Where to begin, Alex should be listed on every travel site as a "must-do" in Rio. Myself and three friends were wrapping up a couple weeks in South America, (Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Florianopolis, and ending in Rio;) keeping with the spirit of the trip we wanted to SEE the places we were visiting, not just the sights offered up on postcards. Enter Don Blanquito! Any apprehension we had about visiting the Favelas with an American was immediately dispelled within our first few minutes. Zig-zagging through the narrow streets, we came across a group of 10 or so guys. Before I was able to realize two of them were sporting Don Blonquito tank-tops, we heard the shouts of praise, "BLONQUITTTTTOOOO!" The man has earned the respect of his neighbors, and in doing so can take you through an area most visitors don't get to experience. We never once felt unsafe, unwelcome, or as though we were the standard tourist. He shared insightful knowledge of his favela, the evolution of favela's in Rio, a bit of his own personal experience and how he arrived there (fascinating,) and struck a perfect balance of intelligent and funny. We were so pleased with the tour, we agreed to have Alex take us Lapa that evening. For those unaware, Lapa is an area in Rio where people take the party from bars and clubs to the streets. I presume some foreigners venture there themselves, but it definitely was a HUGE advantage having Alex there with us. He explained the "scene," worked with vendors and bartenders getting us drinks (mannnny drinks,) took us to a bunch of different spots we would not have known about, and again made the experience SO MUCH more pleasurable in feeling completely safe the entire time. In summation, no matter how long your trip to Rio, or what you planned on doing, find a way to take advantage of Alex's services. He is the reason your travel, meeting new, interesting, and cool people in new, interesting, and cool places. Thanks again Don Juan!
