Is Brazil sauna boy quality slipping?

[EZEtoGRU]

Well, I am just wrapping up a 7 day/6 night visit to Brazil. I leave for the US tonight from Rio having spent the first three days in Sao Paulo and the last four in Rio. This has been my least successful visit to Brazil in terms of finding quality action in the saunas......and I have much Brazil experience over the years.

 

Now I confess that I am extremely picky. My normal "hit rate" at the saunas is only about 60% (I find something I like about 60% of the time). My experience on this trip was as follows:

 

Friday: Fragata Sao Paulo success

Saturday: Lagoa Sao Paulo nothing

Sunday: Fragata Sao Paulo success

Monday: Pointe Rio nothing

Tuesday: Pointe Rio nothing

Wednesday: Clube 117 Rio nothing

 

Of 6 visits to saunas, I only hooked up twice(33% hit rate).......both times in Sao Paulo. I found nothing to my liking at Pointe and Clube 117 in Rio (yes I have completly struck out in Rio!!). My connection both times at Fragata in SP was with Luciano whom I have known for several years. We had a super time. Other than him, I did not see much of interest at Fragata either.

 

In contrast, I have been to Madrid three times this year and would consider all my visits very successful. I don't really care for the Sauna Adan in Madrid (not very clean in my opinion), but I have found some pretty hot guys there who I then see at my hotel. Also, the internet scene in Spain is very active with high calibre escorts from Brazil, Argentina, Europe, etc. I found much higher quality Brazilian guys to be available in Spain than on my current visit to Brazil. Do the best quality escort guys from Brazil end up going to Europe these days?

 

I gotta ask the question. Is Brazil sauna boy quality slipping?

[MscleLovr]

I haven't been to the saunas in Brazil so I can only offer an indirect comment. Lots of young Brazilians get student visas and come to the UK, and then start working (via the internet) as escorts in London.

 

My observation is that the number of handsome, muscled young Brazilians working in London has definitely increased over the last 2 years. My guess is that the guys with initiative move to London because they can earn much more, with the possible benefit that their activities are unknown to their family and friends back home.

[azhiker]

That’s an interesting observation. Last time I was in Rio (Jan ’09), I remember one night at the Pointe seeing nothing to my liking, which was a first. The last time I was in London (May ’08), I hired a hot Brazilian there on a student visa. With the Euro so cheap, maybe it is time for a trip to Spain.

[EZEtoGRU]

Thanks to MscleLvr and azhiker for your input. Could be that the draw to europe is quite strong for the best guys from Brazil. Kind of like with Brazilian football players (the best ones going to play in Europe to make more money).

 

I am currently at the Rio airport....however I did return to Pointe this afternoon to give it one more college try for the team. Unfortunately is was more of the same. In fairness, I did go early 3:00 till 5:00 pm and I know that the best guys usually arrive between 5:30 and 8:00pm. Even so, when I left there were about 7 rentboys there and nothing really held my attention. I did hook up with one of the Pointe employees who was cleaning the steam room at the time and we played a little. It says allot about the working boys there when the best thing going is the sauna employee who is cleaning.

 

I have not yet given up on Brazil. I refuse to believe (perhaps naively) that what I experienced this week is a general trend. I will return to Brazil again before the end of the year to check things out again. In the meantime, I guess I will head back to Spain in October.....yum!!

 

I am still interested in inputs from any other experienced Brazil travellers. Thanks!!

[+ Axiom2001]

Rio has its "quality" escorts at the saunas as well as independently advertised at http://www.netgay.com.br. From what you wrote, perhaps your being overly fastidious hindered your meeting some escorts of interest during your most recent visit.

 

I would like to think that the better Brasilian escorts do not wind up in Europe. I'm going to Italy and to Barcelona next week and staying for almost a month. I hope to see an Italian/Brasilian escort in Rome who I met in 2007 (an independent). My other major liaisons will take place at the Termas in Barcelona as well as my seeing independents from http://www.gayromeo.com, http://www.rentboy.com, http://www.rentmen.com, and http://www.escupido.com. I've communicated with a few of these guys, and all of their responses to me were encouraging.

