ANDRE
It's very hard to define yourself. I'm always happy. I like talking a lot and meeting new people. I like outdoor activities and, because of that, I know all the forest treks in Rio. I am also very good at hiking. I love dancing, going to the theater and to museums.

I was born in the state of Pernambuco and moved to Rio de Janeiro when I was a small child. I work at a bank and also do volunteer work.

RAFAELA
Well, it's tough to classify ourselves... it's so limiting! But, all in all, I think I'm somewhat open-minded, who wants to get to know different perspectives of life. I like to talk about anything which enables me to learn sth as well! I generally talk a lot, by the way +)

I am originally from Recife-PE, lived in Olinda-PE most of my life, and have moved to Rio in December 2009.

I am an old school CSer, active since 2009, taking part in many CS meetings and being hosted by many CSers. Check my profile: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/brazilianrio2013
Now Andre and I want to host other CSers and share our travel experiences (as well as our culture) with the CS community.

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#HOSTED#
1) Brittany Fields +2 (USA) - October, 2015 (7 days)
2) Gabi Brandani / Perray Audrey (Brazil/France) - November, 2015 (4 days)
3) KrissiB / Michael Hartlaub +1 (Germany) - December 2015 (4 days)
4) Mayte Sánchez (Peru) - February 2016 (6 days)
5) Theodora Pappas (Canada) - June 2016 (8 days)
6) Paulien de Clerck +1 (Belgium) - July 2016 (4 days)
7) Robert Husztig +1 (Romenia) - February 2017 (5 days)
8) Mirka Czerna (Poland/Liberia) - February 2017 (4 days)

#SURFED#
1) Ronald Van den Bos (Rotterdam, Netherlands) - December 2016 (2 nights)
2) Henri Van den Bussche (Brussels, Belgium) - December 2016 (2 nights)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

ANDRE
I want to talk to people from all around the wold.

RAFAELA
I am here to make friends from anywhere, learn through them and have fun as well

Interests

ANDRE
Cycling, hiking, going to the beach, running, dancing, having fun, talking, going for cultural visits (museums and historical places).

RAFAELA
Watching movies, visiting cultural/historical places, going out for an ice cream or a restaurant, walking on the beach, enjoying good conversations, etc.

Music, Movies, and Books

ANDRE
Music: all kinds. And I LOVE dancing.
Movies: all kinds, especially Frank Capra. I don't like vulgar movies.
Books: I read a lot. Among my favorite authors, there are Dostoevsky, Khaled Hosseini, Jane Austen, Michael Ende, Suzana Tamaro, Tolstói, Tolkien, CS Lewis, Machado de Assis and Mark Twain.

RAFAELA
Well, I wouldn't remember all of them - and I guess it wouldn't be the point here anyway -, but some I like are:

Movies: Amélie Poulain, Life is Beautiful, 21, Mona Lisa Smile, A Beautiful Mind...

Music: Bridge over troubled water (Simon and Garfunkel), You are so beautiful (Ray Charles), Because of you (Celine Dion). I don't have favorite singers, but I do like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Celine Dion, Oasis, Bryan Adams...

Books: Hamlet (Shakespeare), Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe), Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka), Cousin Basilio, The Crime of Father Amaro, The Relic (all by Eça de Queiroz), Animal Farm (George Orwell)...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

ANDRE
Helping poor people.

RAFAELA
- I went paragliding! That was really really amazing for me, especially because I am afraid of heights! :)

- I visited the Palace of Versailles, in France. It is outstanding. I got lost in their History and almost felt what it was like to live in their time.

- I saw dolphins in Natal, Brazil :)

- I watched a soccer game (Flamengo x Fluminense) in a stadium (my first time in a stadium). Although some people take for granted being in a stadium, feeling the energy and motivation of fans is unique. I myself became a Fluminense fan now! Then I watched Brazil x Honduras in Maracanã stadium during the Olympics 2016 :) It is a whole different energy!

- I experienced an earthquake (5.7) in Santiago, Chile.

- I bathed in the Pacific Ocean (so cold!), in Viña del Mar, Chile.

- I visited the Pantanal, one of the most amazing places on Earth, for sure! I could fish piranhas in the river and also saw alligators very close! It was wonderful to be in such wild nature for the first time in my life :)

- I visited the Iguassu Falls! Definitely amazing.

- I went abseiling! And had the Iguassu Falls in front of me. Wonderful. Scary - but wonderful! :)

- I experienced a serious turbulence and my flight almost run out of fuel I guess, since it diverted to three other cities to be able to eventually land. At first I did not see it as a positive experience but I would say it was good because it was one of those moments you see your whole life passing in front of you. And that flight was also vital for me to accomplish a dream I had. As a whole, the experience was such an adventure and perhaps I will write about it someday :P

- I experienced a duststorm in Tempe, Arizona, in 2013. It was incredible, especially because everything happened so fast.

- I have been on a cruise to the Bahamas! It was in my bucket list :) It is such an amazing experience to be in the middle of nowhere in the ocean.

- I have been to Las Vegas and experienced the hectic nightlife there.

- I took part in the Olympics in Brazil, 2016. My first Olympic Games ever: such an amazing experience.

- I did scuba diving with my husband in Porto de Galinhas, 2015. Well, it was not that long (lol) but it was great! I hope to do some serious scuba diving in Fernando de Noronha sometime soon =)

Teach, Learn, Share

We like teaching about Rio: about its history and all the beautiful places you can visit here.

We are well-travelled and interested in getting to know different cultures, whether from Brazil or abroad, so we would be very happy to have guests who would like to interact and share ideas, at least once.
Possible gatherings:
- outdoor sports activities, such as trekking;
- cultural events and walking tours to explain the history of the city;
- cookout or potluck events, where we can also cook some Brazilian dishes; and
- dancing.

ANDRE
I have a special interest for forests and treks here, so I can teach you about them.
I work 9-7 but will be pleased to provide tips and support by cellphone (we use whatsapp application here) or e-mail when needed.

RAFAELA
I can teach how to cook some of our Brazilian specialties: brigadeiro, beijinho e salgadinho de queijo =) I would love to learn how to cook some dish from another country as well.
I can teach you how to dance samba, even though I am not an expert.
I can always talk a lot about my own culture since I have been almost everywhere in Brazil and, of course, love hearing about other people's culture as well!
I am generally free from 7 pm but I might be free a bit earlier, depending on the classes I am taking during the semester. You can always send messages to be by cellphone (whatsapp) and e-mail.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can share our apartment. It's spacious, with three spare rooms and a private bathroom for guests. We will also share our ideas, and some of our time.

NOTES:
1) Please, write a request talking a little about you and why you liked our profile. Mention the word "AwesomeRio" in your request, so we can make sure you read our profile :) And, if you have a profile in any social media (especially Facebook), please share it with us.
2) We will only accept guests with at least a two-week notice. We have a busy routine and, when receiving guests, we want to make sure we can at least give them some attention. A one-month notice would be ideal.
3) We will not host for just one night. The idea of CS is sharing our culture, experiences, etc. So, if you are just staying for one night it means you are not really intending to do so. Sorry.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, United States, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, United States