A Magnificent Week All Round.

I had a magnificent week in Rio staying at Valerie's apartment. The apartment had a great location and was only a block away from Copacabana beach. Valerie made me feel right at home even before I had arrived and went out of her way to help with an itinerary for my trip. During my stay, she sent me a message mid week to check to be sure everything was all right and again just before I left. She has a poster in the apartment that says "it is the little things in life that make a big difference" and I believe that this is really true. They took care of every small detail and it meant that I had a flawless trip. I even lucked out with the weather. I spent a week in Rio and I think I saw a total of 3 clouds the whe time I was there. Every day I had bright blue skies. The temperature was also moderate so as far as the weather was concerned it couldn't have been any better. Every day I would walk along the beach and just absorb the calming vibe. Here's a tip if you stay here. I picked up a business card from the hotel around the corner and every time I would get into a taxi I would show the taxi driver the card and they would take me straight home. I walked everywhere throughout the city and never had a problem. I get hassled frequently on the streets of Toronto where I live but didn't have a single problem in Rio. I was swept away by the sheer natural beauty of the city. I visited the major sites and even took in a soccer game while I was there. I got sorted out with the subway and even took it to and from the game. I bought tickets at the stadium no problem. I visited most of the places that Valere recommended to me and this made for an interested and varied trip. A couple of tips. The Rio Sentorium was a cool place to visit in the evening to check out the local samba music - something I was interested in. Also, there is an Irish Pub on the Avenue Atlantica across from the beach that was close by. It was full of friendly people and it became my local. The owner is from Detroit and he was a great guy. I hope you get a chance to visit Rio and hope that you have as good a trip as I had!!!