ChristianPFC

There are a few mixed gender massage shops on Rathaprarop road, opposite Baiyok tower. Occasionally, I spotted cute male staff there when walking or driving past.

I found all these places are on google maps, and all those I went to in the correct location. There is no need for directions or a map.

In the Superrich (plural) you will have to deal with several people and several documents, which I don't like. Last week I went with a friend from Philippines, and he left his passport in his room so they wouldn't serve him. I didn't have my passport either. But I had an idea: nearby are some family-run exchanges, which I usually go to because I don't like the crowds at Superrich, and there they served him without passport.

"Yet Mae", literally "fuck (your) mother" is use the same way as a general insult as "fuck you" in English. "Ai Hea" literally "insulting prefix + monitor lizard" is used in a similar way (monitor lizard has a similar status as rat or dog or pig in insults in English). Without tones, and teaching the tourist how to pronounce them, the transcriptions are almost useless.

Why don't you upload a few pictures so we can judge better? No seriously, go to see a specialist. Related, I recently got vaccinated with Gardasil9 (3 shots at 6000 THB each, not cheap), which gives some protection from anal, penile and throat cancer.

After various negative experiences with taxis to/from airport, and with the benefit of arriving or departing at times the ARL is running, I have been using the ARL for many years. The reported queues are a sign of mismanagement, and the surcharge is an insult to me.

The Thai ATM fees alone, let's say 200 THB for a withdrawal of 20 kTHB, amount to 1% loss.

I just handed them my passport and 30 USD, and got it back estimated 3 minutes later with the visa. I was given an arrival card when I handed them my passport, which I filled out to show the immigration officer who would stamp me in. Here notes from my diary: Fill out customs form in airplane (but then they wave me through and I don't even have to leave the form). Fill out health declaration in airport (and some staff in Hazmat suits), and someone collects them but doesn't even look at the forms. Khmer tourist visa about 3 min, 30 USD. Immigration asks for duration of stay (that's the one information they need for doing their job), but not for reason of my visit, accommodation, vaccination, health insurance, proof of leaving, passport picture.

I used the evisa first last year (it was available in Germany already last year) and again this year and really appreciate that I don't have to travel to embassy, and have my passport mailed back to save me another trip to pick it up. Price is the same online as at the embassy, whereas Cambodia 30 USD at the airport or embassy, and a 6 dollar service charge when doing it online. For Cambodia, I still prefer visa on arrival because it's cheaper and faster (I would spend half an hour on the internet, whereas at the airport it took estimated 3 minutes).

Yes. Things change so fast in Bangkok. I noticed 2020 the old was being demolished, in spring 2022 the raw structure of the new was complete, and in August 2022 I visited the complete new and open center.

A brain fart! How to implement the plan, collect and distribute the money? I would say (expletive deleted) and go elsewhere, and many others probably too. The overall effect might be less tourist money spent in Thailand. Every person and every industry is affected by Covid, but I think this proposal does not help. I certainly did my share by sending some money to friends and by staying one year in hotels in Cambodia.

Sunee is the most quiet of all bar areas, but still where my needs (types of boys, how they are dressed, prices) are served best. In memory of good times years ago, and to show my support, I always stop at Winner and Nice Boys when I'm in Pattaya.

I have not subscribed to any OnlyFans. Some look promising, but whatever previews they post elsewhere, or whatever leaks, I find fault with something and would not pay. There is an extensive post with many links here: https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showthread.php?22918-Post-pandemic-porn

Today I went and had a look at all gay massage places in Saphan Khwai and Inthamara. M15 shares boys with 27M, and Inthra Massage with Home Spa. The others (GBeat, K Man Spa, KK Massage = former K-Why) seem to be independent.

Now with years of experience and being able to read Thai, no problem finding these places. Most of them are placed correctly on googlemaps (only if the name is only in Thai a problem for the average tourist - and indeed, that's the problem, Home Spa is in Thai only on google maps). Street view helps a lot to confirm location (for my general travel satellite image as well). In all cases in OP, the numbers refer to the alley, but often do not mean the massage place is in that alley, but near the entrance, or even across the main road. In Thailand, soi numbers are even on one side of the main road, odd on the other side. There might be sois with slash, e.g. there are Silom Soi 22, followed by 22/1, followed by 26 (24 missing?). The odd and even get out of sync, e.g. Silom Soi 15 is opposite Soi 22/1. In Thailand and Cambodia, I always found a sign, in some cases small, with the name of the shop. Only in Myanmar did I have to ask locals to show me the way or call the shop for directions, once I got to where it was supposed to be but no sign.

I'm interested in areas other than Silom and the current state of BMTA.