 

Don't give up now; perhaps visit Brasil again and use some independent escorts. The ones who I have seen in the past faired quite well for me, and I did not have to "break the bank" in my engaging their services.

[trilingual]

The saunas in Brazil (at least in Rio and to some extent SP) have "seasons," and this is low season. A lot of guys do go to Europe during the low season in Brazil and come back when things pick up in the southern summer. But you never know -- even in high season one night at one sauna can be dreary and the next night it can be thrilling! Plus, you only have to meet one great guy to make it a great night! Being picky doesn't help, of course, but it's been rare that I've gone to the saunas and not connected and had a good time, although on occasion it does happen.

 

The saunas in Spain may not be as exciting right now as they once were. In the past couple of weeks there's been a police crackdown on non-EU guys working illegally in bordellos and saunas in Madrid and perhaps elsewhere in Spain. That could cut down on the number of Brazilian and other foreign guys working in the saunas in Spain.

[Reed]

I, likewise, just returned from a short trip to Rio, and I concur, the pickings were as slim as I've ever seen in the saunas. I arrived last Friday and headed to Meio Mundo...no one caught my attention. Moved on to 117 and there were lots of guys and many were appealing. On Saturday night I returned to 117 and was pretty disappointed with the selection. I saw a guy who I first met 8 years ago in a Rio sauna. The last time I saw him he was in Barcelona. He spent 3 years in Europe and said the "financial crisis" over there prompted his return to Rio. On Sunday I tried Pointe....nothing. The clients outnumbered the boys by at least 6 to 1...maybe 8 to 1. But no one was hiring. They all seemed to be there for the show and after it was over the place cleared out. As did I. I have never seen a night where clients out-numbered the boys by so much. On Monday, since 117 was closed, I thought that there would be a better selection. I totally agree with you....the available selection was very disappointing. I left without hiring.

 

I also came home wondering if the quality in the saunas is slipping. For years I've been making at least 3 or 4 trips to Brazil annually and I did far less hiring on this trip than I've ever done. I've had a couple of trips to Spain this year...both Barcelona and Madrid. While I like the saunas in both cities, this is the first year that I found the selection in both Madrid and Barcelona to be superior to the saunas in Rio. I've speculated that the cream of the Brazilian crop find their way to Europe where they can make much more money. That being said, while I was disappointed in what I found in the saunas, I found great alternatives in Rio with those advertising on netgay.

[EZEtoGRU]

Thanks to Axiom, trilingual, and Reed for your inputs. All valuable.....each with a slightly different angle.

 

It is true I am extremely selective and picky in choosing rentboys.......however, I always have been. In my 20+ years of travel to Brazil (and living there from 2005-2007), I have never seen such a poor selection as on this trip......and over a 6 night period in two different cities. Something was definitely different. The suggestion to use NETGAY is welcome and I will do that the next time. Never really thought about that before as the saunas normally provided enough talent to satisfy me. I also agree with the comment that generally the summer months attract higher quality sauna boys.

 

Good comment from Trilingual on the crackdown on foreign rentboys in Spain. I had heard that they were really putting the pressure on the Brazilians who were there illegally. This could change the makeup of the rentboys in Madrid and Barcelona as about 30-50% of them seemed to be Brazilian. Perhaps Axiom can report on this once he gets to Barcelona.

 

Axiom, Gayromeo and Escupido are great sites to look for talent in Spain. Another site worth looking at online is Morbototal or Chaperos. Many of the same boys as on the others, but sometimes you get some different information and different pictures to evaluate your options.

 

Seems that Reed and I had similar experiences. Wish we had made contact prior to the visit Reed, we could have had a drink at Pointe on Monday night when it seems we were both there!!

