Canadianbtmguy

I went, albeit pretty early 5:30 maybe. At that point the music is manageable for calls. Although about 80% of my attention was consumed by the Copa issue, I did keep 20% to look at passing guys as I sat in the booth, and I didn’t get the sense there was anyone I wanted. My flight from Sdu to Brasilia (from where my ticket began) was 9ish and for once I wished I was flying from GIG (so I could’ve checked in with copa there) but I didn’t want the added stress of staying til the last minute so I uncharacteristically left early and arrived at Sdu early.

Actually no one asked me for a printed copy (despite the warnings on the visa) Actually my night at 202 was ruined and abbreviated by when I tried to checkin online with Copa it wouldn’t allow it (it was the first segment of an ANA star alliance around the world ticket, so I was a little worried that it would end up a complicated mess at the airport) I googled Copa and shame on google (and shame on me) but the first number listed was an 800 number, which I called. Copa’s true number is not toll-free (shame on Copa for fomenting confusion). So I called this number, they knew a remarkable amount about my itinerary and they said that ANA had neglected to collect the government taxes and that’s why I can’t checkin online. In order to travel I would have to pay the taxes (to Copa?) They knew so much about my itinerary (and I couldn’t understand them so well, which is far from unusual), so I was kind of going along with the story. They sent me an invoice—with my itinerary—to pay $700. ANA and United (the latter being the second leg) both had hour plus waits. I probably would’ve paid it, I confess, if they had a better email, relating to Copa! Finally, I located the needle of Copa’s US number in the haystack. It’s +17868402672. They still couldn’t easily say why I couldn’t checkin online but they said everything ok. But all the time wasted to these putative scammers left no time for fun. (and the two Garotos I met in the afternoon were awful) I will have to look forward to a better next trip, although I don’t when

Done. Just in time for my return tomorrow night.🤣 Well, at least Ill have a wednesday night at 202... (And I dont have to engage in subterfuge to get to the international departures at Brasilia, nor spend 18 hours there...)

Especially considering today is a tuesday 🥺 And we all know what that means

I wrote to a (understandably) rather hidden government email (dim@itamaraty.com.br) for those who have been waiting 5 or more business days. He says it has now been issued. I see no other evidence of that. Still says "under check". But do the airlines have it in their "systems" nevertheless? Sure wish I had written to it yesterday or even Friday.

Due to my self-inflicted wound (described in another thread) of waiting until the last minute to apply for my Brazilian visa, 10 days have passed, and unless it materializes in the next few, my trip to Brazil will have become a trip to Buenos Aires, with the Brazil portion limited to a very long 18-hour or so layover in Brasilia airport, which presumably, I would not be able to leave without the visa. In wistfully perusing garotocomlocal for Brasilia, I came across a guy I know from SP. (I could get him in the Intl terminal by buying him a refundable award ticket to my destination), but then where do we go? (I'm really not one for a quickie in a bathroom stall, not because I am above a bathroom stall, I just dont like quickies...) It seems the domestic terminal has sleep pods (2 guests maximum! haha) as well as showers in at least one of the lounges. These are things one would more expect in an international terminal, but I see no evidence of either. And again, I presumably can't go to the domestic terminal. (Although I am curious if, with all the Brazil stamps in my passport, if I went through to customs they might not just let me through to go to a hotel....) I suppose we could just cuddle in a remote corner or something... Any Brasilia-ans (what does one call a resident of Brasilia?) with any suggestions?

It's a holiday in AU, CA and US, my visa status check still says Under check ,I don't really have much hope of a Brazilian trip anymore as I have to go home on thursday. Luckily I have been enjoying it here in BA more than at first; after having given up on the paid guys here, I turned to that last resort of free ones on Grindr, which seems to not to have any significant number of money-seekers here. With Grindr, the pat months I had (a bit painfully, it's true) been going through the process of giving up free guys, after gaining (another) 5 kilos (despite my Brazilian Ozempic, I first lost a few kilos, then plateaued then eventually headed back up). My Grindr pics date to the dawn of digital photography. Yet, to my surprise, I hooked up with two quite appealing guys (not the creme of the creme, indeed, but if they turned up at 2025 Lagoa they would be middle-of-the-pack). And not only did they not turn me down (I didn't, for example, dare use Grindr on a recent trip to France, home of the turn-down...) but were both complimentary to me and enthusiastic in sex. (A third guy closer to my own age was less enthusiastic.) The second one was a Venezolano who stuck around for a cuddle and a chat before going for an encore, and despite a bit of unease arising from my prejudice that Venezolano=money seeking, my prejudice was disconfirmed when he asked for nothing more than a shower and a kiss goodbye.

In BCN...I think airbnbs are close to illegal. Hotels, other than mom and pop running a floor in a building (which I thought could be difficult to receive guests, who, in this case never came to exist, haha), could not be found under 100 euro and on many nights 150. BA, does have reasonable airbnbs, one of the few things I found to be reasonably priced (the boys in some cases are asking more than in BCN!)

