Tom was a great host and very responsive throughout, which made checking in easy. The room itself was great, nice bed, cold a/c, wardrobe and a window made it all really comfortable. I made a bunch of video calls without any internet problem, and there are some tables for sitting and working if needed. The view is amazing, and the house is near the top of the hill, so there's not much hiking involved to get to and from the main road at the top. Santa Teresa is just down the road, and the local favela itself felt very safe, and all of the neighbors friendly. It really did feel like the safest neighborhood I have been to in Rio, partly because there really no reason for anyone to be there if they don't live there, so it felt more like a community than the city below. Tom's kind of an ambassador in the community, and his local music project Favela Brass fits right in with the good energy and openness there. There are good restaurants and live music and all you need there.