Flying Down to Rio?

[Guest Verde]

TomCal: Very pleased to read your report and to know how much you've enjoyed yourselves. I hope other readers will be following our footsteps and recommendation to visit Brazil and to discover for themselves the gay haven that we're all looking for. To this end, I don't mind becoming the mouthpiece plugging (no pun intended) for increased tourism in the country. The gay establishments in particular could use our business in order to continue to operate. After 9/11, Brazil, as elsewhere, suffered a considerable drop in tourism. There were very few American tourists that I ran into while I was in Brazil and they were not in evidence in the gay venues that I went to. So, let's do our bit. I also hope that whoever goes there would behave properly and not act like the obnoxious, arrogant, disrespectful, superior-than-you etc. type of gringoes that I just hate to see in my travels.

With regard to your e-mail query, I went to Termas Lagoa in Sao Paulo. Tri included it in his very good review of Brazilian saunas, complete with clear directions how to get there. I took the metro going there and back to my hotel (I was alone). If it's getting a little late and you're not comfortable going back to your hotel, ask the sauna's receptionist to call a taxi for you. Btw, I stayed at and can recommend the Hotel Bourbon which is located in the Praca Republica area (check Footprints guide). The Termas Lagoa is not to be missed especially on Fri and Sat nights. You just won't believe your eyes. In comparison to other cities, Sampa can be more dangerous, but it's not like you will be so stupid as to be walking around in dark deserted areas. Read up the guidebooks for info and ask your hotel concierge for advice and you should be fine. But definitely, go visit Termas Lagoa. (Tip: ask for Douglas a TV movie starlet if he's on duty, he'll take your breath away, sighhhh...).

 

Tri: speaking of Brazilian telenovelas, I'm sure you're not missing an episode of Uga Uga especially with all those hunks on display. I don't know if you're interested or aware that you can see Humberto Martins (Calu Calu) in the raw in one Brazilian site (Homens photo something). It looks like an outtake or a scene in the series that didn't make it to our screens. Also a nice photo album (lots of skin but none frontal)of Claudio Heinrich the cute Tarzan like character in Uga Uga in a site called Papparazzo. And what do you think of Murilo Benicio. Uummmhh, I've got the hots for him to the extent that I hanged out a lot on Ipanema Beach where I was told he jogs hoping to bump accidentally into him. Thiago Lacerda (the young gorgeous star of Terra) has a male lover, a Brazilian friend who did his make up told me.

(Is it okay to say something like this in this forum?)

 

Now, for serious business. Thanks for the heads up on the tax issue. I was under the impression that income earned abroad were exempt from taxation. So naturally I'd like to know more on this. I think I'll post that question in the LP website for some feedback from American expats now living in Brazil.

 

Obrigado. Tchau.

[trilingual]

Verde, I doubt you're giving much away by mentioning Thiago Lacerda, or any of the others. Somehow, everybody in Brazil seems to know about all of the TV and music stars. For a while I had the hots for Victor Fasano, who was supposedly having a major affair with a well-known soccer player, according to just about everyone I know. Humberto Martins did a spread in "Intima" magazine where he showed off his respectable all. I actually kind of like the guy who plays his younger brother, but there's certainly plenty to drool over of just about every type on "Uga-Uga." Murilo Benicio is attractive, but also not totally my type, so you can have him all to yourself if you manage to get your hands on him! :-D Luciano Szafir, who fathered Xuxa's child, would fit my bill very nicely! He had a role in the earlier chapters of "Uga-Uga."

 

Sorry to be dumb, but what's the LP website? Perhaps I should be know about it? Please post the URL if it's useful. For U.S. citizens, income earned abroad is taxable, although I think the rules are different, I think, than for income earned in the U.S. The problem's that your pension is income earned in the U.S. if it's paid by a U.S. source, like your former U.S. employer, which will be my case. Brazil also charges tax on all income, regardless of where it's earned. How they know how much you earn abroad is a whole other question, though. One of the things to talk about with a Brazilian tax accountant.

