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Nah. It must be your age and lack of good eyesight to think he LOOKS 12. And, then to take your assumption and state that I must like young boys only means that either you have something against me or you are just a fool. In either case, you have the right to your opinion and I have mine. I never get upset when people say stupid shit. But, I have always found it interesting that people have such distain for what other consenting adults like or do. Here you are going to a sauna to have sex with boys (or older men) you find attractive but when someone else does it that doesn’t like what you like in a guy, you start throwing out insults. I have found this for years when someone says they don’t like feminine guys or drag queens or bears or whatever. To me, as long as it is 2 consenting adults, I don’t care what they like or what they do. I do find it interesting when others take issue with these things. I have never really understood it myself. I mean, heck, I thought you were traveling to Brazil to engage hookers for sexual gratification. To me, that is OK. I have no issue with it. I have seen all too often on these forums guys say they hate the Brazilian guys for this reason or the Thailand guys for another reason or feminine guys for this reason and so on. In the end, if you are happy with your decision and someone else does something that you see as not your thing, that is OK. But, in the end, you only do yourself a dis-justice as eventually someone will come knocking and say,”hey, all those sauna boys are being taken advantage of and we need to stop that.” That will never be me as I believe prostitution should be legal everywhere. But, I think sad when someone starts to rag on another person for doing something (or anything) with another adult.

One would have to be walking around Brazil with blinders on, or would have to be burying his head in the sands of its lovely beaches,NOT to notice color differences in Brazil -- and how color (and self-identified race) has to do with class there. And how can one go to Salvador de Bahia -- the place with the largest concentration of people of African descent outside of the African continent, and the place where the majority of the African slaves were dropped off during the slave trade, a place where over 90% of its inhabitants have African blood in them -- and NOT notice or discuss color? I'm mixed-race, Black, Irish, German and Latino, very fair-skinned (like Vanessa Williams, Mariah Carey, Derek Jeter, Vin Diesel fair-skinned) and I notice the interesting irony of the Brazilian brothers and sisters who are darker than me, have thicker hair, and clearly have more "African" features than me who call themselves "white". Due to its different history, color and race are different concepts in Brazil (and other South American / Latin American countries) than they are in North America / Europe -- ESPECIALLY in the USA, where the old "one drop rule" (one drop of black blood makes you black) still applies for the most part. In Braxil, it's almost as. If the one drop rule is in the reverse! Yeah, I got that "please, black people, stop upsetting the nice non-black people by talking about all this color!" message. And I say save it for your therapist. Many men and women, gay and straight, from all over, visit Salvador particularly BECUASE they are interested in the Afro-Brazilian men and women and its emphasis on Afro-Brazilian culture and history. To ignore it would be silly. No, scratch that -- it would be stupid. On one of my last trips to Salvador, I met this woman from Hungary in her 50s who travels to Salvador quite often. She told me she visited 10 years ago and instantly fell in love with the people, the music, the food, the history, the culture, so she travels to Salvador at least twice a year now. I wanted to add, "you mean you really fell in love with the dick!" but I was too polite. But I knew what was up!

^^^^ What SoulSolace said! I'm a newby. so, I was unaware that I was supposed to tailor my posts to conform to a post- racial color blindness. Had I known, I never would have bothered to join in the conversation. Perhaps there are people who can go to Brazil and not see the racial element. I'm not one of them and have no desire to be.

The beaches of Salvador, especially Praia de Porto do Barra and its neighboring Praia de Farol de Barra, are almost always filled with denizens involved in athletic activity (soccer/football, rowing, swimming, beach volleyball, etc). The beaches of Rio, particularly the more touristy Ipanema and Copa, seem to be more about seeing and being seen. I'd say the beach bodies in Salvador tend to be more lean, naturally athletic builds while the ones in Rio tend to be more muscled (men) and/or surgically enhanced (women). Salvador is much more laid back than Rio. And also, if I saw you with that coffee-skinned, green-eyed beauty of a guy, I would have to be a home wrecker. Just saying. I love Salvador, but I also love Rio. I also really love Recife. That's another great visit, with lots of handsome,e sights

Add me to those who enjoyed the insights on racial dynamics in Brazil, especially those in Salvador. Not to mention, I expect my dream guy is a coffee-skinned, green-eyed beauty even now cavorting on a beach in Bahia and waiting for me to settle into a lounge chair with a smile and a fistful of reals. I'm a big fan of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown series and he recently did one on Bahia. It's still streaming on Netflix for anyone who's interested. What struck me was the presence of music and dance, pretty much everywhere and all the time. Not sure if that was editing, or reality, but I hope to find out one day. One thing Bourdain pointed out is that, in places like Rio, all the beach bodies were perfect whereas, in Bahia, there's much more variety. Not sure if you recent travelers noticed that, but it would be interesting to hear if you did. Thanks again, for whatever you care to post.

"And how can one go to Salvador de Bahia -- the place with the largest concentration of people of African descent outside of the African continent, and the place where the majority of the African slaves were dropped off during the slave trade, a place where over 90% of its inhabitants have African blood in them -- and NOT notice or discuss color?" Not to mention that the historic city center is called Pelourinho. A pelourihno being a whipping post, like the huge one that used to be up the hill from the Church of the Black Rosary for 350 years. Lots of colonial towns had a designated place for the public torture of captive people. Only Salvador built the city AROUND it.

