ShivRoy

A quick belated update on another visit to Nordeste this past August. Excellent trip, and I really love that part of Brazil. Great beaches and plentiful sun in this season, food not too bad, authentic parties. Everything is at least half price of RJ and SP. Azul and some others fly from Florida direct into many cities in Northeast - less than 6hrs flying time on an A321, no need to go all the way to SP/RJ and backtrack, and it's very cheap (I flew to Belem and out of Recife, and my tix were about $200-220 one-way). Fortaleza is slowly gentrifying, but that can't be said about saunas - however they are not getting worse at least! Dragon sauna has closed and hosts occasional mainstream parties in that space, so the only sauna of note continues to be California and it's still good. They put more effort into organizing the suites turnaround, and now at times all four out of four are operational - on busy nights there's quite a bit of a line/wait, but then there are free cabins, and guys are not adverse to using them at all. I saw old favourites at California and some new faces too. The going rate is 100, though some well-built guys are pushing to 150. There was a great guy visiting from SP for a week - looks a total straight muscular thug with lots of clearly gang tattoos, I mean I'd cross the street in Brazil immediately if such a guy would be heading my way - here he was very sweet and doing his job. He quoted 200 as in SP, but agreed on 150 straight away. He was very popular doing multiple programas on a couple of days that I saw him. Most others are really happy with 100, even if they try some gringo pricing first but I have enough of my broken bed-learned Portuguese to bat it away from the get-go. The guy from Goiania, Douglas, is still there - he told me he moved to Salvador in February but then moved back to Fortaleza two or three months later. He's the same incredible guy I remember from a year ago. He's also clearly working to save - he's the only GP who works every single day, 7/7, without any days off. He also takes Prep unlike others. The majority of the guys would be more next-door rather than the 117 type, but there are exceptions, and one only needs one or two or three of those like Douglas or a couple of others. The best day is by far Thursday when some non-regular locals also join to earn some buck - I hired one of those as soon as he came in rather late after 8pm, waited for him as he changed and led to a cabin - he was a bit timid and unsure how all this works, but then sex was good. I saw an Uber Eats delivery guy who probably just delivered to the address coming in further to the bar to see what's going on in his Uber Eats uniform and motorcycle helmet, then he had a discussion with a front desk guy and next I saw him changing from his Uber Eats uniform into a towel in the GP lockers section (he didn't put the helmet back on). Sunday is also very good, Friday is pretty decent, Saturday is a tad slow. I was always surprised how Mondays were fairly busy - probably due to it previosly being a free suites night, however that's no more the case as of August 1, so it may change. Suites on Monday are still at 15, and on all other days at 30 or 35 (don't remember). The totally dead day is Wednesday - I came in and stayed maybe from 5:30 till 7:30, and throughout that time I was the sole client in the whole sauna - there were maybe 5 or 6 GPs, so the one I did a programa with was very happy how it turned out, he told me later that after I left no other client came in. Staff at California are wonderful and kind and chatty - so despite the dilapidated environs (still, suites are miles better than 117 or 202 in RJ) it is still a good place for its purpose. There are more saunas and cruising clubs that I didn't visit this time - I did pop into to a sex cinema called Autorama, and they very occasionally hold special parties - it is a very well-done space and I can see how it can be enjoyed, provided there are any people there. When I popped into Autorama in the afternoon just when people were leaving for work, there was no one else there, apart from one sad twink GP, but it could be bad timing, and I'm really keen to know if/when things are happening there. Sao Luis - sauna Go 61 is doing really well. I noticed that a week before my arrival all their socials on all the platforms disappeared and I feared they closed. I sent them a Whatsapp message and they assured me they are open. It is a really good sauna, with an open swimming pool, cheap bar and a nice layout and facilities. I really liked the choice of GPs, more of them went to the gym than the ones at California in Fortaleza - and free cabins on the 2nd floor are probably the best free cabins I saw in Brazil, so much that in my 3 or 4 nights there I did not see any single client asking for a suite. Suites exist, but nobody uses them where there are fine cabins (and a cleaning guy cleans every cabin promptly after eash use). The going rate is 100, I had programas with guys of different types there. It's not super busy, but there will be more than a dozen GPs on the night, and most would be in the Pointe 202 range looks-wise. Sao Luis though as a city is really struggling. You see it's becoming poorer and more dangerous - usually Fortaleza was considered #1 in terms of poverty and violence in that region, but I had a distinct feeling that Sao Luis became much much edgier. One taxi driver told me how some neighbourhoods became really dangerous and how he wants to save money for a bus ticket (!) to Belem (8hr bus ride) as he thinks it's much better to live in Belem than in Sao Luis. The pretty old town is still happening in the evening, and it's an easy walk from Sauna Go 61 - the main town fiesta in the old town now seems to be on Thursdays, and not on Fridays how I remember it from past visits. Recife - again, very good times at Thermas Boa Vista - very decent choice of GPs or guys who wouldn't mind to earn something, cheap and good caipirinhas, actually a normal food menu like at a Brazilian cantina and I saw many people actually eating there. The universal rate is 100, suites are 35 and 40 (or 30 and 40? - smth like that) and they are really nice suites, especially more expensive ones upstairs. Fridays and Saturdays are hopping, and I met wonderful guys there - I think out of the three cities it is Recife where I saw some really stunning guys. Interestingly enough, Sundays though busy are mostly for locals to socialize and flirt between themselves, the stunners from Fri/Sat told me they are skipping Sunday and will be back on Monday, and I understood why: there were really a few good-looking young guys on Sunday but they were not GPs and it does feel much more like a regular sauna on this one day of the week. If I'm in Recife next time, I'd skip Sunday - unlike in Fortaleza or Sao Luis, where this is one of their best days. Not sure when I'm coming back - I don't have plans to go to Brazil this year or next - but if I do come, I'd be really tempted to skip RJ/SP the same way I did this time and head to Nordeste or other provinces - I felt this trip was a breath of fresh air as RJ starts to feel a bit jaded lol.