Easily accessible by taxi or bus 74. Off-site are usually outrageously expensive. I have been to Home Spa several times, but never found a selection of boys as good as on their twitter or line and left without doing business there. I think they share their boys with ฟ้าหลังฝน นวดเพื่อสุขภาพ Fah lang Fon Massage (old name on google maps, changed name to 27M or 15M massage), which is in walking distance to BTS Saphan Khwai. I wrote about these places on my blog, currently offline but can be accessed here https://web.archive.org/web/20220616210853/https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/

I couldn't find these two facebook groups. Anyway, what is in there for us (gays)? Straight blacks who are available for gay sex for a price?

originally posted here: https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2020/10/brazil-sep2020-gay-activities.html boytoy forum software inserts multiple link to twitter where there is only one in the original, I didn't find an easy way to fix this Brazil Sep2020 Gay activities There is a well-developed gay scene (both free and paid; bars, discos, saunas, online; only gogo bars and dedicated massage is missing) and a large range of body shapes and skin colors available in Brazil. But if you are looking for someone with no body hair, it’s not the place to go. If you are looking for big cock, it’s the place to go. Everything (online chat, boys from online to my room, encounters in sauna, activities in my room) could have happened the same way in Thailand (just exchange sauna with moneyboys in Brazil with gogo or host bar in Thailand). “Boy” refers to any sexually desirable male over the age of consent. Discos closed due to covid. Some encounters online (from online dating apps; there are dedicated websites for moneyboys but I didn’t delve into this area), most of this post will be about saunas. General differences to saunas in Thailand (and everywhere else in SEAsia I have been in gay saunas: Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan). Entrance fee (and anything you consumed during your stay charged to your locker number) is paid on leaving. Some saunas in Brazil have money boys. Those money boys charge for 30 minutes, and private rooms in the sauna are rented out in multiples of 30 minutes? And boy wants extra if he cums? (So I read in boytoy forum, no personal experience.) This is something I don’t like (I can’t work under time pressure, and if a money boy in SEAsia told me he has only one hour, I would say goodbye to him). But the rooms look nicer than rooms in SEAsia. All gay saunas had signs reminding people to wear a mask. All of the staff wore masks, but most customers and boys didn’t. I read everywhere that grindr is the most popular gay dating app and installed in on my phone for my trip to Brazil. However, my two encounters were from gayromeo and hornet. Low activity on blued. Thu10sep2020 SP Espaço Lagoa Entry 50, milkshake 15. Stay 18:10-19:38. The place is busy with about 25 people in the bar and over 50 in the entire premises. Two towels of good quality and flip-flops. The showers have a glass wall to the bar. I never showered in front of an audience of 25 people. (Joking; nobody paid notice to me in the shower.) During a stroll through the sauna, and later when boys shower, the biggest dicks I have seen! One boy looks cute and face and body remind me of a boy Max who was in Pattaya (last seen in 2015). But he has hair on his abdomen, no way. He notices my interest and approaches me, but no English. Same for another boy who approaches me. Meet forum member bcdaron for a chat at the bar. The acoustics is poor, there is a lot of noise, and when they start karaoke, it becomes a cacophony, unbearable for me, and we leave. Last round through the sauna, I spot a boy in the smoking room. Promising enough for me to enter the smoking room (I don’t smoke and don’t like the smell). The boy has brown skin and is slim, and a big, soft or half-hard, dick that he is stroking in one hand, and his mobile phone in the other. I can’t spot body hair on upper thighs or abdomen. No tattoos. All very enticing! But he appears utterly bored, and I don’t think that would change if I hired him to go to a room. He obviously does not understand English (we were talking about him within hearing distance) and face very average (“pull a bag over his face”, was bcdaron’s suggestion), and in sitting posture I cannot fully assess his body. Fri11sep2020 Gabriel, 269 Chilli Pepper, Upgrade Club I had chatted with a boy Gabriel on gayromeo, then whatsapp. Pale skin, but that can be mended by low light. He is looking for something serious, I’m looking for holiday fun, don’t know how we can reconcile that. Anyway, one appointment passed, no show or message. Second appointment passed, no show or message. I give up. 269 Chilli Pepper (gay sauna and hotel). Arrive 19:15. Entry only with ID (I knew and brought my German ID card), temperature check, weapons check. Cashier speaks English, but you can’t see him. Entry 79 BRL for single room (small room with a safe and a bed, can stay up to 6 hours). Lift for three floors. Flip-flops sorted by size. Free condoms. Steam room in operation. Bar. Two computers (where I spend part of my time reading boytoy). Customers in underwear or towel. No money boys. About 100 customers, one shapely. Everywhere too dark for my taste. One of the largest gay saunas I have been to, larger than Babylon or Farose II in Bangkok, and comparable to "Soi 13 in" and "Aniki WoW" (World of Wonders) in Taipei. I find the highest locker number is 775. But