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Larstrup's retirement post encouraged me confess that I'm retiring this Friday, 22 June. I notified my employer after the Christmas holidays and have been working with them on a plan. Currently working in Program Controls on a $1.5B project in San Diego. Have done this kind of work for 35 years and I'm getting burned out. Have been training my replacement for a year and feel he's up to the challenges. My company really doesn't want me to go and we've worked out a win-win relationship. There is a limited amount I can earn each month before it affects my Social Security. The company has agreed to make me a part time employee and let me work by the hour up to the SSA limit. For example, I'm flying back to San Diego the 3rd week of July to work 40 hour and help with month-end reports. Airfare, hotel and transportation are covered by am expense report (not considered income). After that, I can work remotely from our Portland office for up to 40 hours per month. Thank goodness for VPN techology. I've had some significant health issues and need to minimize the stress in my life. Hopefully, the health will improve when the stress is removed. Still own my house in Utah and plan to be there 30% of the time. The other 70% I'll live in my condo in Portland.

I am throwing together a little party to celebrate Lars & OneFinger retiring, and am practicing dance moves with the gang... It's gonna be a hootin-nanny....

I agree. But while the vaccination for YF can be skipped if you're not going to an area of risk (and RJ and SP still have no cases yet)...visiting a favela right now is a risk you must not run. Seriously... It's not worth it, and it's worsening day after day. Urca was believed to be one of the safest places of Rio. If the authorities are forced to stop a main tourist attraction for 5 hours and to close SDU airport for 15 minutes because of a tiroteio between gangs, it means that you have already all what you need to understand that a favela tour must not be on your to do list.

Good points! Setting and Agreeing on their expectations is Key! Also knowing them well(and you)i think is important. I have been doing the Rio invitation to stay at the apartment for 5 years now, where i invite 3 or 4 guys to stay for the week and have not had one regret, in fact the opposite! i now don’t like being alone in the apt or the bed! but we all are different and i can appreciate others views! Going back to costs, $400R a day plus airfare, plus food(entertainment is on them i am too old to enjoy “The Week” or want to hang at the beach for 3 or 4 hours, and that gives them time away from me and for them to visit with friends.) runs about $125./US a day. All of them drink juice rather then alcohol expect on our last night dinner together so that also keeps the overall costs down! anyhow this arrangement works great for me!

@sanddunes is correct about sponsorship. FWIW about 12 years ago I did sponsor one of the guys in the Mr Brazil contest. He finished in the top 3. As you might expect, he was very handsome with a beautiful physique; he defined as gay but was not open outside of his family. As I recall, my cash support of him cost me US$2000 but that total included several visits in Brazil. Where my sponsorship proved a wise investment - apart from his company in and out of bed - was that he gave my contact details to several of his friends who were visiting Europe. All were great looking and in their early 20s. Most of his friends defined as straight (not that I asked) but all of them proved excellent companions and made me very happy when they stayed with me.

lol This looks like the lounge at our condo.

I guess I am not there yet. I mean I understand some people have the need for companionship. But unless I have already bonded with a GP in some way(which is not easy for me), I would not want a stranger staying with me 24 hours a day for several days. And because I would be responsible for all expense, I would have to budget it: no pricey meals(e.g. the Spot in SP), no alcohol or going to bars, no pricey entertainment(concerts, night clubs, no *the Week*). Plus, I would be tired of fucking the same guy multiple times in a row. Finally, I recall I always requested two beds at the hotel when I traveled with my ex(s) because I prefer sleep alone(even after sex).

