numazu

Brazil Health Theater: Rio de Janeiro Edition (come to Rio) The greater powers of Rio (and the world) have a conundrum to solve: how to get life and the economy back up while still trying to mitigate the spread of COVID. With the rates of transmission decreasing and deaths declining as well, I can see why Brazil decided to open its borders when it did. The virus is far from solved here (or anywhere) of course, and there is still a lot of suffering happening, but I do see the powers that be here are trying to forge a way forward, Bolsonaro notwithstanding. So here are some more things I’ve noticed on the Brazil Health Theater front, this time around Rio, while it tried to forge a new normal: Shopping Mall Temp Checks This seems to be above what Sao Paulo was doing – the two shopping malls I’ve been here, mainly Shopping Rio Sul in Botafogo, and Barra Shopping in Barra da Tijuca, are employing these temperature scanners: Coupled with people lanes to direct crowds and avoid agglomeration, and signage to social distance, I guess these would be good enough for mitigation in a shopping mall. Not sure how effective these are, but its something, right? Restaurant Measures The fact that indoor dining is allowed here is light years from what is allowed in most of California where I live. How it's executed with mitigation measures, however, is a mixed bag. Some old-timey padarias have social distancing measures like prohibiting seating in every other table, others just exist as usual with no such distancing at all. But a few observations: 1. Those “por quilo” buffets are ripe to become disasters with COVID transmission, but so far I’ve seen these plastic gloves available at the start of every buffet line, so at least you are handling those community utensils to shovel your food on to your plate with a clean barrier from your COVID hands. Around the “quiosques” in Copacabana and Ipanema, you can encounter these good housekeeping “seals of approval” posted, and if you follow the QR code, will show you a website that states that the establishment is following current city guidelines for mitigation of COVID. Again, unsure if one can just print one out and pretend to be compliant, but it’s a nice things to have. The signs are in Portguese, Spanish, and English (three signs total), geared towards the tourist set, obviously. Whenever I am in Copa, I am partial to a shrimp and strawberry caipirinha lunch, for some reason: There’s multiple things happening in this next photo, which was taken at a usual café near the Copacabana beach front: 1. Hand sanitizer in every table 2. Mask wearing required for every restaurant worker 3. Tables spaced further away to promote distancing 4. Menus now available online via QR codes so you don’t have to handle a physical menu I appreciate the effort. It made this $1.25 cup of coffee worth it. Even with COVID Changing Everything, Barra da Tijuca Is Still The Best This week I’ve been to the beach complexes of Copacabana, Ipanema, and Botafogo. While all three are excellent and largely popular with tourists, to me, the beaches of Barra da Tijuca is still the best among the Zona Sul of Rio beaches. Sure, Copacabana will be the one teeming with tourists during Reveillon, or the stretch of Ipanema near Farme de Amoedo street will be teeming with slutty gays, or the Botafogo beaches boasts views of both Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf mountain, capturable in one photo, but to me, it is the Barra da Tijuca beaches that blends the best combination of it being a more of a beach for locals, with better services, and less tourist troubles. Some reasons: 1. Some barracas are connected to the qiosques, so you get better food, drinks and access to their bathrooms if you need it, to join your umbrella and chair rentals in the beach: Coisa linda. And it tasted even better than it looked. I contrast this with less exciting food found in Copa and Ipanema, which is usually from barracas with less resources and skills, than you find in a full blown restaurant. 2. The street vendors are less pushy and less annoying for some reason. Maybe because less tourists and more locals are here, and they are less enthused with bullshit. Also, we were in for a treat this trip. The day we went, we recognized one of the street vendors, selling biscuits, from a news show we were watching days ago. His story is a cute one. He is an engineering student who is trying to help his parents who lost their jobs by selling “biscoitos” in Barra Beach. He is being celebrated as a sample of Brazilian resiliency in the face of crisis. I was thrilled that we spotted him in Barra, and had a good chat with him about his newfound fame, selling biscuits, and his future plans. I even got a selfie with him: The biscuits were $1 each bag. 3. Barra has more sporty people coming to play and surf. Not bad to look at as well. In closing, even with all the uncertainty in the world today, I am glad this fact still remains: The best summer I’ve ever experienced, is a winter in Rio.