that does not mean they have 775 locker, count starts at 400, that makes 375 lockers. Highest room number is 343, but that does not mean they have 343 room. On first floor room 101-146, second floor 201-244, third floor 301-343, making a total of 140 rooms. Note to myself for future sauna reviews: no way for me to find out area or space the sauna occupies, but I can count lockers and rooms and sort saunas by number of lockers or rooms! Leave 20:40. Upon paying I get a full receipt, but that is retained by security. Walk to Upgrade Club and almost miss it. I found the house number, but there were no signs. In hindsight, light shining through gap in door frame and music (when you listen for music, else you won’t notice it) should have given a clue. But another person rings the bell and the door open, so I get in with him. Entrance to Upgrade Club at daytime. Ring the bell at door 198. Entry 35 BRL, stay 20:52-21:18. I thought it’s a disco and I’m early (this was just meant to be a recce), but it’s a sex club and they will close 22:00 and I’m late. One of their staff speaks English and gives me a tour (advises me to keep my shoes to – they don’t provide flip-flops and there will be cum on the floor). Free condoms, no money boys. There is a bathtub and written on the wall behind “Mictorium”. (Does that just mean "pissoir" or for those who like to pee on someone or get peed on? Pee-er and Pee-ee? Not my area of interest, but out of curiosity I would have a look when it’s active.) About 10 customers. One shapely (but cold wet skin) fucks another in the sling. There are four slings and a dungeon/cage. And a steel bridge where you can walk over the area where activities take place, and look down on them. The staff who speaks English tells me that they close soon, but on Sunday there will be a show with gogo boys, followed by an orgy, with expected 200 customers, starting 4 pm. Exactly what the doctor ordered to get over my Can’t-get-to-Thailand depression! Sat12sep2020 Espaço Lagoa During touristic walk in town spot several shapely food delivery boys on bicycle. I could develop a fetish for those! Ask receptionist to call “The Week” (largest gay disco in the world, only on Saturday): nobody picks up, and I assume it’s closed for Corona. Sauna Labirunttu's Club (Rua Frei Caneca, 328) permanently closed. Espaço Lagoa entry 65 BRL, stay 20:10-22:44. Meet bcdaron at bar and spot someone else who looks vaguely familiar, and he seems to recognize me. It’s numazu1 whom I meet in passing years ago in Bangkok! He introduces me to the one boy Wallace I consider having business with. Shapely and skin temperature okay, but crab ladder and I prefer darker skin. My tolerance to body hair is low. This is a boy I met in Bangkok, and that's the maximum I can bear: Bar is full during show. Gogo dancing and ladyboy lipsync, just like in Thailand! From 22 (closing time) emptying. Sun13sep2020 Upgrade Club, Wild Thermas Check on googlemaps, 4 pm is opening time, and I don’t think they start the show right away. Arrive 16:30 and pay 35 BRL entry. About 10 other customers, more coming, over 50 when I leave. And they are not there to stand around and look, all the slings are occupied, and others find other positions to fuck or suck. I haven’t seen anything like this before! But no shapely, too dark, music too loud, artificial fog, I couldn’t have meaningful sex under these conditions. No point waiting for show. When I leave 18:51 (spent most of the time reading on my phone), a queue of 9 waiting to get in. Walk to Wild Thermas. Entry 40 BRL, stay 19:20-50. Flip-flops and towel provided. About 50 customers. One shapely and cute, skin temperature okay, but not interested. Sauna and steam room lukewarm. Upstairs all nude, but too dark. Mon14sep2020 Lion from hornet in Sao Paulo Chat with Lion on hornet, then whatsapp. He will be free at night, then specify 10 pm. That means I can’t go anywhere else before (I don’t like to rush in case he is free earlier) or after (too late for me, and anyway everywhere closed). My messages 9:54 and 10:17 not read, but finally 10:38 reply, he is on his way. He asks for my room number, then receptionist calls me that double occupancy will be 50 BRL more, which I will pay next morning. Then finally 10:50 we meet at elevator on my floor. Some chat with google translate, then to bed. Good attitude and activities, but a bit too hairy for my taste. Afterwards no signs of him leaving. I sleep better alone, safety concerns, logistical concerns (I have a bus to Rio at 10 am). How to approach this issue? (google translate, from memory) CPFC: “How far is it to your place? Can you get home now?” Lion: “I thought I can stay over night. Can I?” It would be unfair to throw him out, so I let him stay over night. Poor sleep. Wake up 6 am. His alarm 7 am, my alarm 7:30, bye 8:00 without any delays (I had Thai boys block my bathroom for long time or otherwise delay or completely screw up my plans), doesn’t even want to join for breakfast. I had all my valuables locked, that means I couldn’t charge my phone over night and start the day with 40% battery. Goodbye, check-out and bus to Rio all fine. Tue15sep2020 Point 117 in Rio de Janeiro Rob had messaged me on gayromeo. He is not my type, but good English and works as tourist guide, so maybe we can get into business. He suggests we meet at Point 117 (i.e. I pay entry for him). Point 117, entry 61 BRL per person, stay 19:58-21:50. Entry includes use of room. Rob is indeed well known by staff and boy and tells me boys might ask an unknown foreign customer for 200 BRL, but in his