Xclay

Thank you. Let us know how the adventure goes!

Thank you for the disappointing but valuable news. 😥

Interesting, Mavica. Thanks. I do see several older references to Thermas Germânia, such as here and here , with the latest one in 2014. But your detective work makes sense since it seems perhaps new owners changed the name. At the Rua Germânia address, Thermas Jardins surfaced around 2016. Its last link that I can find was its Facebook page in October, 2020. That does not necessarily mean it is defunct, but the vacant lot is not encouraging! So potentially Campinas has Très Chic* Thermas Atlantida but perhaps no Thermas Jardins? *Just discovered that the Très Chic sauna in Campinas has the same owners as the upscale Très Chic sauna in Curitiba which always had about 5-8 GPs when I visited in the past. Note the dual sauna info at the bottom of this page. So that looks like good odds that Très Chic for a GP sauna, although it does not guarantee fantasy GPs of course.

Over 60 miles (nearly 100km) north of Sao Paulo is Campinas (population 1,200,000). The Campinas Metropolitan Area has 2,600,000. Campinas is the main hub for Azul so it is quite convenient for nonstop domestic flights. The only forum reference I can find to the GP scene in Campinas was back in 2014! Alas, I cannot find any evidence that Thermas Germânia is still open. I do see references to two current saunas in Campinas: Très Chic and Thermas Atlantida. But I do not see any clues as to whether they have GPs. Lately, we've had some posts about new GP saunas on the periphery of Rio. So to those of us who like to explore "undiscovered" GP corners of Brazil, I thought I'd solicit any intel you can share about Campinas. Thanks in advance for any tips.

For just such decisions, check out this great website based on climate averages: https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/29679~31123/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Porto-Alegre-and-Fortaleza

Great thread, especially thanks to @Connordrick and @numazu! My only nitpick is the above definition of ativo liberal (achee'-vo lee'-ber-al). In my experience, ativo liberal only meant the top GP would also kiss and maybe suck, not just get blown and top you. Apparently others heard it used differently, but I never heard it to mean that the top GP might bottom. Several years ago I used to hear that phrase a lot, but not these days. Didn't hear it once in my seven weeks in Brazil this summer. I would not say "plenty" but definitely some. Be sure to have that conversation quietly. In my experience, some GPs you might not expect to flip are willing to btm if they like you, they think you will be discrete about it, you don't have a horse cock, and/or it is a slow night for them. They may ask for an extra 50. Many GPs seem paranoid about getting a reputation as a bottom because many clients love the fantasy of getting pounded by a total straight top. GPs will often ask what you like. Glance around to show you are being discrete and whisper "achivo." You may quickly get an instant nunca/never or a shy OK, or otherwise hesitation and negotiation (even a question about your cock size). Also, many GPs are like hawks monitoring who goes to rooms with whom. If they see you taking any of the few known bottoms, they will get your number. I always confuse them with the diversity of my picks. Final observation: Sometimes, rather than relying on an advance agreement, I like to play the "how far can I go" game. Making out intensely, cocks rock hard, roaming my hands everywhere... and then when getting close to the jackpot it's either red light (my hand is moved away with maybe a laughing "no, no") or green light (a barely audible moan) bingo. Gives the great illusion of a hot seduction.

One last trio of trios: And AI decided to add the pubes to two of the likeable studs in the middle pic.

This afternoon I started to use Leonardo.ai for the first time. And it is addictive. What kind of images to generate for my first attempts? Somehow the idea of athletic Brazilians came to mind. For your amusement, I'll share my evolving beginner results. Starting with young men at Iguazu Falls: (Series A below) Later they shower at the sauna: (Series B below) (Series C below) And later stroll around shirtless: (Series D below) On the beach with a very good friend: (Series E below) Finally, started learning how to get more variety in my AI's Brazilian gene pool: (Series F below) And finally in the rainforest: (Series G below) My favorites are B1 top, E2 bottoms, and F1 and F2. But all these fictitious jocks kept my attention fully engaged exploring the AI program and curious what the next output would look like.

