Journal--Rio June 2012

[LurkerSpeaks]

I would like to share my visit with the fellow board members. I am posting the journal over at MER. Sorry, but too lazy to copy and paste everything here. So I am including a link http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/index.php?/topic/10783-rio-june-2012/ to the post there. I will try to leave a note here each time I update over there. There will be a few pics mixed in with the daily log.. Hope you guys enjoy..

 

Lurkerspeaks

[LurkerSpeaks]

update for day two now posted.. go check it out please

[orbital sander]

go check it out please

I am too lazy...

[rguer]

update for day two now posted.. go check it out please

 

Well written, interesting to read. Don't worry about people not making comments - there's not much we could add.

[LurkerSpeaks]

ok. more uipdates online now

[LurkerSpeaks]

just posted more pics on the journal

[bigvalboy]

I would like to share my visit with the fellow board members. I am posting the journal over at MER. Sorry, but too lazy to copy and paste everything here. So I am including a link http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/index.php?/topic/10783-rio-june-2012/ to the post there. I will try to leave a note here each time I update over there. There will be a few pics mixed in with the daily log.. Hope you guys enjoy..

 

Lurkerspeaks

 

Apparently since I am not a member of MER...they would not let me download the pics. I will join another day and I will look at them at that time...sorry I tried. At least you and AZDR had a good time. I will hear all the juicy details in Chi-town...

[LurkerSpeaks]

ok.. last entry was just made. I caught up on the missing days..

[+ Lucky]

AZDR has been pretty quiet about his trip. I did read about swimsuits, I think. But thanks lurker for the stories, helping us homebound desert rats enjoy the real world, however vicariously.

[+ azdr0710]

hey Lucky and other fellow desert dwellers (the dr, by the way, stands for desert rat, not doctor....honestly didn't mean it to sound like doctor back at username-decision time).....will write about the trip in a while, but wanted to give a bit of a primer for sauna protocol....a newbie like me was lucky to have great hand-holding help from Lurker and Tom, but others might need this (or like to read it!)....maybe something like this already was done, but wanted to give a new angle....

 

