TotallyOz

Thank you so much! As Tomcal is my guide, I am sure I'll get into a bit of trouble on this leg of my journey. LOL Thanks for the well wishes. I am so happy to be out of bed and back to laying on my back.

I forgot to mention, I spent the entire week in Salvador looking for an English speaking driver and guide. I never found one. The guy that took me to the Sea Turtle Sanctuary spoke no English but he was fun and I had a good day. He wanted to pick me up and take me to airport for less than regular rate of 94R. He said 70R. I said OK. The next AM, he didn't show but he sent a friend. The friend spoke PERFECT English. He is also available for taxi service and guiding. He has studied English for 10 years and was great at conversation, politics, etc. He has 2 daughters and is not gay but I'll be hiring him on my next trip. Name: Claudio Aleixo Cel: 71-9136-3660 email: claudioaleixossa@hotmail.com

I left Fortaleza today and headed to Rio. I met a few Americans on the plane today and they were telling me they were going to 8 cities in Brazil on an air pass that was less than 100 per ticket. They had been to 4 places and were now going to more. They gave me the info and it is here in case others are interested as I paid about 4x what they paid per flight as they booked the special air pass: http://www.voegol.com.br/en-us/agencias/Paginas/airpasses.aspx Rio is one of the cities in the world that is near and dear to my heart. Many years ago, when my friend Hooboy invited me to Brazil, it was Rio and Sao Paulo that we spent time in. He liked Sao Paulo more and I liked Rio more. But, this was the first trip I had even take with my BF about 10 years ago when I decided to leave NYC. Rio has had a special place in my heart ever since and I have been here at least 20 times in the last 10 years. For all but 3 of those trips, I stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sao Conrado Beach. My friends always made fun of me as that hotel is a good ways from all the action and more of a resort than a place for short times. But, I loved it and they treated me well at the hotel. The hotel changed hands over a year ago and they are no longer an Intercon property. As I didn't have status at the new hotel, I decided to stay at the JW Marriott in Copacabana. It is much more convenient to the gay area and it is actually within walking distance of 2 of the saunas. Still, I prefer Meio Mundo Sauna and Club 117 and both are either a subway ride or taxi ride away from this area. But, both are much more to my liking than Point 202. I missed my friend Tomcal in Porto Alegre as I was sick and could not fly down to meet him. We arranged to meet at Meio Mundo. Meio Mundo is THE place to be on Monday's in Rio. My personal favorite sauna, Club 117, is closed on Monday and thus all the clients and boys flock to Meio Mundo. Tonight it was rainy and I thought there would be few boys there. WRONG. There were at least 90 boys there tonight and tons of younger twink looking boys. When I got there, I saw Tom and yelled his name. He didn't hear me as he had a swarm of guys, all over him. For those of you that don't know Tomcal, he is a very frequent traveler to Rio and all the boys know and love him. Well, this is obvious if you sit at a table with him for 5 min as every boy in the place seems to know him and adore him. That is good for me as Brazilian boys always say hi to everyone at the table with a kiss. I got tons of sweet, wet kisses from hot boys I never met before. That was a great start to the evening. LOL I found one guy I really liked who was from Rio and Sao Paulo. He was a sweet, light skinned black kid who is 22 years old, speaks decent English and is moving to Germany next month to work in a sauna there. I thought he was cute but I didn't realize how incredible sexy he was. He has one of the hottest asses I have ever seen. It is a full Brazil bubble butt if I have ever seen one. He also had a nice big dick. But, I was also talking to another 18 year old twin that was cute and I wanted him as well so I took the both. Man, these two were great together. They were really into everything and more sexual than most people I have seen in the saunas. The cute 22 year old loved everything and is obvious he is gay. He said that he lived with 6 other guys for 7 years as a group love nest. They were all BF's together and it sounded like he learned to perfect his skills that way. He also said that his grandfather was from Thailand. Perhaps that is what attracted me to him to begin with. I didn't have my camera but I asked Tom if he would take a photo of him for him. Thanks Tomcal! I had a great time with the boys and at the sauna. Afterwards, Tomcal and I went to eat in near the Hippy Market area in Ipanema Beach. We choose a Tex Mex place and I got to hotel after midnight. I woke up this AM and had breakfast in the VIP lounge for free. I love free food. So, 8 nights in Rio and I am excited.

