A GUIDE TO BRAZIL SAUNA PRICING

[trilingual]

(A work in progress, as economic situations fluctuate. This is accurate as of the date of this posting.)

 

Following discussions in various threads, and with various experienced M4Mers and others familiar with the Brazilian sauna scene, here is a general guide to pricing and avoiding misunderstandings:

 

1. In Rio and São Paulo, the current standard (fair market) price for a romp in a cabine is R$50. This buys you 30 - 40 minutes of a sauna guy's time. In smaller cities, like Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, etc. the going rate is usually R$30.

 

2. To avoid unpleasantness and surprises, ALWAYS be sure to confirm that the guy you're with will accept R$50 (or R$30) BEFORE you go to a cabine with him. Some guys expect more because they're local stars or have posed in national magazines or have been in videos. They don't always realize that, as a foreigner, you're not aware of their star status, and this can lead to misunderstandings later. ALWAYS check beforehand. If, for some reason, you go to a cabine with a guy without either of you having discussed rates beforehand, the standard price is understood to apply. However, the likelihood of an unpleasant scene afterwards increases significantly in this situation. Save yourself from this by always settling on the fee beforehand!

 

3. If you have a good experience with the guy, tip at least an extra R$20.

 

4. It's good form to offer to buy a drink or snack for a guy you've been with. You should do the same if you've been chatting up a guy for a while but haven't decided if you want to go with him, or decide against it. You've been taking up time he could have used to find another client.

 

5. The standard price covers basic vanilla fun and games for a set period of time. If you want extra services or extra time, you will need to pay extra. You should discuss all of this first with the guy you're with (even if your expectations are basic vanilla) to avoid misunderstandings after the fact.

 

6. If you're into group scenes, you will need to pay EACH guy you take to a cabine their individual fees, separately. There are no two-for-one rates!!!

 

7. Most of the guys expect extra payment (in Rio or SP an extra R$50) if they cum while they're with you. Cumming puts them out of commission for a longer time between clients, which eats into their earning potential. For some, it's the end of their evening, because it's not as easy as you might think to stay aroused to the point of orgasm all night with multiple clients. However, they should tell you first they expect an extra payment, and ASK if you want them to cum with you. If they don't, you shouldn't be obligated to pay more.

 

8. You will meet sauna guys you like and want to spend more time with. If you just ask them to join you for dinner or a snack, it's not necessary to pay extra for their time. If you want them to spend significant parts of the day or evening with you, showing you around town or helping you feel more secure, that's another story. Figure at least R$50 if they're with you for 4 hours, and R$100 if they're with you for 8 hours. If your companion is an experienced tour guide and/or fluent interpreter you should plan to pay more than this (up to double). Any fun-and-games, meals, transportation, admission and tips are extra, of course.

 

9. Overnights are worth R$100 - R$150. Tipping is appropriate if it was a good experience!

 

10. For being with you 24 hours a day (including accompanying you on an out-of-town trip) figure at least R$250 per day. A few rolls in the hay are understood to be included in the rate. You must expect to offer more if your companion is an experienced guide/interpreter and/or you spend the entire 24 hours wearing your guy out in hanky-panky! Meals, transportation, lodging, admissions, etc. are additional, of course. Again, tipping is appropriate if you have a good experience!

 

11. The easiest way to avoid unpleasant scenes and hard feelings about money and payments is to be SURE of what you're agreeing to with a guy. If you're not certain you're understanding each other, try to find someone who can interpret for you. Even if nobody is available, you can always get a pen and piece of paper from the bar or front desk and write out the amount you're agreeing to and also the amount of time ("2 horas/4 horas/24 horas, etc.") if you're engaging a guy for a more prolonged period, whether in or out of the sauna. Be sure he indicates his agreement. You can ask, in Portuguese, "Concorda?" ("Do you agree?") If he answers affirmatively, you should respond, "OK, concordado!" ("OK, it's a deal!") Brazilians are pretty careful to live up to their formal agreements, because it's an issue of honor.

