I stayed with Elcir and his family for about two weeks and it was an amazing decision, I am so grateful for him and his family for hosting me. I had a beautiful spacious room to myself, complete with a small closet, desk, and lovely view of the city and mountains. I immediately felt right at home cooking in their kitchen, eating and watching TV in the living room, etc. It was a perfect social environment. They whole family was very warm and friendly, always offering me coffee and tips of what to do in Rio, they even invited me to join them at a soccer game one night. But they also were very respectful of my privacy and I felt like I had my own space to do whatever I needed whenever I needed without thinking twice. Also I loved their cute dogs! Finally, the location was perfect, very close to many cafes, restaurants, the beach, and the metro station, and safe, even as a young solo female. I highly recommend staying here! :)