Latin America Men and Destinations

Hey guys....aside from the beach and the saunas....I'm looking for some things to do during the day while I am in Rio for 4th of July weekend.... Aside from going to Barra da Tijuca for shopping and hitting up CADEG I need some suggestions.... I have already done all the other touristy stuff...Christ the Redeemer, the Botanical Garden, Corcavado.... Im open to suggestions that are off the grid and not a flight away from Rio.... Thanks in advance....

Porto Alegre Shereton hotel Mezzaninu Plataforma Bar Mixx My hat is off to TomCal and all his advice from his posting on PA. Airport to hotel, Very easy, there is a white taxi booth next to airport exit door, and the flat rate is 26R for a no meter run to the Sheraton. (On the return from the Sheraton to airport the return cost was 20R with meter) so for the extra money and first time drive into town, do the flat rate until you get your sea legs. Sheraton Hotel They did their up sale with me. Which was fine for an extra 30 I got the “all the works” upgrade and it did make for a very nice stay. However the high floor, the executive level 15th floor and spa was jus…

What goes up, must go down (eventually). Many countries, including the U.S., have had devastating economies. Fortunately, most countries were able to pull out of its financial crisis. At the present time, Brazil seems to be in a tail spin. Hopefully, something will bring Brazil's economy in line. http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/economic-indicators-in-brazil-continue-to-deteriorate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29

Twelve of fifteen new trains bought from China will be put in service starting today in Rio de Janeiro. With all the skills and able bodied men available in Brazil to work, it would seem that those expensive metro trains that Brazil purchased from China could have been built in Brazil, creating thousands of jobs for Brazilians. Instead of building the trains in Brazil, with guidance from Chinese engineers, Brazil contracts with China to have new trains built then shipped to Brazil for its transit system trains. Maybe some of the demonstrators in Brazil about incompetence are not that wrong. http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-real-estate/rios-metro-line-4-…

Yesterday, it was announced that Brazil MIGHT waive its visa requirement for visitors to Brazil who will be attending the Olympic events in 2016. Many from this forum are aware that Brazil charges Americans $160.00 for a visa to visit Brazil. Depending on the mood of the person processing the visas, visitors are assigned Brazil visas that are USUALLY valid for multiple entries and for ten years. However, there are reported cases where visa applicants pay the same $160.00 for a single entry visa and/or less time valid. The Brazilian Consulate web pages discuss this issue and clearly state that there are NO APPEALS to the type of visa issued. To most, $160.00 is not…

Rio's lawmakers react to numerous recent knife attacks - - - http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rios-parliament-approves-law-against-carrying-knives/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29 The creation of the new law is a reaction to several cases in the last weeks, where people were stabbed in order to be robbed. The most prominent cases include a doctor, who died when stabbed cycling at the Lagoa, a student injured with a knife when riding the SuperVia and a man waiting for the bus in Centro. - See more at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rios-parliament-approves-law-agains…

HSBC, is an enormous bank. It has branches in many parts of the world. In Brazil, it currently has more than one hundred branches. As a form of advertising, the HSBC logo is found on most jet bridges at most airports in Brazil and in many other parts of the world. For reasons that were not made clear by financial analysts, HSBC is soon ceasing business in Brazil. I use this Bank while in Brazil and found it very convenient because of its many branches. The closure of HSBC is one more sign that the economy in Brazil is not so good. A long-established bank would not close its branches if it were making money. The closure of HSBC in Brazil cannot be a good thing f…

CADEG (Centro de Abastecimento do Estado de Guanabara, or the Supply Center of Guanabara State, as Rio de Janeiro used to be called). The market is open 24 hours. Early mornings on Thursday and Saturday are the top time for flower shopping. Saturday afternoon is Cantinho das Consertinas’s Festa Portuguesa, with up to 1,000 attendees queuing for a host of salt cod dishes on the second floor. Even at 2 a.m. on a weekend, partygoers will stumble in for a nightcap of beef and fries. Expect some crowds; Lobo says CADEG averages 10,000 people a day. Ill have pics to post of this place in July Full article here....http://www.culinarybackstreets.com/rio/2013/cadeg/

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Lots of folks in Sao Paulo at parade - Some demonstrations http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/thousands-gather-for-gay-pride-parade-in-brazil/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29 Also see this related article http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/international-day-against-homophobia-raises-issues-in-brazil/ Based on the above articles, the gay scene in Brazil is not what many Americans think it is. -

During the past several months, several threads have discussed negative changes in connection with visiting Brazil. Crime and inflation were the most important items. However, last night when I went to the airport to catch my flight home from Brazil, I checked in at my airline and got a boarding pass. Note that Americans cannot check in on line in Brazil. After obtaining my boarding pass, I walked toward the security point. As I got closer to the security access point, I noticed long disorganized lines of people blocking access to security. This was odd, especially for an early Thursday evening. The disorganized lines backed up into the corridor of the airport. …

Long time favorite hotel of many posters, the Atlantico Copacabana is now seeing a decline in room rates. The hotel was a favorite due to its location and its liberal guest policy. The rooms were outdated, but clean. I just got the following update that standard rooms are once again going for under $100 per nite. https://www.tripadvisor.com/HotelBookingRoomSelectionHtml?a=2&ik=455a98e7bbbb4dcdbfc76b82d8713578&d=307969&ci_day=8&ep=90&co_day=14&r=1&ci_month=7&co_month=7&co_year=2015&src_0=56321487&tp=HH_MainList&ci_year=2015&cpn=GetARoom

