TotallyOz

Today was the day I had set aside for the trip I have planned my entire faction and that is a road trip to the Praia Do Forte and the Tamar Sea Turtle Project. I know most people have no desire to ride 120 KM in a taxi to see some giant turtles but it was a part of my must see list. I was not able to book a professional tour guide this trip as they either didn't get back to me or they were booked. So, I had a nice taxi driver I liked and he said he would take me for 300R. He does not speak English and thus we had zero communication but I thought he was fun and enjoyable. He is required to have a proper shirt and pants to sit in line at the hotel for a taxi ride but today he showed up on swim trunks and shirt and eye glasses. He was ready to party. We left at 8am today and spent the entire day. He did not rush me one time and we stopped at about 7 different beaches along the way. Each one was beautiful in its own way. Some were small fishing villages and others were more organized and larger communities. I felt very safe in each one and very comfortable. I loved watching the locals do their business whether it was fishing, swimming, riding horseback or cooking. It was just a really enjoyable cultural experience. I wish I had listened to IHPGUY and spent a few days out there just on the beaches and doing nothing but soaking in the sun. Had I had his vast knowledge, I would have done the trip differently and most likely would have booked a small hotel on the beach and just enjoyed my time there. The Sea Turtle project was great to see and I really enjoyed it. They save thousands of turtles every year and I had a big smile on my face the entire time I was there. The village the sanctuary was in looks great. Lots of shops, stores and restaurants. We ate at a local little cafe and had a typical Brazilian lunch. We then kept going farther up the beaches. I enjoyed seeing the surfer boys, the families all laying in the ocean and the fishermen. It was a full day today! Summary for Salvador: Like others, I have found Salvador to be a real treat. It has become one of my favorite cities in Brazil. I love the people and the atmosphere and the beaches can't be beat. I liked the Mecure Hotel here. It was clean and great room service and good breakfast. On the street as the hotel were tons of little restaurants. They were not so cheap but they were divine. I found one that has lunch specials for 27R - 32R and I ate there every day for lunch. Getting around is hard if you don't speak the language. Most likely, next time I am here I will get a boy to travel here with me. I need someone from Brazil that can speak both English and Portuguese. It was my plan for Fortaleza but as I was sick, I didn't find anyone. The city is cheap depending on what you do and where you eat. But, the taxis take a while to get from one place to the next. Next time I might get a rental car and do my own driving. The boys here are divine and they have great bodies. Each morning I was up early watching the boys run on the beach, play ball, swim, etc. It is a very active city.

If you like Sauna stories, you need to read my friend Tom's account in Porto Alegre. He takes full photos inside the saunas of the boys he talks about and he is much more visual than I am. I was supposed to have met him in Porto Alegre last Thursday but I was delayed in Salvador and am meeting up with him tomorrow in Rio. Here is his thread: http://www.boytoy.com/forums/index.php?/topic/13486-porto-alegrerio-march-2013/ Yes, you do have to be a member to see the photos like this site, but it is free and the photos are totally worth it if you like Brazilian Boys. And, I am sure he will be adding much more to the thread from Rio. As for me today I went to about 6 different beaches and swam and played in the sand and got sunburned. But, I thought I'd share 2 of my favorites before I write up my summary of the day. I liked these two surfers from today and their group let me take some photos of them.

I liked these two surfers from today and their group let me take some photos of them.

Holy Shit. Fabulous Photos Tom. I am jealous I am not with you in PA.

Not yet. Still 4 more years!

I totally agree with Firecat. Thailand guys have some of the biggest dicks around. The big cock shows should tell you this. When they say that and those are shows in Bangkok and Pattaya often, the cocks are bigger than you would expect and the boys are rock hard. If big dicks are your thing, you will find many happy nights in the Land of Smiles.