I left Fortaleza today and headed to Rio. I met a few Americans on the plane today and they were telling me they were going to 8 cities in Brazil on an air pass that was less than 100 per ticket. They had been to 4 places and were now going to more. They gave me the info and it is here in case others are interested as I paid about 4x what they paid per flight as they booked the special air pass: http://www.voegol.com.br/en-us/agencias/Paginas/airpasses.aspx Rio is one of the cities in the world that is near and dear to my heart. Many years ago, when my friend Hooboy invited me to Brazil, it was Rio and Sao Paulo that we spent time in. He liked Sao Paulo more and I liked Rio more. But, this was the first trip I had even take with my BF about 10 years ago when I decided to leave NYC. Rio has had a special place in my heart ever since and I have been here at least 20 times in the last 10 years. For all but 3 of those trips, I stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sao Conrado Beach. My friends always made fun of me as that hotel is a good ways from all the action and more of a resort than a place for short times. But, I loved it and they treated me well at the hotel. The hotel changed hands over a year ago and they are no longer an Intercon property. As I didn't have status at the new hotel, I decided to stay at the JW Marriott in Copacabana. It is much more convenient to the gay area and it is actually within walking distance of 2 of the saunas. Still, I prefer Meio Mundo Sauna and Club 117 and both are either a subway ride or taxi ride away from this area. But, both are much more to my liking than Point 202. I missed my friend Tomcal in Porto Alegre as I was sick and could not fly down to meet him. We arranged to meet at Meio Mundo. Meio Mundo is THE place to be on Monday's in Rio. My personal favorite sauna, Club 117, is closed on Monday and thus all the clients and boys flock to Meio Mundo. Tonight it was rainy and I thought there would be few boys there. WRONG. There were at least 90 boys there tonight and tons of younger twink looking boys. When I got there, I saw Tom and yelled his name. He didn't hear me as he had a swarm of guys, all over him. For those of you that don't know Tomcal, he is a very frequent traveler to Rio and all the boys know and love him. Well, this is obvious if you sit at a table with him for 5 min as every boy in the place seems to know him and adore him. That is good for me as Brazilian boys always say hi to everyone at the table with a kiss. I got tons of sweet, wet kisses from hot boys I never met before. That was a great start to the evening. LOL I found one guy I really liked who was from Rio and Sao Paulo. He was a sweet, light skinned black kid who is 22 years old, speaks decent English and is moving to Germany next month to work in a sauna there. I thought he was cute but I didn't realize how incredible sexy he was. He has one of the hottest asses I have ever seen. It is a full Brazil bubble butt if I have ever seen one. He also had a nice big dick. But, I was also talking to another 18 year old twin that was cute and I wanted him as well so I took the both. Man, these two were great together. They were really into everything and more sexual than most people I have seen in the saunas. The cute 22 year old loved everything and is obvious he is gay. He said that he lived with 6 other guys for 7 years as a group love nest. They were all BF's together and it sounded like he learned to perfect his skills that way. He also said that his grandfather was from Thailand. Perhaps that is what attracted me to him to begin with. I didn't have my camera but I asked Tom if he would take a photo of him for him. Thanks Tomcal! I had a great time with the boys and at the sauna. Afterwards, Tomcal and I went to eat in near the Hippy Market area in Ipanema Beach. We choose a Tex Mex place and I got to hotel after midnight. I woke up this AM and had breakfast in the VIP lounge for free. I love free food. So, 8 nights in Rio and I am excited.

I did make it to the Imbassai and loved it. I also liked the Fort. But, I didn't have time for the dun ride as we were short on time for the day and I was tired. However, I did keep all your suggestions down for my next visit.

LOL I'll work on it. I had one a few years back but he is not in Europe and no desire to live in Brazil again.

I would suggest that you fly straight from Australia to South America. I have friends that did this to Argentina and once they did that, they would spend a few days (great city) and then go to Porto Alegre in Brazil and then the flights are all cheap through Brazil. Plus, PA is a great city with one of the best saunas in the country. Only good on weekends.

It appears to be shocking to the world but it is not to my friends in India. They say they know this happens all the time but nothing is ever done. Will the incidents that have gone on recently affect India? How will they deal with this?

The nets you see above each have about 120 eggs in them. When the turtles hatch after 45-60 days they go to the nesting beach. They are then let out to sea. But, the nets protect them until they are ready for their next journey.

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.

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.