Not Exactly On Point Generally, at least with what I saw in my small sample of visiting the two great Brazilian cities, I would say that Sao Paulo is treating this pandemic more seriously than Rio de Janeiro. Maybe it's because I spent more time in the more upscale confines of Itaim Bibi, Moema, and Paulista in Sao Paulo, to contrast it with the relatively quaint Botafogo and beachy enclaves of Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio, that I see the obvious reasons why Rio is more casual with its pandemic theater (masks/distancing/hand sanitizer), than Sao Paulo. Also, it maybe because Sao Paulo, like its analog to the USA, New York City (both gigantic cities with the huge crush of people living on top of each other and having a connection to Italy, the once epicenter of the pandemic), was the center of the pandemic early on, so therefore you can see the average Paulista treating this pandemic more seriously than the average Carioca. Coupled of course with the difference between Rio and SP, culturally/economically/style etc etc etc, I can see why Rio is reacting the way it is. This comparison is actually much more like Los Angeles vs San Francisco in California (same 6-hour drive to and from, casual vs buttoned up, beaches vs the City etc etc etc), with similar COVID outcomes as well. I probably then shouldn’t be surprised with the similar disparity in pandemic readiness between Sao Paulo’s Espaco Lagoa, and Rio de Janeiro’s Club Point 202, the only saunas in the two cities open as of this week. Yes, my preferred Club 117, and my least preferred Lions, are still closed. The middle of the sauna pack, Point 202, can be a great time or a shit show, depending on the day, weather, and other things. But again, in the age of COVID, beggars can’t be choosers, and in this late Saturday afternoon, after the BF said he needed to sleep off yesterday’s <ahem> exertions, it was my cue that I can stray and check out pandemic-era Point 202 sauna. As teased, the familiar entrance to the club, which is a fall-risk when it rains: Upon entering, I get checked-in by an unfamiliar face, younger guy wearing a mask, who tried very hard to speak to me in English, even when I answered his every question in Portuguese. To my surprise, he gave me a towel to change in and flip flops, which is a departure with Lagoa, where they had everyone clothed in the sauna, and had the towel and flip flops available fresh in the cabins, rather than at check-in. I think Lagoa’s approach is more hygienic, having fresh stuff every time. Lagoa 1 Point 0. He pointed me to the door behind me, like it was my first time here, letting me know that the lockers were just behind that door. I see the big hokey “USE MASCARA” handwritten in black marker. Very ad hoc: Getting to the lockers, I can see some customers already here, dressing down to just their towels. Damn, so everyone was in towels in this place? Very unlike Lagoa, yet again, where everyone was clothed. I kept my clothes on, because I was feeling vulnerable. After I put my wallet (and towel and my shoes) in the locker, still wearing my mask, I venture to the main bar area to find none of the customers, and none of the boys, were wearing masks. The massage boys were wearing masks, however. The owner, the enigmatic Junior, was wearing one as well, except down to his chin. The bar guy, who recognized me and greeted me warmly, had his mask down to his chin as well. It was nice to see his smiling face, but why even wear a mask at this point. I get my usual cocktail. So, in keeping score, I guess this is a point for Point since towel wearing and no masks means we can see actually boyflesh like before? But maybe a point to Lagoa in that we are in an indoor space so therefore more effort on COVID mitigation is in order? Some of you will fall into the former camp of “since the sauna is open why not have the boys naked” and some others will fall into the camp of “the sauna will not be helped by increased transmission within its walls so mitigate the virus whenever possible.” So it’s a wash, Lagoa 2 Point 1. While I waited for my drink, another ad hoc “use mascara” sign at the bar. The moment I sit down, 4 boys, who were milling around the general area, immediately make their way toward me. They were all in towels. No masks. Which was strange to me these days. Two of them were clutching their hard ons through their towels. Hmmm, this is working for me. Introductions and then flirting. I forget about COVID for a minute. Compared to Sao Paulo, Rio really is the more extroverted city, and this fact extends to their sauna boys. They have no scruples about making an introduction and immediately gunning for your business. So unlike Lagoa, at times. Boys there are sometimes aloof, and with masks it makes them even further to me than ever. Right now, I am liking the attention, and the feelings of previous fun times in Brazil saunas came rushing back. Having boys whisper in your ear and laugh with you and massage your shoulders and grabbing your hand to have you feel their hardons: all things not to do during a pandemic. Yes I am here, liking it. Is it bad? Sue me. Lagoa 2 Point 2. I’ve talked before about a certain aesthetic that I see and like in Rio (and in Brazil in general, but much more in Rio): bleached blond Carioca boys with tanned skin. I do not know what is it about this look. It looks hideous in other places, but in Rio, it just works. If you have forgotten, it is much like Pietro Balthazar and Elthon Charles in this GIF, they are the blonde ones on both sides of the singer below: During our Copacabana beach day the day before, I have noticed these “cabelos loiros” pop up once in a while. A sample: So among the 4 boys that were chatting me up, on of them was like these blonde beauties. Of course he caught my eye right away. Out of the four who were crowding me and trying to get my business, this blondie was in the back, quiet, playing along with his more extroverted friends, but staying in the background. His sauna “name” was Jonny. I began talking to him and he draws closer. He is tall, with a tight body and insane abs. He is tanned like the others, but his face was what got me, so pretty. 21 years old he says. Looks young for sure. He whispers something in my ear “let’s go upstairs.” I oblige. He wanted to make his case in private. So be it. It was 7 PM on a Saturday and the sauna was still deserted for some reason. We get to the upper level bar, and the light weren’t even turned on yet. We both sit down in one of the table setups and he starts to smoke. We talk about the days since the sauna opened. Still very few customers. Few boys as well. Sometimes it picks up, like last night, Friday, even with the sauna open since July. To him, business is still far away from what it was, and what he needed. He mainly sustains himself with his “clientes fixos”, customers who he has repeat business with. His demeanor was smooth and soothing. He enjoyed making you feel good being with him. He had no qualms when I reached into his towel. Big boy. His money maker is certainly worth the price of admission. Suddenly, the emptiness of the sauna actually was to my advantage. I made it grow. All I can say is damn. Of course we get to this part: we settle on 150 reais with cum. He finishes his smokes and we head back downstairs to get the suite key. We go back up where the suites were, and we were probably the only ones who got a room. Familiar Point surroundings. Hardly anything that would mitigate COVID, but that was furthest from my mind. I had penis on the brain. He immediately takes the towel off and his dick swings back and forth. Oh boy. I was still in my clothes so I take them off and my shorts fall to the ground and I get on the bed and join him. He takes my shorts from the floor and tells me that the “floor is super gross and they hardly clean it” and hangs my clothes on a clothes hanger. Gross. Lagoa 3 Point 2. I must say what happened next was why I keep coming back to this crazy country. Fully versatile! Fully passionate! Kissed my mouth off. Ate my ass off. Fucked like nobody's business. Superlatives all around. 150 seems like a steal, more with the dollar the way it is. Whatsapp exchanged because of course. As I prepare to leave, I see more customers and boys start filling the sauna. No doubt I arrived early. Maybe tonight was going to be a good night. I won’t know, since the BF is waiting for me. So, overall, the sauna scene seems less than what it was before COVID, as with everything else in the world. I found the handwritten “use mascara” signs in Point a little bit less reassuring than the more professional Espaco Lagoa constant signage, and the largely available hand sanitizer: Coupled with the dirtiness of the sauna, and the crumbling infrastructure, if we are comparing, I’d say Espaco Lagoa is better prepared and has put more thought into this pandemic thing, than Point 202. So for me: stay in SP where more mitigation efforts are being done. Then again, the Carioca style is very hard to replicate anywhere else. One only has to see it in action once, to understand why the Brazil hype is real, and maybe worth risking a lot, even a pandemic, for. Also me: There is still a pandemic, so don’t go just yet.

How dare you! LOL. Seriously tho, thanks for sharing your trip, hope to hear more! I am also glad, whenever I come. Wait till the end of this week... polar air is coming to push more cool air to the southern states as well as Sao Paulo and some of Rio. Some are hoping for snow in SP, but temps are projected to be only down to 10 celsius: https://exame.com/ciencia/neve-em-sp-o-que-e-o-fenomeno-que-derrubara-as-temperaturas-no-brasil/ They project there will be snow in the southern states tho, maybe I'll finally see snow in Brazil since I'll be making the journey next week. It will be warm at times for sure, tho Weather Spark summarizes Rio weather like so: I still prefer being in a rainy day in Rio than stuck at home, and it is more conducive to indoor activities.

I haven't seen these UV devices yet, or maybe I haven't been paying attention. There are other technologes that I've encountered in the shopping malls, which I will show later. Well, I mean, there are excellent hospitals in Sao Paulo that are world-class, as well as hospitals in the southern states, including one in my BF's city where I will park myself for a few weeks, to work remotely. But there are still a lot of unknowns with this virus, so the quality of the hospital will help you fight this for sure, to a point. People with comorbidities are especially susceptible to go down with a serious case, but also people normally healthy but having underlying susceptible physiology may be in trouble as well. A lot has been made in the news about a 38-year old singer here who seeimingly was heathy as a horse, handsome, athletic, but is down with a grave case of the COVID. His GF, seemingly more frail, has only come down with a fever and nothing else. I'd say if you are in the high-risk group for this virus, don't go to Brazil now. But even if you are a seemingly healthy and horny guy who can't wait to get back on the horse, maybe don't go anyway since it is still fucking risky. https://g1.globo.com/go/goias/noticia/2020/08/14/cauan-da-dupla-com-cleber-esta-internado-com-coronavirus-em-goiania.ghtml All this worries me, of course (and that is why I don't watch much news anymore, for mental health). But I always go back to this: Life is a series of calculated risks – nothing more. Everything that you decide to do has a margin of risk. No outcome is ever 100 percent certain and, therefore, any attempt at anything has a chance of complete failure. We risk everything, every day of our lives without knowing it. So I stop worrying, try to make the best decisions that I can, and just live life and have a good time. Not offended hehe. In fact, going to Brazil during COVID-times is one of the less-risky things I've done on this continent. I've risked waaaay more. Maybe I'll share at some point.

