First of all, thanks to everyone on this forum. I've been reading it for years - could it be 15? - or definitely before my first ever trip to Brazil, which was three lifetimes ago. It provided me with a lot of info and a bit of a chuckle - and I'm sorry I was on silent all that time.
I almost registered when all non-members were kicked out a couple of years back, but then the gods above were merciful to allow us back for a part of it, and my laziness prevailed. Did I say again I'm sorry? - I am.
It's been a hell of a time to see Brazil (and other parts of the world) changing, the same way I was changing too: I came to Rio for the first time 14-15 years ago, totally hated it (the real to USD at 1.6 at that time didn't help), then came back a couple of years later, then there was one whole winter I spent in Brazil traveling to every corner of it (locally, it was summer of course) - and the rest is history. I traveled especially often in the past 4 years throughout the pandemic - it was pretty much one of the only two countries always open (along with Mexico - but I prefer Brazil), and then there were incredibly cheap tickets, initially in 2020-2021 basically free, then just very cheap (that loophole has recently closed, but stayed open for the incredible three years). I was traveling around the world throughout the pandemic pretty much as I usually do, so it passed me by (and by some kinky luck, covid passed me too - never had it) - and I think I was back in Brazil as early as Sep 2020 I think, and then visited about twice a year.
So that historic context aside (and again - thanks to everyone) - several observations on this trip. This year, I'm on a sabbatical, so traveled a bit more than usual - I think I've been to Rio four times in 2023. Good memories - first time Carnival, first time the New Year's Eve a week ago. Amazing.
Brazil - and saunas - are defo different not only from what it was 10-15 years ago, but from pre-covid too. I still enjoy 117 and 202 very much - but as some others on this forum, I wonder how long they will last. It's not that apps are killing them - Onlyfans are doing that. The standard of the guys in 117 and 202 has visibly dipped - I'm still satisfied very much every evening I go there, but the standard of the guys there say in 2010s is no longer there - they are doing Onlyfans, or Rhyheim's porn, or it's easier to travel to Europe to make better money there than it was 10-15 yrs ago. A case in point, a guy I know, Henry - he started doing Onlyfans with some good success about two years ago but he was still in saunas maybe 2-3 nights a week. He's a stunner, his Onlyfans is successful, I saw him at the Rio gay pride in November as a part of the model entertainers crowd, but he's not in the saunas anymore.
The best guys in 117/202 are now those who fly in from the provinces for a couple of weeks to make money - like Walton from Fortaleza, he's another stunner, and he does some stints in Rio for two-three weeks - I just saw him yesterday in Fortaleza, and he's flying back to Rio again on Weds.
I also started to really really like Point. 202 seems such a warmer, more humane, better organised sauna (and aircon in suites works all the time, unlike in 117). I really like the vibe, the atmosphere, that warm feeling of a crowd near the bar - and moreover, there are some absolute gems of a guy who go to 202 only, and never to 117. I guess, Junior scouts them somehow, and even though a lot of the guys work both saunas, some 202-exclusive guys are marvels. One of my favourites in the past several visits is David (or the correct spelling he put into my phone contacts, Deyved) - just a stunning guy with an incredible smile and an incredible chemistry. He comes only to 202, and only a couple of nights a week at most, but he's one of my highlights. Stunning body, stunning technique and the attention to your needs - for a straight guy - he's also never hiked his fee to 200 as everybody else by the end of 2023 in Rio and stays at 150 (still gets more from me). He saw me at the reception when I came to 202 for the first time on this trip, hugged me, kissed me, and then said "don't come with me now, I will be for longer today, hire me towards the end of the night, and I will give you the biggest cumshot possible". And he did.
With all that said, 202 is losing ground against 117 - or at least that's my impression over the past couple of years. 202 is back to their two big nights - Monday and Wednesday - but lost all other days. I still remember fabulous Fridays at Point - that was their good night too - but then two or even three times I came to Point on a Friday, and it was totally dead, like Elvis dead. Then, next Friday I came to 117 - and everyone was there, and the house was buzzing. At 117, even slow nights are acceptable, but at 202 if it's dead it's no shit dead. 117 attempted to hijack Wednesdays - it hasn't worked so far. So 202 has still solid Mondays and Wednesdays, but the rest of the week it's 117 - even though I'd have preferred it differently. Even this past week between Xmas and NY, 117 was insanely busy, on some nights the line was to the street (never seen that before), whereas 202's Mons and Weds were good and busy but not over the top busy as 117 was all that week. (Still, last Weds I was #17 in the line for the suites at Point at 8pm - so it was still a good night - however, several boys told me it had been busier before and not anymore). So why this is happening, I don't know - as I'd like 202 to thrive, as I just like them, but it's not terribly easy for them it seems. (Interesting that from next Sunday they will be open on Suns too - I'd be keen to know if they are able to break the 117's Sunday monopoly).