Not at all. I should have put "parity" in quotations marks if the new process will only be a cheap e-thing. I did not check on what Canadians and Australians charge (also being required visas to Brazil again). The US charges a daunting $185 for the visa application fee and ordinarily requires an interview! If granted, it's valid for ten years. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Brazil.html Maybe what I'm hearing is wrong and Brazil's new "visa" will be a lot more than merely a $10 e-thing. After all, Lula's ministry declared, “Brazil does not grant unilateral exemption from visiting visas, without reciprocity, to other countries.” National honor vs. helping tourism? https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/15/brazil-s-economy-is-even-better-than-it-looks/7b6e81b4-0b71-11ee-8132-a84600f3bb9b_story.html Brazil's inflation is trending down, growth is much higher than expected, interest rates are coming down, the S&P rating of Brazil's debt has turned positive, and Lula's team is successfully negotiating economic plans with the Congress! So maybe the loss of some tourists can be absorbed now and this is a good time for Brazil to switch back to some version of serious reciprocity.

Everything I'm hearing, including talking yesterday with my longtime visa expert at passportvisasexpress.com, is that the new Brazilian "visa" will be similar to the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) that Australia has been requiring for US citizens. Likewise, in 2024, 30 European countries (EU + Schengen) will require Americans to pay a nominal fee and register online with its new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). The EU and Australia do not call this requirement a "visa." It is framed as online registration to enable us to get our "visa-free" entry. Brazil may still want to call its new electronic permission step a "visa" to signal parity with the US requirement that Brazilians get a visa to visit the US. Anyway, so far it looks like to me that this will take five minutes and few bucks online. No big deal. 🤞

Pauleiro You have become the Sherlock Holmes of Brazilian brothels! 🧐 Yet another breakthrough report. Indebted to you for sharing your discoveries! 👍 May I ask how you do your detective work? How did you discover this place, for example? 👀 Next trip I will be going to a couple of new places with no reports here so far. I'll be visiting as a regular sightseeing tourist, but I'd hate find out later that I missed out on a provocative evening venue that had been under our radar. 😲

Pauleiro, thanks for the update on the fast changing and greatly improving Porto Alegre scene! That is big breaking news. Competition is shaking things up. New owners transform Plataforma into Lux. Now, new owners are transforming Mezzaninu to Mezzaninu Plus. And the integration of the funky late night cruisy Bar Mixx into a revitalized Mezzaninu Plus could be a hot combo. I saw the big improvements at Lux early this summer. Now I am excited to see revived and hybrid Bar Mixx and Mezzaninu Plus when I return to PA in November or December.

No, it is not new. MachoMan Club opened in September 2018. It seems to one of Rio's many gay saunas without escorts, such as Termas Catete, Termas Leblon, Thermas Copacabana, Sauna Carioca, Kabalk Sauna, and Rio G Spa. Lists vary and some of these may be closed, but there are quite a few.

You are right. They are definitely not at 555 these days! I like like the Men's Fitness types too (with natural as well as gym muscles). I was thinking more about quarterbacks and tight ends (no jokes please) that fall into that cover-model category — not the offensive line. But, hey, I think Men's Fitness could feature quite a few of these University of Tennessee football players on its cover.

Agree. I did mean to imply that Sunday was any kind of definitive test of 555 vs. Lagoa. I mentioned (bullet #2) that my Sunday experience may not be representative of other days. Yet, if Sunday is the best night at 555, as some clients told me, I still suggest Sunday as the best time for those who want visit 555 for one night. If another night is superior, that would be valuable intel. I will look forward to your update!

Alas, wet, naked, soapy, tumescent Brasileiros are not visible from 555's bars.