Where My Beaches At? I can understand that this thread is by and large problematic, not the least of which because we are in a global pandemic and any activity that does not mitigate the spread of the disease is seen as irresponsible. I agree with that to a point, and as I have stressed before, the risks taken are solely my own, and this thread is made in the spirit of imparting information to some of you who either are thinking of taking the Brazil plunge in these very uncertain times (for which I do not recommended doing), or just want a good read and to live vicariously through my modest exploits. I thought I’d briefly post something about the RJ beaches since the question was asked, and since today is a cloudy day and not conducive to much beach going. This is about yesterday's beach trek. Oh, this is a non-sex post. Its OK right? Not everything has to be about sex right? <Listens to the crowd> What? Everything is about sex? OK then, feel free to skip this post if you do not want to read about non-sex observations. Oddly enough, my favorite time to go to the Rio beaches is during their winters. Probably the best fun I’ve ever had in the gay parts of Ipanema beach was on a late August Friday. The sun was out but it never got sweltering hot, humidity was low, and the men were out in full force in their tiny speedos. I had similar hopes for this trip, though if you know winter weather in RJ, it may be susceptible to some cloudy days and some rain. It’s good when it’s good, like yesterday, and it’s bad when it wants it to be, like today. The BF and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day by walking the 30 minutes from Botafogo, where our AirBNB rental is, to Posto 2 of Copacabana. Along the way, we generally saw that people were wearing masks, and making <some> effort to social distance when possible. There would be the usual agglomeration of youth in our path where both mask wearing and social distancing were nowhere to be seen, but in general people have been pretty respectful of city ordinances. We get to Avenida Atlantica where we find a healthy mix of people walking, running, and bike-riding. It seems like any normal morning in Copacabana, except (some) people were wearing masks. The mask wearing in this strip of Rio was about 30%, and the majority were not wearing their masks, or were wearing it down to their chins, so that might be problematic for some. Still, it was sunny, windy, and outdoors, so we braved through this possible COVID cluster and just enjoyed the day: This Saturday in Rio was suppose to be the day where everything in the beaches would get back to normal, or the COVID version of normal. It is mainly the return of the "barracas", or those makeshift stores in the middle of the beaches where you can get anything from chair and umbrella rentals, to churrasco, grilled shrimp, and even sometimes drugs (it is Brazil after all). The Rio City ordinance still prohibited the rental of chairs and umbrellas to beachgoers, and just adviced people to bathe in the water, bring their own chairs or beach towels to sit on, and buy food and drinks from the storefronts. But as the BF has stressed “This is Rio. People will do the fuck they want.” So lo and behold, in some parts of the beaches, we find some barracas with chairs and umbrellas: At this point, on the sand, by the water, there was zero mask wearing, except for *some* of the street hawkers, as well as all the barraca employees. You were almost transported to a time before COVID, which was nice. Among them: Beach street hawkers, some wearing masks: Some not: You can get a (tourist-trap) Caipirinhas again: Food (like grilled cheese on a stick): and a million other things that was sold before. It seemed to be that there were no restrictions to ambulantes (street vendors) at this point, and everyone was back to normal, with masks, and some hand sanitizer. Even normal beach activities, with no mask wearing, are back: The water was freezing, this being winter, but that hardly mattered. It was just nice to be out, even if I may pay for it later. Then again, I can think of 1000 other things that I partook in the past days to get to this beach, that would have exposed me to that virus. Is it risky? 100%. Is it irresponsible? Most probably. Is it reckless? Maybe. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Next, a quick trip to somewhere familiar, that may have been a mistake. Everyone can probably guess where this is:

Echoing what @floridarob said about Squaremouth. If you go to their webpage, you'll eventually find these filters, which shows COVID is covered:

Yes, the scene in Thailand is not cheap at all. It's still fun tho. Too bad tho that they don't seem to be opening anytime soon, like Brazil did. You must be traveling now as I type this. Too bad I am now in Rio for the foreseeable few weeks. Maybe next time in Mexico. Ugh, how dare they impose "Ley Seca" on you. And no I can't imagine you staying put in a dry anything. Not much sexperience talk for this trip, as I have grown weary of sauna shenanigans, but I will share when I can for sure. Is everyone being smart and staying home and I and @floridarob are the only fools risking the COVID wrath? Old Lagoa really did have so many stunners concentrated in one place. I would say Clube 117 in Rio would place in that same rank a few years ago. I am hopeful that Espaco Lagoa can reclaim this old magic, or maybe some sauna can pick up the slack. And ahem, "4-5 to have a blast" per trip? How about per day? If you compare the 90s to what you saw in 2017, how did both eras compare? Do you miss the old days? Was the quality better in your opinion? I'm always curious to compare eras from peope who have been in those times. Well, just like Lagoa, the bars are allowed to be open for 6 hours a day till 10 PM, with the usual mask requirement and social distancing guidelines. However, the Frei Caneca gay-ish bars are really just store fronts, and the patrons drink in the streets. I saw about 20% of what it was before, much less, but still free of any COVID mitigation. Just like with other gay bars, trade really isn't the main thing with the patrons. My BF has been propositioned a number of times for a free in bars, so it happens. I've never tried to ask anyone if they would do it for a fee. For free tho, I've done it numerous times. We just arrived in Rio. Its gonna be a hot and sunny weekend so looking forward to some (COVID-era) beach time!

Brazil Health Theater – Sao Paulo Edition Some thoughts about the COVID-caused changes that I’ve seen here in Sao Paulo. We are indeed living in a changed world. Brazil Bans Pillows https://onemileatatime.com/brazil-bans-pillows-airplanes/ This seemed ridiculous at first when I innocently asked a flight attendant, while I was getting setup for my Houston to Sao Paulo, why there are no pillows, and there are extra duvets available in Business Class. Apparently Brazil has waged a war against pillows, but not blankets and duvets. Thank goodness I always take a travel pillow with me in case I need more extra cushioning, but the duvets were enough to act as a pillow as well. I wonder why did Brazil banned pillows on flights. I am unsure what the exact science in behind the decision was, but here we are. Sao Paulo Hotel Measures I’ve considered the Staybridge Suites in Itaim bibi, Sao Paulo, to be a good first hotel to stay to start up a Sao Paulo trip, before I spend time in my main AirBNB digs. This is primarily because with my IHG status, checking in at 9 AM is no problem for them and I get a room in no time to sleep the flight off. Some interesting measures they have executed for COVID: There was a Health questionnaire at check-in, which was pretty standard I think. Just asking if you have a fever or ever been close to a COVD positive person n the past 14 days. And also a plastic barrier at check-in. Very common nowadays: At the room, you see a lot of things wrapped in plastic, I guess to show that those items have been sanitized and you don’t have to worry about getting COVID though them: Remotes: The free coffee: Utensils, carefully wrapped individually: Also you get a complementary COVID kit, with a mask, mini hand-sanitizer, and moist towelettes. They even had hand sanitizer dispensers powered by foot everywhere: I did feel that the hotel was doing its best to assure their guests that they take COVID seriously. I felt pretty safe and COVID was the furthest from my mind. This is all well and good, but then again I invited guys over to my room numerous times during my 3 night stay, so this COVID-free façade of mine may not have lasted long. Oh well, you can’t win it all, you can minimize risks, not eliminate them, unless you just stay home forever. Uber Safety I haven’t used the Metro in SP yet, but Uber here had varying degrees of engineering controls and COVID equipment to protect drivers and riders from each other. Uber has a mask requirement now for both rider and driver, and I’ve seen all drivers with masks. And all the rides had hand sanitizers available in the car as well. But I’ve been in one ride that took things further and installed a plastic shield, separating you from the driver, and also advising you to keep the windows open for ample ventiltion, which is smart: The drivers will just go ahead and help you with your luggage, so if you’re pretty sensitive with having others handle your stuff, make sure you handle the baggage yourself. Ghost Towns and Half Measures I did not expect things to be normal, or even half normal, upon my return, but I mainly saw fairly deserted spaces with chairs taken out so people can’t conglomerate. The two main restaurants that were my favorites when staying at the Staybridge were super sad: The gay bars in Frei Caneca were populated, albeit probably 20% of normal, and no one had a mask on, because people were drinking: Sunday is always exercise day for SP, and during COVID, this was still the case, with Uber making sure everyone exercising were wearing masks, and most of them were: Finally, grocery stores also had plastic barriers, and alcool gel at the ready: What Not To Do: 25 de Marco and Bras Shopping These two shopping areas, filled with street vendors and vendors with shops, and filled with cheap Paraguayan and Chinese (and Brazilian) swag, has been open since June, and while everyone was wearing masks, if you know how the mix of street vendors, hawkers, narrow alleyways and shop fronts, and people eager to find a deal, looks like, then it is impossible to do any meaningful social distancing in this type of setup. Not sure what the city of Sao Paulo was thinking with reopening this, and I am not sure what we were thinking when we went as well, but I guess we were also very eager to find deals. I would not recommend going to anyone, but yet, I did, and will probably go back before the trip is done. What Not To Do: Clandestine Parties AGAIN don’t do this, but I must admit that I wanted to see what it looked like, which is a dance party in the middle of COVID. There are many reasons why Sao Paulo has the most cases and deaths among states in Brazil. One of them are the clandestine dance parties that has happened, and continued to happen, during this COVID times. Once the BF and I reunited, and in the succeeding days met with our friends, we immediately got invited to the next “balada clandestina” or secret parties that usually happen in smaller towns just outside the city limits of Sao Paulo. We did not want to go, but at least wanted to see what it looked like. Photos and videos were frowned upon, but going into the party, I saw a world before COVID, as in no one was wearing a mask, nor social distancing, no anything. We didn’t stay long, probably best we didn’t go at all. https://www.sbt.com.br/jornalismo/sbt-brasil/noticia/144528-estabelecimentos-funcionam-de-forma-clandestina-durante-pandemia-em-sp What To Do: Parque ibirapuera One of the places I love in Sao Paulo, even more than Lagoa, is Ibirapuera Park. I’ve been numerous times before, but the current BF had a way to make this place a must-go every trip. And outdoor places are having a renaissance nowadays with the restrictions in indoor gatherings during the age of COVID. Everyone seemed to get the memo too, as there was a lot of people waking the trails of the park. There is strict mask wearing all throughout, and with the winter in Sao Paulo making the sun bearable with a mask, it was actually a pretty amazing time just being in Brazil, with Brazilians, in a way that does not make you want to wash your hands 20 times afterward. And with the sun out this week, not a bad venue to eye many a hot Brazilian running shirtless. Probably the best thing I’ve done here this trip, so far. I’m off to Rio tomorrow. I’ll update when I can. Beaches during COVID should be fun.

