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Now it is arund $2200 biz class tickets. Still a good price but almost double what I bought. The guilt is real, for me at least. In this pandemic, I do not post anything on social media because there is a lot of travel shaming out there. And I think of myself as someone who adheres to mask mandates and other mitigation measures known to man. Except when it comes to Brazil. So there is nothing I can do but just keep my head low, go about my business with the minimum of fuss, and hope that i don't catch the disease after hobnobbing with people who expose themselves to a large number of people as part of the job. My risk-taking has awarded me with some of my best travel experiences ever, which is kind of weird considering the shit-show we were (are?) in. LOL. Thanks @nubiox. I doubt i will win any awards for this slut-writing that I do. But i appreciate the praise, and it was nice meeting you in real life. Maybe i'll write about it Horny and jealous - a dangerous combination lol. You have met two of them, and in different continents! Friendship with an ex is rare, I feel. But when it works, it works really well, I think. Come for the Tomcal, stay for the Numazu. I've heard that a couple of times now lol. @Lucky yes white space is so good, It is hard enough to read a wall of text on a computer screen. Thanks for the reminder! I think the not being known in their town and going to Rio to work is not isolated to Curitibanos. the weird thing is, working at the saunas is probably the best way for them to stay anonymous if they work as a GP. Having an ad on a website, for example, exposes them to being found out, as a friend has found out the hard way. I have not encountered Henrique, though he sounds lovely and I would like to meet him. Nor Andrea, sorry. And yes, who doesn't love a slight boy with a third leg so big that you are concerned that they will faint with all the blood rushing to their enormous cocks when they get hard.

I was lucky, I got my Elite membership when it was first introduced. It then cost 1m for life with all the benefits included. I was also lucky with the exchange rate then at 71 baht to the pound. JOHN

Sorry I confused the issue. I believe the following is correct. Annual renewal. With an Elite Card, you only have to make a renewal if you remain in Thailand for a full year without at least once having departed for another country. So if you do leave, every time you reenter you automatically get another 12 months from that date. Leave at least once each year and, provided you time the arrivals back accurately, it is likely you will never need to go for an annual renewal. If, as with many Card holders this last year, you have not been able to leave Thailand, the Elite staff assist with the preparation of all the paperwork for an annual renewal. You then call Elite and make an appointment to go to the Immigration Department at Chaengwattana a week or so (depending on demand) before you have to do the renewal. Once at Immigration, you are met by an Elite staff member who takes you through a special fast track. The renewal process with multi-reentry permit takes only about 30 minutes or less. For the first renewal you pay only for the reentry permit - 1,900 baht. No need for bank books, accommodation proof etc. 90-Day Reports. You still have to make 90 day reports provided you are in the country for 90 consecutive days without departing for another country. So if you do travel, every time you reenter the 90 day clock is reset. If you do require to make a 90-day report and it can not be done on line (I understand the app has recently been down!), you don't have the hassle of going out to Immigration. About 10 days in advance of the date you can take your passport to the Thailand Elite office (next to the W Hotel on Sathorn - Chongnonsi Skytrain station). They do all the work for you. You then pick up the passport from their office a few days later.

