GOOD MORNING NEW YORK

City of all cities, Good Morning!!!

Rio de Janeiro, one day after 10 years, as always, opens its arms, hearts, smiles to you!!!

I share all the emotions with every single person, like me, loves New York...This is the time when all the good eyes look to one direction...to the souls and hearts of all ones who lost their dearest people. I want to give to all of them my confort, my hope, my joy, my energy to help them keeping the everlast flame of freedom that New York taught to all of us!!!!

They tried to finish with our hope, but we got more energy to build a brilliant future, they tried to finish with our happiness but we still have joy in our hearts; they tried to make us weak but hand in hand we got stronger to start over and over again. Their terror gave us strengh to fight and energy to move on. they thought they would give us disgrace and sadness, but we got more enthusiasm and goodwill to overcome any difficulty. They have many people but we are billions!

They have the anger, and we have love!!!

This sunday I had NEW YORK in my chest!!!! Like everyone I wanted to show that we have strengh to resist and enough courage to carry on. They tried to kill our dreams but everyday we prove that we are powerful and New York will always remains the center of World, the Planet Brains (Brazil has the World's soul, eh?) and the Nation of all Nations. New york for me is not only USA in my opinion, New York belongs to all of us and we should assume a NEW YORKER SIDE in our lives!!!

One day they tried to shake the ground...My God we lost people...but they will never destroy all the dreams, all the happiness, all the love, all the hope of millions who are ready to resist.

Blacks, Whites, CHARMING LATINOS like me, YELLOWS, GREENS, BLUE, WHATEVER COLORS WE FIND, we should think to just one direction...THE DIRECTION OF PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING!!!!

Radicalism will never defeat love!!!

New York is still there...super busy like Rafa's Tour Guide Life; always in a hurry like my time that never forgives me; smart like any one with good taste, daring like Madonna, charming like Marilyn Monroe, ellegant like Carrie Bradshaw and gorgeous like Gisele Bundchen (I am sorry, dear reader, she is brazilian!!!!).

Well, the truth is....New York is the World...

AS PART OF NEW YORK, I SAY TO ALL OF YOU...NEW YORK RAFA LOVES YOU!!!! :)))))

I try to live my life with joy, death is not important and it is a simply detail and we can survive if we have happiness in the heart, energy to fight and hope to build a better future!!! I am committed to life!!! Love feeds me and death must fear me. So if we hold on to life we will be better and stronger. Let's make our gladness a real weapon to face our sorrows and move on. Our heroes need us to make their stories shine.

Hey New York!!!! One day I will visit you!!! One day when my dream come true I will be part of your story. You will be very present in my book of life with so many happy ending chapters. One day I will wonder in all your streets celebrating life.

Thank you for all good people that you sent to me!!! Thanks to give me so many marvelous friends. Thanks for teaching me so many things...Thanks for the culture, thanks for the energy, thanks for daring, thanks for challenging...

Hope one day I could wake up in the city that never sleeps!!!! And I am sure when I open my eyes I will be the happiest person on Earth.

LOVE YOU, NEW YORK!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A friend of New York

With thanks for all NY pictures that I could get on google...for the moment I could not take my own pictures in this vibrant megacity!!!

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!!!

ISRAEL - BRAZIL AND CHILE - JOY AT SELARON STAIRS

Efrat from Tel Aviv, great company in my tours today with Shai, Meir and my Sri-Australian friend mal...Myself and the famous Selaron...

Well, Selaron everybody know!!! Needless any introdution, but above all Selaron is a good friend of mine and all the time we visit his stairs which is one of the most famous places in Rio de Janeiro, he is always there with his amazing "conversation topics" and "pleasant boastings" (he is an artist so "he can") and great welcome asking anyone where they are from....

THE STAIRS ARE AN EVERLASTING PART OF MY TOUR BECAUSE IT IS A REAL PRIDE FOR RIO. The place seems to be abandoned by official authorities but we, PEOPLE FROM RIO, and guides comitted with taking our guests to real local experiences, are the to help him showing to the World his amazing work!!!

This man alone places loads of tyles in a huge 130 meters stairs in the soul of Santa Tereza and Lapa, birth of bohemian life of Rio throughout the history of the city.

Going to the stairs is always a reason for LOUD GARGALHADAS (giggles)

So you can be sure that I will take you there when you arrive in Rio!!! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide - Travel Planner
Selaron's Friend

FAVELAS - THE HIDDEN AND NOW OPEN PROFILE OF RIO - VISIT OR NOT????