I did have a few days in Barcelona before heading to Buenos Aires to wait for my Brazil visa approval, (and wait and wait....) it's a gorgeous city, to be sure. The comparison to Buenos AIres is painful (since I'm in BA). Lacking airbnbs, the hotel rates are high. Despite its beauty bcn still not the place for guys. Those in the sauna still not handsome (one charmer who was fairly handsome was so busy that I never had a chance) The guys online seem better, but the response rate is so low, the responses are so slow in coming, if at all, (a return message at 3am?) Was it my Brazilian whatsapp that they thought I didn't have the money or wasn't really in spain? But I met only one guy (who grossly exaggerated his height and dick size and I think wouldve been much happier as a bottom). Lasted about 15 minutes, he did breed. Totally boring 150 euro. And that was the only sex I had in about a 4 days stay, despite there being at least 10 others I wouldve like to have met had only they responded in appropriate time frames.

One thing that may be something of much greater discussion in the future (and has the potential to save the sauna) is that the pics from soytuyo.com of the guy I met were not old pics (he was, in fact, younger than I expected) they were, better pics. The tattoos were in the right place, but the pics made him seem better looking, more muscular and much better hung. Is this AI? Is this the future? If so, It certainly threatens to infect the brazilian sites and thereby reinvigorate the saunas

The only cause of delay I can think of at this point is that I went too often and so it was suspicious. Also, riobard mentions financial questions; my memory is deteriorated but I don't recall any. Did I skip a page? The San Telmo/Boca area is cute in a latin american way (simple houses, brightly colored). As for this "Paris of the South" though, the majestic buildings are widely spread, so far as I've seen. Most of the area I've seen (which is between Recoleta and Palermo) I would describe as Gloria shorn of its hills and sea. Lots of post-war multi-story buildings in a rundown state. Often the streets are lined with tall trees, which is helpful, but It doesn't look like Jardims for example, because there is very little construction from this century. Lots of trendy shops like Jardims, though. Trendy bakeries, my other touristic interest besides men, are definitely present, and largely quite good, although oddly expensive, especially cookies (which are often priced higher than pains au chocolat...as high as USD8!) Lacking many paid guys who interest me, I did hit Grindr with some success (and if I could have waken myself up last night around 11pm there were several quite good looking guys who were ready to come over (for free)). Will pursue that again later today. Oddly few complaints about my old pics.

After flagging my photo for being able to see my teeth (and barely, it wasn’t some kind of toothy grin) that delayed it several days. I called and she said now that everything was in order it would be submitted to the consulate and I should expect an answer in 10 business days. I thought surely she was joking (she wasn’t the humorous type; better said she was misinformed, either intentionally or accidentally) but altogether 8 days have elapsed. I came to Buenos Aires because of a great award redemption in First, thinking I would barely have any time before the visa was approved. To think a couple months ago in the good old days I just waltzed in to Brazil, often showing my teeth. I have to be home Thursday and I’m beginning if I will even arrive in time for my return flight😢 what exactly they are doing with my application is certainly a mystery. by the way, despite the relative proximity I can in no way recommend BA as a waiting room for Brazil. The one guy I met was vaguely related to the stunning pictures, did not do what we agreed, did what he did very quickly and wanted more money to do more. The prices are high (I was quoted today as high as 300k pesos, almost 300usd, and that’s with a Brazilian WhatsApp number.) And this idea that Buenos Aires looks anything like Paris is like standing in front of the ymca on rua de Lapa and remarking what a lovely colonial city Rio is. Rsrs Saudades de Brasil😢

Although I knew about the requirement and even thought about it a couple times, in the few days before it slipped my mind. I applied morning of flight (thinking it would be back in a few hours) and still went to the airport hoping there would be a workaround, such as a fine/expedite fee. But alas, the LATAM rep said it typically takes a solid 2-3 days, with no workaround...

I'm curious what type of arrangement you made with him. I haven't had the best luck with arrangements exceeding an hour... Thanks

It should be mentioned that I knew the moment I started reading this that you were in SP, not Rio. Although SP has many advantages over Rio as far as meeting guys (e.g. more than twice as many listings on garotocomlocal) the visitor policy is SP is so $&@“?& annoying, where airbnbs that allow visitors are in the minority, as opposed to Rio, where I have never even heard of a building that did not allow visitors. Because of the differences in economic vibrancy, SP has a lot of new buildings, and despite being safer than Rio, has a lot of these high tech security features. I try to look for older buildings, who more typically have the doorman at a front desk and a phone to call upstairs to ask if they should let your visitor pass. Regrettably, these are pretty rare. I haven’t done the homework to figure out the high-tech system, but it’s in the heart of the gay neighborhood, so somehow at least the gay guys who live in the units (unless they are very atypically chaste) are receiving visitors. For about a year, I had a great place of the old school variety, but the owner sold the apartment. I have a trip coming up next week and in fact, the very first line after the title is “Receive your friends at this comfy….” so I snatched it up, despite some trepidation about the weird air conditioning system described in light of the predicted day after day of 90° heat. In the past though, I have gone ahead and said something to the effect That I enjoy receiving friends for dinner and Netflix and I noticed that many buildings in São Paulo do not allow visitors and I wanted to be sure that yours did not preclude this.