Traveler365

Of course but I find that in Thailand they try to move the needle toward boyfriend sooner to see if you bite when the buffalo dies or someone is in the hospital or...

I think it’s somewhat telling that in Brazil the guys will refer to you as their client or customer but in Thailand they are quick to call you their “boyfriend “

Yeah if you follow that channel on Instagram you will see one incident after another--enough to make you rethink ever visiting Rio again! That being said I've probably been 20 times never had an issue. I know people always say to "be careful" or "stay alert, " but when a group or individual decides to target you there is not much you can do except cooperate and hope you don't get hurt in the process. I have always wondered why these sorts of incidents would be almost unheard of in Bangkok or most Asian cities bust seem so common in Rio and South America. Both places have poor people and a sharp divide between the haves and have nots.

One observation from my recent Brazil trip--the beard epidemic continues!. I would guess that maybe 90% of the guys walking in the gay area in Sao Paulo are sporting some kind of beard. It's not really my thing . This trend seems to have started a few years ago and continues to grow in popularity. I still was able to meet non bearded guys in the saunas but also a trend the amongst the guys there as well. As a side note--not so many beards in Colombia but more than a few years ago.

one of the real advantages of Rio is that you almost always see hot guys with their shirts off walking on the street--never in Thailand--unless you are in a GoGo bar and then you have the annoying Mamasan to deal with!

I'm not sure how fancy a hotel you are looking for but I recommend the Hotel Massis. It used to call itself the Massis 5 Star which was laughable but it is a solid 3-4star. Clean, quiet and well located just off Paulista and easy walking distance to Lagoa.

your second to the last link I can vouch for. Super cute and nice. He can host you in his immaculate apartment or come to you. Prefers to be a total top.

I have this thing for a Pornstar I follow on OnlyFans and Instagram. When in Sao Paulo last week I arranged for him to meet me at Lagoa and we had a very hot time. Most of the escorts will know the local saunas anyway and its a nice safe meeting place. As an aside I had a conversation with a local in the locker room who asked me about hiring escorts off the internet in the USA and whether or not it was safe. I told him more or less safe but always have to be careful--he said "Here in Brazil it's not safe!"

Last night the bill was spot on. Also after some fun in a cabin I realized I had left my cell in the cabin. When I raced back up the stairs they had already cleaned the cabin but my phone was at the upstairs reception waiting for me. lots of fun guys there last night. I’m always surprised at the number of garatos who tell me it’s their first night there. You never know how you’re going to meet.

I’ve had some very fun times at Lagoa in SP the past couple of weeks. I think they are a nice clean club with a decent selection of guys. The problem is 4/4 nights I’ve been there there has been an extra drink or food item charged. They quickly take it off without question. One time I joked with the guy at checkout about why the bill is always wrong and he just shrugged his shoulders. Makes me think more than chance.

Felt the same thing when I visited there the first time over 20 years ago as well as more recently. I see a lot of Farangs sitting at a bar alone with a sad, blank look on their face. To be sure there are others out that seem to be enjoying themselves but I wonder what happened to those people that ended up in Pattaya seeming so sad and alone.

While speaking of great art one cannot forget the famous banana that sold for $ 120,000. A bargain compared to some of the prices discussed here.

Just flew back from the D.R. on United-on outbound flights both returned to the gate with mechanical issues-ultimately arrived in D.R. 4-1/2 hours late. On return arrived in Newark--waited 40 minutes for gate, 25 minutes for bags to appear. After clearing customs and re-checking bags dashed to another terminal to catch connecting flight (near sprint) to find the gate agent telling me I couldn't board because door was closed. They sat there for another 10-15 minutes with jet bridge still attached. I had to spend the night in Newark--fortunately United paid. Bottom line all airlines can be good or bad on any given day. For traveling this summer I'm afraid it's "Buyer Beware!"

One consideration is that for travel in July--Cartagena will be incredibly hot and humid. Exploring the old city during the day is fun but can get uncomfortable in the heat of the day even in the cooler months. Medellin always has a more comfortable climate than Cartagena.

I am staying at the Silom Quarter in a few weeks. It was about the same price as the Tarntawan but has a pool and gym which is a definite upgrade. I saw your comment about trying to get a room in Tower 3 so you don't have to bring your guest past reception. Aside from being stopped at reception and your guest being asked to leave an ID do you think there is any problem in having guests over?

It's always hard to know what is genuinely a need or what is the need in their mind. I love the Dominican Republic(as well as Brazil). In my mind --and I really hesitate to characterize-- the Dominicans seem to have the least trouble looking for a handout. For sure things are not easy there. On the other hand their concept of need sometimes means being able to live like their cousins or family in Miami who have managed to get a visa. I know one guy there who pleaded with me to bring him the latest iPhone because his phone wasn't working. I politely declined. When I got there he had a newer, larger phone than I did and it worked just fine. He sort of laughed when I called him on it. He asks me for money constantly sending me pictures of an empty refrigerator--but I am over it. In another instance I met a guy in the beach in the DR one evening. We chatted briefly and exchanged Facebook links, I had no interest in sex. The next day I got a message saying he had lost his phone and could I buy him a new one. By contrast the lower to middle class Brazilians (non sexual) I have met have never asked for a cent and are just grateful to see me and hang out. Of course I compensate the guys in the sauna appropriately.

