Xclay

Sorry you are so very unhappy. But it is wise of you to move and see if you are happier elsewhere -- especially since you are pretty young! My only suggestion is -- just to be sure before making the leap! -- first try living six months (two back to back 90 day stays) as a resident in your top Brazilian locale. (Of course if you have already done something like this, nevermind.) By the way, if you have not already, you might like to check out the forum here dedicated to politics, economics, and so forth: https://www.gayguides.com/forum/5-the-beer-bar/ It can get interesting. Cocoa prices have indeed surged since 2022 and the poor harvests in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. And Investopedia.com says cocoa prices jumped up 30% in December 2024 alone. I hate that too. Anyway, if you do move, good luck🤞 and keep us posted on how it goes.

Envious as I read your casual comment, in passing, that Brazilian condoms are "too tight" for you! 🍆 🌽🌭🍌🥕🥒🥖

Actually, lots of nonstop flights to São Luis.

Easy Azul flight from Fortaleza to São Luis. I did not discover any particularly brilliant places to stay. I liked the high-rise Luzeiros Hotel by the ocean and it was a good value. Ubers were even less expensive than usual in Brazil. São Luis has over a million residents (1.5 million metro) and has several gay saunas. But, as far as I know, only Go63 has GPs. The Go63 website is http://www.go63.com.br/ San Marcos beach is the most popular, but I used my few afternoons to explore the charming colonial old town, the Palácio dos Leões, and museums. The golden age of São Luis was in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was a major Portuguese port. Sadly, Azul (struggling with bankruptcy) cancelled its flights from São Luis to Barreirinhas (the airport near fantastic Lençóis Maranhenses) and to famous beach town Jericoacoara. So adding those great (but sauna free) northeastern sites requires long car/bus rides but totally worth it. Curious footnote: São Luis is considered the raggae (hay'gee!) capitol of Brazil! There is even a little Museum of Raggae in the old town.

I love the Nordeste too and my guys in Fortaleza keep getting better and better -- except for one handsome favorite for several past years who keeps getting fatter and fatter. Last December, I paid for one last time. By June his BMI surpassed mine! Despite his sad puppy eyes, no more trysts. He must have some chasers who adore him. Great Uber Eats story. I also like the Sao Luis GP sauna a lot. Wish that United or some kind of Star Alliance connection flew into the Northeast! Thanks for the great report.

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I'll suggest you check out Blue Thermos soon. It was convenient to my hotel as well and I had lots of fun there. Most days there were no GPs while I was there, but I always got lucky. Helps to be the new guy in town. There were some under 30 btms (not models but not bad looking) who were eager to please -- no tip required. The custodian wanted to play too and wanted a tip. He was fit and cute with salt and pepper hair. Your mileage may vary but I think it's worth a trial run.

I read about this credit card scam over a decade ago on this website. Since then, I've only paid in cash at the saunas. No problem.

Thanks for the posts, Mavica, and for the great photos as well. Sorry you were under the weather. I always consider it a miracle if I don't get a bug after doing lots of kissing day after day with GPs who go mouth to mouth with lots of other clients who are also smooching other GPs... and so on ad infinitum! I forget which veteran poster here makes the hilarious wisecrack that he doesn't kiss because it's too gay! 🤣 But for me, with many of my GPs it's so fantastic that I accept the GI and respiratory risks. 😘

Impressive list of global venues! If you can "prefer" the host bars in Pattaya with the creepy, pushy mamasans 😱 nagging you constantly from the minute you arrive to buy drinks for yourself and random guys... then sitting leisurely at a Brazil sauna bar -- with no staff hassling you to buy either a drink or a GP -- should be far more relaxed than in Thailand! It certainly is for me. And if a GP flirts and approaches you, a smile and polite decline is not a big deal if you're not interested. And if you are interested, you'll have a blast. Often the problem for newbies that I know is not so much intimidation but rather being so dazzled and overwhelmed by the newfound passion that they are ready to go to the altar with one of the first GPs they cuddle. Anyway, if you can handle Pattaya you'll love Brazil.

Wouldn't your credit card record show when you checked out of the last hotel? So at least one date would be exact. In any event, I would be surprised if the current Brazilian system is electronically integrated with records from 11 years ago.

Short answer: Yes. Long AI answer: "There is an ongoing and notable threat from tainted liquor in Sao Paulo, particularly involving methanol adulteration in alcoholic beverages used for mixed drinks like caipirinhas. This has led to at least 10 confirmed cases of severe methanol intoxication across the state, including in Sao Paulo city, resulting in symptoms such as coma, permanent vision loss, organ failure, and death. Some sources indicate over 20 people affected in the past month, with at least two deaths and multiple instances of irreversible blindness, such as a 40-year-old woman who lost her sight after consuming drinks at a bar in a upscale neighborhood. The issue appears linked to organized crime groups, like the PCC, allegedly using illegally imported methanol to produce and distribute counterfeit whiskey, gin, vodka, and other spirits to boost profits in the clandestine market. This has prompted widespread caution among locals and tourists, with many avoiding cocktails in bars near busy areas like Paulista Avenue and opting for safer alternatives like beer or wine instead. The problem has spilled over to other parts of Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, putting the country on high alert. While not a massive epidemic, the threat is serious enough to warrant public health warnings, political scrutiny (including calls for investigations by agencies like ANVISA and PROCON), and behavioral changes in social settings. Incidents have been reported as recently as late September to early October 2025, with no clear resolution yet from authorities on identifying specific tainted batches or brands. If you're in the area, sticking to sealed, reputable bottled drinks or non-alcoholic options is advisable based on these accounts."

✔️ Thanks. Interesting. I'll definitely check it out in Dec/Jan. I confess I still have this fantasy of a men's jazz or piano bar with a Brazilian Michael Bublé.

Based on a few of your comments my guess is that you might qualify for free transportation. If so, no need to buy a Metro card. If you are over 65, public transportation is free in Brazil! I'm not sure how it works in São Paulo, but in Rio I just show the the scan of my passport in my phone to the attendant standing near the Metro entry gates and state my age in Portuguese. Sadly, they usually do not feel the need to inspect my year of birth too closely and wave me on through. (Once in a while a woman attendant will smile and feign shock.) Having done this smoothly hundreds of times, on my last trip for the first time I encountered a prissy, officious guy at the Glória station who insisted that I must show my actual physical passport which I never carry around with me. And that may be the law, but my scan has worked 99.7% of the time. Unless when I return in December I find there is a new crackdown, I'll continue to just use my scanned passport to ride free in Rio.

Thanks. Appreciate the info! I'm curious: The couple of times you got lucky were the guys looking for reals or for a daddy for the night?

I have not visited Salvador in over 20 years, and your updates have rekindled my interest in returning. Back in the day my hottest encounters were with a young Brazilian married tourist staying at my hotel and with a handsome, horny, married, young taxi driver who was conveniently waiting outside the sauna. I did not have a good session at the sauna. Sorry if I missed it in one of your earlier posts and I know you have described your favorite guys in detail, but could you characterize the types of GPs at the Salvador saunas please? How would they compare to the typical mix in SP and Rio?

Exactly! If they get to set the price they will naturally tend to ask for more. And they will think the client must not even know the market rate.

Sounds like you asked them "how much" instead of making them an offer?

Yep. Brilliantly succinct yet so much valuable info! Really happy you had fun in Porto Alegre and Curitiba. I also like them a lot but they are not always popular here.

Superb update on Belo Horizonte! Thanks for sharing the good news. Based on your report I'll definitely return to BH now after a hiatus of six or seven years. You mentioned the rain. BH has some of the most intense monsoon weeks of any place I've visited in Brazil. November, December, January often have nonstop downpours. But May through August are the driest months. I'll return in June or July. Thanks again.

I am curious about the La Cueva bar in Copacabana. I searched here for "Cueva" and only found this one paragraph from one post from 2022: I'm sure this description will repel many of my pals here — but I want to check out La Cueva as a potential post-sauna stop on the way to my Copacabana hotel. Thanks in advance for any reviews or tips! IG site: https://www.instagram.com/lacuevabrasil/

Yes, for decades that was exactly my practice in Brazil until my last trips there last year. I finally started using my credit card at shops and cafes in Brazil because (1) many vendors I use only accept credit cards (e.g., The Coffee) or else (2) they are shocked to get cash and embark on a time-consuming hassle (not always successful) to find change! In contrast, the ten seconds to wave my touchless credit card makes it quick, easy, and (at proper establishments) seemingly safe. I do still pay in cash at the saunas!

Thanks. Always a good reminder to be careful and not use your credit card promiscuously abroad — especially to random vendors on the street and beach! However, what this Reddit guy does (moving money from his bank savings every time he makes a purchase!) is overkill and a hassle that can be avoided just by not using your card on the street and beach. Reddit guy himself only had this issue with randos at the beach. Never heard of this problem at regular shops that have a register and give receipts. Of course, many times the process is all automated. The amount on the register is the amount deducted from the card. No intervention from the cashier.

Good Copa summary, but... I've never been so lucky as to get lie-flat seating on Copa and, without it, the slight recline on a red-eye make the value of business class questionable. Yes, all of Copa's 737-MAX 9 (“Dreams” Business Class) planes do have lie-flat seats. However, Copa's 737-800 aircraft only have poor recliners in business class. Copa's 737-MAX 8 planes are better than the 737-800s, but its BC seats do not lie-flat either. According to ChatGPT, Copa is usually using MAX-9 on its flights to Rio (GIG); São Paulo (GRU); and Florianópolis (FLN). No evidence of MAX-9 deployment on Copa's flights to Belo Horizonte (CNF); Brasília (BSB); Manaus (MAO); and Porto Alegre (POA).

Grok identified these two with 25 meter long pools in Rio: Belmond Copacabana Palace - This iconic hotel features one of Rio's largest pools, described as half-Olympic sized at 25 meters (82 feet) long with an area of 300 square meters (3,229 square feet). Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort - The main outdoor pool is 25 meters long, suitable for lap swimming, and is part of an extensive leisure area with multiple pools. In Sao Paulo, the Rosewood has an impressive rooftop pool: Rosewood São Paulo - This luxury hotel features two outdoor pools, including a notable rooftop infinity pool that is 35 meters (114 feet) long with an area of 192 square meters (2,066 square feet), making it one of the longest in the city. No luck with less expensive hotels. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