What a wonderful host! Vera and her family have a great little apartment in a safe, convenient neighborhood in Botafogo. It was clean, had a comfortable bed, a nice view, and she even stocked it with some snacks for us. It's only a block from the metro, the easiest way to get around Rio, and a block from the views of Botafogo Beach. Most importantly, Vera is a great communicator, always ready to answer questions and provide helpful information about the city. I can imagine it would get a little hot in summer, but the ceiling fans did a good job of keeping it comfortable when we were there. All in all, all 3 of us agreed we would certainly contact Vera first on our next trip to Rio.