company I can get boy for 100. And there is a Black who is very tempting (slim muscular, nice dick*, perfect warm and dry skin, offers to go with me for 100, but full beard and I can’t see if there is more hair elsewhere – facial hair is no problem for me, but it is an indicator for hair elsewhere where it is a problem for me). *about 6 inches limp, perfect size and shape (parabolic; or like a banana pointing down, for non-scientists) But I want to have a look at the show first. Show starts 21:10. Ladyboy lipsync, gogo boy from fully dressed to nude. Nothing of interest to me, but what did I expect? I should have known better. Now I can say these shows are the same worldwide. I made up my mind to go with the Black, and 5 minutes ago I still saw him around, but now he is gone (and so are most boys and customers after show). Wed16sep2020 boys at Sugarloaf beach, Henrique A shapely boy, shirtless and no mask, is playing ball game with friends. When they stand around and I walk past, one of them talks to me, but the only word I understand is “gay”, and I reply that I like boys. They make some (indecent or inviting?) gestures and invite me (or ask me to invite them?) for a meal and show me a menu (or they work serving food at the beach?). I wonder how they got the idea I might be gay. I was wearing face mask and hat. Do I look that gay, even with face mask or hat, or was my interest in the boy that obvious? But for lack of common language, and lack of somewhere to go, and lack of knowledge of local customs, I make an excuse and continue my sightseeing. But someone with better people skill could have made something interesting out of this encounter. A boy Henrique from gayromeo speaks good English and we have been chatting for over a week. I ignored two requests for money, but now the third request I offer 100, he asks for 150, I repeat my offer of 100, he accepts. For prices see here and following posts: Sidenote hedgehog jokes: How do hedgehogs reproduce? Very, very carefully! Errare humanum est, said the hedgehog and got off the toilet brush. We have a so-so time in bed (I’m not horny with body hair, and he is not enthusiastic either). Invite him for dinner afterwards, pleasant company and interesting conversation. Sat19sep2020 Sauna Copacabana, Point 202 Entry 60 BRL, stay 17:54-18:55. About 10 customers, among them one slim brown big cock Indian looking, but hairy and not interested anyway. 4 massage boy/men, one of them Black slim and no hair on lower arms and leg, but can’t see more of him (shorts, shirt, face mask). Two red towels of good quality, sauna, steam room, herbal steam can sit 10 each. Continue to Point 202. High expectations when walking up their staircase (two floors from road). Entry 70 BRL, stay 19:14-21:30. About 10 customers and about 10 boys (in towel). Two Blacks approach me, but no my type. A third would be worth a closer look, but moving around, then gone. Nobody on 2nd and 3rd floor. Another customer chats me up and turns out to be a forum member. Interesting conversation over Brazil and Thailand. Show schedule 21, real 21:20. Ladyboy lipsynch, leave soon. Mon21sep2020 Point 117 Hiking on a rock on a beach far away from touristy areas, I come across a group of youth (boys and girls) in swimmwear, and they all show interest in me, but none of them speaks English. That serves just to show how poor English language skills are, and how easy it is to get in contact with locals, but to make more of it, you would have to speak Portuguese. Entry 50 BRL includes drink at bar. Stay 19:47-20:42. Try to rectify my mistake (not going with the Black) from last week, but the boy was not in. About 10 customers and 10 boys during my stay. Steam room hot, can sit 10. Leave when show starts. Light rain in the evening; decide against going to Lion’s club. Summary I regret not going with the boy in Lagoa or in Point117. Not speaking a common language and not knowing local customs and tipping expectations has not prevented me from going to gay massages in Myanmar, which turned out to be a great success. This trip was just scratching at the surface. I’m not a disco-goer, but I would have gone to get an idea, but they were all (?) closed for covid. If saunas had been busier, I would certainly have found someone to my taste and taken him to a room. I didn’t even dip into the large online gay4pay scene. The internet gives an idea what could be available: https://www.cams.reviews/flirt4free/dan-smit https://www.boytoyflirt.com/?model=dan-smit (works only when he is online?) from: Josh Megans https://nakedgirlslive.com/latino/ Neymar junior from: The young Taylor Lautner (not Brazilian, but his looks when young would fit perfectly) General observations Advertising for lady prostitutes, accepting credit card: Underwear in 25 Marco markets in Sao Paulo. Boys in sauna were mostly in towel (for easy access), those in underwear mostly trunks. I like briefs more. I saw slim boys, cute as far as I could judge with face mask, who had little hair on lower arms and lower thighs. Extrapolating everything I saw, there must be a cute slim brown no body hair English speaking gay twink with big cock hiding somewhere in Brazil, and I will return some day to find him and to visit gay venues that were closed during this trip or had low number of customers. I reference to Blacks a few times in this post. I have a sexual interest in Blacks and would go to Africa if there was an organized gay scene somewhere. But everything I read and hear is at best disappointing, at worst scam. Copyright 2020 ChristianPFC except linked pictures

