MY IMPROVISATION POINT

I just go there in very special occasion, mostly of the time it is not in my itinerary but it is always a fantastic surprise for my guests. The top of Pedra Bonita mountain is where people go hanglyding in Rio, and from there we can have a lovely view of our westside ocean region.

Pedra Bonita is also part of our impressive Tijuca National Park and the road that leads to the top is a great opportunity for us to enjoy the nature and see many beautiful places!!!

I have jumped from there a couple of times...hang glyding only...

I can also help people if they want to fly, I have some contacts in São Conrado beach where all the flights are arranged!!!

My friends and wonderful guests from Chicago, Bill and Maggie joined me in such a delicious adventure!!!!

MY FANTASTIC FRIENDS FROM WINNIPEG

What to say when you have great people to show your own land??? When they do not know what they are going to see before meeting you??? When everything is a real surprise in each place you go????

My mission was to show them Rio, but not the touristic places..of course I had in mind to show the heart and the soul of Rio de Janeiro, and we started doing a great job...We were going to the Sugar Loaf but we haven't gone to the top of the hill. I am not saying that being to the top is a bad thing to do...but they did much more than any tourist that comes to Rio for the first time...

They did what every curious people have to do...they walked a little more and come across with Praia Vermelha and they found a trail where locals get through the gates just to walk, and they found a trail in the Atlantic Forest..the not famous at all PISTA CLAUDIO COUTINHO, where I usually take food for some friends...And these friends welcomed ED and ISABEL with great enthusiasm!!!!

I am for sure that there is a couple in Winnipeg that know alot about Rio de Janeiro!!!

In one day we made TWO CITIES...in this side of the Bay, Rio de Janeiro and the other side of the Bay...Niteroi!!!

I would like to salute Ed and Isabel for such great curiosity about Rio and my land, and I put my land in their hearts and they will always have all the special places well kept in the memory.

You just met a tour guide and left in Brazil a friend!!!

They really experienced Rio like locals and they SAW everything!!!! :)

Ed became an Angel!!! :) YOU SEE MIRACLES HAPPENS!!!

The Canadian couple got also politically involved with the brazilian student movement, supporting their request for fair distribuition of food in public schools! hahahahahaha

With many thanks for the great hoster Marta (http://www.rioguesthouse.com/) for recommend me to Ed and Isabel, without my friend Marta this lovely day would never be possible! :)

A SPECIAL WAY TO SAY GOOD BYE TO RIO

People would say: CRAZY TOUR GUIDE!!!! hahahahahahaha :) In my case...my tour guide is weaker than my "friend" side and that night I was really with real spectacular friends! This is the joy of my occupation and I was in my lucky stars when I found Marg and Peter, two great friends which really represents the great heart of Aussie People.

After our two stops in some brazilian bars in Rio..we had our grand finale at MIRANTE DO LEBLON!!! One of our treasures where Rio is not so much known and certainly one of the best stop when we close our night!!!

Jakob was with us...he brought some of the danish joy to Rio and get prepared folks that we are getting another excellent tour guide!!!

So we closed with GOLDEN KEY this successful tour that Marg and Pete had in Rio...they are going back to Australia (still touring the World) with a taste of ASKING FOR MORE!!! And be sure that you are more than welcome everytime you think about coming back to Brazil.

HERE IN RIO YOU HAVE A FRIEND, HERE IN RIO YOU HAVE A HOME! :)

Rafael Torres Lopes

A GIFT FROM AUSTRALIA

I have been working as tour guide for more than 7 years now. It is cool job because I have the chance to meet people from all over the World and people from some specific countries comes more to Rio to have my tours. I do alot showing every little corner of Rio, allowing my guests to have a deep knowledge about our culture, about our cities and about our daily life!!! RIO BECOMES MORE THAN A HOLIDAYS DESTINATION, RIO BECOMES THEIR HOMES!!! I have always welcomed a lot of people from basicly 5 countries.

USA, ENGLAND, RUSSIA, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA, and then people from different countries.

MY TOP FIVE ALWAYS CHANGE IN EVERY HIGH SEASON, and now I noticed that the number of AUSTRALIANS are increasing and it is a NEW WORLD OF NEW FRIENDS!!!

My top fives are:

USA
Australia
Russia
England
Canada


Very proud to welcome such wonderful people and AUSTRALIA proudly gives to me!!! And it is a very pleasant WEDDING...I have always loved Australia, actually after USA and England this is the country that I deeply wish to visit!!!

Recently I welcomed Justin and Belle, such a fantastic young couple from Melbourne and we had a blast in Niteroi and also in a very simply but absolutely interesting walking tour in Copacabana; one day was good enough for me to realize that I got spectacular friends in Melbourne; and just yesterday, I mean, 8th of August, I had the great honor to meet another POWERFUL TRAVELLERS, the glorious couple Marg and Peter. Pety we just had one day, but I can tell you I did everything humanly possible to provide an intense one day tour and a quick gastronomy tour in our WORLD OF STEAKS! :) We had a great time at Cruzeiro do Sul Churrascaria (barbecue house) Not to mention that some months ago.

I had also the fantastic opportunity to make some tours with another aussie family from Melbourne, Darren, Lona and Carlos, my old friends which I am sure I have a CASTLE in their hearts!!!!

I know THEY CAN STILL CALL AUSTRALIA A HOME, but certainly thanks to me, they have another HOME in Brazil! :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A BIG CONFIDENCE AND FRIENDSHIP!!! LONG LIFE TO AUSTRALIA!!!!

AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE IN THE SOUL OF RIO

Marg came with Peter in Rio as part of the tour around the world, every place they come they leave a lot of enormous energy and wonderful feelings. They were my guests and they became friends for a LIFE TIME.

Another important challenge for me...Since they were in Santiago I knew that I had to make TWO DAYS in ONE DAY...including Marg's dream which was visiting the Christ, our most famous landmark...Well I accepted...We managed to talk in the phone as soon as Marg and Peter got to the hotel in Copacabana. And we arranged to meet in the day after and decide what to do!

I slept thinking about what i could do to show these people the best of my land....Right in the morning I called them and talk with Marg and we decide to start our tour, it was a cloudy friday but we decide to explore Rio no matter what...

As soon as we were driven in Lagoa we say the mountain of Corcovado free of clouds!!! :) AND MARG'S DREAM CAME TRUE! We had a great time at the Christ...

But I add many special places in their tour..We saw the less visiting part of Santa Tereza and we had a walking tour in the city center of Rio seeing buildings of all ages...from the portuguese Colony to the Brazilian Empire, and we stopped for a nice and cool beer in the OLD RIO AREA, a place called ARCO DOS TELLES. They had the best of our local snacks, PASTEL WITH SHRIMP INSIDE!!! A REAL STOMACH ORGASM!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes
donrafainrio@yahoo.es