Leaderboard

Christmas in Rio: Make Your Own Family Christmas is for family, New Year’s is for friends. That’s the mantra I’ve always heard in South America whenever I go here during the holidays. It’s a good thing to remember, especially if you find yourself in Colombia one Christmas night, wondering why the bars and strip clubs are closed, and can’t seem to pin down your usual boy to hang out with you because he is with his family. It is after all, a Christian holiday. This is probably why I’ve always thought that Thailand was a better place to spend this holiday at. Out there, they still have all the decor and cheer associated with the holiday, without the usual familial traditions behind it. If you are a gay boy who is not ready to talk about your life to your hetero family, spending any family gathering with them, never mind Christmas dinner, can be quite awkward. That is what a particular boy, Kleyton, is currently going through. He is a cute young-looking 22 year old college student. I met him in the sauna Lagoa in Sao Paulo last year in between visits with the new boyfriend. He seems at first very unassuming at the sauna, just blending with the other more boy-next-door types. I tried him out because I was looking for a bottom and none of the current boys that day were willing to do so in the moment. At the suite, it turned out, up close, he was gorgeous. Nice lean body, smooth and smelled good, yummy ass, and the big surprise was he had a gigantic dick. In subsequent trips I’d invite him on some overnights, and it turns out that he is an amazing top as well. He also turns out to be gay, which is a blessing sometimes when it comes to going out and depending on him to know where the gay haunts are in Sao Paulo, and the cultural touchstones are similar. And not only was he a college student, he was also whip smart, so while my Portuguese needs help, my conversations with him are more nuanced and gives me insight on a lot of the politics of the day in Brazil. He, in turn, appreciates my thoughts about the USA on a variety of subjects, and we have one hell of a time comparing notes on both countries. I do believe he does consider me as a friend, with benefits, and the benefits part has evolved as well. Initially of course it was a client and boy relationship, but as with any relationship that is worth its salt, it has to evolve if it is to remain worthwhile. Which brings us to present day. He is a gay boy who does not want to spend Christmas with his family, as he does not want to answer questions about “why don't you have a girlfriend yet” or stuff about his supposed "decent" job in Sao Paulo (he tells his family that he works as a waiter in between classes, well in fact he is a prostitute). We have been communicating about what to do over Christmas since November. So I decide to invite him for the five days I have before I meet up with the BF in Fortaleza. I tell him he can stay with me in Rio, and we can go to the sauna together so he can work and earn money, but the rest of the time we can spend time together. He was very excited about the invitation, and planned to take the bus from Sao Paulo to Rio when I was ready for him. What wasn’t discussed was any kind of payment he needed from me, or what kind of sex that was expected from him. But from the evolving part of the relationship, it turns out that he was not expecting any payment, and the sex just happened naturally throughout his stay with me. So after a slow night in Lagoa, Kleyton takes the bus (with the fully reclinable seats) from Sao Paulo to Rio at midnight. I get a call from him at 8 AM to tell me that his Uber from the bus station was arriving at the apartment. In a few minutes, he was at my apartment door, with big suitcase in hand, looking great in a tank top and jeans. After a big wet kiss, he collapses on the couch, and tells me to not mind him, and to tend with Lucas, who was still in my bed sleeping. I rejoin Lucas to complete my sleep. Before noon I hear Lucas emerging from the shower. He “helps” me with my morning wood, and then (after another shower), he bids me goodbye. Kleyton wakes up as Lucas leaves. He still has his shoes on and just collapsed on the couch from exhaustion. He immediately disrobes all his clothes, gives me a deep kiss, and bolts to the bathroom, with his long dick swinging. After a while emerges from the bathroom, smelling nice and lovely. “I’m in Rio!” he explains, with all the giddiness of a young guy. He says he wants to at least hit the beach immediately, before checking out the sauna later. “But it is overcast outside. It might even rain.” I said. He said he didn’t care, as he has not been to a beach in months, which to a Brazilian is might as well be an eternity. After a quick run at McDonalds (his choice), we rush to Ipanema to the gay beach. It was overcast, and the gays were out but in small number, but we didn’t care. We were able to catch up with our lives in the rest of the afternoon over numerous pineapple caipirinhas, which gave us the buzz we needed to have a good time: At 5 PM we head back to the apartment to freshen up and head to 202, since it was Wednesday, and it is supposed to be the Copacabana sauna's busiest day. And it turns out that it was, as we get to the sauna to a packed standing room crowd. It was Kleyton’s first time in any Rio sauna, so as we check in and make our way into the premises, I give him the rundown of the place - where client lockers and boys lockers were, seating and stage at the primary floor, suites in the intermediate floor, and smoking area and sauna the top floor. I even lent him my luggage lock and key to use at the 202 lockers, as they ask the boys to bring their own padlocks, or rent one for 10 reais. I leave him by the boy’s locker room and tell him I’ll be around, and if he needed a drink or a snack, come looking for me. I promptly dove in to the crowd. Nothing like pre-Christmas cheer, and the pre-Christmas need for money, that makes a sauna light up. I sit down on my usual bench to perch (and it was the only space that was vacant, as the rest was packed with clients. I settle in for a caipirinha, and then my second. And pretty soon some boys came and pass me to gage my interest in them. Maybe because I was with Kleyton now, but I was interested in the younger guys tonight. And there were some nice choices. I find a very cute branquinho who was tall and could pass as white back home. I invite him to have a drink with me. He had a very smooth body, not too worked out but faily toned and sexy. Up close he even looked younger. I asked his age: 20. Indeed pretty young, at least for the average age at this place. I find out he was a carioca, though his accent wasn’t typical of one. He was interested about the USA and my work, and then quickly got to brass tax: full versatile, 150 reais. The sex was pretty good, and his ass tasted amazing. Definitely a repeat is in order down the road. During the show (and it was pretty good), another branquinho young-ish guy gets my attention. He had a more worked out body, and lean enough that you can see veins pop out. Very good Brazilian genetics. He wasn’t as tall as my previous programa, but he was as pretty. He sits down next to me and shakes my hand. He was 22, another Carioca, and sounded every bit of it. Once he found out that I was American, he switches to English. He actually spoke English very well, and probably better than my Portuguese. He made for a pretty awesome seatmate as we get through the show. The sex was fine, though was only a top so that diminished my lust for him a little bit. 250 reais with cum at the end. It was around 10:30 PM when I finished up. I didn’t see Kleyton at all tonight, but then I spotted him at the seating area by the stairs, staring at his phone. “How did you do?” I ask him. He said he did great, and had 4 clients tonight. He said he never has this kind of night in Sao Paulo, but then again he was new meat, so he was able to leverage that tonight. We get home, get some sushi from Uber Eats. In bed he whips out his erect cock. I was surprised it was hard. “I didn’t cum today so you get it all tonight.” I gladly oblige. The next day was Christmas Eve, and there were no saunas open. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t anything to do today. We have a late breakfast at Stalos, the famous 24-hour restaurant that was across the street from the AirBNB. I try the “American” breakfast that was on the menu. Bacon, grilled bread, cheese, ham and eggs. It was actually pretty good: At breakfast, he tells me about his ex. The ex was his age, 22, and lived in Rio. He shows me pictures, and his bf was stunner like he was. I ask him if the bf goes to the saunas. He says no, and said that he just does Garotocomlocal.com these days, as well as doing some porn on the website meninosonline.net. He then shows me his ex's handiwork, and it was pretty impressive. I ask him where he was. He says he was in Rio, and knows that he was here too. He has been asked if he wanted to meet with the ex. I ask Kleyton if indeed he wanted to see him. He said maybe. He said that the bf was kind of self-centered and selfish, and I'd probably not like him, but admitted that he was cute and at least would be good eye candy. I asked him if he wanted to invite the ex to the beach today. A few text messages later, the ex was on his way. We head back to the apartment. In and hour, the ex said that he was in Ipanema with friends, and to meet him there. An Uber ride later, we get to Ipanema. We get some chairs from the vendor at the gay part of the beach. After 5 minutes, Adriano, the ex, appeared. He was indeed gorgeous, probably the epitome of a white muscle twink. He was shorter than Kleyton at 5’8. He shakes my hand, and then leans over to kiss my cheek. He hugs Kleyton, and they kiss on the lips. He gets a chair from the vendor and sits by my side, away from Kleyton. The sun was out, and the gays were equally out as well. Adriano was pretty chill so far, and the self-centered boy that Kleyton described has not appeared. The boys chugged beers and talked and laughed, and Adriano described his life in Rio. Kleyton was relatively pretty quiet compared to Adriano, but he was kind of an introvert anyway. Adriano was the extrovert, and I can see how much trouble he could be if you let your guard down around him. I ask Adriano if he was going to spend Christmas dinner with his family. He said he was not going to do that, because he said his family was crazy. I text Kleyton to ask him if he wanted to invite Adriano to dinner with us. He was OK with it. After the beach we tried the Christmas spread that Siquiera Grill was offering, and it was pretty good: Adriano was pretty appreciative of the dinner. Kleyton then suggested that we have some Christmas drinks at one of the Copacabana kiosks that was open. We share a few beers and share a few more stories as we pass midnight, and that's when we give each other kisses and bid each other “Feliz Natal” as we commemorate another Christmas. We all walk home, pretty buzzed from the beers at the kiosk. At home we watch the series “Luna Nera” on Netflix. No threesomes. Just Christmas among friends. And that was fine with me, because its not like I am haven't been oversexed this trip anyway, and I was pretty buzzed from the alcohol, and I thought the Kleyton didn't want to cross that line again with the ex Adriano. Adriano sleeps on the couch. Kleyton spoons with me in bed. Next… Rio is beginning to look like Sao Paulo.