Money Makes the World Go Round I realized that maybe I've focused on the negative on my previous posts, so I thought I’d talk briefly about ONE positive thing that has happened out of all the bad so far this year: The Brazilian Real’s exchange rate versus the US Dollar’s has been on free fall since February (it rebounded some in May but has stayed steady in the low side), and I’ve watched this freefall while in the confines of my own home, unable to do take advantage of it, till this trip. I’ve exclusively used my fee-free ATM for my international travel, and in Brazil, I’ve always taken out 1000 reais (the limit, usually) out at a time every time I needed the urge to go to the sauna, or to start out when I arrive at the airport. I only exclusively use the “Banco 24 Horas” ATMs that are a familiar sight in almost every corner of Brazil: Here are my 1000 reais withdrawals in 4 different times, reflected in dollars in my account through time (taking out the date): July 2019 in Recife: February 2020 in Rio de Janeiro: March 2020 in Sao Paulo: And this week, August 2020: So in a year, the Real free fall has gained me $76, which in today’s rates is 400 reais, or almost 3 programas, per 1000 reais I take out. And from the cost of boys I was quoted this week, the rates have not changed, so the savings is real for the Real, and a welcome positive change, from everything else that changed in the world. I usually don’t watch pennies, as @floridarob can attest, but I am impressed by how much this savings is. Next, I am going to show 3 separate itemized receipts I was charged in Espaco Lagoa, so you guys can see the prices charged for each thing I've availed in the suana. Here were the charges I’ve had in reais, and corresponding dollar amount directly below, as reflected in my credit card statement: January 2020: February 2020: August 2020: So you can see, even with the dollar gaining, the prices in Lagoa have stayed the same, as well as what the boys were charging. And so far, with spending money in other places like Grocery stores and restaurants here in Sao Paulo, the prices have stayed more or less the same as well. Sometimes one has to look for the silver lining, no matter how small. Next, more changes in Sao Paulo.

I certainly do not recommend doing this to anyone. There are still a lot of risks out there, and I've calculated my own risk and here I am. It is not worth coming here if you are super risk averse. The public showers are closed, unfortunately. The public shower in the entertainment area is roped off, and the level with most of the suites is off-limits to people who are not getting a suite. The upper bar is open and the seating is still there. Less space and facilities available, but then again, less people going to the sauna anyway so it should even out. The clothes wearing does not bother me as much as the mask wearing. I am a face guy more than anything else. Looks are a subjective thing for sure, but yes, he is super gorgeous, to me. Very unassuming at first, which helps for me. It's easy enough for me to share his Instagram here, but of course, I don't do that. Yes, again, beggars can't be choosers. For me, in the end, they can wear a mask or a full-on haz mat suit, I don't care. At least this venue is open and an option for anyone who’d want a one stop shop to get boys in SP.