I guess you really should experience a visit to a local community in Rio specially in places where there are a lot of social projects going on. Those poor communities are the so called FAVELAS...some years ago strongly connected with violence, drug dealing and all sort of crime. This is the sad side of some favelas of Rio de Janeiro but this wonderful people reacted against this sad taboo and changed completely life in these poor places...

First...FAVELA WAS AND STILL IS A PLACE OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO STRIVE HARD FOR LIFE...They are poor but their lives are deeply decent...The views of some favelas are absolutely stunning and one more reason...favelas are the birth of Samba...

If you come to Rio to experience the real life of our city then you should include a visit in places where very few visitors go and be part of our daily life. AND FAVELAS ARE REALLY A LIVELY SIDE OF RIO THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY OF THINKING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEFORE COMING TO RIO CONNECTING OUR REALITY WITH CRIME.

Yes, we still have problems, but who don't??? People are reacting and fighting to make Rio a fascinating place for you to enjoy your holiday and come back over and over again.


First you can see different perspectives of Rio just by visiting one favela, and the places I usually go is the Community of Santa Marta. It is an experience of a life time, great for people watching, great to see what's going on in very different ways of life in Rio. A visit to Santa Marta will be a chance to be close to the main attractions of Rio, the Sugar Loaf and the Christ.

Standing right below the foot of Christ...one morning in Dona Marta will show all the grace of Carioca People...where despite of the social condition you will always get a generous smile from a child, you will walk in the alleys where very few people dare to visit by themselves. I think that visiting a favela is the best way for you to understand life in Rio no matter which social level you belong!

There were one visitor that came here and had a great time...Michael Jackson...In 1996 the video clip THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT US (see on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwQFGZ0bFbs) was filmed in Salvador, Bahia State and here in Rio de Janeiro right in the community where I am always happy to show you. He left lots of funny and important stories for this people and Michael lives in every person's mind in the community of Dona Marta. The viewpoint where he dances is now a LANDMARK with a beautiful mural made by our famous painter Brito and there is also a statue where Michael is pointing the way to see beautiful things: RIO!!!!

For photography lovers it is the right spot for PEOPLE'S PHOTO...and through our lens we can translate to the World the simply life people take in so many poor communities of Rio...Poor, yes they are, but they are happy and they simply have a normal life and it is great to see it closer.

I love photography and I love to exercise my hobby in every little corner of Rio, and Santa Marta is for sure one of them!!!

In my tours we can really go far in the journey of all social levels of Rio de Janeiro...In Niteroi there is a fascinating fishing village called Jurujuba where people live with simplicity, where pace of life is slow like a turtle and the views are breathtaking and we can learn more about life in some unknow corners of Rio de Janeiro. In this case a visit to the fishing village is almost all the time included when I speak about TOUR IN NITEROI.

For the record, Niteroi is the second most important city of the State and once it was the capital of Rio de Janeiro State.

Once I went there with my friends and guests from Mexico, Eduardo and Maribel...and we had a blast!

Since our security forces establish an occupation programmes in the Favelas, these places became a source of fun for our own people and also for many visitors. The first time I went to a Favela after this new period of peace in many communities in Rio de Janeiro, I did not need to go so far, here in Copacabana, a few blocks from my apartment, me and my great friend Luis (who is also used to visit all the slums in Caracas where he does a wonderful social work teaching portuguese to poor people) decided to spend one afternoon in a favela called CHAPEU DA MANGUEIRA. This is where we have lots of samba parties not only during Carnaval but all year round.

Luis was born in Brazil but he lives in Venezuela for a long time when his father immigrated tom Caracas when in that time they really believed in the future. Now he is one of the people who are resisting in Venezuela trying to live his life in a normal way. As you know, people are living in Venezuela with a lot of difficulties, but one thing is the Government another COMPLETELY different thing is the people who are WONDERFUL. Luis comes every year to see his own land and live the free life of Samba.

He is a great Brazil lover and always help me to find some new secrets of Rio that I am always ready to take you!!!

SO IF ONCE YOU ARE INTERESTED TO SEE A FAVELA, TELL ME WITH SOME DAYS IN ADVANCE AND I WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE!!!

LOTS OF LOVE AND GOD BLESSES YOU ALL!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner