SolaceSoul

If I understand @Riobard‘s purposely obtuse post, he is suggesting that the reason the group of loud, obnoxious, black Americans that often congregate at Pacos don’t relate to, interact with or trust him (and by extension, you) is because he’s/you’re white / not black. This is a false assumption, because (1) I’m not white, as are none of my travel partners and none of us would enjoy spending time and energy on them (whether abroad or Stateside), and (2) there are plenty of other black tourists or expats who I, you, and possibly even Riobard could enjoy mingling with. For me, it’s not that group (or any like it). And it isn’t “hate”. It’s self-preservation and safety. Hate implies that energy is consumed over them. There are travelers like this wherever I go. I refer to them as “Ugly Americans” and I always avoid them like The Bubonic Plague. They add nothing to my travels and I’m sure that my absence from their sewing circle of pecking hens subtracts nothing from theirs. Somehow, I still manage to meet nice people — including hot local men.

Who is the “their” here?

Also, men — straight, gay or bi — who feel they have much to lose by association would care a great deal. This applies to many Dominicanos that might be G4P but wouldn’t risk being seen with loud showy American sex tourists at Pacos. It also applies to travelers who have perfectly valid reasons not to risk becoming too familiar with loud showy untrustworthy American sex tourists. As one who has traveled there for years and made friends and acquaintances with a number of locals, expats and travelers, I trust my own judgment to know the difference.

Your mileage may vary depending on how you prefer to travel or roll, but IMHO, this is The. Worst. Advice. Ever. My rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t associate with someone Stateside (or in your local area), then don’t bother with them elsewhere. And no, they DON’T “know ALL the boys”. Maybe they think they do or convinced you they do — but in general, they know the very same boys that the standard, run-of-the-mill, loud, obnoxious American queen (black or white) would meet. And then there’s all the downside of associating with them and being seen associating with them. I would suppose that, for some, there is safety in numbers, and for a first-time, shy, reserved, solo traveler who might never see them again, there may be some benefits — but for others, the risk far outweighs the reward. Hard pass.

These are usually inside of most major subway stations in Brazil, right outside the entrance booths.

Sauna Thermas is the rentboy sauna. It is on par with Club 117 in Rio and Thermas Lagoa in São Paulo, including the working boys. Sauna Casanova is the most popular non rentboy sauna wth the closest thing to some youthful club gym bodies you’ll find at a non rentboy sauna there.

This rarely gets discussed here at this forum but I’ll throw it out: In general, twinks cost less than the garotos that are competitive athletes, bodybuilders and/or fitness models. There aren’t even any of the ones in the latter categories that will do a sauna programs for less than R100, and probably not even at R100. Of course, there are always exceptions.

Exactly. This might be the most sensible (and easy to read) piece of advice you have ever posted here. In short, one day, somebody's gonna get their ass kicked, or worse yet, killed for doing this (public posting of face / identifiable photos of working boys, along with their sexcapades). Personally, @Latbear4blk, I don’t understand the payoff or thrill that you or others get from continually doing this — but if you won’t think about the respect of sexual privacy these guys need in their culture, at least consider the harm you might be placing yourself in when (not if) it gets back to an embarrassed or shamed young man who (rightly or not) feels he must defend his honor, manhood and reputation.

FYI: This is exactly the intent and purpose of a tourist visa in the USA. So, as I mentioned above, it’s a distinction without a difference.

That would work well for guys you meet through a mediator like Manny, who will be there when you meet them. I’m not so sure that strategy is foolproof for guys you meet on the Conde, in a shady place like Cine Lido, on an app, or on any streets in Zona Colonial. Especially if you are doing it alone and don’t have much of an imposing physical presence. The hotels that allow visitors usually do that as a requirement. Let us know how it works out though.

One thing that many of these articles do not discuss is that all of these Americans stayed at Dominican resorts — which are absolutely nothing like real life in the Dominican Republic. It is quite possible to party yourself to death, which I do suspect happened in some of these well-publicized cases.