I went to the Barra Lighthouse today. It is at the end of the Barra peninsula and housed inside an ancient Portuguese fort, Barra Lighthouse (Farol da Barra). It is a prime spot to view the spectacular sunsets and views across All Saints Bay and to watch the boats go by, sailing boats float and men out on the rocks fishing for food. I climbed to the top of the lighthouse (10R) and saw the museum and took some time for some photos. It was very enjoyable. Inside the lighthouse and you’ll find a small museum filled with maps, charts and artifacts – many of which were recovered from sunken ships transporting the slaves during the colonial period. There were several beach areas nearby and I enjoyed watching the families play in the waves for a bit. But, it was getting a bit rainy and wet so I headed back to hotel for rest. At night, I decided I at least wanted to see a few of the saunas. I also had to go to Citibank before my trip to the Sea Turtle Sanctuary tomorrow. So, I hired a driver for the night and took off. Thermas Olympus | Rua Tuiuti, 183 | 71 329 0060 Olympus is small, quiet, basic, and has astonishingly beautiful boys who give great massages (and other delights). It isn't packed, though, so you can basically have your choice and even negotiate the rate. Tonight when I went, there were only 3 boys there. 2 were extremely hot but the owner wanted me to leave all my clothes in the locker and with only 3 people there, I wanted to keep my wallet and money with me. It was not going to happen, so I left. There was no fee to look around and see the boys. They did make clear this this was not a sauna but a house of prostitution and the boys were working boys and they wanted customers and not lookers. LOL Planetario 11 | Rua José Duarte, 11 | 71 3321 4511 | http://www.planetario11.com.br/ This club, known to locals as simply P11, looks unassuming from the outside but inside is a huge sauna packed with working boys they say if you can't get laid here, you can't get laid anywhere. Stick around for the shows and other entertainment, ranging from drag to strippers to DJs. Tonight was a Saturday night and there were about 35 boys there. 90 percent of them were very dark black boys. A few lighter color guys and 2 twinks. The vast majority of guys had 6 packs and were beautiful. The average age was 22-28. I talked to about 8 boys and none of them spoke English. However, they were all nice and friendly and loved to show me their massive cocks. All said they were not gay. 5 of them said they were both Active and Passive. The two twinky boys were both active and passive. LOL The place is big and it comprises 3 levels with dark rooms, movie rooms, a big theater screen, a bar and several relaxing rooms and one smoking room. There were plenty of customers there. The place is hard to find so before you go print out a map for your driver as most won't find it easily. In fact, when you go anywhere in the city, I suggest you mark the spot on a map to show them. Not one taxi I have seen has GPS and they are not like the Sao Paulo taxis and just roll down the window and ask where something is. They just keep driving and driving and trying to find it. The area where the saunas were is far away from my hotel and not in as nice an area as the tourist area. But, I never felt uncomfortable. However, I did keep the same driver for the night. He drove me to the Citibank and then to a few of the saunas. The cost for the night was 100R.

I went to the Barra Lighthouse today. It is at the end of the Barra peninsula and housed inside an ancient Portuguese fort, Barra Lighthouse (Farol da Barra). It is a prime spot to view the spectacular sunsets and views across All Saints Bay and to watch the boats go by, sailing boats float and men out on the rocks fishing for food. I climbed to the top of the lighthouse (10R) and saw the museum and took some time for some photos. It was very enjoyable. Inside the lighthouse and youll find a small museum filled with maps, charts and artifacts many of which were recovered from sunken ships transporting the slaves during the colonial period. There were several beach areas nearby and I enjoyed watching the families play in the waves for a bit. But, it was getting a bit rainy and wet so I headed back to hotel for rest. At night, I decided I at least wanted to see a few of the saunas. I also had to go to Citibank before my trip to the Sea Turtle Sanctuary tomorrow. So, I hired a driver for the night and took off. Thermas Olympus | Rua Tuiuti, 183 | 71 329 0060 Olympus is small, quiet, basic, and has astonishingly beautiful boys who give great massages (and other delights). It isn't packed, though, so you can basically have your choice and even negotiate the rate. Tonight when I went, there were only 3 boys there. 2 were extremely hot but the owner wanted me to leave all my clothes in the locker and with only 3 people there, I wanted to keep my wallet and money with me. It was not going to happen, so I left. There was no fee to look around and see the boys. They did make clear this this was not a sauna but a house of prostitution and the boys were working boys and they wanted customers and not lookers. LOL Planetario 11 | Rua José Duarte, 11 | 71 3321 4511 | http://www.planetario11.com.br/ This club, known to locals as simply P11, looks unassuming from the outside but inside is a huge sauna packed with working boys they say if you can't get laid here, you can't get laid anywhere. Stick around for the shows and other entertainment, ranging from drag to strippers to DJs. Tonight was a Saturday night and there were about 35 boys there. 90 percent of them were very dark black boys. A few lighter color guys and 2 twinks. The vast majority of guys had 6 packs and were beautiful. The average age was 22-28. I talked to about 8 boys and none of them spoke English. However, they were all nice and friendly and loved to show me their massive cocks. All said they were not gay. 5 of them said they were both Active and Passive. The two twinky boys were both active and passive. LOL The place is big and it comprises 3 levels with dark rooms, movie rooms, a big theater screen, a bar and several relaxing rooms and one smoking room. There were plenty of customers there. The place is hard to find so before you go print out a map for your driver as most won't find it easily. In fact, when you go anywhere in the city, I suggest you mark the spot on a map to show them. Not one taxi I have seen has GPS and they are not like the Sao Paulo taxis and just roll down the window and ask where something is. They just keep driving and driving and trying to find it. The area where the saunas were is far away from my hotel and not in as nice an area as the tourist area. But, I never felt uncomfortable. However, I did keep the same driver for the night. He drove me to the Citibank and then to a few of the saunas. The cost for the night was 100R.

