Ana immediately made us feel like part of the family and was very helpful in making us acquainted with buses and the metro. She is very knowledgeable about Rio and was wonderful in helping us decide what to do. The descriptions of her house are accurate and it is a wonderful retreat in a huge and sometimes chaotic city. We enjoyed Santa Theresa since it has a quaintness that doesn't exist in the beach neighborhoods or in the centro. However it does mean that you have to rely on buses and their somewhat crazy drivers to get to many of the attractions . Breakfast here is fantastic.