLY A TOURIST ATTRACTION, BUT IT IS A GREAT CHANCE FOR YOU TO SEE A COLORFUL NEIGHBORHOOD OF RIO THAT NO TOURISTS GO. AND YOU KNOW ME WELL, I AM NOT SOOOO WORRIED ABOUT "TOURIST ATTRACTIONS" I SHOW YOU INTERESTING PLACES IN RIO THAT WILL MAKE YOUR TRIP THE MOST SPECIAL EVER!!!

SOME SEEDS ARE WONDERFUL TO EAT AND THIS ONE I FELL IN LOVE. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS A DELICIOUS INDIAN WONDER BUT I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT SESAME IS ABSOLUTELY TASTY!!!

THIS WAS OUR ITINERARY:

We stopped by Flamengo's Park to have a privileged view of the Sugar Loaf and Guanabara Bay. Then we drove to Centro to go to Santa Tereza, we strolled around the cobbled stones streets and watched the impressive portuguese colonial architecture and we saw a lot of local life in the neighborhood with an interesting stop at Selaron Stairs. Before reaching the bridge, we stopped in a very old Monastery, São Bento Church and visited the first barroc church in Rio de Janeiro built in 1590. We crossed the bridge of Niteroi and stopped by the Modern Art Museum, impressive modern construction by the famous brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, from there we could see maervelous views of the Bay Coast such as all over Icarai Beach, the island of Boa Viagem and the mountains of Rio altogether. Our next stop was lunch in a local brazilian barbecue restaurant Verdana...What a wonderful stomacal experience there!!! We went to the viewpoint of Parque da Cidade, famous city's paraglyding plataform. The Hill we went is called VIRAÇÃO. Our last stop before going to the Christ was the fishing village of Jurujuba. We took photos of the charming simple way of life in the community. We tried to save a cat which was quite ill and after finding a place where we tried the AÇAI CREAM.

After a quick and wild drive coming back we reached the Christ where they could see all over Rio in the day and in the night.

Thanks folks for your good spirit, thanks for your accurate sense of adventure, thanks alot for your smile and thanks for being part of my work, once you did that you are all part of my life now.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A Friend in Rio