I am not a fan of MisterbnB for almost all of the reasons already mentioned. However, in their defense on this particular issue, I believe the reason that they request social media info is because they cater to out gay men. I think their belief system is that only an out gay man would feel comfortable providing their social media information to a gay-themed business. Of course, this logic has its flaws, but I believe that’s their guiding principle.

Yes. The manager is very gracious.

There’s a gym on Calle El Conde walking away from Paco’s on the right about 4 blocks up. It’s on the second floor. I think the glass door on the street says “gym” or something like that. Its only about 200 DOP for a day pass, which is like $4 USD. I can’t remember this gym’s name. I am not sure if Gimnasio Colonial, which used to be around the corner, is still in business or if it moved here to this location. I didn’t ask last time I was there. I just used the gym.

“...in overall terms, nothing unusual is going on in the Dominican Republic. In fact, you're less likely to die there than if you'd just stayed home. The State Department has tallied all deaths of U.S. citizens abroad from so-called unnatural causes since 2007. Compared with the seven Americans who have died so far this year, 15 died through June in both 2011 and 2015 of causes like auto accidents, suicides, homicides and drownings. In 2009, 14 Americans died through June. In 2016, the number was 13. Those numbers don't include deaths from natural causes like those that are suspected in some of the recent cases; overall death totals are likely to be even higher. "We have not seen an uptick in the number of U.S. citizen deaths reported to the department," a State Department official told NBC News on Tuesday.“ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/no-dominican-republic-hasn-t-suddenly-become-more-dangerous-n1019166

My understanding is those deaths were not in Boca Chica, but at all-inclusive resorts in La Romana, Punta Cana and Sosúa. Most likely, these deaths are related to bootleg alcohol being used by alcohol distributors to the resorts, which is probably not something you’d have to worry about if you avoid resorts and hotels and mingle in Santo Domingo. But we will see.

“By Acyr & Jamie”. isn’t Acyr the one behind Meio Mundo and the short-lived Manhattan Rios? If so, should we expect this new sauna to feature those same kind of garotos (twinks, barely legal, average guy next door builds)? Not my type, but those who love them need a place to go, too.

On my last Barcelona visit, I walked into Sauna Thermas and at the door was a beautiful, muscular man probably in his 20s. I was thinking he was a working boy checking in or out, but he was a disappointed customer who was asking for a refund. He was visiting from USA and thought it would be a regular gay sauna without rentboys. They gave him the address to Sauna Casanova and a full refund.

Not only is the current President in the mold of Donnie Dollhands Drumpf and Duterte, but also Rio’s current mayor Marcelo Crivela is a conservative Pentecostal former gospel singer. However, to everyone’s surprise, Crivela thus far has not governed Rio like some fanatical Evangelical right winger — probably because he knows what’s best for him politically. Trying to turn Rio into something like Salt Lake City would be a cultural and financial disaster.

But is it a sex trade business? Also, just because one business uses or infringes a trademark (in this case, a service mark, but same difference), that doesn’t mean another has the right to use or can get away with it. That’s like saying, “but Dad, Jimmy’s Mom let him smoke dope! Why can’t I? You parents are SO mean!”

The name “Lions Club” will almost certainly run afoul of international trademark laws. Every Brazilian intellectual property attorney will be chomping at the bit, because this would be an open and shit case of trademark violation and brand dilution — as an organization like Lions Club International, with branches in Rio, would find being wrongly associated with a sex business very distasteful. Tell your friends to go with another name. Please. There are companies and legal offices that do trademark searches for a reasonable fee. Other than that, I hope this new sauna is a huge success!

Only two other Presidents went through impeachment: Richard Nixon and Andrew Johnson. Nixon resigned from office right before the House vote (after Republicans went to him privately and told him he would lose an impeachment and removal fight in both the House and Senate. Aaa I’m sure you already know, Nixon was in his second and last term. Johnson became the first president impeached by the House, but he was later acquitted by the Senate by only one vote. Not seeing the writing on the wall, he attempted a run for a second term. but landed 4th on the end ballot in the party primaries — with almost all of his support coming from racist rednecks in Tennessee that liked his pardoning of treasonous Civil War Confederates.

Shamefully, more advanced the USA right now.