I was conflicted on whether to continue with this thread in the midst of the worsening COVID outlook in Brazil. Not even able to pursue a competent response to the pandemic has been deadly to the country, and as I left Brazil a few days ago, I saw that even Rio de Janeiro, which was fairly resistant to any kind of lockdown since things reopened in mid-2020, having to shut down till April 4th. A report, if you are interested: And I felt particularly guilty because as I see the USA kicking ass in terms of vaccination against the virus, I get message after message from friends and boys back in Brazil, ranging from slight irritation because of the lockdowns and the lack of parties, to desperation because the saunas are closed and therefore their main source of income is cut off. I am scheduled to go back in the latter half of April, and I have no idea if the COVID situation would be any better by then. I do hope so. But I guess that is the point, is all I can do is hope right now. And by continuing on with this thread, I feel that I am continuing that hope for myself, and maybe for others that are waiting patiently to go back as well, and who are not as willing to take the risks I have taken since August of last year. If my risk-taking seems too much for you, maybe read this thread after everything is back to normal, as we all hope it would, eventually. Pre Christmas days – The Ghost of Rio Past I have now spent the last 3 Christmases and the New Years in South America, and this year 2020, even with the pandemic still very much a thing, was no different. And can you blame me? Exchanging the cold weather and the bulkier clothes, for a much hotter, more festive, and much more naked atmosphere is a no brainer. And Christmas means family to a most Brazilians, and I was not going to pass up an invitation by an ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas dinner with his sister and her family. In my previous trip earlier in December, I was contacted by an ex who happened to be in SP too. This ex has the special distinction of being my very first boyfriend who lived in Brazil. We dated for six months, and in that time, being my formative months in my Brazil trips, I’ve probably learned the most about Brazil, and Brazilians, from him. There are many advantages of dating a Brazilian - the giant cock, the insatiable appetite for sex, the patented zest for life, but with that come some faults – the famous temper, the fire within that burns you at both ends, the obsessiveness. The relationship ended because the endless fights just became untenable for both of us. But he was a good guy, and has a good heart, and when he reached out almost two years after we ended, I was eager to reconnect. I’ve talked about him, Diego, here and here. He was a Garoto de Programa when I met him. He was one of those Brazilians who had an interesting racial mix that was fairly common in Brazil, and who unfairly got most of the best parts of each race – fair skin that tanned easily, light green eyes that called attention, a desire for physical activity that resulted in a perpetually fit body, and a cock that would only have descended from his… ahem… darker-skinned ancestors. The one fault, which is not really a fault, but one he hates, is his curly hair. He gets his hair straightened with blonde highlights, almost weekly when he was working as a boy. But now, having quit the GP life for a year, he has let go of this conceit, tho he maintains his hair close cropped, which suits him. He said he had to quit the GP life. The money was good, but also deadly. He earned a lot so he spent a lot – most of the time on girls and drugs and booze. The fast life caught to him eventually, health-wise, so he had to quit the whole GP life altogether. He lives now with his family, helping out with the family business. Little money, but comes with little problems, and less stress. He insisted on picking me up at the airport as I arrived in Rio, which he has never done before. As I exited the arrivals area, there he was, smiling from ear to ear. He met me halfway, and kissed me squarely in the lips, in front of everyone. When I first dated him, he was pretty clear that no one was to know publicly that we were together. He said at the beginning of our relationship that one of the advantages of dating me was I could pass as his friend in public because we didn’t look too far in age. That both flattered me (I look young!) and horrified me (he is ashamed to be seen as gay!), but I was willing to overlook that. But here he was, practically humping my leg, as we make our way to the Uber level in Galeao airport. This was indeed a change. But I made him aware that I had a boyfriend already (see thread), and also I fully intended to go to the saunas while I was in Rio, but told him that he could keep me company and could stay with me as long as I was in Rio. He said he didn’t mind going to the saunas with me, and actually would relish seeing friends from his past life there. Upon