Over a year ago, sydneyboy1 started an interesting thread on the status of Clube 555 (heir to Fragata) in São Paulo. Most posters were impressed with the facility but not the GPs. If you are interested in São Paulo options to Lagoa (such as Pauleiro's account today of HotHouse), you might want to look over those May 2022 posts about Clube 555 along with this update below. I thought sure that Clube 555 was defunct. It had been closed down when I previously tried to visit. But I was wrong. It turns out that São Paulo does in fact have a second, active, real GP sauna after all. After two weeks of going daily to Lagoa, I ventured over to Clube 555 on Sunday night, a short $3 Uber from my hotel by Avenida Paulista. Here is what I found: ● Big downstairs with the stage, bar, pool, over 20 tables, was filled (50+ people) for the 9:20 lipsync, bingo, go-go boy show. (See partial photo of the airy area below.) ● A year ago travelers here were wondering if 555 could survive! Even if Sunday is 555's top night and I did not have a perfect sample, it sure looked like 555 is doing OK if not thriving. So I think it's good news that Lagoa seems to have at a least a little competition, even if not with our crowd. ● Credit where credit is due. Clube 555's facility is clearly superior and far more spacious than Lagoa's. Instead Lagoa's tiny, cramped changing room, the one at 555 is nearly three time larger. The two bar/dining areas at 555 seem over three times larger than the two compact spaces at Lagoa. The steam room at 555 is more than double that of Lagoa. Also, for those who hate steps, 555 is spread over three large floors, instead of four floors like Lagoa. Pictured below is the large changing room and the second bar/dining area. ● Obvious issue: What about the talent? Outside of the "Lagoa-looking" go-go boys, I did not see any beefy, good-looking guys that you might see at Logoa. Guys at 555 were generally more swimmer types, not US football players. (Well, plus a few out of shape.) None at 555 were distinctly Euro or Afro; all were handsome Brazilian shades in between. They were not nearly as pushy as many Lagoa GPs. I had two good connections. One was a str8, trim, toned, handsome, hung newbie and the other a masculine, gay, trim, toned, passionate btm. Both seemed far more surprised and thrilled to get a RS50 tip (up from 150) than any GP at Lagoa. I cannot dispute the 2022 critics who identified 555's chief deficit as its lack of more top tier GPs. That is still the case in 2023. And yet, I got lucky. ● Suggestions: I still share the consensus recommendation here that Lagoa be your default sauna destination, especially if you are in SP for no more than a week or so. However, if you stay longer and are looking for some variety and change of scene, you might find it interesting to go explore 555, ideally on a weekend night. And you can always quickly retreat to Lagoa in a cheap taxi. Don't know about other nights but the Sunday show starts at 9:00 (BT so more like 9:20). Before 7:30 it will look pretty empty, but then it starts filling up. Website: http://www.clube555.com.br/

Yes, providing nice eye candy, a good number guys do walk around town in shorts of varying length and fit. Yesterday was a perfect sunny Sunday. So, grand Avenida Paulista was totally pedestrian and filled with people (families, singles, couples, many same-sex hand holding, and hot men in shorts), along with singers, bands, mimes, tricksters, capoeira and other dance teams, including seven young ballerinas. Along the sidewalks were more than a kilometer of crafts, antiques, and miscellany for sale.

Regarding the side thread on SP weather... Had the recent pleasure of meeting the impressive, energetic, indefatigable @pauleiro! I'm a big fan but must disagree on the weather, of all things. I've been pleasantly surprised by the comfortable weather in São Paulo over the past two weeks. Granted, records show it did indeed get cold at 2:30 or 3 in the morning when dynamo Pauleiro finally departed Hot House❗ But when I walked back exhausted and satiated from Lagoa at 9:30, I was usually fine in a polo shirt, sometimes bringing along a long-sleeve, light-weight "overshirt" (not a jacket) just in case. Over the past two weeks, we did have one cold weekend (and no measurable precipitation) when I needed a jacket during the day. Otherwise, overall it has been an unusually mild Brazilian "winter" in São Paulo with 12 of 14 days mostly in the 70s. That said, scott456 is right that São Paulo is often somewhat chilly this time of year. Below is usual climate pattern and a comparison with Rio. (Source.)

But since you raised the subject!... I'll share a July '23 update on Boate Casa Grande in Bangu: ● Uber took me "straight" there. Dropoff stop was maybe ten feet past the entrance. No problem at all. Previously posters found the location challenging, but maybe map directions have improved. ● It is a big, airy space but below New Meo Mundo in elegance. ● Manager (owner?) Márcio is a nice guy. ● On my Sunday afternoon around 4pm: 5 clients and 8 GPs. No gym rats. Average to trim built. All handsome shades (none white or black). Only one was really toned. Slightly shy and not at all aggressive. ● Happy to get 100. Probably could have bargained for less but why just to save two dollars? 😱 #1: My first time with a known parolee wearing an electric ankle monitor! (A personal first.) He was the most muscular and best looking GP there. 😐 #2: At least 6'4", kinda cute, eager kisser, but super soft. 🙂 #3: Danil was 6' tall with big brown eyes; really got into it; excellent kisser; shot. No plans to return, but I'm definitely glad I checked it out and played. It was worth the ride out to Bangu if only for the electric ankle monitor.