[trilingual]

Tomcal: Thanks for posting that update to my Brazilian Sauna review. I hope to see more updates on them.

 

Verde: I forgot, but you should probably add your updates on the saunas in B.H., Fortaleza and other places to the review, as you've been to them more recently than I have.

[Guest Tomcal_]

Trilingual, I owe you the thanks, if you hadn't written that revue last year on Brazialian Suanas(which was so in depth, and the most accurate directions i have ever seen)My friends and I would never have thought about going to Rio, and now we are going back in April we had so much fun. I felt i owed to the site to publish that update. Again, many thanks and hope to be able to share more adventures with you in the future

[trilingual]

Thanks, Tomcal!!! I'm really glad guys like you and Verde found the review useful and that it led you to discovering one of the most wonderful places on the planet. I made it very detailed because I know a lot of guys have never been to a gay sauna, especially in the States where so many were closed down during the AIDS scare. I also know detailed information is essential when going to a new and sometimes overwhelming country where you don't know the language. In particular, São Paulo for first-timers can be pretty staggering in its vastness. When you see those skyscrapers from horizon to horizon you know you need some help finding your way!!!

 

It's also hard to communicate to people how incredibly special Brazil is because you have to experience it to understand it! (And once you discover the magic, I can't encourage people strongly enough to learn Portuguese, because it's the key to understanding what it is that makes Brazil and Brazilians so special.)

 

One story that's stuck in my mind was told to me by a friend in São Paulo. He's originally Argentine, but has lived in Brazil for umpteen years and is now a Brazilian citizen. Brazil is for Argentines what Mexico is for Americans: the nearby warm and sunny beach resort country. My friend says his parents took the family to Brazil on vacation when he was a child. On that first visit he was transfixed by the way Brazilians walked (like a samba?). After that he was hooked. Even as a child he made up his mind that he was absolutely going to live in the country where people walked like that! And as soon as he grew up and finished school in Argentina, he did. And he's lived in São Paulo happily ever after. . . :9

[trilingual]

Check out this man on Guystats:

 

http://www.guystats.com/BrazilMan4you

 

I've heard from another contributor that he may be available as a guide as well as an escort. He's appeared in Honcho, if that does anything for you!

[trilingual]

The Brazil Nuts among us might want to check out http://www.netgay.com.br again. The Marco Studios button and the services on the Escort Boys button have been updated with new guys available in Rio and elsewhere. Some of the other features, like Netstuds, are now for pay. In the Escort Boys section, ignore the first agency, with butterflies on its banner. It's a pay site, not worth it. Also, according to the webmaster (who has posted a guide to Rio, in Portuguese) do NOT pay more than R$50 for a session. And this guy should know!!! :-)

[Guest LOVEHANDLE]

Flying to Brazil early part of next year. Dude, would appreciate emailing me pictures:

 

hudsonman@yahoo.com

 

Thanx in advance.

[trilingual]

Pictures of what?

 

You can get general pictures of Brazil all over the net. If you want an idea of what the guys in Rio look like, visit http://www.netgay.com.br. Click on the Marco Studios banner, and also on the Escorts button. On the Escorts page skip the first outfit (the one with the butterflies on its banner) but you'll find the rest quite educational. For guys in São Paulo you can check http://www.bananaloca.com.br and click on the banner at the top that says "Acompanhantes" and then on "Quero Prosseguir." Also see reviews on the Escorts Outside USA section of this site.

 

If you want to see what the saunas look like, click on the Thermas/Saunas button on Netgay, then select the Brazilian state you're interested in.

 

This should keep you busy, dude!

[Guest SlimJim]

Just curious -- it sounds like everything is pretty open in Rio. Is prostitution legal there? Like in Amsterdam?