He was muscular, good-looking, good English. I'm not very good at pinpointing the age of Asian guys - I guess late 20s, but could be older or younger than that.

I really really love Napoli, my favourite city in Italy - but yeah not for the gay scene lol I had same experience on apps as you - i.e. not very lucky. I did pop in into an old-school gay sex cinema close to Garibaldi (I think the name is Cine Iride) - it is very much alive and was very busy on a weekend afternoon. I saw a couple of rough-looking guys who could be trade - and that would be happening in the toilets. When I was there, it could have easily been 20-30 people in the cinema

lol yes that was the right one) I've been to Thermas throughout the years, hence my observation that was surprising for me. Again, could have been just a bad day with bad luck when it comes to offerings. The price negotiation has appeared in the past 12-18 months though, judging from my visits last year and this year. It's always been the case that it's 50 and everybody knows it. However, I did leave an account here of my previous visit in winter where there was a guy from Medellin who was quoting 80 and not budging, and others who started with a different amount before negotiating back to 50. This Asian guy (again, I really doubt he's from HK, but who knows) eclipsed all this though by a long mile.

I was at Thermas last week, it was the "client day" on Weds which was usually a busier one in the past. Not sure if that was just a bad unlucky day, but I had a feeling that the quality of the guys has deteriorated even further, compared to my previous visits (last one was in winter). The guys I saw were not on any A-list or even B-list, it was some list down the alphabet - many many older, many out of shape (or going out of shape), obviously drugs are everywhere but that was the case before. I didn't hire anyone as it's been slim pickings despite maybe a usual number of guys. One Asian guy claiming to be from HK (I have lots of doubts about that) asked for 200 euro, then for 100, then was running after me all the time trying to negotiate for 80. I said no. I'd be curious if hireable guys have mostly moved online - something we talked for years about being bound to happen.

I was there a couple of months back. There are several saunas in Torremolinos - not with rentboys but with plenty of orgy-like free sex everywhere. The better of them, Exxxtreme, has live interactive sex shows Thurs through Sun, many with some established pornstars visiting town. Depending on the interactive guys involved, they are more or less sharing with the audience. I'd say it's not a bad experience overall - one caveat is that lots of people there are on meth, but that means that some muscular meth-ed bottoms are available free to tops two or three times their age

Facilities-wise, probably the best sauna in Brazil - but they were struggling, not sure if due to mismanagement or something else. They could not attract enough GPs, they tried everything recently to see if there's any income elsewhere - there were drag shows, dancing performances, karaoke sessions, live music - i.e. wild lunges in random directions. It is sad, as this sauna in this city in particular could have had way more potential

You mean XBar? I heard they'd closed too - but they were an awful lame rip-off to start with, I'd discourage anyone from visiting even if they were open. I don't think it should impact your decision whether to visit Prague in any way