I went this Sunday to Mezza, and it was very empty as well, around 10 boys and same amount of clients, but around 5 of them (clients) were just chatting among themselves... not interested in the garotos at all so buyers market... In the corridor I chatted with some guys I have met in my previous visits... there was a guy that I have seen few times before, and actually liked him, but he seemed too busy in my previous visits... This time he approached me right away, and followed me to the rooftop, but when we still were in the 2 floor - he pushed me to one of rooms corridor - To show me his dick and said he would do his best in our first encounter... his price is usually 150, but since I am so young and handsome ( ok...) he would make just for 70 reals ... anyway quite good... We tried two different rooms, but the conditions were really bad (no hot water, dirty sheets, etc) finally the third one was ok. Mezzaninu really have to improve the conditions of their rooms... not acceptable to pay 50 reals for a terrible room. Finally in the room , he was great, very good kisser, very good preliminaries, it was just a bit difficult to fuck him, he was very tight (he is just 22yo, but already married and have a 2 yo daughter). We stayed for almost a hour in the room... I cummed and then went to the shower... he Joined me in the shower, and said he wanted more, he wanted to cum as well... after another long session in the shower he also cummed (I didn’t requested that at any point). Well, I was in very good day, and was very pleased, so I gave him 150... Usually I don’t tip (Brazilians don’t tip He was super happy, and we spent the rest of the evening together in the rooftop with Airton’s barbecue, and Tuty as DJ... nice evening. I almost lost my time, since I have scheduled a date for 22:00 with a guy from grindr, that I met last time (no escort) - a 24 yo, student, blond , from Rio Grande do Sul countryside. I really like RS, should move there, but I was right now transferred from Sao Paulo countryside to Rio... never visited 202 and 117, looking forward to become a frequent client when I am there. The reports from here left me with great expectations.

I met a guy in Brasilia and want to bring him to Rio for 5 to 7 days what would I pay him for his time? Also, met a guy in Bella Horizonte and want to bring him to Rio for a similar amount of time would he be paid the same amount? Never have done this before. They both charged R200 for their time to come to my hotel. Never ask what they want to get paid to come to Rio. Would just make the offer.

I salute you. I'm turning 55 in August and am taking a sabbatical. I wasn't happy at my job and am close to what I need for retirement, so just said "fuck it." and quit. Going to do a fun around the world trip, and then look for something new when I get back starting in August. But I have to say this freedom is pretty intoxicating after 35 years of the grind!

Thank you very much. But, I can't drink coffee with no sugar or sweetener. I don't like the taste. However, if it has some honey in it, I'll be fine. Or, some milk and brown sugar. But, a bit of those things never hurt anyone. However, the ones from Starbucks are so fucking many calories that I am careful what I get there. Esp. in Thailand as they just pour the sugar in. Thank you Blanch! I would never forget the Cheesecake! I love lemon loaf. Thanks but I have a cute Thai guy that I look at each morning nude in my bed. That is all the motivation I need. He did have abs like that one day. But, now, he is just getting older and more sexy (but not the abs).

https://youtu.be/Zh3Yz3PiXZw

Just a suggestion !.......(fill up the house with Pets)

One of the Lagoa garotos sent me a picture of himself competing in the Mr. Sao Paulo competition. Some of these guys have “sponsors” to help with the costs of the pageant... I believe the competitions are open to the public, and the tickets are cheap. It could be worthwhile one year to go there and possibly meet a few of the guys..

5 ft Pocket Gay JC is a contestant on the new Season of Big Brother 20. A go-go boy at Leboy, this pint size Ricky Ricardo seems like the only interesting guest on the new Season...

The novel Less, by handsome Andrew Sean Greer, is a humorous tale of a writer who travels the world in order to avoid having to go to his ex-boyfriend's wedding. I finished it last week and enjoyed it all the way. Author Greer is the subject of a profile in today's Washington Post, where he lists the novels that he liked most when coming out: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/andrew-sean-greer-5-books-that-were-important-to-me-when-i-was-coming-out/2018/06/18/37db1df4-6d92-11e8-bd50-b80389a4e569_story.html?utm_term=.13885c19d46e The Author

If Trump wont Acknowledge PRIDE MONTH, maybe Mikey should ???

If that was tongue in cheek, I indeed was fooled... and apologetically withdraw any critique.

A view shared by many Republicans I imagine that are still cowering in their closets and afraid the ax will fall if they speak ! SCUM BAGS.

My guess is the OP post was written tongue-in-cheek. If not, its interesting that arrogant grandstanding posts are accepted from some and not others. Human nature is elusive sometimes.