 

Thanks to all for your valuable comments. I am a newbie to the forum but certainly not a newbie to finding fun in Latin America. I think I can learn and contribute allot here. I am happy I finally decided to join!!

[trilingual]

Glad to have you on the forum. It's always great to have another experienced "old Brazil hand" contributing! <p>

 

My impression is that in the past few years the saunas in Rio and SP have been pretty slow during low season. I think the call of the saunas in Madrid and Barcelona has been pretty strong, as that's the high tourist season in Spain. Whether the recent clampdown in Spain sends a lot of guys heading back to Brazil is up in the air. Developments in Brazil are also at work. The economy is growing (even close to booming) which means that guys who might have gone to work at the saunas to make ends meet may have been able to find more "respectable" work. On the other hand, someone with the right disposition and equipment can definitely make some serious money working at the saunas. The impending World Cup and Olympics will also have an impact, but I'm not sure if for good or ill. It could mean more guys at the saunas trying to cash in on the tourism boom that lies ahead. But we'll just have to see. These kinds of things tend to be cyclical and we may just be on a downswing right now. The saunas have been going for more than 30 years now, and they exist all over Brazil, so they're a pretty deeply rooted phenomenon. Maybe it's time for guys to branch out some more and try the saunas in other cities, which tend to be less seasonal than the ones in Rio.

[EZEtoGRU]

Thanks tri for the warm welcome. No doubt the cooler months are slower in Brazil. Also, I remember when I lived in Sao Paulo, the saunas were absolutely dead between Christmas and New Years. Either the boys were not working (visiting families in far flung places in Brazil), or many went to Rio for the big tourist push. I also agree that the improving economy in Brazil over the last 10 years may actually have a negative affect on the quality of the sauna boys. An increasing number of young men are able to find legitimate work outside of the Sauna scene. I think this trend will continue. There will always be boys at the sauna, but the quality level may continue to deteriorate. Case in point, last week there was no shortage of boys at any of the saunas when I visited. The issue was not quantity but rather quality.

 

Nothing ever stays the same in life I guess.

[trilingual]

No, nothing in life stays the same, but I had hopes the saunas in Brazil would continue to be a constant, at least during my lifetime! With luck that won't turn out to be just wishful thinking! But what may have changed, in part, is myself. I think I've grown pickier as I grow older. These days I don't just feel like going with any guy who happens along at the sauna. If they don't come close to meeting my exacting standards they don't have a chance!

[+ Italiano]

There is definitely an increase of hot brazilian escorts all over Europe.

Milan (especially) and Rome in Italy don't have a place like the saunas in Madrid or Barcelona, but on the internet (especially gayromeo) there is a big selection of very hot paulistas and cariocas!

[EZEtoGRU]

Yes tri, whilst I've always been very selective, I am also probably getting picker with time. One of my friends tells me this is the case. He, on the other hand, has gotten less picky with age. Then again, he doesn't pay for it. Therefore he has had to widen his horizons to be able to get action. I keep counseling him to try the rentboys.......but he just wont bite!!

[12is12]

Hi guys=experts,

 

My queries might seem too early since I'm planning on being in Brazil only in March (carnival time), but I understand it's best to make early flight+hotles arrangements. I'd appreciate it very much if you could help me woth the following questions:

 

1) Are Tri's founding posts still relevant/updated? Do Lagoa, MM and 117 still rule? If there are more updated posts, please direct me to them (so I won't bother the forum with repeatitions).

2) Any chance of finding sauna boys who are cut?

3) Any chance of finding a hot English-speaking boy, willing and able to guide me around Rio for a couple of days (+sex)?

4) Is the programa per hour or per cum? I'm quite vanila and like to take my time. Do the boys push for a wham-bam session, or will they cooperate if I prefer soft-and-slow body contact?