A Shell of a Shell I had 3 days of freedom from the BF at the start of this trip, due to some of his commitments, and because I wanted some time by myself to accomplish some things I have not been able to do while "stuck" at home for 4 months. Day 1 was set for sleeping the long flight off (and finally doing so without a mask on), and then checking the Grindr scene, which was interesting. Before COVID, I would guess about 40% of the messages I got were from Garotos de Programa. This trip, I got a total of 1(!) message from the GPs. But I did get a lot of messages from all sorts, and had 3 nice encounters with local guys, including a nice low-key evening with a pretty cutehot engineer and we shared stories on how we, and our countries, fared during COVID. Lots of Bolsonaro and Trump analogs, hydroxychloroquine, and mask wearing stories. I’d say overall that Grindr was as active as ever, if not more, which was a welcome surprise to me. Maybe people were just stir-crazy and just needed the release. Day 2 was devoted to spending the day with my friend, a sometime sauna GP, sometime pornstar, and everytime horny guy, who was fired from his day job a month after the pandemic started and is in desperate need of cash. He took 2 of his friends (who were sometime GPs as well) with him to meet with me at the hotel. All versatile and passionate, which is what I like. After a trip to Mambo Supermercado in Moema to get some snacks and beers, I spent a pretty chill time with these sexy motherfuckers. I got some insight on what they thought of the new Espaco Lagoa (worse than Thermas Lagoa before COVID, and during COVID not a lot of people and even sadder). My friend and one other stayed the night to morning, and more shenanigans were had. 200 reais for the one guy who left after dinner, and 400 reais each for the other two. Pretty standard rates I think. Day 3 was the day my BF was going to arrive late that night, so I decided to check Espaco Lagoa before he got here, to see how the sauna has fared with all the COVID restrictions. The two hotties bid me goodbye after a late breakfast, and they expressed their regrets to not accompanying me to Lagoa, so I had to tough it out alone, which is preferred anyway. I’m glad that the sauna has amended their open hours from a ridiculous 11 AM to 5 PM, to a better 4 PM to 10 PM: I arrived at 5:30 PM and saw a pretty solemn scene. Very few boys and clients. The vibe was more early Sunday afternoon, instead of early evening Saturday. Probably about 10 customers and about 10 boys to start. Maybe I arrived super early. Almost everyone was wearing a mask, except for the guys who were in the main entertainment area where they were having drinks and therefore the masks were off. The waitstaff were wearing masks and face shields as well. Even with the mask on I got recognized by one of the waitstaff that I liked and he took my drink order and talked to me for a bit about how things were. It did pick up somewhat as the night wore on, but still less than before. Some observations: As seen in the FB page, some of the sauna facilities were closed, to avoid agglomeration and mitigate transmission: There were alcool gel hand sanitizers and advisories on mask everywhere: And each table w/ chairs setup had this as well: I have been to the new Espaco Lagoa four times before COVID, and I thought it was a shell of the former Thermas Lagoa. The old sauna, though messy and showing its age, was airy and the extra space would have lended itself better to more ample ventilation and social distancing. Instead, in the new sauna, with all the ramps and levels and with people coming in and out, it was hard to not bump into people, even with the lower current occupancy. And before COVID, I thought the boy selection was poorer that before, up until my February visit, were I met 3 new boys that blew my socks off (one big mountain of a man, one boy who looked like a Belami model, and a gorgeous soccer player who was smarter than the average GP). I was willing to give Espaco Lagoa more of my business after that visit, but COVID happened and I was wanting to come back ever since. This time though, I think the one thing that bothered me the most was the whole climate of the sauna. Everyone was wearing masks (which I prefer anyway, in a mitigating transmission kind of way), and everyone, even the boys, were wearing clothes, so I didn’t feel the whole setup was as sexy as a boy sauna should be. Some boys with the better bodies had their shirts off, which helped a lot with sussing out their hotness, but with a mask on, it was hard to determine handsomeness when you can only see their eyes. Some of the boys took the masks off when they approached you. Some of them were trying to show their big erections trapped under layers of clothing, which I guess if you have a big dick, it will show through no matter how thick your trousers were. I am not big on the sauna scene as it is, but with the sparse occupancy, the solemn atmosphere, everyone wearing clothes, and the mask-wearing as a cruel reminder that there still was a pandemic raging outside these walls, were enough to almost kill my sauna hardon. I say almost, because I was able to find what I wanted anyway, twice. First programa I had was with a super muscular built guy with a big dick (very old Lagoa quality), who proactively approached me and knew how to draw me in, and who was super passionate and didn’t clock watch. 200 reais with cum, and to me was worth every cent. The second guy was the super gorgeous soccer player from before, and most of our programa consisted of a very insightful back and forth on the value of mental health during these times. Also he fucked my brains out. It was like a trip to a therapist without the hefty price tag, and with the gorgeous boy who came in your mouth. 200 again. Super cheap, cheaper with today’s exchange rate. One note about the rooms: towels and slippers were available in every room, instead of available at the check-in desk. A good number of the boys were obviously just gays who wandered off the gay area of Frei Caneca and stopped by the sauna to earn a few more bucks, or to get free drinks from patrons. I could find much better choices on Grindr for free. I saw some of the mainstay boys as well, and it was weird to see them trying to look sexy wearing a mask and trying to get your business. But again, we are in unique circumstances, so even if Lagoa is a shell of a shell of what it was once, during COVID times, I’d rather have this option available to me, than not having it at all. More, next.

I thought I’d put in some thoughts on here about my experiences since Brazil opened its borders on July 29. The last time I was in Brazil was the first week of April, some days after Brazil closed its borders to foreigners due to the coronavirus cutting through the planet. I remember those days, as the BF and I were stuck quarantining near Paulista Ave in Sao Paulo , with everything closed except for some restaurants and grocery stores, and the streets were more or less empty. A far cry from my stay over Carnaval in February. That was when Brazil identified its first ever case of coronavirus. People weren’t freaking out back then, with all the festivities and general drunkeness, and COVID just seemed to be something benign, versus what we are experiencing now. I’ve had a Google alert for the words “Brazil estrangeiros” ever since I came back from that April trip. Yes, the virus has been wreaking havoc on the world’s people and economies, but I was eager to come back, even with the known, and mostly unknown, risks, complicated by Brazil’s own inability to contain its own pandemic. I figure that the measures taken by Brazil are not any more worse than the ones taken by home country anyway (the good ole USA), and I’d rather be stuck in someplace fun and exotic, whatever that means nowadays, in the age of COVID. The Google alert came up with a lot these past 5 months, including the 4 different times Brazil had prolonged its closure to foreigners. But finally, in late July, came the Google Alert that mentioned the reopening, but not before getting some more alerts on conflicting reports mentioning a prolongation of the closure. After a quick chat with the BF,, we decided it was worth me going, and soon, so I quickly booked 3 possible flights to Brazil as soon as I could be free to fly from California: a Delta award redemption connecting through Atlanta, and United and American Airlines paid flights that were both in the $450 economy roundtrip connecting through Houston and Miami, respectively. Within the 24-hour refund period, I cancelled Delta and AA, and after some minor date adjustments, found a $2100 RT Business Class ticket on United. That cost would have been unheard of pre-COVID, but in the new economy, beggars can be airlines. For good measure, I booked 2 other RT on United to Sao Paulo in September and October, taking advance of the $450 price tag. With their change fee waiver still in effect till July 31, I can amend the dates later without any change fees. With all the news that was circulating about the reopening, there were two things I thought I needed to be able to enter Brazil: Medical Insurance without COVID exceptions, and a recent negative COVID test. I bought the Travel Insurance from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, which cost be $95 for my entire stay (plus a few days), and also got a COVID test which I received the results in 2 days with a PDF letter saying I tested negative. I made printed copies for both, in case they didn’t accept copies in my phone. I’ve flown a number of times during this COVID era, and have become accustomed to the extra precautions the airlines and passengers were taking. I particularly commend Delta for sticking to their guns in ensuring no one was sitting next to you in First Class, as well a blocking the middle seats in Economy. So, to my surprise, after checking the seat map for my flight, found a fairly full United fight with most middle seats taken. Luckily most of business was still open so maybe I won’t have to sit with anyone. United really is cheaping out on this. Since I am not a Brazilian citizen or resident (yet), I could not retrieve my boarding pass as usual via the United app, and had to go to the check-in counter for a travel document check, even if I didn’t have any checked luggage. At the airport, the check-in counter person asked if I had “a medical card”. I gave her the printed PDF of the insurance details. She took her time flipping through the pages, until I interrupted her, pointing to the front page with the specific dates of coverage/travel. That seemed to please her and she issued me my boarding pass. COVD times meant not as many long lines at the airport. Downside of this is sometimes the TSA Pre-check dedicated lines are consolidated with the regular lines. At the flight gate, boarding was also by row number, with the rear of the aircraft getting boarded first. Everyone at the airport was wearing a mask, and the gate agents made sure everyone was wearing one, and properly, when entering the aircraft. Before boarding, the gate agent informed everyone that if one did not have a Brazilian passport, they needed to get their medical insurance confirmed with the gate agents. Again? Oh well. About 30 of us made a “social distancing” line to get our documents checked at the counter. About the time half of the line had their check, everyone who had a Brazilian passport were already boarded. They were really taking their time checking documents. When it was my turn, the agent again took her time flipping through the pages until I pointed to the dates of coverage. She took my paper boarding pass and stamped “International Documents Verified – IAH”. Maybe this stamp was available at check-in and I did not have to get in line? Economy was almost full, Business was half full, with some seats blocked off for the flight attendants to rest. There was alcohol on board, but was in those little "hotel minibar" bottles instead of the usual bigboy liquor bottles. Business meals were a little bit spartan and brought all at once, but more than I expected during these time. I had the salmon: The one thing I had difficulty with was sleeping with both a nose/mouth mask, AND an eye mask on, since I need it to be completely dark to sleep. I think it took me 2 hours of tossing and turning before I got used to having my whole face pretty much covered in an uncomfortable way. The new normal. At immigration, my immigration officer asked more than the usual questions that I usually got. What is the purpose of your trip? How many days are you staying? Have you lived in Brazil before? Where is your medical insurance? I showed him the printed insurance copy, and proactively pointed to the dates of coverage lines, and again this seemed to please him. Another addition: he put the exact number of days of my stay on the entry stamp, so I guess I can’t stay longer in Brazil than what was written on the stamp. Good thing I put in more days in the insurance document than I planned, in case I wanted to stay longer. He didn’t ask to see my return ticket though, so he had no proof I was exactly leaving in those number of days. We will see. And no one asked for my COVID test. I guess I was misinformed there. Next: Brazil Health Theater, and Espaco Lagoa during COVID, next.