At Bradesco, I got 1000 BRL without fee. The ATM in hotel showed (from memory) 850, 1500 and 2200 available (I don't know why 1000 was missing) but with a high fee.

BER isn't open yet. I flew from TXL (Berlin Tegel airport). There is a joke: Instead of continuing construction of BER airport, wouldn't it be cheaper to demolish the city of Berlin and build it new next to an operational airport? (Original in German: Wäre es nicht billiger, Berlin abzureißen und neben einem funktionierenden Flughafen wieder aufzubauen?) There will be more. I have four articles in mind: general observations, gay activities, sightseeing, costs (i.e. how much money I spent on what).

Brazil Sep2020 General Observations Comparison to Germany (my fatherland) and Thailand (where I spend a lot of time) and elsewhere in Asia. The problem with going to so many places is that there is always something better or worse than elsewhere, and I want all the good in one place! Exchange rates: 1 EUR = 6.41 BRL (Brazilian real), 1 USD = 5.51 BRL, 1 BRL = 5.73 THB (25sep2020). Some of what I write is exaggerated for humorous effect. Originally published here: https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2020/09/brazil-sep2020-general-observations.html This article will be published on Boytoy and Sawatdeenetwork as well. Cleanliness of public areas There was more garbage lying in the streets and more people going through garbage looking for recyclables than in Thailand. I frequently noticed smell of pee or poo in the streets (in Paris in 2012, there was smell of pee only under the Seine bridges, in Thailand I didn’t notice smell of pee or poo, in some areas in Berlin there is a lot of dog poo). On the other hand, I saw fewer rats and cockroaches than in Thailand. But there were pigeons picking in a heap of rubbish. Disgusting! More homeless people than anywhere else I have been, most notably in groups or families (with babies and adolescents); whereas in Thailand mostly isolated individuals, and those who live near my room in Bangkok, not sound of mind. There was graffiti everywhere, more than I have ever seen before. Graffiti, tattooing and piercing seem to be national pastimes. Covid In public transport and shops wearing a mask was compulsory, and most people wore their mask outside as well. Some places I wanted to go to closed for Covid. Temperature checks in some places, alcohol gel dispensers for hand disinfection in many places. Flight to Brazil and back My flights (Berlin via Paris to Sao Paulo with Air France, Rio de Janeiro via Amsterdam to Berlin with KLM) were at price (508 Euro return) and times as I think it would have been before Covid. Empty airports, no queues at check-in, security, passport control. Departure and arrival ahead of schedule. Full meal service on Air France, reduced service on KLM but still full meals. Brazilian immigration asked for my length of stay, so I showed my return flight. The flights Berlin to Paris and Amsterdam to Berlin were ¼ full, the flights Paris to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to Amsterdam about 2/3 full. Side note: this was my first flight with Air France, my first flight with KLM, and my first flight across the Atlantic. My father asked what kind of airplane I flew with. I’m not familiar with the types, and it doesn’t make a difference to me, so all I can say is: it was a monoplane. (A joke, original in German: "Na so eins mit zwei Flügeln!" I have no interest in cars either, if someone asks me "What car did he drive?" - "I don't know. It was black. Oh, and it had four wheels!") Hold luggage would have cost 40 EUR extra each way. So I took only hand luggage and bought additional clothes in Brazil and did laundry. In the history of mankind, nobody has ever traveled that far with that little luggage. Food In Thailand I usually stay in hotels without breakfast, because I know Thai food and can get breakfast outside easily. But in Brazil, I would not want to start my day having to search for a place to eat and then decide what to eat. That applies to the rest of my meals, I stuck to food I know (pizza, pasta), or places with English menus as I’m not adventurous to try unknown food. Everything I had tasted good (whereas my memories of meals in Cambodia are negative) and was cheaper than in Germany, but more expensive than in Thailand. I’m sure knowing the local food will allow saving money. I spotted a lot of cheese and vine in the supermarket and assume they are regionally produced and cheap (whereas in Thailand imported and expensive). A lot of meat hanging in the butcher’s shop. I didn’t see any vegetarian restaurants (I have vegetarian friends who get along well in Thailand food-wise). Globalization When I was in Taiwan in 2018, I had a meal “Gyudon with 4 cheese” in a Japanese fast-food chain Sukiya that was delicious. By chance, I found the same chain Sukiya with the same dish at the same price and same taste in Bangkok, and now in Brazil! That seems to apply to ATM fees as well. In Cambodia the fee is 5 USD (I tried once to see if my credit card works as a back-up), in Myanmar 6 USD (ditto), in Thailand around 6 USD, and in Brazil Banco24horas showed 24 BRL = 4.5 USD. Same for entry prices worldwide: Eiffel tower 25.90 EUR; Sugarloaf 116 BRL = 19 EUR, Royal Palace in Bangkok 500 THB = 14 EUR. The variation of entry price is much lower than the variation of GDP per capita for the countries quoted. Health benefits Nowadays I can’t imagine how I could endure German autumn and winter for over 30 years, and one of the reasons why I went to Brazil was to escape the weather. I get cold hands and feet easily in Germany (all the time except in summer; a first-world problem). No part of my body feeling cold in Brazil, that alone was worth the trip. Update: my mother bought me a pair of furry slippers, at least I don’t have to suffer from cold feet now. In Germany, I get tinnitus (probably low blood circulation, related to cold hands and feet) that quickly goes away when I’m in Thailand. In Brazil as well! In Germany, I get dandruff and skin rash, but that quickly disappears in Thailand and Brazil. I think it’s because in Thailand and Brazil I shower every day and before and after sex, whereas in Germany only every other week. In Germany, I get athlete’s foot (from wearing closed shoes all the time, see cold feet above), that