Renato and Louri are by far two of the best hosts and overall people I have ever met during my travels. From the beginning, Louri was incredibly accommodating, by giving me a tour of places to go in Copa, lending me a cell phone and adapters during my stay, answering all of my questions (no matter how small!) via text, phone or e-mail at all hours of the day. The two even left me a bowl of homemade soup at the entrance to my stunning, well-designed apartment (Renato is an incredibly talented architect). In addition to their superb hosting skills, Renato and Louri speak several languages, and I often found myself speaking Spanish with Louri.

Renato and Louri's warmth and kindness fill every room they enter. They frequently invited me out to great events, meals at some of the best restaurants in the area, and constantly checked on me, as they knew I was traveling alone. They even invited me over for a delicious, home-cooked meal!

I really cannot rave about them enough, and emphasize how fortunate I was to have met them as my first encounter here in Brazil. In fact, I have told everyone about them back home, describing them as "my new amazing friends from Rio" rather than simply hosts.