August 2018 Rio Trip

[Tomcal]

I got back home last Wednesday from a 2 week trip to Rio. Originally it was supposed to include 2 days in Porto Alegre and 3 in Sao Paulo but it was changed for two reasons!  more on that later.   I spend 5 days in Ipanema and 7 days in Centro for the first time!  I stayed at a friends' condo in Centro and is really the first time I had spent any time there.  The apartment was about 3 blocks from the American and Mexican consular offices. The American ia a large well fortified building but most of the area is made up of some beautiful historic buildings man of which are used as government offices.  Daytime there are many people/office workers and many restaurants and sidewalk dining available. Night time the area has much fewer pedestrian traffic but I felt very safe in the immediate area of the Apt. building which is on a busy blvd.  I uber'd everywhere and while not as convenient as staying in Ipanema it was fine.

I went only to Pointe and MR saunas this trip not to 117, not for a specific reason just due to that I was having a good time where I was at on the nights that are best at 117.  

On both Mondays I went to MR first at 5:30 and Pointe around 7:30 second.  Both were good but Pointe has really improved on Monday evenings and the only slow nights there were Tuesdays and Saturday nights.   Wednesday was great there with Monday and Friday also being really good.  The improvements made esthetically are all good. and the massage guys(Venezuelan)are both good. 

On Monday night I ran into a guy from Uruguay who I originally met at Lagoa in Sao Paulo 4 years ago when he was 20,  he was friends with a friend of mine and he moved to Europe to do fashion/sports modeling and was semi successful at that before moving back to Uruguay last year because of family issues(he is one of 13 children in his family).  We both recognized each other immediately and he ended up spending the night and next day at the apartment.  He came up from Montevideo a week ago and is going back next week.  He is good looking, great athletic body and a amazing bttm., if you run into him I would highly recommend him.  

 

[Tomcal]

A week ago wednesday evening i went to dinner with 2 guys at a nice restaurant in ipanema, when the food arrived i took the second bite and i could not swallow it! it was like my throat closed up! I sat there for a minute and then threw up the last bite i took into my napkin! within the next 5 minutes i threw up 4 more times but it wasn’t coming from my stomach but from my throat so just for but the feeling normal was terrible and we left the restaurant without finishing the meal! on the 3 block walk back to the apt., i threw up 4 more times then like magic felt totally normal. The next morning it started all over again so the guys took me to a private hospital in Copa and after a 1/2 hour with the ER Dr. they put me on a IV for a hour with 2 drugs in it and with 3 prescriptions and i have been fine since but i found out i had a Hiaetal Hernia! and it appears the 10% of those with them that requires surgery to fix(easy procedure)!  one thing is the cost to be treated in the ER in one of the private hospitals compared to the US!  2 months ago i took my mother to the ER, she was there for 3 hours no IV , set of x-rays and the cost was $7,000,  my cost in Rio for 2-1/2 hours with tests and 1 hour IV and meds was $325.US!

 

[floridarob]

That's because the medical field in the USA is so corrupt....Mexico would be even cheaper than Brasil......don't take it personally ;-)

[msclelovr]

Sorry to hear of your medical problem @Tomcal and I hope you are feeling much better now. It's a very common condition if you're over 50. I too was diagnosed with it early this year.

You're right in that if surgery is needed, it's minimally invasive. In my case, the hernia (or opening) is so tiny that it's below the minimum size for the operation. I control the symptom of heartburn by diet (no fatty/fried/spicy foods, less alcohol, no citrus etc) and that seems to work for me. The Mayo Clinic website is very helpful.

And one last comment on your observation about comparative healthcare costs: in the UK, I saw my family Dr on a Friday morning and had the gastroscopy in a central London hospital on the Tuesday afternoon; including the final discussion with the specialist consultant on how to manage the condition, it was 2 hours in the hospital; total cost NIL.

 

[Tomcal]

18 minutes ago, floridarob said:

That's because the medical field in the USA is so corrupt....Mexico would be even cheaper than Brasil......don't take it personally ;-)

I don’t take anything personally except comments about Henri!  :-)

[Tomcal]

i have not done any of the “touristy” things in years, but this last trip i went with my “BF” to Pau de Acucar(sugarloaf) in the later afternoon on Sunday and i really had a good time! At the top on the back side there is a bar and seating with tremendous views looking towards Copacabana! we had cocktails at sunset and not only were the views great but the drinks were especially good! It was a romantic spot there was a straight couple in the love seat about 6’ from us and when they got up to leave they turned to us and said “isn’t this a great spot? have a great evening! “ 

[Tomcal]

Summary of August Trip!

I really had a great time on this trip! So much so that i am coming back to Rio the end of October(and one of the Rio guys is coming to Mexico in September!)

The saunas were good in August which is not typically a great sauna month both because of weather(shitty...rainy and cold) and fewer guys typically! But overall Pointe was good to great on Monday’s Wednesday’s and Friday’s and MR was good on Mondays and Fridays and i actually like the smaller more intimate setting it has a mixture of twinks and when i was there some muscle guys!  i did not make it to 117 but on Weds night Pointe had a lot of 117 guys there!

 

[Badboy81]

23 minutes ago, Tomcal said:

Summary of August Trip!

I really had a great time on this trip! So much so that i am coming back to Rio the end of October(and one of the Rio guys is coming to Mexico in September!)

The saunas were good in August which is not typically a great sauna month both because of weather(shitty...rainy and cold) and fewer guys typically! But overall Pointe was good to great on Monday’s Wednesday’s and Friday’s and MR was good on Mondays and Fridays and i actually like the smaller more intimate setting it has a mixture of twinks and when i was there some muscle guys!  i did not make it to 117 but on Weds night Pointe had a lot of 117 guys there!

 

Ill be back at the end of October a well...

[pauleiro]

On 8/30/2018 at 2:58 AM, Badboy81 said:

Ill be back at the end of October a well...

Me too but only beginning of November (from November 5 to 10) 

[pauleiro]

On 8/28/2018 at 9:30 PM, Tomcal said:

i have not done any of the “touristy” things in years, but this last trip i went with my “BF” to Pau de Acucar(sugarloaf) in the later afternoon on Sunday and i really had a good time! 

Normally it is Pao de azucar (sugar loaf). Pau de azucar is sugar dick. Makes sense in the case of a sugar daddy or a very sweet boy ! 

:-))

Very nice view for there indeed