My journey to Rio and what I thought...

September 21, 2002

"Estacion: yeah, coolguy was correct. It's a bit Twin Peakish seeing the clients versus the boys. All the clients are quite old (one regular even brought his assistant to help him walk... it was a strange site), but all the locals are nice."

At last! ;-)

LAShowbiz · September 21, 2002

7Zach... who the heck are you? You took the words right out of my mouth... I KNEW there would be people out there who thought the same sentiments.

I, too, got food poisoning from a steakhouse. I was nauseous for three days, which really ruined my venture up to Bahia. Bahia is sooooooooooo different from Rio. The beach waters were CLEAN... the sand was white. It reminded me of the gay beaches of Saint Maarten.

As I said earlier, I would visit Rio again in the future... I'm just not dying to go back. I'm not engrossed with cheap thrill at saunas... I can do fine at any gay bar. :> My thing is, I look for shopping and dining experiences. Rio didn't do it for me in these areas, but Rio had enough to make me want to go back.

I was planning to go back next Spring with TomCal-Ho... more for his company... he really is a gem, but now I'm having second thoughts. There's so many other cities I want to check out... one being Buenos Aires. When I mentionned this to TomCal, his first question was "do they have saunas there?" LOL

Don't get me wrong... I loved my time in Rio. I bet the majority of travelers will fall in love and want to go back continuously. Me, on the other hand, I have different priorities. I think other cities may fit my desires/needs better, but rest assured... one of these days, I'll go back to Rio... (just to kidnap the twins)...

CT Dick · September 21, 2002

>if they bother u so much why don't u just skip them and shut

>up?

Ditto! :-)

Dick

+ *Hoover42* · September 21, 2002

>I was scheduled to do a rain forest tour by jeep, but

>something went wrong... hmmmmm, TomCal-Ho, what went

>wrong???? Let's see...

What a great story! :7 I've re-read it three times now and laughed out loud each time! :-)

LAShowbiz · September 21, 2002

you need to loosen up and realize we were three

>adult men(ok, acting like boys) who are all over 35 and know

>how to be independent,

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!! TomCal-Ho... you just ADDED four years to me! How rude.... maybe I should spill all the dirt on you... oh wait, I already did.

OMG... 35. I'm so depressed now... I'm going shopping.

IamI2002 · September 22, 2002

That's what I do, Fuckinmarine, it's just lovable how he once had the board mesmerized until a challenging influence approached and revealed---

THE EMPEROR HAS NO GERMAN CARS!

;-)

Love and kisses... and keep getting humped by those Marines. They need your support and asshole at times like these.

September 22, 2002

hehehe:7 finally someone with a different opinion of brasil/rio.. frankly i NEVER understood what you guys find sooooooo atractive in the guys of brasil. my personal opinion,, dirty, uneducated. soory i live in south america, so i am not impressed.

IamI2002 · September 22, 2002

Baby, are you in troooouble! You just made yourself a target for one of the now famous "Trisexual Tirades."

September 22, 2002

>

> hehehe:7 finally someone with a different opinion of

>brasil/rio.. frankly i NEVER understood what you guys find

>sooooooo atractive in the guys of brasil. my personal

>opinion,, dirty, uneducated. soory i live in south america,

>so i am not impressed.

I have to say that in my limited experience in Rio, (4 separate weeks in the past 12 months), I would not describe ANY of the guys as "dirty", in fact, "Exceptionally Clean" would be my phrase(the guys in the suanas seem to shower about 20 times a day as they like to keep coming out of the showers to show what they have!), but I don't know where you live or South America, so that could be a more localised issue ( I am in the medical profession, and certainly can stop poor hygiene - especially close up!!) Uneducated, yes they are if compared to American/European standards, however, most the boys certainly have "street smarts" and it is apparent that given the same opportunities that the U.S. offers, many of these boys would have the ability to excel in college. Quite frankly, I found many of them to be a lot smarter then my own cousins(Minnesota, blue collar background). Then again i can understand your position, as many people are not attracted to what they are familiar with, i.e. my family is composed of mostly blue eyed blonds, hence i am attracted to Latins. I do think it is unfair to cover the whole South American continent with the label "uneducated and dirty" but you are entitled to you opinion, i would be interested if you think this way about other countries in S.A. or are your opinions formed from bad experiences in Brazil, and specifically Rio.

September 22, 2002

>you need to loosen up and realize we were three

>>adult men(ok, acting like boys) who are all over 35 and know

>>how to be independent,

>

>HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!! TomCal-Ho... you just ADDED four

>years to me! How rude.... maybe I should spill all the dirt

>on you... oh wait, I already did.