 

12. All of the above applies to sauna guys. Agencies and guys you hire through websites are usually more expensive (in the R$80 - 150 and up range for an encounter). Ordinarily, though, you're getting more time with a guy than the typical short sauna "programa," so proportionately it's not that much more expensive. Also keep in mind that you don't have to pay sauna admission, drinks and snacks, cabine rentals, etc. which you have to figure into the costs of a sauna visit.

 

13. Avoid giving large amounts of extra money to guys with whom you become friendly. It creates unrealistic expectations. Instead, give nice gifts like fashionable imported T-shirts or polo shirts, athletic shoes, cologne, extra-large condoms, etc. Brazilians love giving and getting gifts, and a nice gift (especially an imported one) will be meaningful.

 

13. Some guys you become friendly with may contact you later on asking for financial help. You have to decide for yourself if you want to do this. The fact is that none of these guys have easy lives, and often need financial assistance. However, you're not obligated. If you do help out, avoid large sums and doing it frequently. If you don't want to do this, and someone keeps pestering you, feel free to use Tomcal's copyrighted response: "I like you very much, but we need to understand each other: you don't give sex away for free and I don't give money away for free."©

 

This information should help you manage your experiences in Brazil and enjoy your stay!

[trilingual]

RE: A GUIDE TO SAUNA PRICING IN BRAZIL

 

In the past, we've had some polemics on this board about the proper amount to pay escorts in Brazil (and other "third-world" countries). A few vocal posters have insisted that it's cheap and exploitative for foreigners from "first-world" countries to pay escorts in the "third world" less than what they would pay at home and that M4Mers who pay the standard going rate for escorts in the country they're visiting are, in effect, neo-colonialists or worse! Most readers and posters find that argument absurd, but it has a way of reappearing here.

 

No responsible poster on this board has called on M4Mers visiting Brazil (or other third-world countries) to be "cheap." Considering the relative wealth of most M4M readers compared to most people who live in countries like Brazil (and particularly the kind of guys who become escorts) being cheap is unseemly, to say the least.

 

However, paying the standard market rate for ANY service in a country like Brazil is not being "cheap" or exploitative. You're paying no more, and no less, than what any other customer would be paying. There are hotels and other businesses in the tourist industry known to have one set of rates for locals and another, much higher one, for foreign tourists. Almost universally, when tourists find out they've been overcharged, they're angry and vow never to return. Charging foreigners more than locals is bad business, whether you're a hotel, a tourist attraction, or an escort. If it's a business other than an escort, it's probably illegal. It would be in Brazil.

 

"Cheap," in the escort context, would be trying to bargain a lower price than the standard rate. Negotiating is not uncommon among local clients, whose incomes are much lower than first-worlders. But it's unacceptable for a "wealthy" foreigner who can well afford the standard price to do that.

 

Tipping is another story. Unless a guy was really awful, foreigners should add a decent tip (not less than R$20). Also, if you keep a sauna guy "tied up" (so to speak) for much more than the standard 40-minute romp (like another 40 minutes or more) you should pay him an extra R$50. By keeping him overtime, you're interfering with his ability to find another client, so you should compensate him fairly for the total time you spend with him. Adjust any tip accordingly.

 

Generosity can be shown in many ways besides hard, cold cash. Treating guys you've been chatting up at the saunas to a drink or sandwich is a generous thing to do. Inviting a guy you like to dinner afterwards at a nice restaurant is also a generous act, as is inviting him to come with you to attractions or shows he might not otherwise be able to afford. (In Rio, for example, many guys have never been to Sugar Loaf or Corcovado, because it's an expensive excursion for someone poor.) Giving reasonable gifts is also an act of generosity. Clothing, athletic shoes (trainers), or cologne from well known international brands/designers are always welcome gifts. So are boxes of imported XL condoms (the kind that contain a dozen condoms). Not only are they flattering, they're practical, because XL condoms, while manufactured in Brazil, aren't found in every corner shop.

 

There are always guys who are exceptional for one reason or another. It's not unusual to find yourself getting deeply involved with such a guy, and wanting to do more for him than usual. There's nothing the matter with that, as long as you don't lose your head (and your bank account) in the process. But visitors to Brazil or similar countries should do their best to think with their big heads, and not their little ones, when they wish to be generous with someone they meet there.