first, after being buzzed in at the front outside, you give your first name to the check-in desk person, who probably won't speak English....you receive a number and attached locker key on a short elastic cord which you wrap around your (upper?) arm so it's always with you for the charges you'll make during the eve....then you head to the "clientes" locker area, where you'll be issued some flip-flops and towels...you don't have to change into a towel only, though many clients do....you're free to just spend the time there in your regular clothes, which I did after the first night, but I did wear the flip-flops for comfort...just more comfortable in my casual jeans and t-shirt than a towel - don't dress up!....all bar charges, massage appts, cabin rentals go on your account via that number hanging from your arm (good exchange rate and no security problem using my U.S. credit card at the saunas - and, of course, I'd told the CC company I'd be traveling overseas before I left).....as at all the saunas when we were there, there were seemingly 30-50 "garotos de programa" (sp) working....seemed to always be fewer clients....not surprisingly, most are in decent to fantastic shape and you can't help but eye them and check them out....of course, eye contact means you're interested, so he'll probably come over to schmooze a bit....you don't have to immediately offer to get a "cabine" with that first guy....just say "hi", ask his name, age, make small talk, ask if he's a carioca or not (if in Rio), whatever...language may be a big and colossally frustrating problem, but some will try English....Spanish works about 20% of the time and often does not help at all....if you don't want to pursue a guy, politely say thanks/you don't want to do a programa just yet, etc....walk around, get a drink from the bar, explore the facility, relax, smile, sit, listen to the music, watch some drag/strip show that might be coming up....the garotos will all be looking at you to see if you're interested and some will be aggressive to a point....most are very appealing and you may want to spend time with all of them, so be selective....many will discreetly open their towels for a few seconds as they walk around for you to check them out, sometimes showing off a hard-on (they have a jack-off room with vids)...99% of them or so are uncut...they are all there for the money, of course....each has probably paid R$20 or so to the sauna just to come there that eve and work....they're eager for business and one may suddenly come and sit with you trying to drum up a programa....when you finally find a dude you like, make eye contact, say "hi" and ask him to hang out with you on a sofa....try to communicate, buy him a drink or snack, make small talk, and see if you're still interested....you can sit very close together, hug, kiss, fondle discreetly....you'll have to come to an understanding of what he is comfortable doing and what you want to happen....many (definitely not all) of these guys are close-to-straight, have kids, etc....if you're looking for full-on sex, the well-known, standard query asked by the client is, "activo or passivo?"....many will say both, but activo means he's top only and passivo means he'll bottom for you....most will kiss passionately, many (not all) will give you oral, a few may do absolutely nothing but top you...personally, I often like to watch two dudes put on a show with me participating in some low-key way (receiving oral from one of them)....if you're into this also, be warned that very, very few of the guys will do oral on each other if that's what you want to see....it's part of the "macho"/doing-this-only-for-the-money/what-would-the-other-guys-think thing very much present in the saunas with the garotos....however, strangely, they will have anal sex with each other if you find two guys who like each other and understand the plan - if you want a three-way like this, make sure the guys are friendly/OK with each other first thing........make sure the plan is clear and the price agreed to before you proceed....but always be friendly, don't rush, have fun, and, primarily, respect them....when you're ready to have fun in a "cabine", you and/or the garoto will go to the front desk and say you'd like a cabine (about R$30 or so, approx., but free cabine nights occur one or two days each week at some saunas), using the number you have on your arm....you'll quickly be issued a key with a room number on it, and maybe some condoms and lube (possible extra charge -ask if you need this stuff)...the guy will know where that room is and you'll walk together to it....it may or may not have a bathroom, a sink, a toilet, or a shower....it'll be small and simple, with a bed, maybe some static-y straight porn on a TV, a small side table, and a light with a dimmer switch....40 minutes for one session (cabine rental), stay much longer and you'll automatically get charged for two rentals....the guy may want to move quickly, so keep the session in control if that's not what you want....do the deed and get out - somebody else cleans the room afterwards....return the key to the desk promptly - your new friend may offer to do it for you and that's probably fine....always pay your guy separately with local cash promptly after your programa....his fee can't be charged to your account....tip him if you want to, buy him a drink and/or snack, go up to the smoking lounge and hang out with him if he wants, be friendly and relaxed....if you're really into him, offer to buy him a late dinner out at a restaurant or ask if he wants to meet the next day for lunch and a romp at your own place, with the term$ all negotiated ahead of time, of cour$e!......at some point, you may actually want to go sit in the wet or dry sauna, have a professional (and very thorough) massage if a masseur is available, or take a shower before leaving....when you're ready to depart the sauna, go back to your locker, change and/or put your shoes back on, go to the desk, turn in your key, and confirm the charges on the displayed screen before paying....some drinks you bought your guy may be more expensive than that Coke Zero you had yourself!!.....

[+ Lucky]

And the guys know just which drinks cost the most! That's a good primer for a beginner. Soon we will have only experienced hands at Rio if all of these happy tales keep coming in. Thanks for posting.

[+ azdr0710]

will post the trip report itself later....report got too long last night, was half-asleep, and I lost the other stuff when it said to shorten the post....and it was so cleverly written, too!....almost as good as a Max post!

[+ Lucky]

will post the trip report itself later....report got too long last night, was half-asleep, and I lost the other stuff when it said to shorten the post....and it was so cleverly written, too!....almost as good as a Max post!

 

Well, in that event, might I suggest paragraphing? That white space helps the eyes read better once you get past 60, or so I think.

[LurkerSpeaks]

Probably the single most useful tip I can give a new visitor to Rio is RELAX... Don't sweat the little stuff. Yes, the language is different from English and Spanish. I do not speak any Portuguese, but I am somehow able to make my desires known in Rio. Don't plan things down to the minute of how to spend your day. Relax and enjoy things as they happen. The whole culture there seems much more laidback and less dependant on time deadlines. Your "five o'clock date" thinks it is just fine to arrive at 5:20. Enjoy the natives and immerse yourself as much as possible in the "normalcy" that is Rio. Relax, and enjoy, and you will have a fantastic time..

[Irtwo]

azdr, thanks for the detailed info. When you used your credit card at the saunas, how did the charge show up on your bill? Does is say sauna?

[Strafe13]

At least whenever I used my cards at the saunas, I'm pretty sure the charges showed up as the name of the place, but I don't recall it necessarily saying "sauna" on them. Maybe azdr has a more detailed memory. One thing to be aware of is the international conversion charge that will show up each time your credit cards are used over there. :-(

 

azdr, thanks for the detailed info. When you used your credit card at the saunas, how did the charge show up on your bill? Does is say sauna?