>

>OMG... 35. I'm so depressed now... I'm going shopping.

LA, I am sorry i hit the wrong key, i meant 30, you are the baby of the group!!!

September 22, 2002

guys, a couple typos in my previous post, I meant to say:

I can "spot" poor hygiene, not stop. sorry

September 22, 2002

Ok,

I love you guys!!!! I've been reading what you and TomCal wite and I must, MUST meet you the next time you're in Rio. I've never been , but I MUST go. Please tell me that you'll go sometime after January. Please tell me that !!!!

jivau3930 · September 22, 2002

Not to be missed - the helicopter tour(s) of Rio through Helisight. They offer 9 tours. I took the 11 minute tour first. They require a minimum of 2 guests. I paid for my driver/tour guide Wilton so we would not have to wait. Rio from the air is breath taking (literally). I took 76 photos in the 11 minutes (digital camera). A few day later, I called Helisight headquarters to see if I could take a 9 minute flight to only Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado. First I was told "no" but after some discussion with Martha, the directors assistant who speaks fluent English, I was given permission. So that afternoon, I again paid for 2 - myself and my "partner" Morenno - and we took the 9 minute flight. Amazing photos!! Rio from a helicopter is unbelieveably beautiful!! Reservations - Martha at 2511-2141. Another subject: Can anyone tell me how to recover from Rio (and Morenno) Withdrawal??? After 14 days in Rio - I've got it BAD!

LAShowbiz · September 22, 2002

>LA, I am sorry i hit the wrong key, i meant 30, you are the

>baby of the group!!!

LIAR!! You didn't hit the wrong key... you probably typed this while mounting your latest prey...

"Hey kid, move a couple feet over to the right of the bed... I can't reach the keyboard...uh uh uh"

duke37 · September 22, 2002

Hey jivau,

How much was the helicopter flight? I know they are pretty expensive in the US and they can't be much cheaper in South America.

I think it was a generous thing to take Morenno with you. He may not have ever seen his city from that perspective. Nice gesture on your part.

Jeff

September 22, 2002

>Ok,

>I love you guys!!!! I've been reading what you and TomCal

>wite and I must, MUST meet you the next time you're in Rio.

>I've never been , but I MUST go. Please tell me that you'll

>go sometime after January. Please tell me that !!!!

We are planning a trip for April next year,( going this Oct 20th, but LAShowbiz is not going on that trip the Retail Store Assoc. of Brazil banned him from returning after his nasty comments about the availability of quality products) but a bunch of us will be going in April, great weather then, 80's but not a lot of humidity, Dec, Jan, Feb, too hot and muggy for me.

trilingual · September 23, 2002

Sorry to disappoint IamI2002, but no tirade. Rio isn't for everyone. There are the rare few who don't fall head over heels for it. A good friend went there once and came back complaining that it was "third world." Well, duh, of course it is! I couldn't help wondering where he thought Brazil was before he took the trip! (And this guy is a travel agent who had been just about everywhere, at least in the "first world!") This same guy did like Buenos Aires a lot, which is understandable because even with the crisis it doesn't look at all like a "third world" city. BA is disorientingly European-looking.

I'd be curious to know where you live in South America, Unlimited Horizons. (I don't have to guess your class.) My guess is that those factors have something to do with your opinion of Brazil. Like Tomcal said, if you spent your whole life in South America it may be that it's just too familiar to be appealing. You may be attracted by opposites. In my own case, I spent my childhood in Mexico City, but that hasn't turned me off to Latin America. ¡Cada cual a su gusto! So what places DO you like?

As for dirty, I don't find the nicer parts of Brazilian cities any dirtier than many American cities. (The slums, of course, are another matter, but what visitor spends any time there?)One of the most appealing qualities of Brazilians is their fanatical cleanliness. Even poor people make the effort to be clean and presentable. Tomcal's wrong; it isn't just in the saunas that Brazilians take lots of showers! Brazilians LOVE to bathe, and usually take three or four showers a day. In fact, sex under the shower is a very common Brazilian fetish! :7

Anyway, wherever you like to vacation, I hope you enjoy it.

trilingual · September 23, 2002

>You never got to a churrascaria with rodisio? How about a

>Wed. feijoada?

Well, here's some evidence of what a fake the condescending expert IamI2002 is. Besides not knowing that rodízio is spelled with a "z", he doesn't know that Porcão, where LAShowbiz ate, is a churrascia rodízio. He also doesn't know that the traditional day for feijoada is Saturday, not Wednesday. I guess owning however many fantasy German cars isn't enough to confer real knowledge. . . :7

IamI2002, your nasty comments don't really bother me because flames are expected on the Internet (sorry to disappoint you, Snookums). However, I think we're all waiting to see what positive contribution you might be able to make here. You imply you're a sophisticated international traveler. People come to this site to share or acquire information. So it's time for you to put up or shut up.

trilingual · September 23, 2002

>You never got to a churrascaria with rodisio? How about a

>Wed. feijoada?