After a few days, 23 respondents have now spoken, and it looks like the pro-BKK crowd is pulling away: I am still on the fence, and still keeping an eye out for any news positive or negative, but it seems that the conditions are a little bit worsening, at least in the USA. Still no adequate testing, still a lot of confusion, and the stock market tanking. It makes me just want to stay home and hide. But I am keeping positive and I haven't cancelled anything yet. This is the crux of the issue. I've probably experienced every permutation of Bangkok a Westerner could ever experience, and I continue to enjoy Bangkok to my heart's content, but this trip's main objective is me seeing Bangkok through the eyes of my BF, who has never been outside of South America. I want to show him the messy Songkran water fights, the full-strength stable of boys in Lucky Boys, the hubbub of Chatuchak Market, the amazing variety of the street food, and everything else that made me fall in love with the city. I want to see the wonder in his eyes, similar to what I had during my first time 6 years ago. A muted version of the Land of Smiles, partially obscured by a face mask, and unfortunately sterilized by hand sanitizer, is less ideal for anyone who visits the city expecting more, and even less ideal for a first-timer who has heard so many wild Bangkok tales from me. My latest long haul was last week, a 12 hour flight from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles fresh off Carnaval. The flight was 2/3 full and a lot of middle seats were empty, but I didn't get an inkling that COVID-19 had made the flight any worse. It was the next flight - Los Angeles to San Francisco - that showed signs of the paranoia and tension you're talking about. Some passengers were giving their seat a thorough wipe down using Clorox wipes, and even more showed up in face masks. And the flight was half-full, which made "social distancing" easier. I have a flight to the east coast in a few days, and then it is another long haul back to Brazil next week. Let's see how things have deteriorated. It might make my conundrum here easier if the flights are horrible. I can share my routing with you now. Since I was booking for me (coming from California) and the BF (coming from Brazil), I had to be creative. I wanted to meet him at a connection, since I thought it would be nice to fly with him on a long-haul, on the second leg. After playing around with some itineraries on United's pretty good award bookings site, I chose a routing that had us meeting in Zurich, with him leaving Sao Paulo to a direct to Zurich, and me leaving San Francisco direct to Zurich as well. We would meet in Zurich at the layover, and we would fly together, seated together, as we make our way to Bangkok. This is my booking. I booked last December, and they still had business class saver for 75k points: I feel so bummed if I have to cancel this (I was mistaken, award points redeposit fee is free with 1K status), because I like the Swiss business class lounge in Zurich airport, and that's where I will meet the BF during the layover, and also I was able to book seats next to each other in the leg going to BKK. It's a great romantic getaway, but if we shall arrive at an abbreviated version of Bangkok, then it might not be worth it. Who knows. I know that Puerto Vallarta is great this time of year. But back to routing, @ggobkk if you want to stay with Star Alliance and skipping the asian cities, you can go through Swiss Airlines through Zurich, Lufthansa going through Frankfurt or Munich, or a United-Austrian Airlines combo through Heathrow and Vienna. This will tack 2 hours or more to the usual 20 or so hours going through Asia, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The updates and advice have been awesome so far. Keep them coming!

So after 24 hours, and from 14 respondents, the vote is neck and neck: which is kind of surprising, since I thought people would be more upbeat about Bangkok here, regardless of the circumstances. Thank you for the great advice so far. I've had a long conversation with the BF yesterday, and he is still leaning towards not going. I am on the fence, leaning a little towards going, but I would hate that the first time the BF sees Asia is through the fog of COVID-19 complications. One thing has been clear, the virus itself is more or less not the issue here, us being relatively young and healthy, but its the other complications of the pandemic (quarantines and airline cancellations and travel bans and media hysteria, not to mention my parent's worry) that makes it a complicated matter. A number of music festivals and conventions have already been cancelled here in the US, which makes it even more of a bummer. I guess we were lucky that carnaval in Rio was not scaled down last week due to this mess. Offing for me is a solitary activity. I wouldn't dare do this with the BF, or if with "regular" friends with me in Bangkok, which happens once in a while. But, the BF is keen on at least seeing a boy bar and the seediness attached to it (and a girlie bar or two as well). He is Brazilian after all. Ugh this is just one of many things that complicates things. It would be OK if it were just me, seasoned traveler, having seen everything, but not with the BF with his first time in Asia. I'd dare say even if we cancel there will be other chances for sure. Knowing me though, it might be with a different BF lol. Thanks for laying all this out. It's the infinite permutation of complications that makes it almost not worth it. But lol yes getting home quarantined is actually a positive. At work this week, people were paranoid, and one sneeze has everyone look at you weird, and HR has been quick to recommend people to just work from home. I am American yup. The BF is Brazilian. I didn't realize there are countries putting Americans in a quarantine list. I don't blame them. We do not have our shit together yet. The mercy with our airfare is that they are awards booking through United, so if we cancel last-minute, it is only $50 to redeposit the miles we used. The Crowne Plaza Bangkok booking can be cancelled without penalty. The issue is not the Bangkok bookings, the issue is more making other travel plans because he and I have the time off already planned with our respective work. If we cancel BKK, I may just spend that easter week in Brazil (like you!), or maybe somewhere closer like Mexico. Amen to all of this. Dying is not my worry though. We are not gonna die from this. It's the other complications that this confusion has brought that I am worried about.

I was expecting for this to happen, but waking up right now, this news was first in my FB feed. Actually, it was my Brazilian BF who told me the news first, and he is equally bummed: I was set to spend a week in Bangkok for Songkran with the BF, but with this news, I am not sure. There are options to get the tickets I already bought to be refunded, or the money already paid to be applied for next year's parties. I have to think about what to do next. Maybe just agree to not to get refunded and just have tickets for SK2021, since I still want to go for Songkran. The BF has been especially nervous with traveling all the way to Bangkok (from Brazil) during this COVID-19 scare. Last week while I was in Rio de Janeiro with him during carnaval, Brazil reported their first ever case of someone getting COVID-19, and the Brazilian media went crazy with the coverage and scare-mongering. While there is of course cause for major concern, I tried to assure him it was not that bad, and we both can manage this together when traveling. But with this GCIRCUIT cancellation, it might be the last straw for the BF, and the BF is asking me to cancel our plans Bangkok altogether. I mean, we could still salvage the week in Bangkok over Songkran right? So what do you guys think? How does it feel nowadays in Bangkok? At tourist sites, boy bars and shopping malls? Should I cancel my plans for Songkran? Will Songkran be scaled back or cancelled, and maybe the BF's first taste of Bangkok should be postponed to a time when everything is back to normal?

