Just left Barcelona.  The city overall is extremely crowded w tourists and looks similar to pre-Covid. The only difference is vacant retail spaces (same as most major cities) and prices have gone up. For Americans, the favorable exchange dollars to euros negates the price increase.  Everything is still a bargain compared to what I pay for similar products/services in the US.

Hotels and restaurants are packed and all seemed to need more employees.  Encountered many service people at different places w sort of “deer in the headlights” look and then they would say it’s their first or second day on the job.  Not a big deal, but noticeable. 

As for Termas - happy to report it’s the same as before Covid on my two visits recently.  I’ve been the Termas many times pre-Covid over a 10 year period. Before I went, I texted w a garoto I’ve known for years and he said Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday are the good days between 3p - 8p. It runs 24/7 from Wednesday opening until Monday evening, then shorter hours Tuesday.  Keep in mind the garoto I know may only want me to go when he is there, so it may very well be great at other days/times too. They can be very possessive of good clients  

Both visits, I went on days suggested by my friend and arrived at 3:30p - there were easily 20-25 boys already there spread throughout the facility. I’d guess maybe 15-20 clients at that time.  Due to problems I had previously in this forum - no names will be used or any descriptions to ID specific boys.  Let’s just say there were many familiar faces from pre-Covid, including 2 of my absolute favorites. And at least 4 Brazilians that I recognized from Lagoa in April. I’d guess at least half of the boys are Brazilian. Several types - meaning something for everyone. I didn’t notice any Eastern European guys, but did recognize Cubans & Dominicans. 

I was concerned about Covid and monkeypox exposure at Termas and had a plan to mitigate. I wore a mask until I got to the bar on the basement level, then removed it and sat a far end of the bar by the wall.  Several boys approached (as usual) and I didn’t want to engage them anyway - so just pointed at the “respect social distance” sign behind the bar - there was an immediate and quick retreat.  That’s actually a plus because a couple of those guys can be real pests at times - they have a hard time taking no for an answer. 

The plan to mitigate was to get a private room & then only engage w the guys I knew I would hire in the private room. Before, I would have chatted up the boys in the bar and checked out the entire facility at leisure. This was different- to go in with a purpose, see the boys I knew were exceptional and the leave. I was there for 2 hours max each trip. The private paid rooms are similar to new Lagoa but with better AC. Nothing special. There are about 8 private rooms for hourly rental and many free rooms that are basically narrow cubicles w a twin size bed - very basic.  

According to the boys I know at Termas - the mythical sling room room does exist and it’s on the main floor adjacent to reception area and locker rooms. It was occupied the entire time I was there on both days.  Almost every other private room was also booked and it took my garoto a bit of back & forth to get them to provide a room - not sure if they were holding rooms for people or what - but it was a process. Advice would be if you want a private room go at opening or before the crowds start to come in at 3p.  Evidently, people stay in the private rooms for hours.

The quality of the boys was same as before, which is not quite Brazil, but close. Prices were same as before - everyone asked for 50 euros.  But they knew I knew the pricing, so they might try something different w other clients.  The only noticeable difference was they were cleaning nonstop and it looked much cleaner than before. Didn’t smell like cigarette smoke either which is a nice change.

My garoto friend asked why I was still wearing a mask because “Covid was over in Spain”.  Not sure whether he really believed it, but garotos are gonna say whatever is good for business..And I asked if he was concerned about Monkeypox - he said that already happened in Barcelona and was not a problem. Again ….not good for business.
*Spain currently has the largest Monkeypox outbreak globally and Covid is definitely not over….the “official” Covid numbers are going down dramatically here which is likely a bellwether for the real numbers, but it’s going to be a brief break before the next variant. 

At Termas, there was nobody else wearing a mask or any social distancing. It was exactly the same as pre-Covid, except for a few advisory signs here & there. For those of you wondering, my experience w the boys at Termas is they always use condoms and it’s standard practice. The clients were the usual suspects at the times I visited, meaning over 50 and mostly locals.

