Luiz as tour guide

This time Luiz was the lucky one. He just enjoyed a week long all-expenses-paid trip to Ilha Grande and Paraty. Luiz: the tour guide extraordinaire.

Our friend Ricardo was hosting his ex-roommate, Bob, from Phoenix for several weeks. But as is always the case, he could not take three weeks off work to accompany Bob to all the places he wanted to go. Not being the terribly independent one, Bob was looking for a guide to show him around.

I looked online and asked around with others in the know and got the skinny on a personal guide in and around Rio. Guides charge about US$150 a day for their services, plus all additional expenses: their tickets to the various sights, their lunch, etc. Not too bad for the visiting American.

But Bob wanted to travel about 3 – 4 hours south of Rio. One guide was charging US$300 for transportation costs (a US$50.00 round trip bus ticket if you go it alone).

Long story short: Luiz had just finished a gig and didn’t have anything on his calendar for a week so we suggested that Bob just take Luiz along for the ride. No guide fees and they would use the bus (very comfortable, by the way). Bob picked up all expenses and Luiz showed Bob around and acted as translator. Win win.

Breakfast at the pousada in Paraty.

Luiz is ready to do it again if anyone is thinking of coming for a visit!