arrival at the AirBNB at Copacabana, since he was Brazilian, it was physically impossible for him to keep his shirt on. The sight of him shirtless of course was too much to bear for me. So with the shirt came the pants as well. He takes off my own clothing too, and it took all my strength to go to the bathroom to take a shower first (I was after all coming from a long flight from the USA, so I had to clean up). He joined me there to start the fun. What came next well… let’s just say we made up for lost time. A shower, then lunch at one of the nearby restaurants, we of course went to the beach afterwards. Not even 2 hours in Rio and I already had sex, eaten feijoada, and had my caipirinha in Copacabana beach. Welcome to Brazil: Diego and I got to catch up further at the beach. And after the beach, it was almost 6 PM. So my usual afternoon nap after a flight did not happen. So I just downed a couple cans of Red Bull to get through the evening. Diego and I discussed what sauna we should go. Diego recommended going to Lion’s tonight, since he said Friday nights were Lion’s best night. I told him I was not particularly fond of that sauna, but since I had a week of freedom in Rio, I guess I can try to go there. There was a nice crowd inside when we got there. Thank goodness. Lots of customers with lots of drinks, and some boys milling about as well. Looks like the holiday crowd has descended upon Rio. This was definitely a change from motnhs ago, when the Rio saunas were dead. The boys that Lions attracts usually are too boy-next-door for me, but I could see tonight that there were some promising boys that I could see going out with. Diego was still holding his own too, as it was obvious the regular clients and some boys knew him. He was saying hi to some clients and boys in the premises, as well as the staff at Lions. As the night, and the booze, got on, he had some pretty juicy gossip about the staff, boys, and even some clients present, to share with me, which made the evening more enjoyable. And he assured me that I could just call on any boy I wanted and he would just remain where he was, waiting for me to finish. The show started, and it was pretty elaborate. There was a total of 4 strippers tonight, and 6 drag queens, which to me felt like a big production. In between the 3rd and 4th drag queens, I noticed a nice young-looking moreno walk past us. He was trying to get my attention, of course, and I took the bait and called him over to sit with us. His body was to die for. Nice tone arms, 8 ack abs, nice chest, and the cutest smile. Big plump ass. Smooth all over. He was 23 (the magic age), and was very generous with his body to just show me what he was about. He guided my hand under the towel to get a feel of his cock. “Sou versatile” he says the magic words. I was sold. I tell Diego I will be right back. At Lion’s, while the downstairs stage and bar area are renovated, the upstairs suites were not, and were kind of run down. It will do the job, however. The boy gets me the suite keys and some condoms and lube. We entered the suite, and the boy excuses himself and asks if he could shower and get clean. I could not argue with that. I lay down on the bed to wait. A few minutes later, he was ready, emerging from the bathroom naked, smelling amazing, and hard. He takes my clothes off and immediately sits on my groin to start of. He leans down to kiss me, deeply. This boy knows what he is doing. When it comes to these programas, I can be game for anything. Sometimes I am game for worshiping a muscle god, sometimes I like getting serviced and let the boy earn his programa money. But the sweet spot for me is a boy who was equal parts into getting you into him, as he is getting into you. He sucked me, I sucked him. He rimmed me and I rimmed him. When it came to the main course, I opted to top him, but he called the shots, riding me and calling the shots and making the thrusts. I was so turned on that I came while he was thursting on me up and down, a rarity for me. “Leite?” he asks. Of course, I answer. He gets off my dick, feeds his still hard cock on my mouth, pulls out, and then jacks off. 30 seconds later he shoves his dick back into my mouth and comes inside. Wowza. He kisses me afterwards, our kiss was a mix of saliva and some of his cum that I did not swallow. He takes the condom from my cock and disposes of it, and cuddles with me in the bed. We exchange some pleasantries and get to know each other, and we exchange numbers as well. 200 reais. After a shower to de-whore myself, I was back in Diego’s arms. He playfully puts his hand on my crotch and asks me if the boy was good. I kiss him and told him he was good. We enjoy the rest of the evening watching the show and having more beers. We get home and after laying down with Diego in bed, I immediately fall asleep. I was exhausted. I wake up in the middle of the night, with a naked Diego snoring next to me. This was going to be a good trip. Next, 117, 202, and more Lions.