this is how I voted and for the same reason - I wish to be there. Do I believe it will happen ? not so sure and obstacles are definitely not on my side.

I'm hoping mid 2022 but not holding my breath, doesn't really matter what the Thais are doing at the moment but getting out of Australia isn't an easy task and upon return it's still 2 weeks quarantine at a quarantine hotel at our own expense. If and when I do get back I will be having a lot of fun to make up for lost time, thinking a lot about 2 at a time

Here goes my tribute. https://ilikepinga.com/2021/04/03/daddy-has-died/

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.

Black Superman in action!!! Santo Domingo is once again POPPING! The colonial zone was crowded and festive. They were actually filming a movie in front of the restaurant EL Conde, which is my favorite place to eat. Great mango smoothies and the food is simply delicious. There is a gym with hot guys going in and out for a GOOD PUMP (Pun Intended). The gym is across from Petrus restaurant. Remember to buy the Dominican Masks at the vendors on the street. I get stopped by people all the time when I return to the United States. The guy in the video is BODY PLEASER. WE had been fkcuing all day long on our first day in the DR. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but the doctor who manny knows comes over to where you are staying and administers the covid test, emails you the result and you have no problems reentering the U.S. When we arrived to the airport, there was a SEXY ASS worker who checking us in at SPIRIT AIRLINES. Of course, my nasty ass make a few complimentary lewd comments to him and within 4 minutes I had his number. He's a beautiful dominican, haitian and should be walking someones runway. Until next time fellas, STAY SAFE, HAPPY & SLUTTY! VID_20210314_113402.mp4

I primarily was referring to their demographic issues. Of course most of the post-industrialized world has demographic challenges too. They have some big economic challenges too

The Venezuelans were known as a powerhouse in the beauty pageant world. Naturally, a male beauty pageant was organized at some point, filled with flawless products from their beauty-industrial complex, male edition. Before Gustavo Dudamel became the conductor for the LA Philharmonic, he led the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in Venezuela, which has a large contingent of younger musicians. I saw a performance and there were some black-tied stunners in that orchestra.