Overall - it was great to see the boys and experience Termas again. The minimal efforts to mitigate to feel comfortable going there didn’t take away from the experience and had excellent sessions w my favorites. When I was leaving each day at about 5;30p - the garoto locker room was full and many boys coming in. There was a small line of clients waiting to check in.

Monkeypox is a concern among gay locals in Barcelona and it’s a topic of discussion.  At present, Spain is not offering vaccines to gay population and if it’s happening at all, it’s extremely targeted to only those w known exposure.  The guys I talked to here seemed frustrated w lack of government response given it originated in Spain and is growing exponentially.

I’m struggled with going to Termas this trip bc of Covid & mpox.  But, life goes on and for me it’s about making an educated decision and weighing the risk/reward and considering what I need to do to feel comfortable. It’s really the same thought process I’d use for anything to do w my personal safety.  Live life, have fun & minimize chances for a bad outcome.  

For those that into the sauna scene, Termas does not disappoint.  Actually, I’ve never been disappointed at Termas - but I go knowing at least one of my favorites is going to be there.   While I prefer the Brazilian saunas better for number of working boys, the actual facility at Termas is better IMO than saunas in Rio or SP.   I’ve seen the poor reviews of Termas here recently, so maybe it has dramatically improved now during peak of high season, or maybe I just got lucky - either way, it was fantastic and well worth the time & money. 
 

Thanks for the detailed report! That is frustrating that no mpox vaccines are being made available… I read that the EU Commission had shipped 5300 doses to Spain, I would think that the patrons of Termas would be a priority for receiving those but perhaps they are still holding them for cases of confirmed exposure until more become available. 

 

Thanks for the detailed report @Slvkguy 

To add a small point on monkeypox, the EU has said that people over 50 who’ve had the smallpox vaccine do “have some measure of protection”.
Of course, the WHO has classed Europe as ‘high risk’ for monkeypox. 

 

On 7/24/2022 at 4:18 AM, belkinDC said:

That is frustrating that no mpox vaccines are being made available

agree - very frustrating.  
The immediate problem is most countries just don’t have big stockpiles of the Jynneos vaccine for mpox.  It’s produced by a single factory in Denmark and is currently closed for a long planned renovation.  Jynneos is the preferred vaccine bc it has far fewer side effects than the much older live-virus smallpox vaccine.

This means that whatever limited Jynneos doses are available in each country is all there is until the lab comes back on line later this year &:delivers more doses early next year.  

If you can somehow get scheduled for Jynneos vaccine now, do it because the supplies will run out given demand & exponential growth.

Monkeypox has a very low mortality rate - but, it’s very painful and can be infectious for weeks requiring quarantine.

 

 

On 7/23/2022 at 6:37 AM, Slvkguy said:

the mythical sling room room does exist and it’s on the main floor adjacent to reception area and locker rooms

It's on the same floor as the Bar, around the corner...I've used it multiple times.

9 minutes ago, floridarob said:

It's on the same floor as the Bar, around the corner...I've used it multiple times.

How?

40 minutes ago, floridarob said:

It's on the same floor as the Bar, around the corner...I've used it multiple times

that sounds familiar from previous posts now that you mention it.  Cabestrillo was the word I used for sling from Gtranslate ? They just kept pointing to that room diagonally across from reception. 

44 minutes ago, Lucky said:

How?

The bar of Termas in the basement....it's around the corner at the dead end part of a hallway....there are 2 or 3 rooms of different price ranges, only 1 has a sling a St. Andrews cross , a bed and an A/C if I remember right....

31 minutes ago, floridarob said:

there are 2 or 3 rooms of different price ranges, only 1 has a sling a St. Andrews cross ,

anything is possible - the person showing me was a Brazilian garoto who was using my google translated Spanish. I can get by with Spanish basics but had no idea word for sling.  And I was mildly stoned.  
I never saw either room (the one by reception) or the one by the bar.  All the rooms were occupied on both visits and it was serious negotiation to get any private room whatsoever.

There weren’t a ton of clients when I was there - so it was surprising that all the private rooms were occupied.  There were a few over 50 tweakers camped out in some & i think they were holding some.