YMMV, but personally I wouldn’t be interested in “importing” a guy to one place that is less exciting (for me) to a place that is more exciting (for me). IOW, Rio for me is the ultimate, and Brasilia is just blah. There are plenty of pebbles in the sand at the beaches of Rio, while Brasilia is not a place where one can find a plethora of available hot guys (that are MY type — again, YMMV). So, importing a date from Brasilia to Rio is the very definition of bringing sand to the beach. Also, I would guess that ANY boy that lived in Brasilia would crawl over broken glass for a paid trip to Rio with accommodations in Zona Sul. That’s like asking a guy who lives in St. Louis if he’d like an all expenses paid weekend trip to Los Angeles. Now, if I had a trip planned to Brasilia, I would most definitely consider importing a Rio boy as a companion. But maybe Rio just doesn’t do it for you like that? If you truly require companionship in Rio, you can find it in Rio. Unless you really, really like this Brasilia boy, I don’t see why you can’t find a gorgeous guy already in Rio who suits you to be an overnight or daily companion. For the record, I absolutely love daily or overnight companions. I’m the type that likes to sleep with someone whose company I enjoy, and I’m careful to whom I extend such offers. I don’t do it nightly or daily on my trips, but I do always do them when I travel, and I select the ones that I really clicked with. I have almost never been disappointed in Brazil with these kinds of companions.

@caeron: Exactly. Beside the danger factor, this is another point I have wrestled with in my own mind in finally deciding against doing one of these tours. Although proponents of organized favela visits will argue that a certain percentage of the fee gets plowed back into the community, thereby helping the residents, I find it hard to get past the unseemly spectre of a group of wealthy (at least by Brazilian standards) gringos gawking at the residents of the favela community and their living conditions. But, as you commented, YMMV.

I had already decided that I didn't really personally feel right doing a favela tour. As a rich American who has traveled and lived overseas in a lot of economically challenged areas, it doesn't feel right to me to treat a poor neighborhood as a tourist attraction. Your mileage may vary. Add to that these significant safety concerns and I think it's pretty much off the table for me.

For those who like gay-themed literature associated with their travel destinations, I have read all of Sri Lankan Canadian Shyam Selvadurai's award-winning fiction set in his native country. Excellent works. Not gay-themed but Michael Ondaatje's 'fictional memoir' (a unique genre) Running in the Family is a gem. He can do no wrong. It just occurred to me that, outside of USA, Canada, and UK sourced writers the most fiction I have read by authors born abroad is that of emigrated Sri Lankans (or the more exotic sounding Ceylonese).

I can report that I have a friend who's stayed there on vacation several times. He has never needed to hire as he attracts younger men (21-28) who are keen to be his companion. FWIW he is 70 but lean and fit, moderate height. He met local guys working in hotels, on the beach, while shopping etc. They wanted to improve their English and to better their life-chances. He told me he took them to dinner and on trips around Sri Lanka, but he never paid cash. The companionship was always discreet.

Perfect. Having come from a long line of educators and my best friend, now retired, a middle school principal in Hartford, this is closer to the truth than one would imagine.

Manzanar Japanese Internment Camp It was wrong then, it's wrong now....

This...

Same here....24 hours a day with the same dude would probably drive me crazy even if I really liked the person...when I don't travel solo I prefer to stay in my own hotel room or at least rent a house with enough space for my own space...

I have one word of advice....Florida

Unfortunately, I think Santa Marta might have been the favela my American friend visited in 12/2017 and where they had to duck and cover because of a tiroteio (burst of gunfire). I recall him mentioning, when we spoke in January, that the Michael Jackson statue was supposed to be one of the highlights of the favela tour. Just last week, not far from there, and even closer to the safe Zona Sul bairros of Leme and Urca, there was this tiroteio between two favelas near the famed Praia Vermelha that left seven people dead and, for the first time, closed down the Aerial Tramway leading up to Pão de Açúcar, stranding unsuspecting passengers on the rock: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/seven-bodies-recovered-near-rios-sugarloaf-mountain-in-urca/ So, just as we discussed in the YF vaccine thread where, in my opinion, the benefit of getting immunized exceeds the risk, one must calculate the risk: benefit ratio of a favela tour. Right at this moment, at least in my mind, the potential risk for harm greatly exceeds the benefit a tourist might accrue from the visit.