Thanks for the 2015 flashback. A couple of updates: The Boate Casa Grande is in Bangu outside Rio, about 45 minutes from Copacabana. In April, pauleiro started a very good thread about it with lots of helpful photos:

Good question. Sadly the owners of failed 555 (intended as the new Fragata) blew it with a terrible location.

In case you like to explore off-the-beaten path destinations, here is a summary of my five nights in Goiânia (120 miles southwest of Brasilia): ● Goiânia has 1.5 million residents, 2.6 in the metro area (roughly the same size as Porto Alegre). As about the 12th largest metro, it should have a sufficient base to support a GP sauna and it does: Thermas Botafogo. ● Thermas Botafogo: Address, photos here. Website here but more info on Facebook. Instagram here. PROS: ● Fairly large facility. In the photo, you can see the spacious, airy bar area. Big lockers. Downstairs level has steam, sauna, and rooms (most with showers). It also has an amusing "dark room" that always had the lights on (and no people). ● Low prices. Rooms 25. GPs can be 100 (local price). One guy seemed very happy with the 20 extra tip. ● Owner Márcio is a good, friendly guy. ● Saturday night was packed with over three dozen clients and maybe 12 or more GPs. That ratio is not bad because many men come to have a beer with friends and not bed anybody. Also, my estimate of GPs is inexact because some guys I thought were clients were GPs. I later learned that GPs are supposed to have locker keys with a thin red rubber band on their wrist, but not all do. Clients have thin black bands. ● Saturday night had a fairly good variety of GPs. Two or three were especially handsome. Saturday nights are billed as party with a (happily) short lipsync show. DISAPPOINTMENTS: ● Wednesday and Thursday nights only one star GP (Fabio) was there to save the night amid the half-dozen Italian-looking GPs in their 30s with bellies and no pecs (who might have been hot 10 years ago). ● Friday and Sunday were better than Wed/Thurs but did not match Saturday. ● Goiânia itself was disappointing. The art deco "district" is in sad, crumbling decline. The art galleries were closed for renovation. And the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Center is a mess. It has to be the least interesting architecture the man ever designed, acres of concrete with a few third-rate Brasilia reruns (although it looks OK from one distant vantage point). ● As RioBard noted previously, "Pirenópolis and Cidade de Goiás are two colonial/gold towns worth visiting." Alas, each is a couple of hours away, and I was not eager to spend four hours RT in a car for a day trip. SUGGESTIONS: Just so! If you like that gamble, you may like a long weekend in Goiânia. Perhaps combine it with a short flight up to Brasilia if you've never been. For me the Goiânia gamble paid off, with two GP gems that I plan to keep in touch with. But otherwise I would have struck out.

After fifteen days, this is my last night in Rio. I agree with mixer17. I also love the beach and I cannot bring myself to take Rio out of rotation, even if the GP scene is a roll of the dice. Earlier in this thread I joined the Rio/117 critics after a depressing, terrible Tuesday at 117. But, tonight (another Tuesday) 117 had a dazzling array of hunks, models, and cuddle bunnies. I had three awesome sessions. Tuesday reminder tip: If you arrive by 4 or 4:30, you can snag your preferred pal and get a jump on the queue for free rooms. The queue started tonight a little after 6:00.

Scott, since you asked... Generalizing and estimating here... When I can say two weeks that tends to prompt raised eyebrows and "sim? muito bom" and another hug. It feels to me like my status gets elevated and there is no rush to the shower. But when I have to say I am leaving in a couple of days... then at least some of the wind goes out of the sail. Of course all of us have different chemistry with different guys. And (based on guessing given the cool name Scott) you may get 100% without any marginal value added from this little angle. But for me, it seems to help a bit.