quickly goes away in Thailand in flip-flops (flip-flops save a lot of time anyway, except for hiking and travel in air-conditioned bus or airplane, I wear them all the time). In Brazil I didn't go to places where you have to take off your shoes (like temples in Thailand, I go to many and flip-flops are very convenient), so I didn't buy flip-flops, but next time I will. Blasphemy? In Germany, I gain weight (eat a lot, sedentary lifestyle); in Thailand, I lose weight (walk a lot). In Brazil, my weight was stable. The only negative is sunburn. After two days in Sao Paulo without sun protection, my skin was red and I covered up to avoid a sunburn. Health insurance I took “Hanse-Merkur Jahres-Auslands­Krankenversicherung” at a cost of 17 EUR (valid for one year, each trip maximum 56 days). I asked them for a document that states the exact requirements of Brazilian immigration and got it the following day. My health insurance was requested at check-in and at Brazilian immigration. Hotels All hotels I stayed in (SP Hotel Moncloa in Rua Augusta, RJ Hotel Atlântico Rio and Augusto's Copacabana Hotel, both near metro Cantagalo) had breakfast included and a room safe and were reasonably priced and I would recommend them. Hotel Atlântico Rio, booked for 80 BRL per night on agoda, was the best value for money I ever stayed in. They had a full breakfast buffet. Breakfast was busy with guests, always guests at reception or in lobby, and when I wanted to stay longer they were fully booked. Room safe was 6 digits which had to be entered twice (elsewhere 4 digits, enter once). Early check-in (8 or 10 am) was not a problem in the two hotels I arrived early. Booking at reception competitive with agoda in two cases I extended my stay. Different to Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, where receptionists told me they can't match the price on agoda and advised me to book on agoda to save money. Reduced breakfast (individually packed and served due to Covid and low number of guests) and full breakfast buffet. Language National language of Brazil is Portuguese, with little English spoken outside hotels for tourists. I can read French fluently as a foreign language, which allows me to understand half of written Portuguese (the laundry instructions in next article I understand completely). But understanding spoken Portuguese close to zero, same for writing or speaking. In preparation of the trip, I had a look at Portuguese phrasebooks and videos on youtube and spend some hours. But after a few days in Brazil it became clear that I will not spend extended time in the future and I abandoned learning Portuguese. German is spoken in Germany, Austria and most of Switzerland. English is spoken in UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Why oh why do there have to be Portuguese and Spanish? It’s a nuisance like driving on the left or right side of the road, or different power plugs in different parts of the world, and creates a mental block in my brain. Each language for itself is below the threshold worth of learning for me, but if they were one language I would learn it. Laundry I did not bring enough clothes for the entire trip. Washing my clothes in the bathroom sink was not convincing. Results could be improved by bringing a plug. Tip for drying: wrap clothes after washing in towel from hotel and wring it. Thus, the towel will absorb some water and the clothes will dry faster. Or use a hair dryer (during rainy season in Myanmar in 2018, that was the only way I could get my clothes dry). Laundry at my hotel was outrageously expensive (for trousers/pants wash and iron 28 BRL; that means for 6 times wash and iron I can buy a new one!). A friend told me that laundry is expensive, and numbers I saw at laundry services in the street where high and there is the language barrier, so I decided to use a public laundry. The closest (1 km away) to my hotel that I could find on google was Lavanderias Laundromat in Shopping dos Antiquários (open 24/7). Payment only cashless. I asked people, cannot pay with Riocard (whereas in Taiwan easycard can be used for everything), only with credit/debit card. My credit card (consorsbank Germany) is accepted! Else I would have had to ask other customers to pay cashless for me and give them cash in return; I was wearing my last set of fresh clothes. Washing was 18 BRL which is not cheap. And had I known that drying costs the same, I would have taken my clothes home to dry in my room. Detergent and softener added automatically by the washing machine. Thailand wins hands down (laundry available everywhere and cheap). In Myanmar I had similar problems (had to walk 1 km from my hotel to laundry service, not cheap compared to Thailand). Money exchange and ATMs 10sep2020. In GRU (Sao Paulo international airport), go to ATM Banco24Horas (red). A fee of 24 BRL is shown, followed by an offer for DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion with a very unfavorable rate) which I decline. Afterwards error message and card ejected. Go to blue ATM24hs. A fee of 39.90 BRL is shown, followed by offer for DCC which I decline. Afterwards error message and card ejected. Both attempts were with comdirect visa card (bank account in Euro in Germany, bank offers worldwide cash withdrawal without fees which worked well in SEAsia). Go to money exchange booth (at least there I deal with people). Their exchange rate is 1 EUR = 5.44 BRL. But that does not include fees/taxes. For 100 EUR I get 520 BRL, a loss of 17% against xe.com 6.29, my worst money exchange ever. In SEAsia, I have it down to 0.5-1% loss against xe.com. In Frei Caneca shopping mall, try again at Banco24horas: communication failure. Try at bradesco: card declined. (Upon returning to Germany, I find that my comdirect credit card has been cancelled by my bank because there was fraud attempt two days before I went to Brazil. The first time such thing happened to me, and that explains why my card was rejected.) I have another visa card (consorsbank), Try at Banco24horas: communication failure. Try at bradesco, finally works and I get 1000 BRL from ATM. Processed at 1 EUR = 6.21 BRL, a loss of 2 % against xe.com 6.30. At money exchange (“Confidence Cambio” blue on white) in Frei Caneca shopping mall get 575 BRL for 100 EUR (a loss of 9% against xe.com). Both money exchanges did not have rates displayed, and it took the clerk at Confidence Cambio a while to calculate the effective rate (5.80 before, 5.75 after taxes/fees). In both exchanges, passport was required. 