I love me some Lil Nas X!

My partner and I just came back from Cartagena for 5 days of sun, food, beach and relaxation... No expectations since this was my first time in Cartagena....Have been to Bogota before... Weather was amazing....Sunny and hot the whole trip until Friday as we were about to fly out... Flew out of Miami so the flight is under 3 hours...AA gave water and cookies....AND no TVs....going or coming back Apartment rate was great, 25th floor, 2 bathrooms 1 bed....pretty empty high rise right on the beach... THE BEACHES...the beaches in the city near the apartment were dirty, you had to make a reservation and they were limiting the number of people on the beach THE BEGGING.....Shit was insane....my partner was over it after about 30 minutes of getting our feet wet, I was over it before we even go into the sections off area... We didn't look like we had a ton of money but we got harassed and offered everything from shirts, hats, yayo (cocaine), weed, girls/pussy, bracelets...etc. Beach was a wrap...We finally realized the beaches we should have traveled to but it was like Thursday....a day before we left out The food was amazing......Fried fish, coconut rice, tostones...we found a restaurant with amazing reviews and ate there about 3 times....we found a french inspired La Bistro for breakfast.....it was amazing....No street food The guys....NONE to be had....my apps were going off but nothing was my type like in Rio so didn't invite any locals over... The city overall had very few tourists around and the locals were definitely trying to sell any and everything to us... Around the Watch/Clock Tower is where all the prostitutes tend to hang out....no hot guys there either... Old City was beautiful...picturesque and pretty big.... Overall the trip was a great getaway and I would try Cartagena again when things have died down with Covid...

This is not a news story as it first appeared last November. But it was highlighted today in a CNN website article. It was just a private kiss in an elevator in October 2019. The two men worked for state owned China Southern Airlines, China's largest, based in Guangzhou. One was a handsome 29 year old flight attendant who had worked for the airline for five years, Chai Cheng. The other was an unnamed pilot. Somehow that kiss found its way onto social media and went viral. Soon Chai was referred to as the China Southern cabin boy. Although homosexuality is not illegal in China, the current President Xi has been tightening up on homosexuality in recent years. By all accounts Chai had been a model employee receiving several quick promotions. As he points out, quite a number of flight attendants are gay but they do everything possible to hide this from co-workers. Now that he has been outed, they go to even greater lengths to appear straight. Initially his bosses told him just to keep quiet about the incident and put him on unpaid leave. Then in April last year he was informed his contract would not be renewed "for obvious reasons". In August Chai decided to sue China Southern for the six months salary he was denied. Although the case is not about discrimination, should Chai win it it is likely that a discrimination case will follow. Although Chai was fired, the pilot was not. This was because airlines invest a great deal of money training pilots. No doubt China Southern did not want to waste that investment. The case was heard in Court last November and the verdict is awaited. How the Court interprets the law is keenly awaited for a 2008 national law prohibits discrimination based on gender. It appears this has not yet been tested in any court. Since the incident, Chai has become an unlikely hero and activist for the LGBT community. Chai in an undated photo provided by him to CNN Chai and his lawyer in a photo released by the LGBT Rights Advocacy China https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/26/china/china-southern-flight-attendant-trial-lgbtq-intl-dst-hnk/index.html