[trilingual]

To my knowledge, prostitution is legal in Brazil (not merely tolerated). However, it is not regulated, as it is in some countries. There also are no sodomy laws in Brazil. Sex with minors (in Brazil, less than 18) IS illegal and there have been some arrests of prominent foreigners in the last year or so.

 

Although there are no laws against prostitution in Brazil, from time to time the police do use other laws prohibiting the causing of public nuisances or engaging in indecent behavior to crack down on street prostitution. This mostly affects female and transexual/transvestite prostitutes who congregate in prominent tourist areas, like Avenida Atlântica in Rio. Male street hustlers are rarely targeted, although there are exceptions to all rules.

[trilingual]

RE: Upgrades to Apartment

 

The owner of the apartment informs me that the air conditioner has been installed. There is also a hair drier now in case you forget yours or you need the right voltage (Rio, São Paulo and some other large cities are 110V, but some places in Brazil are 127V or 220V so you need to ask before plugging something in.)

 

Also, the owner can make arrangements for the use of a cell phone and to have you met at the airport by a reliable radio-cab driver. That can be very welcome after staggering off an umpteen-hour flight from the Northern Hemisphere, or farther! The driver can take you to an ATM where you can get cash.

 

BTW, Brazil is one of the few countries that allow you to shop duty-free upon ARRIVAL in the country. If you feel the need to stock up on imported liquour or tobacco, or buy fragrances or other gifts this is a good place to stop before you leave the customs area. (Brazilians LOVE cologne, so it's a good present for the new friends you're likely to make.) This also saves having to carry extra stuff with you on your flight, especially in these security-conscious times. So much easier to just pick up those essentials when you get there.

[Guest miguelmiche1]

I agree with Tri. Stay the hell away from Brazil.

 

 

 

>>By the way, I disagree with TruthTeller in one thing: the

>>guys are not all whores. Some are, in the full meaning of

>>the word. But many are nice guys . . . .

>

>I just don't look for these. I suppose if one, for some

>unfathomable reason, wanted to find "nice guys" in Rio, one

>could - but why go to Rio for "nice guys" when they're all

>over the fucking place? What Rio has is a lot of very NOT

>NICE, maliciously perfect men that simply cannot be found

>anywhere else on the globe.

>

>>who find themselves having

>>to make ends meet and help out their families in a poor

>>country with high unemployment and limited opportunites for

>>young people. When you're in Brazil, remember that you're

>>in a country where the minimum wage is less than

>>US$200/month, and no one can live on that in a big city like

>>Rio.

>

>That's one of the things that is so hot - the buying power

>you have. It's akin to landing in some country where the

>highest quality bottles of champagne are in great abundance

>and are $1/bottle. It's like having Monopoly money to buy

>the best things ever.

>

>>These guys often have lives harder than you can

>>imagine, yet they have that magical Brazilian gift of making

>>light of it all and enjoying everything that is good and fun

>>in life (like sex) with a gusto that's often difficult for

>>First World-ers to understand.

>

>When their huge cock is bashing your face in and slamming

>your throat until it bleeds, I think that, "First World-er"

>or not, you'll have no trouble understanding their "gusto"

>and "magical Brazillian gift".

[Guest miguelmiche1]

I can settle this. Having just returned from Rio, Estacao, just a couple blocks from Roger's, sees a lot more action than Roger's (and some nights I went to both places)!! But this is an academic question, because Roger's and Estacao share the same management!! cheers

 

 

 

>I forgot to mention: friends have reported favorably on a

>new sauna called Estação on r. Toneleros in Copacabana, not

>far from Roger's. From the name, it's probably near the

>Metro station. You can get the address, I think, on

>http://www.netgay.com.br then surfing through

>"Thermas/Saunas." I'm getting mixed messages as to whether

>Roger's is very good at the moment or if it's having hot and

>heavy competition from Estação. If anyone goes to Rio,

>please report back on this critical issue. I'll be going in

>January, and will update my semi-world-famous "Brazilian

>Saunas" review.