 

Thanks

[trilingual]

1) Lagoa still rules the roost in SP. Friday nights are still busiest. Fragata is also festive. In Rio 117 is the largest and most popular, followed by Meio Mundo. 202 has become a bit hit or miss, and the guys seem to expect higher remuneration, although if you're looking for muscled studs this is probably a good place to go. However the other saunas also have well-built guys.

 

2) I don't think I've ever met a guy who was circumcised at the saunas, although many are so "big" that their foreskins seem to be permanently retracted. It's been very rare that I've been with a guy whose foreskin didn't retract when he was hard, and all the guys have been extremely clean.

 

3) There are reasonable chances of finding a hot guy who will guide you around, although the number who speak fluent English or know a lot about the sights of Rio may be fairly small. Check the posts for Wellington -- if he's in town between gigs on his cruise ship he would be a fun guide who used to work the saunas but has moved up in life.

 

4) The programa is for time, usually a bit less than an hour. I recently ran into a guy in Lagoa, very taken with himself, I'm afraid, who announced in the middle of the programa that time was up -- he claimed it was only for 30 minutes! First time I've ever run into that! I was rather pissed and that ended that encounter! I don't think all the guys are doing that, but to be sure be very clear before going to a cabine about the terms of the encounter: price, time and what you plan to do.

[12is12]

Thanks a lot Tri.

 

Quick follow-up question: any Portugese phrases I should know for "cuddling" or "soft-and slow" or "body contact" or such?

[trilingual]

Cuddling/body contact: "trocar carinhos," "ser carinhoso," "abraçar e beijar," etc.

Soft-and-slow: "devagar," "sem pressa"

[12is12]

Thanks again.

 

Why don't saunas' websites have English versions? After all, surely us foreigners are a major source of income...

 

Are Lagoa / 117/ MM closed some nights of the week?

 

I understand Atlantico is the recommended hotle near MM. What about hotles near Lagoa and 117?

[EZEtoGRU]

Clube 117 in Rio is closed on Monday nights. Make sure you build that into your planning. Some folks visiting Rio do stay at the Atlantico which is close to Pointe 202 (2-3 block walk). I have never stayed there so I cannot comment with first hand experience. On my recent visit to Rio, I stayed at the JWMarriott on Copacabana (also walking distance to Pointe 202)......but it is probably quite a bit pricier than the Atlantico. There is a grand old hotel close to 117 called the Hotel Gloria which is closed now for renovations (which it needed badly). It could be a good option once it reopens. The renovation seems to be a complete gutting of the place....so it may be closed for 1-2 years.

 

In Sao Paulo, Fragata and Lagoa are open 7 days a week. There are many hotels in Sao Paulo. I tend to stay at one that is my personal favorite......but it is not really close to any of the saunas, so I don't think I would recommend it to you.

 

In terms of language, perhaps you might invest in a Rosetta Stone portuguese language kit and try to start picking up some phrases. I have never used it myself, but I have heard raves.

[12is12]

thanks EZE

[trilingual]

Mondays at 202 can be busy as it's a night when 117 is closed. 202 is just a three block (or so) walk from the Atlântico. The Atlântico is right across the street from the Siqueira Campos metro station, from which you can go to Glória station for 117 (around the corner and about a block up r. Cándido Mendes from the station) or to Uruguaiana for MM, if you don't mind a bit longer walk to get to the sauna.

[+ glutes]

I have heard that on Tuesday nights Lagoa/SP feeds dinner to both garotos and clients. True?

[EZEtoGRU]

Fragata in Sao Paulo serves a pasta dinner to all on Tuesdays. My recollection is that Lagoa does this on Wednesdays....... but I could be wrong. Yes it is for garotos and customers.

[12is12]

I'll be landing on a Tuesday night in SP, at 21:20. Will I make it to Lagoa when there's still action, or does it wind down earlier?

[trilingual]

On a Tuesday night the action will largely be over at Lagoa by the time you can get there. It's a looooong way from the airport.