[+ azdr0710]

azdr, thanks for the detailed info. When you used your credit card at the saunas, how did the charge show up on your bill? Does is say sauna?

 

just checked my cc bill...it doesn't say sauna, but may say the name of the biz (w/o the word sauna), but usually looks like some abbreviated jibberish plus the city name....the "category" is clothing store or personal service provider....nothing incriminating unless somebody is really out to seriously investigate you....the foreign transaction charge on my credit card is 1% (less than a dollar for the typical sauna visit) and the exchange rate for my card was very competitive....no worries using your card, but tell them ahead of time you're going out of the country.......

[+ azdr0710]

finally, here is my "trip report" for the trip last month with Lurker to Rio....well, rather, it'll be more a comments, hints, observations report for a first-time visitor....others here offer great hints and there is also extensive info (and pictures) over at maleescortreview.com (MER)...and I promise to break it into paragraphs, Lucky.....I, of course, know that rule, but, in the earlier Saunas 101 post, I had some tech difficulties, etc....

 

a visa is required to go to Brazil and I had excellent luck with travelvisapro.com...apply online at least two months ahead of time and be patient filling out the required forms...they always answered my phone calls to them.....also, there is a very good chance the visa requirement will be dropped within a year or two....see EZE's post about this concern in this subforum....we flew United via Houston and all was fine on the 10.5 hour half-empty, overnight flight....in-person check-in required at the airport, not surprisingly....after immigration, we were "chosen" to avoid customs and so able to walk right out to a waiting car-service guy Lurker had arranged, rather than a taxi....the car was slightly more expensive, but hassle-free, more comfortable, quicker, and he knew where we were going....worth it when arriving, though a cab will be fine when returning to the airport....

 

as expected, the drivers (cabbies, in particular) are like in many international cities - very aggressive, fast, honking, the whole bit....saw a notorious now-walled-from-public-view-in-prep-for-the-World-Cup-and-Olympics favela (slum) on the way into town....the colorful favelas are famous in Rio and tours are even offered...some come to within feet of luxury hotels and apartments....they are picturesque crawling up hillsides in all parts of town....Rio hotels, currently, are among the most expensive in the world and we smartly arranged for single apartments via rioapartmentrental.com ....wide variety of choices and locations....for $90/day, we each got small studios with bath, small kitchenette, AC....I slept like a baby on the firm mattress with the AC offering white noise....our apartment building was a 50s-era multi-story block in the heart of the Copacabana district two blocks from the beach...not at all luxurious, a bit concrete-y, but it had a doorman (common) and a great location....

 

within a couple blocks was all we needed to live the entire week: across the street was a very-common-in-Rio "juice stand" where I had breakfast every morning....strong coffee, fresh squeezed juice (many exotic choices), and a ham and cheese breakfast omelet/pastry for about $5...had to get used to how ordering/paying/tipping worked....I think some places have Euro-style service charge included...others not, I think....also in the hood was a grocery store and a phone/internet center....wow, that phone/internet place was great: an attendant helps, but I only had to pick up a regular phone, touch 00, then 1 (US country code), the local area code and the number and it was like talking to my next-door neighbor....cost was about $3 or so for a 10-15 minute call....internet was about the same cost...nice!....many cambios in the area offer the best rate for dollar exchanging, rather than banks....

 

few people in Rio know English and that created bottlenecks in some spots....I brought an old-fashioned Portuguese-English dictionary and that helped a lot....I also brought a very small hip pack to carry around my reading glasses, wallet, pen/paper, keys, maps, notes, camera, etc...that was very, very helpful rather than a backpack or shoulder bag....I think portable electronic translators are available for a price if you're serious....Google Translate is helpful, too, if you can access it spur of the moment when needed.....

 

I walked a lot all over and never felt uncomfortable....of course, walk with purpose, don't dress up, don't flash bling, the whole bit....armed military guards, local police, and other security are common....doormen are at all major buildings....Ipanema and Copacabana are, of course, touristy and so are safer than the nearby favelas....even the favelas are now guarded by armed govt. security in an effort to break the druglord hold that was once common there....lots of pedestrians in Ipa and Copa, traffic, little regard for pedestrian signals, some beggars, big mix of people and types....fun people-watching on the streets....the city is famously situated along the well-known beaches (Copa and Ipa) and amid towering rocky mountains and rain forests that separate the various city districts....probably a good idea, if you're into geography, to check a map and see how it's all laid out....and, being winter down there, the sun was well into the northern part of the sky all day long! - yep, my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere....