Exercise caution. There is some anti-discrimination protection for those who identify as gay but homosexual acts remain illegal. Some headway is being made due to United Nations pressure, but decriminalization remains a work in progress.

I never take sand to the beach because the cost never would equate to the pleasure (too many treats in the saunas, Grindr and on the beaches in Rio)expensive even by American standards when you add up their daily fee of about 400R, airfare, lodging, food, and entertainment... Make sure you know what their expectation for compensation is so you don't have any issues during or at the end of their visit...

I don’t think Marcelo Vidal (not Armstrong, I don’t know where axiom got that surname from!) does Rocinho tours anymore because of the danger factor. However, he may still do Santa Marta favela tours. SM overlooks Botafogo and has the Michael Jackson statue st the top (he shot a segment of a music video there in 1996). https://youtu.be/QNJL6nfu__Q Santa Marta was always safer than Rocinho, and was in the process of being gentrified and pacified, but with all the current violence and bad economy, it’s best to check with the locals and contact Marcelo directly. Marcelo Vidal info@riogaytraveller.com

My memories of Tuesdays are there are about 10-12 garotos and very few clients. Buyers market.

i have brought guys from both Belo Horizonte and SP to Rio for a week multiple times and offer $350.R - 400./day plus their airfare(usually around $80.R) and meals.

First a caveat, I am biased in Brazil's favor! I have been going there 4 or 5 times a year since 2001 and will keep visiting until... I bought a 2nd home in Mexico last year after visiting Florida Rob 3 times in 2016(he is one of my oldest friends having met in Rio in 2003) I wanted a place that was closer to SoCal then Brazil, which is a 13-1/2 hr flight vs a 4-1/2 hr flt. to Mexico! He knows my requirements better then I do! First Story, I visited him the first time in Fall 2016 and after I landed I got to his house 15 minutes later, and we immediately went to the bar owned by friend of his(and now one of my good friends and one of the nicest guys I know) on the way to the bar we walked thru the Main Square in front of the Cathedral and we start talking to a guy sitting on the park bench(there were a lot of them occupied by young guys) within 5 minutes he was walking to the bar with us and ended up sleeping with me that night until noon the next day! I immediately knew this was my kind of city! My type of guy encompasses a pretty broad range depending on my mood, but probably 75% of the time it skews to natural toned swimmers build with a leaning to worked out semi musculature...but if he's got a good face then short or tall, thin to muscular I have done them all. While I find that most guys no matter what ethnic type or what nationality have usually average size dicks, Brazil leans towards more larger then average and Mexico leans to smaller then average, although I have found a number of 7.5 - 8" there. but personally since I am a top average size dicks are fine as I find them easier to suck, where huge dicks are fun to look at and hold for a minute or two, but I can't do much with them. If you are more inclined to bottoming there are enough guys in Mexico to keep you happy just not as many as Brazil....IMHO! Looks! this is so dependent on individualism! what I find sexy my friends go Ehh! and vice versa. there are a lot of sexy Mexicans, so I would call that a draw, maybe 55/45 Brazil's favor! If you like Latin looking guys you will find them in Mexico, there are many Latins from other countries living in Mexico now due to problems in their own countries, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, etc, the first party I threw in Mexico my realtor brought over 3 guys, one from Cuba one from Venz. and one from Mexico City and I wanted all 3! the Mexican guy was the tallest, whitest and hottest so there are all types in Mexico. I do a lot of 3/4/5 ways in Brazil and there doesn't seem to be any hesitation on Mexican guys part to do the same so another Draw between the 2 countries. Body types! You will definitely not see the number of gym/muscled/steroid bodies in Mexico that you see in Rio or SP, more like Porto Alegre of Belo Horzonte type bodies in Mexico. thin with 6 pac from working construction all day is the most common type here. con't--

that’s a pretty low bar to get over! :-)

Your comment here about being white knowing better than you, told me all I needed to know about you. I told you my experiences growing up and that helped shaped the person I am. I believe in equality for all and justice for everyone. You have no idea what my picture of non-whites are. You have no idea my family racial mix or make up. Your presumptions are not based on the facts I lived and know. That still does not mean jack shit when it comes to my statement that I BELIEVE that this zero tolerance policy is immoral. I believe this to be true. Your life, your history, your color, your experiences do not change that belief.

i have been asked “what do you find is the best method for meeting guys in Mexico?” what really works well for me is Henri! My dog goes with me every time i go and he is way more popular then me!