Just spent ten great, very warm days in sunny Cartagena, Colombia. Highly recommend at least three days to see one of the most beautiful cities in South America. Inside the walls of the Spanish colonial old town are block after block of colorful, elegant houses, along with excellent restaurants and cafes often with live Latin music. Everywhere you look is another photo-ready, IG-worthy scene. Visit for the sunshine, architecture, food, and culture — but not a Copacabana-type beach or for anything resembling saunas with GPs. But how was the "scene" or at least my experience of it? I'm not keen on the hassle of Grindr but, alas, that seems to be a main means of solicitations. One skinny, online guy wanted $180 (US) and called me "cheap" when I politely declined. At the other extreme was an average-looking guy advertising for 40K pesos ($11). I did go with six Grindr guys who did not present themselves as escorts, and discovered later that three of the six wanted a "taxi" allowance (typically about 50K pesos or $14). OK, not too bad. One problem for hookups is finding a room. Nicer hotels are strict and don't want their properties to become known as havens for prostitutes of either sex. To be more active, I should have booked an AirBnB apartment. I finally found two sex motels but they were 20-30 minutes away from the old town. ● Motel la Cangreja was slightly closer and fine, but not quite as nice as ● Motel Star Suites. Both seemed like bargains for around $15 for a couple of hours. If you know of one closer to old town, please let me know! One guy whose profile emphasized that he not a "scort" took me to a nearby, small, dirty room in Getsemani (the barrio next to old town) and claimed it cost 150,000 pesos which suddenly dropped to 100,000 pesos when he realized I wasn't buying it. In fact, her rate for the filthy room is 35,000 (I later ascertained). Out of curiosity I paid the 100K ($28) anyway to see where this would go. First, he tried to get me to shower while he would wait on the bed near my phone and wallet. I declined of course. The sex turned our to be so perfunctory that I left after a couple of minutes. At one point, I made some moves on a tall, handsome Venezuelan working on commission getting passersby into an emerald store. He figured out what I wanted and off we went. He found a taxi driver who know where an hourly motel was (turned out to be Star Suites) and he was surprisingly good in bed and earned his 150K. Giving credit to macdaddi for his post a year ago, I'll update two places he cited: Le Petit (Calle Cabal, Cra. 6 #32-34) ● Late night bar and dance club ● Some working boys, especially from Venezuela But de facto midnight curfew cut down on the late night action. Gabanna Club (Calle Cabal, Cra. 6 #32-34) ● Mostly serves the black gay population, but not entirely Over half were older guys; a few of the younger guys hoped for money. ● Offers upstairs and downstairs darkrooms as well as a bar Miscellaneous: Did not experience as much begging as I expected based on previous posts. Sellers (almost inevitably hats, cigars, sunglasses, necklaces) were numerous but were not too aggressive, IMHO. A smile and "gracias" (not slowing down at all) was usually sufficient, but sometimes "ya lo tengo" (I have it already!) and a shoulder shrug was needed. Nicer hotels will arrange the Covid tester to come to the hotel. I paid $110 with results emailed back within 16 hours. As earlier posters have noted: The city beaches are small and not particularly clean. I did not take day trips to go to the islands where the beaches are supposedly great. Reminder: Cartagena is very, very hot. I did not think 90° would be so hot, but the humidity kicked it up to steam bath level 11-3:00.

It is sad that only the flight attendant was the one outed and fired. What a double standard. (clearly, neither should have been fired) I have been to many places in China and love the gay guys there. There are also tons of them that visit Bangkok. I wish this guy the best. I am not sure how far this will go but I hope he wins and creates more change in that society.

it will be fun when guys get a fetish for fucking unvaccinated dudes

I started posting again solely to get access to the other forums AND especially to read @numazu. I began at Hooboy’s site, moved here when Brazil’s Minister of Sex Tourism (TomCal) started posting here and the old gay Brazil site, and then Numazu keeps me here. Superb job with the writing!!!

I can thoroughly recommend Le Du (just a minute from Chongnonsi BTS station). Chef Ton worked at several Michelin starred restaurants in New York before returning to Bangkok to open Le Du. It set a very high standard when it opened a few years ago and that continues. Menu is a tasting menu with four or six courses. Now getting pricey. Expect around 4,500 baht for the four course menu and 5,200 baht for the six course menu each with a cocktail and a glass of wine. Advance booking definitely recommended. http://www.ledubkk.com

For some, yes. My fondness is based on evidence.

well of course they would I'm not getting fucked by anyone not vaccinated.

I looooove this boy. I just opened a thread in the other site and came in here to open also one, but of course you bit me. I have to research who is the creative mind behind this video.

I thought they were rioting over the change in name to Ipabema!