 

The Christ, as they call it, is the world-famous statue overlooking the city, installed in 1939....you can bus it or cab it to the "train" station for Corcovado where you can buy a RT ticket on your own to the top for about US$22...politely ignore the guys hawking special tours (you can get a private car to the top for a price) as you get out of your cab....just walk right up to the ticket booth and check when the next available train has space....all this was pretty tourist-friendly and easy to navigate.....funicular/cog-style train....unfortunately, a clear day turned cloudy on our way up in the train and it was hopelessly cloudy at the top...no views or photo ops....damn!.....but a local youth group provided some entertainment for the masses waiting for the sun that never came....stairs or elevator at the very top....

 

we/I did not go up the other famous Rio destination, Sugarloaf Mountain....a two-part cable car takes tourists up there for a great view of the bay and city, though it's lower than The Christ....

 

I did arrange, though, ahead of time for a guided hike up Pico da Tijuca with riohiking.com.br ....it's the highest point in the entire region and was a great way to orient myself within the city....the guide was smart and offered lots of frank commentary all along the drive and hike....very humid for this desert dweller, though, as we (guide and two clients) ascended thru the rain forest to the top....hike was about two easy hours RT...

 

neither of us is at all a "foodie", but we did have one special early dinner at a locally-popular, well-known Brazilian steakhouse called Porcao...there are a few in town, but the branch in the Flamengo district has a great setting overlooking the bay, Sugarloaf, and a pleasant waterfront area....incredible "salad bar", unlimited amounts of meat, of course, and lots of staff scurrying about...very pleasant setting and not at all touristy-feeling...lots of local business people around....no need to dress up, but you should go a solid step above flip-flops and that Rio t-shirt!....brush up on Brazilian steakhouse protocol, too....and, again, not much English spoken here...step outside after eating for some photo ops along the shore.....about US$47 per person was a bargain....

 

Ipa and Copa beaches are also, of course, major destinations....both are long and wide and have popular, wide sidewalks/paths along the street-side to blade/walk/skate/jog along....all types of people to be seen and in all colors....the surface of the path is some sort of inlaid black and white rock in a famous swirly design also available on towels and shorts for sale in the area by vendors...some people spent a lot of time on this sidewalk!!.....popular coco (coconut water) is available at many beachside stands for about US$1.50-2 (tastes like dirty water, but the show of him prepping it is worth it)....beer stands, towel/chair rental booths all along the beach...incredibly, no buildings exist between the main street and the beach, preserving the world-famous view....on Sundays, I think, one of the street directions is closed to cars and open to pedestrians et al....if you're a walker, walk all the way from the east end of Copa under a steep hill (Leme district) to its west end at a historic fort on a rocky point, wend your way thru the few blocks to the east end of Ipa beach, first walking out to a rocky headland for pictures near "Girl From Ipanema" Park, then continue walking west to the far end of Ipa beach in the Leblon district....you'll see the Sheraton Hotel up ahead there beyond the end of the beach in a not-too-convenient location, actually.....

 

taxis are very plentiful and not expensive....you can also use the clean subway system with a card you can load up with credit for several trips.....many buses, too, if you can figure out which you need and if you want AC or not (price varies for AC!)....buses can be crowded.....

 

a guy I hooked up with at one of the saunas was my guide for one evening in the well-known Lapa district for live samba music and a quick walking tour of the back roads in the area....I'm much into history and the Lapa district is one of the original areas of the city, dating to the 18th century...the famous Arcos da Lapa are here, part of a former aqueduct that carried water from the nearby Carioca River to the city center....later, the aqueduct was turned into a streetcar line until a fatal accident a couple years ago...Lapa was somewhat dangerous until just a few years ago, but has been discovered by tourists...take a cab here and one back....by the way, native residents of Rio are nicknamed "cariocas"

 

we also went to the very popular Hippie Fair in Ipanema, held most Sundays in a nice park there....food, art, drinks....not really an arts guy, but bought a couple pieces of abstract art I liked (haggle)....

 

wow, this city really grew on me....spectacular setting, wide variety of people, casual beach vibe for such a big city, lots of history, walkable neighborhoods, great food....

 

will write more on the sauna scene beyond my earlier Saunas 101 post later....