16sep2020. There is an ATM in my hotel lobby (Hotel Atlântico Rio near metro Cantagalo), how convenient! WRONG! This ATM offers up to 2200 BRL (others maximum 1000), I go for 1500 and decline DCC. Without any further communication, a fee of 193.89 BRL is shown and the transaction is processed. That is 11% of the withdrawn amount. Exchange rate was 6.14, a loss of 2% against xe.com 6.24. There is a small chance that DCC was displayed in a way that is misleading/confusing and I pushed the wrong button and accepted. The take-home message is: avoid ATMs in airports and hotels, and when DCC is offered, rather press “cancel” on the keyboard than on screen. For money exchange, SEAsia wins hands down over Brazil. People Brazil is a mixture of races like I have never seen before. There were White, Yellow, Red, Brown and Black; only an Eskimo would stick out of the crowd. That means everyone can blend in (whereas in SEAsia a White immediately sticks out as a foreigner). The downside is that everyone will approach you in Portuguese, and with mask they can’t see my helpless look because I don’t understand what they are saying. Everyone I met was nice to me and tried to help, with or without speaking a common language. Public transport I took buses or metro wherever possible. Riocard is useful as it can be used on various public transport. Metro in Rio is 5 BRL, bus 4.05 BRL per trip (high inflation, on the internet you still find outdated cheaper prices). I spotted these devices in the metro: rent a power bank, rent an umbrella, free condoms (size 52, too small for many of the dicks I saw in the saunas) Quarantine in Germany During my trip to Brazil, a 14-day-quarantine for people coming from risk areas was introduced. That does not affect me much, as I don’t work and spend most of the day home anyway. Now I have to keep a diary and measure my temperature twice per day, and health officers call me every day to ask how I’m feeling. Since my birth, I haven’t gotten that much attention! Safety My biggest concern was safety. Warnings and stories about muggings and robberies are plentiful on the internet, and this video From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4x23ie9hNc Thieves stealing a phone on a walkway in the centre of São Paulo look The speed of these Jan 24, 2017 To be on the safe side, I left my good mobile phone in room and took only my old phone (bought in 2016) outside. I left my main wallet with cards in my room and carried money on two places on my body (a habit I have been following for years, everywhere). The only thing I did not have backed-up was my camera. In SEAsia I carry it on my neck all the time. I got advice not to carry my camera around my neck, and I didn’t see anyone in Brazil carrying a camera around his neck, so I put mine in my pocket and took a second camera (bought in 2009, doesn’t work any more) as a decoy. Thank god I didn’t need any of these back-ups and decoys! While there are signs of increased safety measures (compared to Europe or SEAsia) like money transport cars look like tanks, presence of police in bulletproof vests and carrying rifles, most properties walled or fenced, with barbed wire / razor wire or electric fence on top, entrance via a (lock chamber? what would you call it in English? In German "Schleuse" like the lock (water navigation)); I never felt insecure (and I did plenty of walking around town SP and RJ at day or night). People I observed behaved just like anywhere else I have been (i.e. wear wristwatches, use their phone in public, carry backpacks or tote bags). On my first trip to Cambodia in 2014 I almost had my mobile phone stolen. I was standing at the road and holding it high and away from my body to get GPS when two men on a mocy drove past and tried to grab it but failed. Since then, I stand on a wall or on a post when using my phone in public. SIM-card Couldn’t find the TIM shop closest (by google maps) to my hotel. But I spotted Claro in Frei Caneca shopping mall. Go there and with help of google translate get a SIM-card (10 BRL for prepaid SIM-card and 40 BRL for 4 GB data within two weeks, the card will be valid for 3 months). Tap water I drank liters of tap water in SP and RJ without negative effect. Now I can add these to my long list of cities where I drank tap water (Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket; Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Pakse; Hanoi, Danang, Saigon; Yangon, Mandalay; Phnom Penh, Siem Reap; Taipei, Taizhong, Kaohsiung). Wile hiking in the mountains, I drank water from a stream. Uber I prefer walking and public transport over taxi. Everything under 5 km I rather walk, everything over 10 km I rather take public transport. I used uber only twice during two weeks. What I did not consider was that you either have to verify your identity with a CPF (individual taxpayer registry identification, which I don’t have) or submit your credit card information (my credit card was in my room, and the paper where I wrote down the numbers were in my room, and I don’t know them by heart), so my first trip I wanted to make failed and I had to walk. Weather/Climate Most of my trip, weather was great. Only my last days in Rio gave an outlook of what their next months will be: rainy. I didn’t have big plans, so staying in all day because it was raining all day was not a problem for me. Rainy season in Thailand usually one short and heavy downpour in the evening. But I had travel plans spoiled by rain in Thailand. Climate has a strong influence on my travel. With rainy and hot summers in SP and RJ, I rather go to SEAsia where it’s dry and cold (by local standards). Yellow fever No vaccination against yellow fever required for SP and RJ. I checked in Germany and it would cost me 160 EUR and I would have to go to Berlin to get a vaccination. A friend from the USA said it would cost him 450 USD there (doctors and the pharmaceutical industry are holding the entire USA hostage!), whereas in Brazil it’s free for everyone. In hindsight, I should have gotten a vaccination this trip (for possible future trips in Latin America), and will do next trip. Copyright 2020 ChristianPFC