I only leave my phone in the apartment when I go to the beach--otherwise I have it and use it as needed. I don't walk around with it out glued to the latest social media or news posts but use it for navigation and uber. A lot of people do indeed take their phones to the beach but things can disappear in an instant there. As far as the areas around 117 and 202--I think they are basically safe and I have never witnessed any crime near those venues and I have come and gone many times!

I just spent 3 days in Rio and had a great time. I had fun at both 202 and 117. The day and a half that were decent beach days were perfect--not too hot and good crowd at Farme. It's worth remembering security issues even if you've been there many times like I have. It three days I saw three thefts--including mine! First day walking toward the beach at the end of Farme I saw a crowd of people chasing a little kid (probably not more than 11 or 12) who I think had just taken a cellular -- crowd was catching up to him and he tossed the phone into the street and got away after the crowd went for the phone--lots of yelling but no violence. Second day I met up with some friends at the beach who live in Rio. They were trying to find me by texting me but I always leave my phone in the apartment. Glad I did that day. We were standing, talking and getting caught up. Suddenly I noticed that my bag which had been directly at my feet a second ago was gone. Only lost about 150reals and an old Kindle reader. I always keep my apartment keys tied to the string of my bathing suit and guard them more than anything. My friends all said(and these guys grew up in Rio) that I was smart to be a paranoid tourist--that if it had been their bag they would have lost keys, phones, cards. The third incident was the most dramatic. I met a nice German couple (boyfriend/girlfriend) at dinner. On Sunday I was walking the closed street along the beach in Ipanema and ran into them again. They were saying how Rio seemed so much safer than they expected. Literally not a minute later out of nowhere a guy ran up and grabbed a chain off the girl's neck. A loud scream and a welt left behind but otherwise no harm. He was a block away before anyone could react. We all know to leave our jewels at home but I guess they didn't get the memo--still shocking though. The point to recanting this is just to remind you not to get too comfortable and let your guard down. I have been pretty lucky in going there for 20 years but close encounters like these remind me to always be careful. I'm not sure crime is getting worse but 3 incidents close up in three days has me wondering.

The Room Mate Valentina closed permanently during the early days of Covid and the building is vacant now. I used to like it as well. Another nearby alternative that allows guests is the Hotel PF. It's a block or two away. I stayed there during gay pride in June and found it to be a nice older hotel. I didn't have guests there but my friend who stays there all the time says it's never a problem to bring someone in and I did not think the reception security seemed overbearing. They also run a Hotel called PF Suites which is slightly further away and seems a little more strict with visitors based on a friend's experience. One to avoid is the Hotel NH Reforma that is very restrictive about guests.

"In Bahrain and the Emirates nobody at the reception cares about visitors in your room....you could take a goat up to the room without having a problem :-)). Same goes for Oman and Yemen. No problems with a visitor." One of the funniest and most practical things I have ever read on this forum. Duly noted!

One of my favorite porn sites Latinboyz.com seems to have stopped updating for a few weeks. The site used to update very day or two. I wonder if anyone knows who happened to it? It is really the only site I have ever paid for and they have some of the hottest guys on there from Colombia and Mexico.

Another cultural sensitivity --don't ask to much about Pablo Escobar like he was some kind of Robin Hood. A lot of younger Colombians want to put that era behind them. A lot of gringos who come to Medellin seem captivated by the subject but many people of Medellin have been victims of his violence. When I was last in Medellin pre-covid the host of my Air Bnb volunteered that her 16 yo son was killed by the cartel in front of her eyes as they got out of their car together--she was wounded but survived. The glamour of the series "Narcos" aside--tread carefully on that subject.

If you do decide on the Atlantico Copacabana make sure you book a Deluxe room. When I stayed there years ago their standard rooms were painfully small--like barely enough room for a suitcase. Their air conditioning is a window unit and depending on how that unit is functioning it can be noisy. I had no complaints about the hotel other than if I ever returned--a larger room on a higher floor(lots of street noise on lower levels) is what I would prefer .

I hope as this pandemic evolves we progress pass stats, graphs ,lockdowns, and even masks to a place where we simply lead our lives. I think that's coming soon. Even England has dropped the negative test requirement to return home. I hope the USA does the same. I am a physician and have taken care of many Covid patients. If you are vaccinated and boosted the chances of serious illness in a basically healthy person are minimal now. I recently caught Covid and it was no big deal. In the future I hope we can all stay home when we are sick and get recommended posters and vaccines and get on with our lives..

When I was in Rio a few weeks ago I asked several GP’s if they were vaccinated and they all said yes. It wasn’t a deal breaker as I felt I had already assumed some risk that I was comfortable with by going to the sauna in the first place. Most had had two shots, some only one but all seemed proud that they had been vaccinated. Have fun!