I am not exaggerating. For anyone coming here for the first time or the fiftieth, I have never seen it quite like it is now. All of my friends warn me about the crime rate these days. As I live in a very safe place, very out of the way, I pay little attention to crime. But this year in Centro all the way to Copacabana, I personally have seen more crime than ever before. There are more beggars on the streets at the entrances to shops, office buildings and metro stations. It is quite impossible to walk quickly away from trouble as there are more street vendors everywhere blocking sidewalks and corners. Makes one a sitting duck for pickpockets. More homeless people are sl…

I was waiting for a taxi today and I was looking for a credentialed or credenciado and was having a heck of a time finding one. Almost all of the taxis had lights on top and few had their locations on the rear quarter panels. I hadn't been aware of the changes taking place in the taxi business. This afternoon for lunch I took a friend via taxi from Copa to Ipa. We were talking in the cab and I asked the driver about the lack of credentialed cabs this morning. He told me that the drivers are going to apps on cell phones. I've heard of Uber but never used them on my infrequent visits to the States. He informed me that Uber has been banned in both Rio and Sao Paulo. But mo…

This is quite some video - https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VxlKZereog0?rel=0

Although crime in Brazil has increased, so has the rate of those put in prison. This means fewer criminals remain on the streets. We should increase our caution while in Brazil but the danger is obviously less because many of the offenders are currently imprisoned. New figures concerning Brazil's prison statistics were released today as shown in the below cited article. http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/brazils-prison-population-grows-by-74-percent-in-seven-years/ -

In recent months, street crime in Brazil (not just Rio) has markedly increased. Therefore, I believe that visitors to Brazil should learn as much as possible about street crimes in order to lessen their chances of becoming a future victim of those crimes. Increased street crime is blamed on high unemployment and Brazil’s out-of-control inflation, according to recent reports, social media and Brazilian economists, and of course, the police. Quite simply, when a man has no job and cannot earn money to support himself and/or his family, some men will resort to mugging and robbery to survive. That is just the way life is. I have visited Brazil many times for ma…

While the saunas and the garotos in Brazil are great, there is more to do in Brazil for those who spend a lot of time in that country. In an earlier post, on a different thread, I mentioned about traveling art exhibits that occur in Brazil. Traveling exhibits occur fairly often in Brazil. Nearly three years ago, there was some renovation done to the Museum d'Orsay, in Paris, France. While the museum was partially closed during construction, many famous painting were sent around the world on tour. Two cities in Brazil were chosen to exhibit more than one hundred paintings that are normally housed at Museum d"Orsay. Sao Paulo and Rio were chosen to display the exhib…

In a separate thread, ashiker602 commented on his experiences in Porto Alegre and tealady had some follow-up questions. For that I certainly defer to fellow forum member tomcal who has been so very generous over the past few years in providing panoramic images of the beautiful scenery that PA has to offer! I just wanted to comment in a new thread, so as not to hijack the Atlantico one, to tealady and some others, if you become attached to Porto Alegre and its offerings, including its natural resources then you may want to consider also exploring more of Rio Grande do Sul and the Serra Gaucha. Well accompanied, you can have some incredible experiences exploring wine…

Earlier this year, Sauna Lagoa’s entrance rates were discussed in this forum. Among other things, Lagoa had a special Monday night entrance rate of R$35 if a sauna visitor paid in cash or with a debit card. If a credit card was used, the rate was R$60. During my last trip, Rodolfo (the sole owner) discontinued the Monday night special. In short, all nights now have the same rate of R$50 if paid in cash or debit card. If paid by credit card, the entrance rate is R$60. Rodolfo might restore the Monday night special after he learns that Monday night returns to another “dead” (fraco) night like it was before he had the special rates for Monday. Last Monday had ar…

So it looks like my travel partner may not be able to make the trip with me, and this is my first time there. Any suggestions for night life or finding a cute boy to have some fun with? I did Rio for the first time last week which was amazing and I think I am officially addicted to that city with future visits coming. But hope I luck out a little in Santiago. I am staying not far from what they consider the gay area of town. Thoughts?

Another scoundrel has been caught and is on his way back to serve his sentence - http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/italian-mob-boss-pasquale-scotti-arrested-in-brazil/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29

I just want to give you guys a head's up about the scene in Havana. I got there on February 13. I had dinner with a young Cuban guy I met on Bearwww.com. He wasn't a rent boy. He turned out to be more feminine in person. He was very pretty, but not my type. Also it was difficult getting to know him because he had no English and I have very little knowledge of Spanish. I felt sorry about letting him down as he was very sweet, but I felt no chemistry there. Saturday night I went to Humboldt 52 with the owner of Casa Arian. It was fantastic. Great entertainment and cheap booze. There were plenty of boys/men to be had. Some were obviously gay, others were young mac…

From the Wall Street Journal today! President Dilma Rousseff is trying to salvage her Brazilian presidency as things go from bad to worse amid the Petroleo Brasileiro SA corruption scandal(Petrobras*), John Lyons and Paulo Trevisani report. Opposition lawmakers in Latin America’s biggest economy are considering trying to impeach her, either as an accessory to the corruption or for crimes of “irresponsibility” with finances, and a poll found 63% of Brazilians think Congress should open impeachment proceedings. On top of that, Petrobras has announced a $17 billion charge related to embezzlement, and a senior Petrobras executive testified that kickbacks went to the 2010 ca…

See the below sited article from today's Rio Times. The article is disturbing in several ways. I was not aware of the huge number of violent deaths reported in Brazil each year. I also was not aware that Blacks were a major portion of those reported violent deaths. The article mentions the "arbitrary" behavior of police when it comes to dealing with the poor, particularly Black poor people. Based on the article, it appears that police in Brazil "shoot first, then ask questions later" when it comes to the poor Blacks. The article also discusses other causes for the disparity of death ratios. This is a very ugly side of Brazil. We tourists tend to only see …