Respite from decline or resurrection of the saunas - or?

[imrthr]

I went to Sao Paulo’s Sauna Fragata last night and tonight (Saturday & Sunday).

 

To my pleasant surprise, both nights were fun nights and there were plenty of good-looking garotos and there were lots of clients. However, the quantity and quality of garotos were not what they were a few years ago.

 

I had a report from someone (who also posts on this forum) that on Thursday, Fragata was also a fairly good night.

 

This thread is not intended to imply that the slump (decline in quality and quantity of garotos) is still not a concern. The concern definitely remains at the present time.

 

Although the past few nights at Fragata were fun and festive, there were many nights over the past year or more when Fragata appeared it could not survive considering the lack of business. On most of my prior trips over the past year or more, Fragata was nearly deserted.

 

The decline in the saunas is not seasonal. I visit Brazil almost every month and am in a position to evaluate whether something is seasonal.

 

It is true that I do not know for sure why there is a decline, but I suspect the rapid and fairly recent increases in prices (“inflation”) in Brasil (including the entrance and other costs to visit the saunas) kept away a lot of Brazilian clients (many Brazilians told me this is so).

 

High prices and the extreme decline in the value of the American dollar and other currencies compared to the strong Brazilian currency is another factor that has kept away many previous visitors.

 

It was a combination of many elements that caused the slump in quality and quantity of sauna garotos.

 

Considering the Brazilian clients who tended to stay away from the saunas (because of the higher prices) together with the major decline in quantity of foreign visitors, the saunas did not have many clients.

 

When this happened, garotos stopped coming to the saunas because their chance of snagging a client while there were so few clients available, were slim. The lack of clients (both Brazilian and foreign) kept, and still keeps, many garotos away from the saunas.

 

Most sauna guys have to pay an entrance fee plus their transportation to and from the sauna. If the chance of meeting a client is poor or even unlikely, many garotos stay away from the sauna to keep from wasting their money on a fruitless sauna trip.

 

Like most things, people adjust to higher prices (take gasoline for example). People may not like the higher price but eventually people accept the higher price, and people continue to drive their cars even though the gas prices are outrageous.

 

Of course, there will be visitors (clients) that stay away from Brazil because of the expense. After all, Brazil is now one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit, especially Rio and Sao Paulo.

 

Over time, many Brazilians and many foreigners will accept that there is still a lot of fun to be had in Brazil and particularly in the saunas, despite higher prices. This could be a positive sign which might bring more garotos of the type we were lucky to see a year or more ago.

 

I had planned to make this current trip only about ten days, given the dull times I had over the past year or more (10 trips to Brazil) (89 trips in total). However, if the current pleasant trend continues, I might extend my present trip into next month.

[Guest Gringo]

Price is certainly a factor that impacts locals and tourists alike. For many years the Sleeping Giant offered shockingly handsome men at truly bargain prices. Well, the Sleeping Giant woke up, the economy improved dramatically, and the prices went up. Still, compared with other escort pricing the world over---Brasil remains a bargain.

[EZEtoGRU]

Interesting thread by imrthr. I was in Sao Paulo for three nights last week and I went to Thermas Fragata all three nights. Definitely it has improved over my last few visits. It probably helped that two of my favorite hotties were there all three days. There is still somewhat of a lack of new attractive guys....but overall the place had a more vibrant feel to it. On Friday night there was an exceptionally attractive new muscle guy there. He used to escort in Milan but is now back in brazil.

 

Overall, I still believe the glory days of brazil escorts are still in the past (and unlikely to return), but at least the steep decline experienced in2010 seems to have stabilized.

 

I did not make it to Termas Lagoa on this trip. Hopefully imrthr will get there and tell us how it is.

[imrthr]

 

snip snip

 

Overall, I still believe the glory days of Brazil escorts are still in the past (and unlikely to return), but at least the steep decline experienced in 2010 seems to have stabilized.

 

I did not make it to Termas Lagoa on this trip. Hopefully imrthr will get there and tell us how it is.

 

 

I went to Lagoa tonight (Monday). While there, the place could honestly be likened to an undiscovered tomb.

 

It was so disappointing that I had to leave early. Although it was difficult, I stayed (lasted) two hours in that dull environment.

 

While noticing a handful of clients searching in vain for appealing garotos, it quickly became obvious that such a thing was sadly missing.

 

At this time I wish to to borrow a portion of a post that Gingo posted today above. The quotation is quite moving and speaks for itself.

"For many years the Sleeping Giant offered shockingly handsome men at truly bargain prices. Well, the Sleeping Giant woke up, the economy improved dramatically, and the prices went up. Still, compared with other escort pricing the world over---Brasil remains a bargain."

 

For those not familiar with metaphors, the sleeping giant is Brazil.

 

The only thing missing in Gringo's post is a comment concerning the reduction of quantity and quality of garotos found in saunas. Since saunas are not his "thing" it is only fitting that he would not comment on the decline of the saunas.

 

I realize that Monday is generally a quiet night at Lagoa which could account for the low turnout of clients and garotos. However, I have never seen a Monday night this dead.

 

As I and others have said, despite the decline in quality and quantity of garotos in the sauna, it is still possible to have a good time in Brazil if you are lucky and pick a good night when all the stars are in alignment.