Well, here's some evidence of what a fake the condescending expert IamI2002 is. Besides not knowing that rodízio is spelled with a "z", he doesn't know that Porcão, where LAShowbiz ate, is a churrascia rodízio. He also doesn't know that the traditional day for feijoada is Saturday, not Wednesday. I guess owning however many fantasy German cars isn't enough to confer real knowledge. . . :7

IamI2002, your nasty comments don't really bother me because flames are expected on the Internet (sorry to disappoint you, Snookums). However, I think we're all waiting to see what positive contribution you might be able to make here. You imply you're a sophisticated international traveler. People come to this site to share or acquire information. So it's time for you to put up or shut up.

jivau3930 · September 23, 2002

Jeff, Helisight offers 9 flights ranging from 6/7 - 60 minutes. Cost range from US$43/person for 6/7 minutes to US$250.00/person for 60 minutes. I took the 10/11 minute flight first - US$75./person and then Morenno and I took the 8/9 minute flight (USD 65. each to Christ the Redeemer. Minimum number of passengers - 2 (some flights 3). If you don't do anyother touristy(sp) thing - do this. It's well worth the money. Helisight has a website - http://www.helisight.com.br. Regards, Jim

trilingual · September 23, 2002

>Another subject: Can anyone tell me how to

>recover from Rio (and Morenno) Withdrawal??? After 14 days

>in Rio - I've got it BAD!

I'm afraid I have alarming news for you. There's no cure! It's TWENTY YEARS since my first trip to Brazil and I still have it bad, too. And every time I get a glimpse of someone like the twins or Apollus's big Bruce it just gets worse!!!! The only temporary solution is a dose of the "the hair of the dog," but that means another trip to Rio or at least an evening with a charming Brazilian escort wherever you are! But in the end, it just leaves you wanting more and more. . . :7

The good news is that you have company in your affliction. That's what this board is for! Because once you fall for Brazil, there's no recovery. . . }>

+ *Axiom2001* · September 24, 2002

This thread is smoooooooooooooooking even if I mistook LA...'s comments for face value. It's been an interesting, helpful, and informative read. The divergent viewpoints are refreshing!

September 24, 2002

I had a virus when I posted my account above, and when I said check with the experts, I forgot the name you posted under, and if I went back to check, I would lose the damn post. And being silly, it worried me. I really enjoyed reading your thread, and day-dreamed that I lived your trip. Rio was a kick, huh?

As far as going back, I want to see B Aires first; Rio, at least the part that the hotels were in, was so new, and you just get exhausted mentally dodging the Henry Stern girls - they're pretty, and pretty determined too. And if anyone is bi, go to the nightclub up the beach, can't remember the name, but is in English - maybe the Hippodome - more hookers than I have seen anywhere except either Vegas before it was family oriented.

And the friggin restaurant where I and my guest got sick was Mario's. That's it, read this, Mario's. The beef was great, great salad bar, but I still think it was the damn king crab, and I didn't want to eat, but with the excitement of the night-life, ate 1/2 of one. Fuck man - the U.S. needs to manufacture that stuff and drop over Iraq.

But the best thing about Brazil to me were the everyday people - they were so nice. And I went into the design showroom, and ordered some hand-made wooden blinds; and I found some faux antique door knobs - both made in Brazil. That to me is the secret of Rio - figuring out what you want and they can make cuz it is so much cheaper and really good quality.

But hey, I got on tv long enough for them to ask me a question and me to answer in English, and flash, lights go out - not even 30 seconds, but the walk between the cordoned off areas was at least two minutes. Still looking to see if my date's costume got on the Carnival web-pages. Last time I checked they were from last year, but damn, he whipped a pretty authentic George III dress - one of those with a low cut bosom and and the front is wider than it is deep. Hysterically funny. His white wig was at least three feet tall, so I understand how the Duchess of Davenport had to sit down on the floor of her carriage to have room for her hair and wig. (She actually had a bird cage in one).

I have found traveler and Tri very helpful about Rio, and I have emailed Tri's friend re: BA, but our schedules don't seem to be matching. But I am going there in the next few months - and I like a tour guide to tell me the history, because it is always more involved that that of the guide book from x place to y, where you are left

that that of the guide book from x place to y, where you are left clueless in between the two.

As far as the saunas, you can't beat them, but I prefer more room service or more special attention.

September 24, 2002