I think I recognize the boy (staff in 117) in picture in post above. He has a tattoo above his eyebrow? I noticed him and I think he is cute. I'm just back from my first trip to Brazil, two weeks in SP and RJ. Points the OP raised: 1, some ATMs tried DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion with a very unfavorable rate) which would result in a loss of 10 to 15%. Can be easily averted. In the end, I got money from Bradesco without fee or DCC. 2, I got a SIM-card at Claro in Frei Caneca shopping center. The little required information was exchanged with google translate. 3, English is indeed more widely spoken in Thailand (and elsewhere in SEAsia) than in Brazil. On the other hand, I can read French as a foreign language fluently which allows me to understand half of written Portuguese. Even someone who cannot read a Romance language can read names of places in Portuguese, but not in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia or China. Some of my sauna visits were indeed slow (low number of customers and boys). But I have seen more body shapes and types than in Thailand, and the biggest dicks I have ever seen.

My trip is over, I´m waiting for departure. Certainly I will write about my experiences and start new topics. I do all my writing after trips. (I spend too much time on computer, holidays serve as digital detox where Igo online only to do what´s necessary for the trip.)

I made it to Brazil! In Sao Paulo now. There was a slight chance that immigration rule or airline rules change, but they did not and all that was different from travelling before Covid was wearing a mask and showing proof of health insurance at check-in and immigration. Full report when I´m back.