KJ, I can easily imagine spending a month in Brazil (or two, or three). As you mentioned, Salvador is a great city - and some of the best beaches in the country are nearby: Taipu de Fora, Boipeba, Itacare. Plus you can do deeper into Bahia for the wonderful hiking and daytrips from Lencois in Chapada Diamantina. I really like Nordeste - Fortaleza and Sao Luis in particular. One of my all-time favourite beaches in the world, Canoa Quebrada, is a couple of hours from Fortaleza. Inbetween Fortaleza and Sao Luis there is one of the world's biggest wonders - Lencois Maranhenses (not to mix up with Lencois in Chapada Diamantina) near Barreirinhas, I was gobsmacked when I saw it. (easier to do as a 2day/1night trip from Sao Luis with an overnight in Barreirinhas) Iguazu Falls - incredible, more spectacular than Niagara, and you can easily see it from both BR and AR sides, and they are so different in those two viewpoints - could easily be done as a 2day/1night trip from anywhere Brasilia for architecture (1 full day is enough to see it in all its extraterrestrial glory - I've been twice though), Belo Horizonte for a city with really nice vibes and some pretty colonial towns nearby (Ouro Preto) Everything outside Rio and SP is pretty much half price of RJ/SP - from boys/saunas to caipirinhas/carne

looks like that's the guy, yes

I mean, hey it's Brazil so trouble can happen at any moment even during daytime - but that said, I usually walked from 202 to Copa and from 117 to Gloria metro, as well as from Lagoa to Rua Augusta. You do see some questionable characters on your way and you need to be aware of surroundings. I did a walk from 117 to Lapa (and vice versa) a lot of times too - I asked on several occasions a receptionist at 117 whether it's safe to walk - he usually glanced at the clock and said "for now, yes". I got a feeling it's ok until sort of 9pm-ish - and I very rarely left saunas later than that anyway

I think I may have a good idea whom you mean)) or it could be just a strikingly similar story in Siem Reap. I distanced myself - after owning a car and a house and a barbershop didn't all necessarily add up and I envisaged some bumps ahead, so I took a turn to another road so to speak

Surely it was him, yeah. But unlike you, I don't wish I had hooked up with him. There is plenty fish in that big sea - maybe not that gold fish, but it's skills and attitude that sometimes prevail over looks. I really like to peoplewatch, and I was observing the guys who hired him - I didn't have an impression they were ecstatic or super-happy after the hook-up: you know how after a programa even if you don't hang out together with a boy, there could be some eye contact or tactile contact, or generally just a smile. I didn't see any of that, which just affirmed to me I didn't miss out massively.

That was with regard to Russians. And Ukrainians are really everywhere in Europe, with visible numbers in Poland and Czechia

Most abundant post-war Russian gay communities of recent exiles would be (in this order) in Berlin, Thailand, Buenos Aires, Belgrade, Dubai and possibly Yerevan (however Armenia, as well as Kazakhstan, could be less of this case now than it was in 2022 - those who moved there initially found a way to move further into the EU or elsewhere since)

When I was there a year ago, Grindr offers were not abundant. I did hook up for smth like 50e, but some offers were in the 100-200 territory that I didn't take. Be mindful it's a conservative country with a full history of recent anti-LGBT protests or outright violence (and at the same time with a fascinating underground alternative culture that skews towards decidedly queer)

Fully agree. But that Colombian guy was not budging at all - he was not even a fan of small talk or touching his impressive chest: "if you decide to go with me, come back and we'll go to the cabin when you decide", he said taking a step back . Wrapping a towel around the hips was also below him, so he was in longish jogging shorts with a towel around his neck. So I gave a hard pass - my experience shows that this attitude will be even more present in a cabin and the experience will be actually sub-par, even though he was certainly #1 in the sauna looks-wise. I had two other guys in the sauna that night, and it was a blast, so no regrets, it's a full experience what counts after all, not just the looks

Don't panic - power blackouts are only in Russia-occupied Transnistria, which is a breakaway part of Moldova since the 1990s. There have not been any blackouts in Moldova proper, they are getting electricity from Romania On gay life in Moldova - there are no gay bars or anything of that sort. Everything is online on apps and everything is possible. Russian is widely spoken, much much more so than English especially among the target audience of sex providers (i.e. no master's degrees most likely), so Google Translate is handy

I was there last week. Still there, nothing changed much - the roster of guys could be uneven, depending on the day. There was a guy from Medellin - I think his name was Wilton or smth like that - who was stunning but with plenty of attitude, and he was charging 80e, saying "it's fine if you pay 50 here, but that's not the price for me" - and he was still in great demand, I saw at least 3 clients taking him to the cabin/suite. Good for him.