Knowing you the way I do, @floridarob, this is just a typical Saturday night for you lol

Your mileage may vary is all I can say. Everyone’s level of cost to benefit ratio with travel is different. I’m probably more of a thrill-seeker relative to the average poster here, so probably most of my ideas of a vacation maybe too risky for a lot. I see Bangkok like going to Disneyland: fun, safe, but somewhat repetitive. I see Brazilian cities like a trip to Yosemite National Park in California: you can just go to the park and take the easy hikes like any tourist, but the full Yosemite experience is the day hike at Half Dome: it takes planning, at time dangerous, but boy oh boy, the views at the top are like nothing you've ever experienced. And I'm pretty sure more people go to Disneyland than to the top of Half Dome. I've done both. I have fun in both. Which one do I remember more? You probably know the answer. I can certainly understand the concerns about Brazil. And for the longest time I was scared off as well, with Brazil not even in the top 10 of the countries I wanted to visit, because of what I read online and the news about crime and how dangerous it is. But I obviously made the leap, with my first time at a Brazilian sauna chronicled in BoyToy. But before I came, I did my research, and I sifted through the overblown hysteria about how dangerous it is, and found some sane and level-headed travel tips from people who have actually been there and loved it, and kept on coming back. And the funny thing is, the tips were similar to travel tips for any other well-travelled city out there worth visiting. I don’t even think this is a hard and fast rule. My last 3-week trip over the holidays, it was rare that I went home before 2 AM. And I walked the streets of Sao Paulo at 4 AM after a night dancing my ass off at The Week. Also in Salvador, Bahia, the murder capital of Brazil, going home at 3 AM after a night of samba with the bf. And I stayed at the beach over New Year’s till 10 AM, occasionally taking a nap in the sand, with my friends just dancing the night away. But I always was with friends or my BF, I was always aware of what I was doing (more or less), and I just let Brazil, and Brazilians, envelope me with their trademarked joie de vive. This is purely my experience though. I would not recommend early morning strolls in Rio to anyone, unless with a pack of handsome Brazilians. But I guess if you are not walking with a pack of handsome Brazilians, you are probably doing it wrong lol. After 17 trips in 2 years, and spending almost 27% (97 days out of 365) of 2019 enjoying its beaches and culture and men (lol), it is now my favorite place on earth. Thailand of course will always hold a dear place in my heart. But last few trips to the Land of Smiles became a little bit like “wash, rinse, repeat”. More same same. The all-too-familiar routine going to boy bars has worn on me somewhat. I’m sure I’ll get bored of Brazil at some point, but right now it is giving me enough variety, and thrills, and of course, danger, to make it interesting. In Thailand, I get mistaken for a local all the time, unless I say something. In Brazil, I never get mistaken for a local, which has its own perks. Like I've told you @anddy, the Brazilian BF and I are planning to go for Songkran, so sorry to miss you. Taking a piece of Brazil with me to Bangkok will be interesting for sure. The BF is kind of concerned about the coronavirus in Asia though, so let's see. I've done this in Brazil too. I've wandered Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo, and the streets of Ipanema in Rio after the gay club visit, and all was fine. Can't have said it better myself lol. LOL I'll be the @anddy of Brazil!

Postscript: The Naked Truth Too bad my trip to BKK last week (by way of a work trip to Japan and China) was cancelled. It was my choice really: two days before my departure, my boss asked if I really wanted to go to Asia with all these “rumors” about the coronavirus. Out of an abundance of caution I cancelled my trip, breaking the heart (wallet?) of a certain Moonlight model who I promised a 2-day long time stay with me. No matter, I quickly regrouped and booked a 5-day quickie to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Glad the virus has not reached the far shores of Latin America just yet. Too bad too, I was going to write about the stay, to append to this report. No problem, I had an update in mind anyway. I wanted to compare the costs of the 3-day trip I had in Bangkok, to the 3-day trip in Sao Paulo. Specifically, how much would a quick 3-day sex vacation compare with these two cities? So for my sake as well as others who have asked to summarize my cash outlay for my trips, this post is a summary of how much money I spent (threw away?) in these cities. Just a caveat: as you all already know, I pack in a lot in so little a time, so how I do my sex vacations may differ from you. And I am a fan of 3-somes, 4-somes etc, so that may skew my costs a little bit. Also, non-gogo bar costs are not included, so Soi 4 beer bars and the Hot Male bar and The Week Sao Paulo was not included. So let the accounting begin: Bangkok – 3 nights and 3 days Day 1: Arrival at Bangkok; two bars – Moonlight and Freshboys; 4 boys – 1 threesome Boys: Masseur (2000 baht), Moonlight (2000 baht), Freshboys 3some (4000 baht) = 8000 baht Bars: Moonlight drinks for boy and mamasan (1500 baht), Freshboys drinks for boys and mamasans (1750 baht) = 3250 baht Day 1 Total: 11,250 baht Day 2: First full day at Bangkok; three bars – Lucky Boy, Hot Male, Hot Male bar; 2 boys – 1 free Boys: Kiwi (free), Hot Male (2000 baht) Bars: Hot Male (400 baht) Day 2 Total: 2400 baht Day 3: Last full day at Bangkok; three bars – Jupiter, Dream Boy, Lucky Boy; 4 boys – 1 threesome, 1 freelancer Boys: Sunlight (3500 baht), Moonlight (6000 baht), Lucky Boy (4000 baht) = 13500 baht Bars: Moonlight off fee (1000 baht), Jupiter (500 baht), Dream Boy (450 baht), Lucky Boy (1600 baht) = 3550 baht Day 3 total: 17,050 baht Total for Bangkok = 30,700 baht In US dollars, Bangkok total = $1002 With 10 boys, this comes out to $100 per boy. Sao Paulo – 3 days and 3 nights These were not consecutive 3 days, because it was actually 3 separate days sprinkled in a 23 day stay over Christmas and the New Year. I have a bf in Brazil, so it was hard to get these 3 days alone, so I made them count. I had an advantage because I am good friends with a porn star in Sao Paulo, and he has access to some pay boys to play around with. I took full advantage of this to have 3somes in my hotel room, in addition to the pay saunas I went to. The saunas are the equivalent of the gogo bar in Bangkok, but in a less passive atmosphere than in gogo bars. Some people don’t like the interactivity of a sauna. I have gotten used to it and actually prefer it now. Day 1: actual arrival of my trip; one sauna – Espaco Lagoa; 5 boys – 1 3some, 1 4some Boys: 3some in my hotel room with a 22 and 24 year old, both hung and fit (200 reais per boy), 4some in the sauna (200 reais for two versatile hung boys - 24 and 26 years old) and 250 reais for a star, hung, muscular and 24 years old), porn star wanted 100 reals extra so he had an extra session in hotel room after the sauna = 1150 reais Bars: one sauna: Espaco Lagoa; refreshments for me, condoms and lube, entrance, room = 172.50 reais (receipt shown) Day 1 total = 1322.50 reais or $316 Day 2: actually Day 14 of my trip; one sauna – Espaco Lagoa; 3 boys – 1 freelancer Boys: two hour session with a versatile, hung, big assed 25 year old (300 reais), one hour session with a 26 year old sex champion (150 reais), overnight with a 30 year old hot freelancer from Grindr (200 reais) = 650 reais Bars: one sauna: Espaco Lagoa, refreshments for me, condoms and lube, entrance, 3 hours rent of a room suite in a sauna = 273 reais (receipt shown) Day 2 total = 923 reais or $221 Day 3: next day or Day 15 of my trip; one sauna – Espaco Lagoa; 3 boys – 1 3some Boys: 3some with porn star and his older brother (this not as rare in Brazil) (200 reais per boy), 1 hour and a half session with a sauna star (250 reais per boy) = 650 reais Bar: one sauna: Espaco Lagoa, 205.50 reais (receipt shown) Day 3 total = 855.5 reais or $205 In US dollars, Sao Paulo total = $742 With 11 boys, this comes out to $67 per boy. I am not going to comment on how much hotter the sex is in one location or the other, or the quality of boys, etc. That would be a separate post. But it is interesting how my sex vacations shake out in the end. I never plan these things. I never plan on securing 3somes or freelancers, fucking a family or a Moonlighter, but its just happens. In the final analysis, though Brazil seems to be cheaper in the end, the most important thing about this is that it is good to have options, and in a world full of options, I am glad Bangkok and Sao Paulo (and Rio de Janeiro and Pattaya) can exist in the same world. I need to book my next trips soon…

