Our stay with Ion and Shiela was excellent:
Internal setting was unique and lovely: We stayed in a small two room apartment with bathroom. The apartment was decorated exquisitely with collections that Ion had gathered over the years.
The external setting was beautiful: A large patio fully grown with beautiful green growth and with a space for eating, washing dishes, and lounging.
The space beyond the home was interesting, even fascinating: Santa Teresa is a community of artists and professionals and there was much interesting architecture and delicious food to take in.
Ion was an exceptional host: He prepared welcome drinks for us: the delicious capirinha. In the first couple of days he took us shopping, dropped us off at a place we wanted to visit, and showed us Santa Theresa. This helped orient us to Rio and each day he was available to assist us.

On transport: Because Ion and Sheila live in such a beautiful setting—on a hill in lovely Santa Theresa-- access to public transport is slightly limited. Having said that, there are plenty of taxis and Uber is available. And...I am sure that the single bus, #14, that comes through the plaza nearby, can be used to connect anywhere. We used it two times—to get to the city center and to get to a great restaurant in Santa Teresa.