Meio Mundo - where do I start. Unlike many posters on the forum, I actually quite liked Meio Mundo back in the day. It has this no-nonsense down-to-earth vibe that was a welcome occasional break from the 117 Men's Health posturing. Yes, it was dirty, but it was kinky dirty. During the pandemic at its new location, Meio Mundo started to drift from its previous "favela sauna" concept to the "drag queen theatre night" concept - that's where it lost the boys, and clients. Still, several of my experiences at Meio Mundo were golden. I think it was two years ago during the pandemic when I came to Meio Mundo because they were the first to start live sex shows in Rio (inbetween the long drag queen sets). It is there where I met Lucas - he was 18 at that time, stunning, with an 8-pack and a shy smile - the definition of a lanky twink top. A friend of his, a typical Meio Mundo favela-style garoto. brought Lucas with him - it was his first time in the sauna. Lucas was so obviously head and shoulders above everybody there that the Meio Mundo owner immediately brought him a free caipirinha and started to fawn over him - the guy was gold. I offered him a programa straight away, and Lucas was initially timid, still with a caipirinha in the suite, not sure what and how to do - sex was great. I was his first ever client, and I think he's likely straight, he's sort of a fixture at 117 now, and we hooked up last week, two years later, for the first time since that forst meeting - Lucas remembered our first sex, I laughed "well, you looked very different from other Meio Mundo garotos on that day", he laughed even harder saying "no doubt about that". He doesn't go to Meio Mundo anymore, and I didn't visit on any of my trips this year - their IG is all full of drag queens, no more live sex shows.
But now to live sex shows. The biggest change I've seen in Rio throughout the pandemic is the explosion of Berlin-style cruising bars. Taurus Bar is just 5 min walk from 117 and is most resourceful of them all. Then there is Seven Bar, the new Cruising Parada bar, something else in Centro, something else in Botafogo, etc. They are mostly non-GP cruising bars, but what they do is they usually haul a bunch of Onlyfans models (2 on a rainy day, 5 on a good day, I've been to a night with 8 guest Onlyfans models) - they are billed as the "interactive sex show" but pretty much 15 sec after it starts it becomes very interactive, and Onlyfans models have sex with all who paid 35 or 40 or whatever reais as cover - it's a free-for-all 40-50 person orgy with a bunch of Onlyfans models in the middle (that's how Taurus Bar does it, and I see it as a valid investment of my 35-40 reais). These are still very local-geared places, and the vibe is VERY different from the GP saunas, but more of these places open, and it's quite an experience.
I'm in Fortaleza now where such bars equally exploded - there are several of them - and they are all strictly non-GP, just a general orgy. As other saunas across Brazil, California is struggling to keep pace with Onlyfans, apps, etc. - it is still a very fine sauna, and I had lots of sex in the past few days, but as in Rio and SP, the top-tier gobsmacking talent is no longer there. Still, some amazing guys - humble, polite, good in sex, but the Greek gods are gone. There was a good guy from Fortaleza, Wesley, whom I met at 117 after Christmas - I told him I would be coming to Fortaleza and he said let's keep the line open privately, as he said he's not working in saunas back home in Fortaleza - he says he does underwear modeling on IG (whatever that means) but saunas are no-no. I could have easily seen someone like him at California say 7-8 years ago - but that's basically a trend. Onlyfans, IG and private appointments over whatsapp.
California in Fortaleza still the only GP sauna. I've been to Dragon Club several times this year - easily the best-equipped sauna in all of Brazil, but usually just a couple of GPs, and mostly the jaded ones. They have some interesting events - I've been to their Mr Dragon competition where incredibly beautiful guys where on stage, but they did not mingle or even stay after the competition and the house emptied out. This weekend, I've been to a free food slash dance party at Dragon starting at 1400 (!) on Sunday - they had free feijoada and caipirinha till 1600, and then some professional Axe dancing for two hours from 1400 till 1600. I arrived at 1530, and Dragon was full of people, munching and drinking. The (professional straight) dancers were really great but were visibly not too comfortable performing in a gay sauna for towel-clad people - some 80mins into their performance they were pressured to lose T-shirts, and they were visibly uncomfortable with one dancer mouthing "no" - they did lose T-shirts for one song and promptly put it back right for the next number. There were maybe three, max four jaded GPs in this packed house - but I quickly left for California where a couple of those Dragon GPs ended up too afterwards. My only guess why this is not happening for Dragon - high entry fee for garotos?
I'm going to Recife next where there were two very OK saunas - not GP-focused but where I still found some incredible freelancing GPs in the past couple of years, so I look forward to checking them out again.