Now that I’m thinking more about those visits - one of the days, there seemed to general confusion all around. One of the boys forgot his payment in my room - that’s never happened anywhere. And they didn’t charge me at reception for use of the private room - didn’t realize until I was in the taxi.

I used the room off reception several times. It’s the VIP room and always has been, not the sling (Special/SM) room. For barely double the cost of a BASIC room, the latter essentially an upgrade from a free room, with sheet, pillow, and extra towels, I find it (VIP) to be worth it. I already posted it from my Spring trip. See bottom section of site notice. WC means a toilet in a closed off area on the side of the bed further from the room entrance. At the foot of the bed is a long counter with 2 bathroom-grade sinks. A/C of course. Generally more reflective surfaces (mirrors) to see what’s happening from varying perspectives. I tried a threesome in a Basic room and it was crowded and uncomfortably warm. The VIP room seems to be more in demand than previous years. The Special/SM room does have a bed.

3 minutes ago, Riobard said:

For barely double the cost of a basic room, the latter essentially an upgrade from a free room, with sheet, pillow, and extra towels, I find it (VIP) to be worth it.

yeah - the room I eventually got was H8 - it was basic but had AC and it was clean. No bathroom and a TV that wasn’t working. Very similar to rooms at new Lagoa.  I’d go a little earlier next time just to get a better choice of rooms.  Apparently others have the same idea.

Some of the guys say the bank of rooms H6,7,8 is a bit better than the bank on the opposite side that has more foot traffic.

I rarely do more than one programa at a time (visit) at Lagoa, if any, and usually opt for the shower (BRL55?) but the attendant often says it’s the only type available. 

3 minutes ago, Riobard said:

Some of the guys say the bank of rooms H6,7,8 is a bit better than the bank on the opposite side that has more foot traffic. 

TBH - I haven’t been in the private paid rooms for years before Covid.  

Once I met my current favorite garoto in 2016 - I just went along with wherever he wanted to be and it was usually in the free cubicles mixing with his friends…meaning, hanging out & drinking w the other working boys.  He became like a paid fuckbuddy and took care of everything for me, including recommending others he knew would be my taste. And he was never wrong.  

Now - the only way I would do Termas is the private rooms & limited mixing w the boys.  But, very happy I have the memories of how it used to be.

Need to figure out a way to be guaranteed a room tho.  I’ll keep you posted - I may be back there very soon

Now I remember the upstairs room by reception....It had too many people lingering around outside, is why I specifically wasn't interested in that. I used to hate the rooms at Fragata for that reason, who can concentrate with all that distracting chatter.

So how does it work?

You prepay for a room for the number of hours? 

46 minutes ago, Menaughty said:

So how does it work?

You prepay for a room for the number of hours? 

You pick up a key from the bartender and turn it in when you are done....the charge goes to your locker key number and you pay upon exit along with any consumption from the bar.

16 minutes ago, floridarob said:

You pick up a key from the bartender and turn it in when you are done

the private room assignments/requests were all running through front-desk/reception  So, clients were getting rooms on the way in & keeping the rooms for hours.  The bartender seemed new & he was absent much of the time - he was definitely not the one assigning rooms.

The atmosphere was different in that the bar was dead, but private rooms were full.  Before, the bar was full and lots of socializing.  And I don’t remember people staying in rooms for hours at a time.  So, as I remember - similar number of working boys & clients at late afternoon as before Covid  ….but actual behavior patterns in the sauna have changed. 
 

 

19 minutes ago, Slvkguy said:

the private room assignments/requests were all running through front-desk/reception  So, clients were getting rooms on the way in & keeping the rooms for hours.  The bartender seemed new & he was absent much of the time - he was definitely not the one assigning rooms.

Same a few months ago.

I sometimes wear a baseball cap and forget to take it off. I was instructed to put it in my locker. Not a big deal but I was not sure if it was a hygiene issue or concern about concealing something worrisome. Yet no protests about a small toiletries kit when embarking on trysts with my own personal condoms & lube. Personally, I think it’s easier to conceal a switchblade or crack cocaine in a shaving kit than under one’s hat. Or how about if I had nails hammered into my face like a few of the escorts. LOL

7 minutes ago, Riobard said:

Or how about if I had nails hammered into my face like a few of the escorts

face ? 