Fantastic report. Thank you. You have captured my attention and I am most interested in traveling here!

I had hoped he would respond to email but he did not. I sent him a message on his facebook page, email, skype and phone and he did not respond back. As I leave on Monday, I don't think I'll be able to see him but I did try and he sounds like a good guy but he may just not have been available for this week.

Today was the first day I have felt like getting out of the hotel. I knew I wanted to see a few things in Salvador before I go to Rio next week so I decided to venture out to the old area called the Historic Center of Salvador or as the locals say, The Pelourinho. It is an area that is in the western area of the city and it was the main part of the city during the Portuguese Colonial Period. There are many churches and historical moments dating back from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Since Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and the city is one of the oldest in the "New World" the area has amazing significance to the people here. It is also where the center of the slave trade into Brazil was located and thus why you see some very dark black bodies. Salvador is known for his beautiful black men and I have yet to take a ride in a taxi where my mouth was not dropping at the sight of such beauties. I ended up meeting a nice guy today and having lunch with him. He was fun to talk to and we exchanged numbers. He wanted to visit me tonight but as I just over the flu, I did not want to risk him getting sick so I told him I could not tonight but perhaps on Sunday night. He is a VERY gay boy and not a money guy from what I can tell. I think he just liked the attention I gave him when I saw him and as we talked, he noticed I couldn't take my eyes off his ass. What a lovely monument it is! Our lunch was at a por kilo place. These places are all over Brazil and it is you pay for what you eat. This specific place was one where all the food was home grown in the area. It was reasonable and tasty and I am glad I went there with him for lunch. The rest of my afternoon was spent walking around the art shops and street vendors looking at artwork and soaking in the scenery that is unique to Salvador. I will say that the thing that surprised me the most was there was a police station on just about every street I visited. Not even a few hundred feet away from the last one. This tells me that perhaps the area is not safe or that it is very safe. In either case, I felt fine walking around and shopping and yes, Firecat, I took my camera for you. LOL There were plenty of great inside art shops but I also loved the outside street graffiti. There were tourists everywhere and artists on display on the street along with a few pack of dogs walking around. Everyone just seemed to be doing their own thing. After a few hours of the heat and sun, my body recovering from the flu I just had to head back to the hotel to drink a lot of cold water and relax. It was a fun day and one that I really enjoyed. Salvador is beautiful and this part was divine!

Today was the first day I have felt like getting out of the hotel. I knew I wanted to see a few things in Salvador before I go to Rio next week so I decided to venture out to the old area called the Historic Center of Salvador or as the locals say, The Pelourinho. It is an area that is in the western area of the city and it was the main part of the city during the Portuguese Colonial Period. There are many churches and historical moments dating back from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Since Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and the city is one of the oldest in the "New World" the area has amazing significance to the people here. It is also where the center of the slave trade into Brazil was located and thus why you see some very dark black bodies. Salvador is known for his beautiful black men and I have yet to take a ride in a taxi where my mouth was not dropping at the sight of such beauties. I ended up meeting a nice guy today and having lunch with him. He was fun to talk to and we exchanged numbers. He wanted to visit me tonight but as I just over the flu, I did not want to risk him getting sick so I told him I could not tonight but perhaps on Sunday night. He is a VERY gay boy and not a money guy from what I can tell. I think he just liked the attention I gave him when I saw him and as we talked, he noticed I couldn't take my eyes off his ass. What a lovely monument it is! Our lunch was at a por kilo place. These places are all over Brazil and it is you pay for what you eat. This specific place was one where all the food was home grown in the area. It was reasonable and tasty and I am glad I went there with him for lunch. The rest of my afternoon was spent walking around the art shops and street vendors looking at artwork and soaking in the scenery that is unique to Salvador. I will say that the thing that surprised me the most was there was a police station on just about every street I visited. Not even a few hundred feet away from the last one. This tells me that perhaps the area is not safe or that it is very safe. In either case, I felt fine walking around and shopping and yes, Firecat, I took my camera for you. LOL There were plenty of great inside art shops but I also loved the outside street graffiti. There were tourists everywhere and artists on display on the street along with a few pack of dogs walking around. Everyone just seemed to be doing their own thing. After a few hours of the heat and sun, my body recovering from the flu I just had to head back to the hotel to drink a lot of cold water and relax. It was a fun day and one that I really enjoyed. Salvador is beautiful and this part was divine!