There is no law that requires this. The uptake was based on Sessions and Trump's Zero Tolerance policy. Yes, it is illegal to cross the border. A misdemeanor. I grew up in Alabama and it was legal to keep blacks out of white restaurants. We are a nation that changes with the times. I know Trump supporters (except you Bucknaway) would be happy to go back to the separation of the races, but it is not a time in history I want to revisit. I watched as a cross was burned in the yard of a black family as the police did nothing to the KKK that stood by. I watched the house of a lesbian couple burn. One of my high school teachers was burned alive for dating a black person. Regardless of legality, this zero tolerance policy is immoral.

Please check your facts. You are getting almost as bad as Trump, the notorious liar who rarely gets facts correct or tells the truth.

Erm, at the risk of creating more anomosity, the problem I have with the format is not so much with the OP's descriptives. But he has elected day-by-accounts installations that take time to assemble, partly due to detail inclusion. It worked better earlier in the first trip due to some suspense that emerged. The writing style is fun but I would be more riveted and absorb the tone better if it were one continuous post without an extensive array of questions and comments in between. If the OP specifically wants his intermissions filled with sponsor announcements, I am OK with that, but I would then hope to know when the oeuvre is complete and bingeable. This is not Dynasty circa 1981 at the local gay watering hole. Or Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan quadrilogy. One "ask" that I would put forward is that commentators spend more time describing erotic experiences in keeping with the Board's mandate. This in place of jumping all over somebody else's basically inocuous remark. The OP has also specifically asked for feedback about whether to continue, having previously received favourable responses earlier in the year. There is an emoji 'reaction' procedure in place. To my way of thinking, if you ask "please sir, would you like some more?", then you are potentially inviting critique in either direction. Numazu is a mature savvy adult who has game, and in every other respect does not seem to require an explicit, identifiable fan base, right? (Right?). In this case, no need to paternalize him by taking up a cause he himself has not necessarily initiated. He has the prerogative, like anyone else, to tell our dear tart (who happened this one time to go a little unsavoury yet not treacle ... and yes do tell the calorie counter results) or others to 'piss off'. And now we are really genuinely into topic-splitting territory.

Fine, fine. I didn’t realise it was popular, If that’s the case, next time I’ll go in details through my measurement about the hotel bed’s feet, and MyFitnessPal’s calorie count on each meal.

That hasn't happened yet, and I hope it won't. Last time at Mezzaninu, as tomcal and his gang headed to the upstairs, it made be feel wanting enough that I asked a guy standing at the bar if he was activo. I had seem him all night, muscular guy in a Speedo, handsome, blond, and for some reason not snapped up yet. Since I was attracted to him and wanting sex, when he said "sim!" I asked how much. 100. Okay, let's go! This guy turned out to be one of the best encounters I have had in Brazil. He just couldn't get enough pleasing me. We finished, he had come as had I, and we showered. As we were getting dressed, it didn't take long for both of us to realize that we weren't done, so we undressed and hit the bed for more. I did pay him double because we had sex twice, but mostly because he was so good and eager at pleasing me. He had not asked for double pay.

Yes it’s Caua Reymond, who is a total Carioca snack. He is playing a gay character in a movie coming out this year, and is going full frontal in explicit sex scenes. I’m definitely looking forward to THAT lol! Somehow I doubt it’s his first experience with gay sex... https://catracalivre.com.br/geral/entretenimento/indicacao/caua-reymond-fara-nu-frontal-em-filme-com-cena-de-sexo-gay/