I like your philosophy. I also like the various opinions you expressed on a variety of subjects, including your above response to the post that attempted to stifle things you write. Please continue to post as you have.

.., OR posters can just continue to write about their own Brazilian experiences however they choose to, in spite of how uncomfortable the topic may be for you, or even how disinterested you may be in hearing it. I really hope you weren't referring to me when it came to that history lesson of Brazil and the Bahia, or even race relations in Brazil. I certainly don't need it. Perhaps you meant that little lecture for someone else. Many posters post here ad nauseum about men and boys that I do not find in the least bit attractive or desirable. You don't hear me saying, "hey tone it down on all the twink talk!" In spite of my desire to avoid reading about it altogether, because it's a real boner-killer for me. So if I can put up with that, certainly your delicate palate can tolerate a little talk about color -- especially when it comes to a country with people with lots of it.

A very short but nice post. Thanks also for the information concerning a guide. With respect to your missing Salvador, I think that is a recommendation for that city. The majority of visitors to Brazil (Americans and Europeans) generally visit Rio. A lot visit Sao Paulo but not many visit Salvador. During my numerous trips to Brazil, I visited Salvador only a few times and saw the city sites and I visited only one sauna, Sauna Planatario 11. I will have to remedy that deficiency next week.

long-time lurker here-----I'm currently on vacation in Bogota and Medellin and thought I'd post info. Will be returning to Bogota in 2 days so will do a post on it in a few days. I read up on both cities here and on the web and some of the info is different than my experience. First, in Columbia there are not technically sex workers in saunas (although it is legal). They are called masseurs although the only difference is the title. From worst to best so far: Barbacous Sauna- There are a few internet pages making you believe this place is hot. NOT. It's tiny and has one masseur who is maybe a 3. It is right on the 57A strip but not worth it (even tho it's the cheapest). Spartacus Sauna- Small but OK. I didn't see any masseur who was above a 4 or 5. Club 55 Sauna- Very nice facilites and customers are almost up to Club Tobi. Unfortunately the only masseur was maybe a 5. Club Tobi- WOW- Movie-star like customers in a very nice building. 3 Masseurs at least always on duty and while one's just a 6 or 7, the other 3 I saw in 2 days were solid 9 or 10's. "Massages" are 40K COP ($18) for a "relax" massage, 60K ($27) for a "Normal" full release erotic massage and 90K ($36) for a "Complete" no-holes-barred anything session. The $27 session usually gets a little less actual sex, more hand-jobs. As in Brazil you pay the door (admission is usually about $8). Tips personally are very rare and get a lot of appreciation.The guys working the snackbar are exceptionally good looking and often are masseurs. Open every day from 2-10pm usually. There's a lot of bad info on the hustling scene. A couple stories elsewhere say that the block of 57A west of the cathedral is where it is. What's there on the west side is one block of Calle 57A which has a few trannies and it leads into 57 where there are 2 big pool halls and dozens of thugs who love to beat up and rob anyone who remotely looks gay. Both times I went of the west side of the cathedral I got robbed by guys threatening me if I didn't give them some money. There are a lot of drug-addicts especially on the west side- 70lb guys sleeping barefoot on the sidewalks who haven't bathed in a month. Unfortunately when awake their minds are so crazy they harrass the hell out of everyone. Medellin in those parts is a lot like bad parts of Tiajuana. The east side of the cathedral is wonderful, hustler heaven. The block of 57A where it meets Oriental, the main street, is full of gay bars, hustlers, lesbians, gays, and a $15 sex hotel.Most nights 2-3 dozen hustlers at a time.The bars mostly have roll-up door fronts and the people spread into the sidewalks and street. I met the bartender at Andres Carbon and used the sex hotel to get into the routine. There are several guys who certainly rank up with the best, 7 or 8's, but also a lot of 4's. Sex in a sex hotel isn't very pleasing or fulfilling but I was hesitant to bring guys to my hotel. The rates are between 50COP ($19) and 100 COP ($39). The gay sex area is Chandeleria and it's hard to find a decent hotel there. I stayed at the Gran Hotel which is on 54th and Oriental, a couple short blocks from everything. It overlooks the gay hustling area in the rear and Club 55 sauna is directly behind the hotel. It's about $40/nt and is a 14-story older hotel which is kept up nicely. I didn't try to bring anyone in. The other hotels in the center are awful. Most of the "nice" hotels are in Estadio or Poblanbo, which are over 3 miles out and yellow street cabs are not super safe in Columbia for tourists. English is non-existant. I didn't have much luck with PlanetRomeo or with Manhunt in Medellin, but Grindr lights up like a Christmas tree with "Prepaygos" sex workers. If I thought half of them looked anything like the photos.....wow. Just wow. Set your location to Medellin and see what these guys look like ! Bogota is a much more modern city but my first 3 days were spare pickings. I go back for 2 more and will report.