I had long ago decided I didn't like the way he ran his message board (or how he got it) but I still appreciated, until the end, his curation of interesting news stories. They had been one of my main connections to gay culture and were a point of view I will deeply miss. It is tragic that the final one is "The nurse says I have a cold", even now that I finally know I still go by habit, hoping it'll suddenly start updating again like in the past. You only fully appreciate something when it's gone.

I love that a couple years they outed him so he just went with it.

you have a population that is used to following the rules. Here is France half the people don't even wear masks

Living in South East Asia I remain mystified how this part of the world which is so close to China and depended to a huge degree on tourism from China has got off so lightly in the pandemic. As of yesterday Taiwan had had 1,030 cases and 10 deaths. Vietnam 2,803 cases and 35 deaths. Thailand 28,863 cases and 94 deaths. I know that all three countries adopted preventative measures extremely quickly after the virus was discovered. Everyone here remembers the effects of SARS in 2003 and government medical departments were far better prepared for future virus infections. I believe test and tracing was also extremely good. The result is that internally Taiwan has never closed down. Schools, restaurants, coffee shops, bars etc. have never closed. The only requirement has been mask wearing from the outset and use of hand sanitiser. Even visiting central Vietnam in early March, despite the virtual collapse of tourism, I noted there were no restrictions on dining and entertainment. Even the old ladies selling street food were wearing masks. Here in Thailand, there was a very strict one month lockdown in April. Since then, with a hiccup near the end of last year when a large cluster of cases was found in a fish market outside Bangkok and the reimposition of some restrictions, life has been more or less normal. Of course, the tourism industries have been hammered and economies suffered badly. But we look at what is happening in Europe and the Americas and wonder - how did we escape all that carnage and those continuing restrictions to daily life?