Excellent reports @travguy - we overlapped on some days in Rio. My two cents: 117 on Tues (we were on the same day) was amazing and full of so many hot guys - it's been a while since I remember it this way. Other days at 117 were not that spectacular - not that bad, but Tues blew it all away. It's good they built even more more (dingy) suites downstairs so infamous waits for a suite are much shorter from what I've seen. I've been to the Junior BDay at 202 - it was the most people I've ever seen at 202 in all those years, more than I've seen on Carnaval or around New Year's - the pasta buffet was pretty weird (it was very heavy and just plain weird to have a heavy cheap pasta with a cheap sauce to stuff your face with while you are in a towel amidst some great GPs). I see they bought even more monitors to show Cher on and put them everywhere - from the clients' perspective, I could already see Cher from everywhere, so that investment going into making suites nicer would be more appreciated lol. Another interesting point from that night: there were lots and lots of people, but not many were hiring - at no point there was a queue for the suites. That was interesting, I wonder why. I was at 202 on Monday, and it was OK - by Weds I was gone already.

I agree, there are a few hot locals who are not interested in the whole GP thing - and I remember I was mistaken a few times too: one guy I presumed a GP turned out to be just a local stunner on a sex binge, and another guy whom I presumed a local cruising with friends turned out to be a GP. A key thing for me in these cases is eye contact. If you try to establish eye contact and show your interest, a GP would maintain eye contact back or even approach you or smile, whereas a non-GP local would not maintain eye contact and his body language would be he's not interested. GPs normally do not ignore your eye contact, unless they are booked by someone else already at that particular moment

Many of those travels were during that sabbatical, and I was not posting then. I did post recently though about Fortaleza, Recife and Sao Luis. In many other places everything is apps only, or otherwise very underwhelming (like a GP sauna in Belem which was a ghost-like place even those 8 or so years ago when I visited). In places like Barreirinhas and Jeri (which are both tiny) you pretty much are in the tourist central (Lencois Maranhenses are though one of the most beautiful places that I've seen not only in Brazil, but in the whole world - and that's Barreirinhas). Another good non-gay place which is awesome is Lensois in Bahia with its incredible hiking and day trips in Chapada Diamantina. Beaches in Bahia (Taipu de Fora especially) are some of the best I've seen anywhere in the world. Maceio (and vicinities) has stunning beaches too. But in terms of gay saunas or places, out of these secondary cities only Fortaleza, Recife and Sao Luis stand out, I think.

The jury is still out on Dragon though - I've been only that one time within a week, and never been back, so not sure whether it was quite active because of the special show, or whether it finally got some success after all these years - I really don't know. With the much discussed notion here that Brazilian saunas are slowly dying, Fortaleza is exhibit A. California was fantastic garoto-wise 8-10 years ago, it is a shadow of those times now. There are still some good guys, but honestly if not for that star guy from Goias my week there would have been slim pickings. And he will be gone soon - he told me he doesn't like Fortaleza (he's been for 2 months here now), and he'd been to Rio and Sao Paolo each once before and said those are too chaotic and huge for him, so he will be going back to Goiania. He's incredible though - I'm getting a programa with him every night, he's incredibly athletic with a smiley face and obviously very straight, but a job is a job is a job, and yesterday he told me in a suite: we met a few times already, and I'm very grateful, so if you want you can fuck me now (which I did - an incredible experience with a model-like straight hunk) - when afterwards I gave him 120 instead of 100, he attempted to chase me across the sauna trying discreetly to give me back 20, saying "this is too much, you didn't have to do that". So in short Xclay, enjoy these times while they still exist, because in some not too distant future they won't anymore.

This was exactly my attitude after my 1st trip to Brazil - I think in 2010. I spent one week in Rio and did not like it at all - and having traveled a lot around the world, I thought, ok seen that, goodbye, I don't think I'll return. And then told everyone that Brazil was a disappointment. Several years later, I had a sabbatical between the jobs and spent pretty much the whole northern winter in Brazil - I traveled all the country and have been almost everywhere. And I loved it then. I've been going maybe once a year since (more during covid as it was the best destination in an otherwise closed-off world). The exchange rate helped to enjoy the country too (when I came in 2010, real was 1.6 to the USD, it's 6.04 today) That said, unlike for many other forum members, for me SP is the city in Brazil I like the least. As I often travel through GRU, I used to do stopovers, but then I thought, I'd better skip it and fly on as I enjoy other places in Brazil much more than SP

I've done that!!