The old buildings and cobble stone streets mixed with the beautiful colors of the homes and shops rolling up and down the hillside enclave of the Old Center of Salvador, Brazil is just beautiful. Centro Histórico - Salvador

The old buildings and cobble stone streets mixed with the beautiful colors of the homes and shops rolling up and down the hillside enclave of the Old Center of Salvador, Brazil is just beautiful. Centro Histórico - Salvador

Loved this and a great way to start my weekend.

I met this young man named Jacques (sounded like Jackson) at a local venue and he spoke decent English and we chatted for a long time and I asked him for lunch. He agreed and we spent an hour just chatting about New York, Salvador and travel. We ate at a local por kilo place he wanted to eat at that has all organic produce and nothing is cooked that is not from their farm. It was nice and tasty food and the bill was about 65R for both of us. A very nice young man. More on my day a bit later but thought I'd share a quick photo.

I met this young man named Jacques (sounded like Jackson) at a local venue and he spoke decent English and we chatted for a long time and I asked him for lunch. He agreed and we spent an hour just chatting about New York, Salvador and travel. We ate at a local por kilo place he wanted to eat at that has all organic produce and nothing is cooked that is not from their farm. It was nice and tasty food and the bill was about 65R for both of us. A very nice young man. More on my day a bit later but thought I'd share a quick photo.

I do and I love Apple but the larger screen that I can see will make a difference for me. I wish Apple allowed their IPads to be used as a telephone. That is the perfect size for me.

Love the device and the new specs. As an Apple lover, this phone may cause me to wander to Samsung. http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/14/samsung-galaxy-s-4-beats-the-best-with-5-inch-1080p-display-1-9ghz-processor-gesture-controls-and-a-q2-2012-release/

Sounds like we need to have a bowling tournament in Pattaya! My boys are pretty good as well.

In a very personal Interview, Sen. Portman says he has a gay son and that his view on same sex marriage has changed and he thinks that gays should be allowed to marry. He was vetted as being a VP for Romney but passed over. He says this has nothing to do with that but I wonder. Glad he has a change of heart and how supports equal rights for gays and lesbians. http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/15/politics/portman-gay-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

That is probably a good idea. I always feel the need to find a long term place but then I get antsy. I do love Bangkok and Hero. But, the prices there are more than 3-5 times what I have found in Chiang Mai. That is a vast difference. If I could find a decent place near Siam Paragon area that is cheap and nice, I'd just get it year round and then visit other cities. But, it seems hard to do and I have been looking for a bit. My last stay in Bangkok I was at the Sathorn Ascott. I love it but it was near 90k a month. I just prefer that if I am going to spend that kind of money that I stay there all the time as opposed to part time. I wonder if Hero would just rent out one of their rooms to me for a few months? They have a restaurant there and I wouldn't need to leave that often. Of course the bf hates the place.

Thanks guys. Much appreciated. I have a great deal to think about before my next visit but I do have things narrowed between Chiang Mai and Bangkok. I am glad that we have experts on this board for both cities.

Scottishguy, if you also like pool (American style), check out this thread about the place right below Blu Bowl at The Avenue. It also has some photos we took one day. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/8208-vip-pool-at-the-avenue-in-pattaya/?hl=snooker&do=findComment&comment=59850 Also, this is a post I made on my first trip to The Avenue's Blu Bowling many years ago. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/2402-major-bowling-in-pattaya/?hl=bowling

Fabulous report Firecat. Thanks. I agree with you that the Siam Paragon is the best around. I love the food court as well.