Pre Christmas days – The Ghost of Rio Past Part 2 It always happens this way, doesn’t it? As time passes, and you get reminded about a past relationship, at some point, you only remember the good parts. You somehow forget why you broke up in the first place. And then you try to rekindle the romance, expecting only the good parts reemerge, but if neither of you have changed, and all the niggling details that led to the downfall of your relationship slowly creep back up to the surface, the outcome will be the same. But the thing is, both of us have changed. He is not the same Garoto de Programa that I fell in love with all those years ago. On some things, he has changed for the better – gone is the drug use, the binge drinking, the anger issues. But with that, the excitement mostly has gone away as well – the crazy sex, the reckless abandon. This Diego iteration was almost boring, which is not his fault. I guess after a lifetime of instability and selling one's body, one should aspire to be as boring and predictable as the rest of us. I do respect and admire his change in his outlook in life. But I have also changed as well. I am not a babe in the Brazil woods anymore. I’ve appreciated Diego’s guiding hand in my first year into discovering Brazil, helping me with Portuguese, introducing me to the culture and the people and other idiosyncrasies that is seen through his eyes. But these few days with him have made me realized that I have moved on from what Diego had to offer. It was nice though to be spending the non-sauna hours with him. And he has given me his take on how the coronavirus has changed his life here in Rio. He has seen a lot of people lose their jobs and gone to desperate places. He tells me that he is lucky that he and his family are in the restaurant biz, and people still need food in the pandemic, so that at least guaranteed him not going hungry. He said that if he stuck with being a GP, and with the saunas closing for a good part of 2020, he might not have made it. As we go have lunch one of the days I was with him, the TV that was showing the news in the restaurant reminds me that COVID is still very much a thing here: But Copacabana, and the rest of Rio, seemed to be determined to go into the summer season in a celebratory mood, seemingly unbothered by all this sickness and death. Rio actually is helping me forget all this a depressing stuff as well. I do not think I am going to get sick here. And why would I? The beaches are hopping and full, the water is warm, and the saunas are filled with clients and boys eager for a good time. Definitely delusional thinking on my part, but too late to worry about it now that I am in the soup. It was Saturday today, and I tell Diego that I wanted to check out 117 later. He agreed to it but told me that Lions had a birthday party today for their DJ, Dudu, his friend, and he wanted to go after 117 to greet Dudu his parabens. So we get to 117 at 6 PM so I can get scratch my muscle boy itch for the day. We get to 117, and as usual Diego gets recognized by everyone. After some catching up, we finally get to go downstairs to leave our valuables in the locker. Immediately upon entering, I got reminded on why 117 was my favorite sauna in Rio. There it was, the wall-to-wall muscle-bound boys that left me gobsmacked in my first trip to Brazil, chronicled here. The slow days of Rio during the pandemic are over. It was back. Hopefully for good. Diego opted not to change into a towel, citing that he has stopped his cycle of “anabolizantes” a long time ago, so his muscles are not up to snuff anymore for this place. I gave him a kiss, telling him that to me, he could give these boys a run for their money. Which was true. He was trimmer, less muscles popping, but the Brazilian genetics was still in place for him, so the abs, the chest, the tone, all were still there. As we made our way through the corridor and into the main stage area, it was amazing the amount of boys available. As we sit down for drinks, I told Diego that there was almost too many boys. Too many is almost as bad as too few. Noone stands out, and everyone seems to blend in into the crowd. It was hard to pick one that would stand out. I was ready to randomly throw darts and just pick one, any one, until I lock eyes on one guy. I recognized the guy from somewhere, but I could not put my finger on it. He was tall, strapping, handsome. He had a lean face with carefully coiffed hair. He was a mix of a lot of things, as most of them are, but he was light-skinned, and with just the right amount of tattoos that accentuates his muscles. And then it occurred to me: he was one of the four strippers that had a dance at Lions yesterday. I remembered that he was the best out of the four I saw, and the body was perfection – not an ounce of fat, an 8-pack, and ample ass and cock to complete the package. From his Instagram: I wave him over and after acknowledging Diego, he sits right next to me. I commented on his stripper performance yesterday, to break the ice. He laughs