I lost touch with him years ago but he is still on my mind often. LOL Does anyone know if he still works?

No one is supposed to tailor their posts in any direction. You should post as you see fit. I realize it is difficult to ignore that improper post. I also realize that the improper post influenced your thoughts about this forum. However, I hope you do not think that others agree with him. This is your first trip to Brazil. Based on the posts you have written, you have had a great time. I hope you continue to enjoy the remaining time of your current Brazil trip and that you will return to Brazil many times in the future.

Sunday night, at 117, very slow, but people came and went. graoto not happy at lack of work. Not for nothing 2 new faces... same old lines, they did not know i had been around for a few weeks, so to them I was a new Gringo... even with lack of work... the first number out was 200, so i just said no thank you. 200 was for basic, and 300 with bells and whistles! I still found fun, and for me a very relaxed night. Monday night point, a nice brake from MM, no MM shirts on display, all back to normal dress. 2 mature garoto workers were there, i first thought they were clients, but nope they were garoto, 1 was 40 the other 38, but a full range of all types were there. over all a nice night also. The drag show was fun, and she did say welcome to the new point! T

In those two photos above, the kid does look young. NOT 12, but not quite of adult age. I would've guessed 16. But if he is of legal age, then all is OK. He is what is referred to in the porn market as "barely legal". Legal -- but barely! Not my type at all, but clearly the type of some key posters here. As the old saying goes, it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round (or something like that). Badboy, if you think HE looks really young (or "barely legal"), do a search of the photos in the archives. Brace yourself. There's plenty others where that came from. Maybe he's just a forever young Ralph Maccio-type who can play "The Karate Kid" into his 30s?

What an excellent piece of writing. How articulate. How thought provoking and thoughtful, in itself.

I didn't need a guide for the saunas. But I wasn't chasing boys 24/7. The guide was an amazing and economical way to get to know a lot about the city in a very short time. I would have been delighted with his service even if we had never discussed the saunas. I went to Lagoa in SP tonight. And, while Diogo and Lucas made the evening memorable, I miss Salvador.

Yeah, that was about the time I guess. It was back in the early 2002-2006. He stayed with me for several weeks at The Intercontinental Hotel and I had a great time with him. He was sweet but there was zero communication as neither of us spoke the other language. The hotel concierge was great and interpreted for us on a daily basis and I had friends in NYC who I would call and we would both speak to them and they would interpret. It was very hard to communicate that way but I did have fun with him. I took him to Carnival a year or two later. He had a blast there as well.

But, it still allows the supporting organization to decide for themselves whether or not to allow gay leaders. The Mormon Church is one of the largest supporting organization. This decision still allows the Mormon Church to not allow gay leaders. The decision "sounds" great but has little teeth in reality. I don't think this will have a significant impact. Hope I'm wrong.

From the dudes he was cruising during our tour, I can tell that Fernando has a type. In the USA we might call that type rough trade. I suspect that is why he prefers Persona. By the way, all of the whitest people I saw in Bahia were at Sauna Fox the night I went. These guys were "grandma is from Italy or Portugal' white, not " we dont talk about grandma" white....not that there's anything wrong with that. It was just startling in such a cafe con leche city. Rodrigo was the only garoto there who was my type..tall, fit mulato. The selection was clealy better at Planetario.

Summa, Ah say summa mah bes' friends are chickenhawks!

Did Fernando the tour guide tell you that Sauna Fox is mostly white garatos and clients? He told me that as well a few years ago, which kept me from initially visiting -- but my personal visits there have proven to me that it's not really all that much whiter than Planetario. The facility is just as nice if not nicer, although it is smaller, and the working boys there, IMHO, are just as fine and built as at Planetario, and almost as many darker / brown skinned guys. The neighborhood that Fox is in (Pituba) is a pretty upscale / upper-class neighborhood in Salvadaor, so that may be why more of the clients are "white" (lighter-skinned, really -- there really aren't many white people in Salvador or Brazil, at least not how we North Americans and Europeans define white). But like all the saunas in Salvador, you have to pick the right night and time for the best crowds. Regarding Sauna Persona, a few years ago, it was totally on-point, with several muscled, attractive, darker and browner garatos. On my last few visits, however, it hasn't had very many garatos, and the ones that were there were just average to me (similar in looks and build to the garatos at Rio's Meio Mundo). I've gotten into the habit of going to Persona right before a stop at Fox, since when staying in Barra or Vitoria or another "Zoma Sul" neighborhood in Salvador, a taxi ride to both is about a 30 minute ride, and they are not that far from each other if you take a cab. But they are both quite a ride from Planetario, or Olympus (another smaller sauna with some boys), or Sauna Rio (sauna with no working boys, all locals), or Sauna Paradise (another no garatos, all local sauna in Barra). In fact, one of the garatos at Persona told me that one certain nights the handsome, muscled guys on the northeast side of Salvador work at Fox. That is what inticed me to visit Fox for the first time. This was in 2013, and I've been to Fox at least 6 times since. In order of my preference in Salvador for garato saunas, I currently rank: Plametario > Fox > Persona > Olympus. These rankings may change depending if things change, as they have over the years.