1 hour ago, Menaughty said:

So how does it work?

You prepay for a room for the number of hours?

good question - I still don’t know after two recent visits. The demand for the private rooms has increased & now people don’t give them up. I’m not aware of any system to reserve them.  It seemed like front desk people didn’t have any idea how long the clients would keep the rooms….pretty much indefinitely until they were ready to turn in the key.

If you want a private room, ask for it when entering & wish for good luck. Or. go very early relative to peak hours which are 4p-8p.  I’d go around 2p next time just to get room of choice.

3 hours ago, Riobard said:

Or how about if I had nails hammered into my face like a few of the escorts. LOL

3 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

face ? 

Lordy I hope this is referring to face tattoos.

 

 

Thanks for the good news from Barcelona. I was intent on going this year, pulled back due to war and pox, but now am determined to make it back in the fall. 

6 hours ago, davet said:

Lordy I hope this is referring to face tattoos.

it was my attempt at humor - I don’t hire based on the face…..if they’re handsome, that’s a plus but not necessary

the thing I’ve figured out about making travel plans during Covid/pox/war for me - make the plans, always buy comprehensive travel insurance, book hotels w best cancel policies, pay attention to Covid numbers at destination and then do whatever mitigation makes me comfortable at destination without being overly paranoid.  Try to avoid any indoor dining or indoor spaces w any concentration of people. Additionally, I choose destinations where majority of mixing w other people can be outside, so it’s typically sunny climates and beaches.  When flying, I  still always wear N95 mask for the entire flight, no matter length of the flight (the last flight to from US to Europe - maybe 10% of passengers wearing masks)

I did not ever buy comprehensive travel insurance pre-Covid - wouldn’t leave home without it now.

So far, that strategy was worked and I’ve travelled extensively US domestic and international.  It’s a routine now and is not a big deal.  

Also - I don’t get swayed by anyone s else’s pressure to go to places where I’m not comfortable (this happens a lot) or any suggestions that I’m overly cautious and can drop the mitigation (that happens a lot too).

The official Covid numbers in Spain are on a rapid decline in almost every state, so there’s a level of comfort before a new variant arrives & changes things yet again.  Of course, mpox is exponentially exploding w new cases everywhere - we’re at tip of the iceberg IMO.  I hope Im wrong.

Had the Covid numbers not been on the decline - I may not have gone to Termas.  Probably would have opted for boys at my hotel if it had been different.  That’s the other thing - always have a Plan B.

Re: mpox - I had the Jynneos vaccine several weeks ago - but I’m still checking out the boys general appearance/skin and getting a good look before committing to hire.  While I always use condoms, that doesn’t 100% mitigate mpox bc it can be spread from any sort of body contact/intimate contact.  However, many guys are reporting extremely painful lesions on genitals & rectum - and that would seem to indicate that more painful lesions may develop at site of initial transmission - even more reason to use condoms to protect cock & butt.

I tend to stick w the same boys/men when I’ve had a good experience (either in saunas or rentboys in US) - and I know they practice safe-sex routinely and take care of their health - any indication they do bareback or other risky behavior (hard drugs) & it’s a hard no for me. No exceptions. If I’m filtering online choices, I always look for guys that advertise safe sex only.

i totally get that some people don’t want to talk about the health implications in a forum like this.  For me, it’s relevant bc I love the sauna scene and still want to participate, so I’ll do what I need to do and educate myself enough to make informed choices.  Not a perfect solution bc there is still risk - but I’m minimizing it.

It feels like Covid is here to stay and mpox is here for awhile. Not sure how much time the saunas have left & definitely don’t want to miss out if one day they are gone.  

Live life, have fun, & stay safe guys.

 

11 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

I had the Jynneos vaccine several weeks ago

Is this a 2 shot thing with a month between shots?

How easy was it to get?

11 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

i totally get that some people don’t want to talk about the health implications in a forum like this.

We should be talking more about old-school infections like gonorrhea and syphilis too.