LOL. I feel so special that I figure into your priorities. But never give up a good time to hang out with boys in the chance to catch up with me. Thanks! Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the name of this Viet boy Trung, not Tronc? Or maybe its a different boy we are talking about, but this Trung also is prone for a cuddle at Red Dragon. The resident cuddler. Anyways his Line name says Trung as well. Doesn't matter I guess. In Brazil, if this happens, it means the boy will bottom as a consolation. Still yes, it is still fun even if the dick is soft. Great report so far!

I just wanted to wish everyone a great and Merry Christmas! I am Day 5 in a 3 week trip here in Brazil. Sharing a photo of the historic lighthouse in Farol da Barra in the city of Salvador in the northeast of Brazil. Escaped the (mild) winter of California and now in 28 degree (82 Fahrenheit) start of summer here in Brazil. Have fun guys!

This is amazing. I use a wallet in Bangkok but never store my money there. I usually store my 100s and lower in one pocket, and the 1000 and 500 in another. The Luckyboys mamasans are very smart and usually have a flashlight to shine on your money when paying up. Hotmale I think had this too. But the new bills are prettier than the old ones I think, Hehe. I know it is not a cul de sac, but I never use Rama 4 to enter (or exit), and just make a U-turn, like in a cul de sac, when I hit Classic Boys/Scorpion bar. Which shows you how good my offs were, except for Moonligh off, if Hot Male boy was the worst BFE. I really thought he didn't like me, and like the Pepe le Pew cat, wanted to get out of my room as soon as possible. The sex was amazing though. Isn't it amazing? I love that the Lucky Boys thread is gaining some steam too. This is a great distillation of Pattaya vs Bangkok. Bangkok, the big city, is more fast paced and temporal. Pattaya, the town by the sea, is slower, and more conducive to introspection. Its good to have a choice.

High praise indeed! Thanks! I definitely ate more LOL, as I think I gained some poundage from all the delicious street food and hot pot. Argh I don't want to think I set a standard for the trip reports here. Just post it in your style because trip reports remain the bread and butter of this site. I am abandoning United because of this as well, and probably Star Alliance in general. As I post this I am waiting for my flight to Sao Paulo on United, and this segment will extend my 1K to next year. Since I also renewed my Executive Platinum on American Airline from my series of Cathay Pacific legs to BAngkok and Manila from California, I think I'll stick with AA from now on. I prefer Cathay Pacific anyway when going to Asia, and AA ot LATAM to South America. Maybe I'll dip my toe with Delta. Aeromexico sucks but has the flights I need to Mexico. And yes, the United Club lounges suck in general. I am in the United Polaris Lounge here in IAH though, and they are a marked improvement. Leaps and bounds. Looking forward to more!

You are one of the lucky ones who gets to live 2 hours from either Bangkok or Rio. If I ever lived close like that to either one I’d find myself there every weekend. I live in California, so either country would be a slog for me. Bangkok is more or less an 18 to 21 hour flight for me, depending on the connecting city and the length of connection. Since there are no direct flight to Bangkok from anywhere in the USA, I am at a disadvantage here. With Brazil, it is a much more tolerable 15 hour average for me, or 12 hours if I am flying direct from Los Angeles. When connecting, it usually breaks up the journey into two equal-ish segments, as the connecting cities are either in Miami, Houston, or even Panama or Bogota. For me, Brazil might have the advantage of length of journey, but it also does with time zones. The time difference is just 4-5 hours ahead of California, so jet lag is not an issue here. Thailand, on the other hand, is a brutal 14 or so hour time difference, and it does take days for me to get the ground firmly under me. No matter the time I get to Brazil, I am always ready for whatever comes. With Bangkok, my ideal time of arrival is in the morning, so I have the rest of the day to sleep off the trip and be ready for the night. Since you are closer to Bangkok, I imagine you have to survive both the long journey and the time difference to Brazil, which may feel daunting. But let me just say that it is ever so worth it, once you see what is in store for you. The country is beautiful, the culture is vibrant and alive, and the boys, oh my lord, the boys. Anything else would pale in comparison once you get your feet wet (and your heart fairly in love) with the country. This what I found in Bangkok as well, plus I do time my trips there with work trips, so Bangkok is always worth my time, even if most of it is just sitting in a plane. Which brings me to answer your other question: is it worth it for you? Of course. To me the distance helps a lot with getting the anonymity I need to let my hair down and do things I don’t normally do at home (and get away with things I can’t normally at home). I suggest try it once, maybe carve at least a 10 day trip that’ll give you a taste of Rio and its environs (and its three boy saunas), or maybe a side trip to Sao Paulo as well to know its saunas and culture. The length of time will get you accustomed to the time, and since most of your activities will be nocturnal anyway, adjustment shouldn’t be a problem. Please tell us how you get on!

*created by voices belonging to people who never actually offed them* is another way of saying that some people advice other people to not go to Brazil because they think it is too dangerous for them, without actually going to see for themselves or at least try. I am not sure if the expense warranted it with all the fuss about my Moonlight star, but I think all my curiosity about how an off from the Moonlight model stead would fare, has made it worth the 7000 baht total that I paid for it. Not to mention that I still get Line messages from him once in a while. I will off him again, maybe at a long time capacity. Maybe that time I will be truly fleeced out of my hard-earned cash, or he might turn out to be a great long-time companion, who knows. One never really knows until one tries for oneself. Anything else is just useless piece of advice. Also, I want to try another Moonlight model. Something to look forward to in my next trip. Ah yes, Tong of Tawan, one of the few boys I've offed that I have revealed the name of. The saga is described here. An excerpt: Is he still working in Tawan? Maybe I should try to dig up his Line number from my contacts... Thanks @Wynter11. Yes I have written about my South American trips. They are in GayGuide's sister site, BoyToy.com. Here are three samples: Bogota First time in Rio Sao Paulo and the South @vinapu and @Boy69, and anyone else who'd like to opine, since you know me already, would you still recommend me to go visit Pattaya? Enough of stuff there for me to get what I like? More replies later...

Hope you're feeling better!! Now that I have basically wrapped up my trip report, it is now your turn to carry us through the holidays. Since you were there roughly the same time I was, you must have seen the same things I did, so curious about your take on things.