>

>By the way, I disagree with TruthTeller in one thing: the

>guys are not all whores. Some are, in the full meaning of

>the word. But many are nice guys who find themselves having

>to make ends meet and help out their families in a poor

>country with high unemployment and limited opportunites for

>young people. When you're in Brazil, remember that you're

>in a country where the minimum wage is less than

>US$200/month, and no one can live on that in a big city like

>Rio. These guys often have lives harder than you can

>imagine, yet they have that magical Brazilian gift of making

>light of it all and enjoying everything that is good and fun

>in life (like sex) with a gusto that's often difficult for

>First World-ers to understand. Don't treat these guys as

>whores, treat them with the respect you yourself expect.

>Respect is a BIG, BIG deal in Latin culture. You'll be

>amazed how high your popularity will soar by demonstrating

>your respect for the guys you meet while you're in Brazil,

>even if it's just for a half hour in a sauna!

[Guest miguelmiche1]

You're wrong. No matter what yr purchasing power, if you are as objectionable a person as you seem, they CAN and WILL say no. So they have the ultimate power, not you. Then you will be left to deal, deservedly, with your own dysfunctionalities.

 

But that's if you're lucky. If you indeed exhibit such an attitude before these macho guys you can and will indeed get the thrashing of your life - but it might be your last. As Tri states, these guys' lives are extremely difficult, fraught with violence, and it wouldn't be the first time they unleashed their fury on a client. Perhaps that is exactly what you are subliminally looking for. For example, the Portuguese Consul in Curitiba was murdered last year by two male escorts that he had hired when he pissed them off.

 

 

>>By the way, I disagree with TruthTeller in one thing: the

>>guys are not all whores. Some are, in the full meaning of

>>the word. But many are nice guys . . . .

>

>I just don't look for these. I suppose if one, for some

>unfathomable reason, wanted to find "nice guys" in Rio, one

>could - but why go to Rio for "nice guys" when they're all

>over the fucking place? What Rio has is a lot of very NOT

>NICE, maliciously perfect men that simply cannot be found

>anywhere else on the globe.

>

>>who find themselves having

>>to make ends meet and help out their families in a poor

>>country with high unemployment and limited opportunites for

>>young people. When you're in Brazil, remember that you're

>>in a country where the minimum wage is less than

>>US$200/month, and no one can live on that in a big city like

>>Rio.

>

>That's one of the things that is so hot - the buying power

>you have. It's akin to landing in some country where the

>highest quality bottles of champagne are in great abundance

>and are $1/bottle. It's like having Monopoly money to buy

>the best things ever.

>

>>These guys often have lives harder than you can

>>imagine, yet they have that magical Brazilian gift of making

>>light of it all and enjoying everything that is good and fun

>>in life (like sex) with a gusto that's often difficult for

>>First World-ers to understand.

>

>When their huge cock is bashing your face in and slamming

>your throat until it bleeds, I think that, "First World-er"

>or not, you'll have no trouble understanding their "gusto"

>and "magical Brazillian gift".

[Guest FLsweetguy]

Someone said that Ipanema was not going to be a successful place for older guys. What about the saunas or do you go with an escort.

[trilingual]

The reviews about Rio on this site cover free-lance escorts and saunas there that specialize in escorts. In the reviews and the message boards it's pretty clear that older men do perfectly fine at those saunas. After all, the younger guys who go there expect to meet older men on a remunerated basis. At the non-escort saunas an older guy may not have as much luck meeting someone "free," although it's probably more likely than in the U.S. That kind of depends on the older guy's age, shape and charm!

 

The gay beach in Copacabana is more mixed in terms of ages, classes and types than the beach in Ipanema. That's why I go there. It's more comfortable for me because I'm 55 and not in great shape. Some of the younger guys who go there do so just because they like older men. Others are available on a rental basis.

 

Sorry if I sound a bit grumpy here, but I believe in people doing their homework. That means reading the reviews and threads on the site carefully before posting exactly the same questions that are already covered.