and thanks me. That smile. I tell him that I usually don’t see strippers do the rounds at the sauna. He tells me that it is a rarity for him as well, but said that Christmas was coming, and he needs to get enough money fast to give his family a good Christmas feast. He says he has some fixed clients as well but just needed the money to come in the next few days. He was warm, and forthcoming, and made me a Diego feel like we were talking to a friend. I was sold. I tell him to get a suite for us. For a stripper with crazy muscles, he was very down to earth. He was also very generous with his body. And he was passionate. I’ve always have some reservations with getting strippers to do programas. Maybe they are all for show and not much else. Not this guy. Maybe going into these things with lower expectations helped, but he was doing his part to dispel this notion I had with strippers. Maybe I’ll give more a try. Sufficed to say that I explored all the nooks and crannies of his perfect body, and he showed more attention to mine that I thought it deserved. We both came. I was in heaven. 350 reais for such an experience. I will be going back for more. After the programa, Diego was worried. I indeed took my time with the stripper. We get our things and walk the 10 minutes from 117 to Lions, to join the birthday party already in progress: There was free food and some free beers in the premises: And we enjoyed an hour of drag queen performance after drag queen performance, giving Dudu his tribute. We left at 11 PM, and from what I understood, the show went on for another hour, for a total of 3 hours. That seems a lot but it was a night of celebration. The next day, Sunday, we decided to check out Ponte 202. We got to the sauna and find that it was closed: I was kind of surprised, but I guess they close on Sundays now. We race to Gloria to go to 117. Less boys today, but still had enough boys to strike my fancy. And fancy turned into this lean built guy who had the confidence and swagger that attracted me to him (and probably qualities that I missed from Diego, who is now a little boring and stable). Upon talking to him, I find out that he was a porn star at Hotboys. He grabbed my phone to google his name and he showed me his oeuvre of fine quality naked video work. From the amount of videos I guess he was a popular top, and by the look of his exertions on video, he seems to know what he is doing, and how to use is 9.5 inch (24 cm) dick: At the suite, he was all what his videos promised, and coupled with a playful and happy disposition, made it an enjoyable programa. And he knew how to prime me before getting to take his giant cock, as he rimmed like he was liking it, and got me warm enough for the deed. I came while he was in me, another first in a sauna suite. 200 reais. Money well spent. Epilogue So before this 117 visit, since it was Sunday, it was family day for most Brazilians, and Diego was no exception. We were invited to have a late lunch with Diego’s family. Which meant a 1.5 hour Uber ride further inland into the interior of Rio. Diego’s family’s house was modest, as most favela dwellings are. I got to meet a lot of relatives and friends, and the beer was flowing. Diego was very open with the PDA and kisses which threw me a little bit. But he was determined to show me that he was not ashamed anymore. It was my turn to be ashamed I guess. Not with the overt gayness that was displayed, but because I was pretending to reciprocate his affections. I did not want a love relationship with him anymore, even if he was eager to get into one with me again. I have just moved on. Otherwise, though, the food was amazing, and I appreciated every bit of hospitality that was given to me: Diego had a lovely family, and my mastery (or lack thereof) of Portuguese was indeed tested in this 3 hour lunch. But afterwards, after we were in the Uber on the way back to Copacabana, and Diego lays down his head on my lap, and as it raced to a closed Ponte 202, I realized that I had to nip this in the bud, before Diego overstayed his welcome, and Diego would further assume that we were together again. After 117, and at the apartment, Diego and I have the heart to heart that we never had when we were together. After a few tears, and a lot of laughter, we get into an understanding. It is better that we say goodbye now, before feelings got in the way. They already have, as it turned out. He stays the night. He leaves first thing in the morning. Next… I’m free!!! Not really, but still, a slut can dream.

Nowadays, nice for men in business has upgraded all the way to "doesn't regularly rape his interns". Nice for women still involves them erasing themselves to please others. Look how hard the British Media tried to erase Meghan Markle for actually existing as a person rather than some cardboard cut-out white person attached to a prince's arm. It happens all the time in media. Women are torn down because they aren't 'nice' enough. Men get a free pass unless they do something really, really heinous.