SolaceSoul

Marlowe is a bar owner, not a bordello madam. He might keep up people who cause his bar trouble, but he isn’t prone to monitor the activities of adult customers outside of his establishment. If you want that kind of added protection, either make friends with or pay locals who can vouch for the guys you’re meeting. I think it’s wholly unreasonable to expect a person who simultaneously running a bar to do your adulting and homework for you. Especially when he is provided a safer space for your activities. Ever been to a dark room in a cruise bar? It’s dark with a few booths with curtains. It has a few dimly lit areas for seating. There’s a small open-air smoking area before you get to the dark room. It’s not worth going into great detail.

The backroom’s purpose is so that you don’t have to take them back to your apartment, which you will do AYOR.

It’s been mentioned before that Marlowe’s has a back room where activities fo on. It’s even listed / alluded to at its description on Google Maps (“with back room”). Manny is not a “scammer”. His service isn’t for everyone. On the scale of Dominican service providers, he’s very honest and fair. Is he also a capitalist? Sure. But never a scammer. I’ve known him for 12 years. The guys he procures are not the same as the ones you meet on El Conde, where as a non-regular, you are taking safety and other risks. A few of Manny’s guys might work at Narciso’s house near Haina, but those at Narciso’s house are also local boys from Haina, a town outside of Santo Domingo. (1) Narciso’s guys tend to skew very twinky, due to Narciso’s own personal tastes, and (2) You’re not going to get too many Haina locals to travel to you in Santo Domingo unless they have paid transportation, which Manny does offer. Also, it’s very rare that Narciso will book a solo visit to his house, because it’s his house where he lives, and it requires work and effort to gather a round of local guys to come by just for one curious onlooker to inspect them and not pay. Also, you’re paying Narciso for his place, plus a fee for each session (on top of the fee you pay the guy). And then there’s drinks and transportation — and in most cases, you as a green newbie will have zero control over what guys — or how many or how few — actually show up. If you don’t want to use Manny’s service, that’s your prerogative. But there’s no need to falsely defame him by calling him a scammer.

Bar Friends has been closed for maybe 7 years at this point, but this new NYC Bar in the same location as that old Bar Friends. Try looking up some old, dated Santo Domingo directories on Google. Calle Povorin 10, Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic https://foursquare.com/v/bar-friends/50547a38e4b055f81b8c30df

You must’ve completely missed this:

Marlowe’s is not a very loud bar at all. The background music is normally at typical bar levels — not the decibels heard in discos. Maybe the OP just needs to turn his hearing aid down. If any posters here remember the old hustler bar in SDQ Bar Friends, which also always had music in the background, the level of noise is similar in Marlowe’s — and that never seemed to stop patrons from negotiating anf booking dates with hustlers there. Also, the noise level is nowhere near that of the bar areas in the saunas in Rio and São Paulo. But somehow, every 5 minutes, clients in those saunas manage to hookup with working guys. People even have actual conversations!. Maybe — just maybe — this OP is just really weird and an outlier. Regarding the Marlowe’s back room / dark room, the last time I was there, there were two private booths installed in the darker room. That’s in addition to the seating area. Also, the old hustler bar Bar Friends space has now re-opened as the old NYC Bar. This is now another bar to book pay dates.

No. It’s on we the block directly behind the Nacional supermarket, not on the end by the old Fogoo Bar. Also, Anthony has zero to do with this bar. Marlowe is the sole proprietor.

It’s Tuesdays.

Definitely an outdated list. It looks to be from 2017, at the latest.

Congratulations on your successful first trip and welcome to the charms of Brazil.

I cannot fully co-sign to this assessment. Sure, in many parts of Copacabana, there are malandros looking for and targeting tourists and gringos (because tourists are known to flock the area), Copa is so big that there are “good” parte tô stay/live/plan in and “bad” parts to avoid. Also, surprisingly, in recent years (pandemic years), Ipanema’s beach areas have overtaken Copacabana’s as the most invaded by locals from other parts of the city — making the crowds there during great beach weather unbearable. Ipanema has been the site of many recent fights (with or without weapons), as well as crimes of opportunity, as of late. Police presence in sone areas helps to quell this, but it’s still been noticeably bad for the local Ipanema residents and long term stayers. Niw, regarding areas above the tunnel like Botafogo, Flamengo, Catete, Glória, et al, you have to define “safe” — because a tourist’s / gringo’s idea of safety is often rooted in feeling versus reality. Sure, in those areas, there are fewer masks Deus out looking fir tourists or gringos — because there are less of them. However, in those areas, there is statistically more crime reported, less police presence, and less likelihood to encounter English-speaking people (or anyone who doesn’t speak Portuguese). Also, because you would be one of the few, you may very well stick out like a sore thumb when they look at you or hear you talk and it’s obvious you aren’t a local — this making you a target of opportunity for malandros. I would advise staying in those areas if you want close to an authentic local Zona Sul Carioca living experience — not for safety reasons.

You clearly don’t know Manny very well at all…

You can thank all of the terrible readers at sites like this one, and other bad-faith tourists for this recent change. There have even been some losers claiming they were currently in Santo Domingo and wanted to hire but needed pics first before deciding. Manny would send the guys to a given address, which was fake because the photo requestor wasn’t even on the island. If he already knows you and trusts you, and knows you won’t expose his guys all over the internet, then he will send out pics. If you’re just some rando, then no. That trust has to be earned. BTW, Juan Bin Bin stopped sending out pics for the very same reason.

There must be a lunar eclipse. I actually agree with you.

I’ll dry my tears of shame on the towels at Club 117, Point 202, and Thermas Lagoa. Somehow, I’ll recover. My heart will go on.

Jesus Fucking Christ. These questions have been answered here in the past few months by at least 3 recent and regular travelers, including me, and 2 additional new ones. Wht should we repeat ourselves? That’s what the search function is for

A legend at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Salvador is an experience that isn’t right for everyone.

What? You mean all these hot, young, built Carioca sex workers aren’t turned on just by looking at these Orville Redenbacher / Danny DeVito lookalikes? You don’t say….

Not sure about that, but if you keep your bill current, you won’t lose the number.

Saunas in Rio and SP close generally about 11 pm or so, and later on weekends, but after the shows end (about 10), they are practically vacant. Depending on personal style and preference, people will go home, go grab a bite to eat or a drink, hook up with a date or just get some rest. I train on the beach every morning so I’m up when the sun comes up at 5 am. A late night for me is unusual.

Some people prefer Claro. I prefer TIM.

The best way to find out if a place on AirBnB allows guests is to look at each individual listing’s House Rules. If it explicitly states guests are not allowed, or has some similar restriction about visitors, then scratch that one off your list. If it does not explicitly state it, then mention to the host that you will have local friends dropping by and you want to make sure that’s okay. Often times, some hosts are not okay with overnight guests who do not pay. But technically, if it’s not included in the House Rules, it should not be an issue. Also, always book for at least 2 persons, not just for yourself. I just wouldn’t book a place without the host knowing upfront that I may have a local guest — because I don’t want an issue during the stay or afterwards (an unfavorable guest review). I own a rental property that is often used on AirBnB and I don’t allow guests other than those registered. So it’s best to look for the House Rules abd ask the host directly.

In Rio, it is very common for the payboy saunas to be less busy on weekends than on certain weekend days. 117’s busiest night is currently Tuesday, while 202’s busiest night is currently Wednesday.

República. It has its own Metro stop.