Aon and Lan, who joke they are "an intergaycial couple," are the duo behind the award-winning LGBTQ+ travel blog Deer Is Travelling. Based in Bangkok the couple writes about living in Thailand and traveling in the region. The cofounders of LGBTQ Travel Thailand, Aon and Lan have collaborated with many hotel chains (including Hilton, Pullman, SO Sofitel, and Amari) and their blog has been recongnized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. In our exclusive interview below they tell Out Traveler what makes Thailand such a great hub for travel, what most tourists to the area miss, and the best things about traveling as a couple. (Pictured: Phi Phi Islands, Thailand) How did you meet? We matched on Tinder and we were so busy, so we met for the first time a few months after that. But when we finally did, we had this click and our story started! We both didn’t plan to stay in Bangkok as Aon wanted to move to Canada to study and Lan was in Bangkok to learn Muay Thai for a year with the plans to travel more. But looks at us now! (Picture: Koh Kood Island Thailand) Why is your blog called Deer Is Travelling? For our first big trip together we went to Japan for two weeks. And I asked Aon: “We spent so much money on this trip, should we do at least a couplegram out of it?” And we actually did! When we started looking for a name, we thought "deer" may work because in Thai it has a queer meaning, plus during that time we used to call each other "dear deer." Plus one of us has a deer horn tattoo on the chest, so we thought we’re just like a deer — four legs and horns. And since the deer is an animal that is strong and independent, brave, and mostly does not hurt other animals; we thought it fits perfectly! (Pictured: Pullman Bangkok Hotel G in Bangkok, Thailand) What advice do you give LGBTQ+ travelers coming to the region? Thailand is famous for its beaches and temples. There are literally thousands of both here but normally only the beaches get well explored. We recommend everyone try to explore more mountains or cultural events. Thailand actually has over 40,000 temples but most tourists can name just a few. Let’s change that! (Pictured: Temple Wat Arun in Bangkok Thailand) Do you have a favorite destination in Thailand? Outside of Thailand? We love that it’s always hard to choose anything particular about Thailand. For example. last year we went to local regions Loei and Mae Hong Song, it was absolutely stunning! Then we came to visit two hidden gem islands — Koh Kood and Koh Phi Phi. Although each was absolutely different, those four destinations are the ones that surprised us the most. Outside of Thailand we definitely in love with Japan! We have been to the countryfour times but it’s never enough! We already planning to be back as soon as restriction ease. Also, we love the nature of Laos a lot! (Pictured: Koh Kood Island Thailand) What is the best thing about traveling as a couple? There are so many things! Especially for two guys who are almost the same size! We always share our clothes and personal care items, so we have a double wardrobe during our travels! It also means more food. It’s safer and cheaper. It is awesome to spend birthdays and other big holidays together, even better to share moments like splashing around the sea in the golden hour. We can even think of more reasons! Renting a kayak to paddle out to some hidden sea cave? Driving anywhere? Each of us gets a chance to sleep, take pictures, check the map, reserve the next hotel. It’s truly amazing! (Pictured: Koh Samed Island Thailand) What makes Thailand such a great hub for traveling? Thailand has it all! Culture, mountains, islands, crystal clear water, white sand beaches, kind people, food, and more! People in Thailand are very tolerant and we never had any problems with being a gay couple in Thailand. Maybe we just lucky but we couldn’t remember anything unfriendly that happened to us. (Pictured: Loha Prasat Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan Temple Bangkok) If you were setting up a culinary travel itinerary what restaurants or regions would be must-visits? Thailand is a large country with diverse geography, which over the years has led to the development of regional differences in cuisine. There are currently four different cooking styles in Thailand. Dishes in the north of Thailand are generally less spicy than in the rest of the country, with sticky rice traditionally mixed into small balls with the fingers. There is a strong influence from neighboring Burma and its popular dishes like Kaeng Hang Le, pork curry flavored with ginger, turmeric, and tamarind. Food in the northeast is influenced by Laos, usually very spicy food served with glutinous rice. Although there are many meat dishes, historically in the villages meat was very small, and the source of protein was shrimp and freshwater fish. They are often fermented to increase shelf life. The Central Region offers cuisine that is somewhere between north and south, with aromatic jasmine rice, a stickier variety, popular. The central area is home to royal cuisine, which makes it special. This type of cooking, which originated in the royal palace, involves more complex dishes prepared with more sophisticated methods. Southern Thai cuisine is the most popular outside of Thailand and is the main tourist region of the country. Coconut milk is much more commonly used in southern cuisine as a substitute for ghee for frying. The dishes are rich in seafood, as well as cashews from local plantations and coconut pulp as a condiment. Talking about Thai food is always hard since it made you hungry easy! (Pictured Red Lotus Floating Market in Thailand) Tell us about your biggest #TravelFail and how you recovered. Once we stayed in Da Nang, Vietnam. In the morning we were blue since we had not had enough time to explore all we wanted but it was time to leave the city and be back in Bangkok. We went to check out from the hotel but the receptionist said our hotel check-out wasn’t until the next day! We checked our flight and it wasn’t until the next day as well! Somehow we miscounted and got an extra day in Vietnam, which made us so happy! (Pictured: Pullman Bangkok Hotel Luang Prabang, Laos) What are your top LGBTQ+ travel resources? We started our blog for the reason that there are almost no LGBTQ+ friendly resources about Thailand. Plus, we always were looking for hidden gems places around Thailand but there is not much information either. At first, we were confused ourselves and later decided to make Deer is Traveling to show how it is to be a gay couple in Thailand but also show the beauty of Thailand that regular tourists often don't see. (Pictured: Koh Kood Island Thailand)

God luck, Chai!

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.

Jesus H. Christ we have a republican here. Fuck my life.

On the toilet early this morning and for 3 hours last evening for a colonoscopy at noon today, not at Bumrungrad but I am def a runny bum grad.

I know you have decided against going to Brazil @MiamiEthan until possibly March, but I thought I'd get my 2 cents in, while it is about 4 PM here in Fortaleza where I am now, and the BF is sleeping at the moment, and soon we shall be hitting the saunas here. Yeah, these months are the sweet spots for cheap biz class flights. In August to October time, the pandemic meant having a whole economy row to yourself to recline and sleep the flight away, but I've found in my flight back in November, and again in December, with the flights getting fuller, I decided that those still cheap biz flights were the way to go, and actually helped my clinch Executive Platinum in American for the first time ever. As for non-sauna activities, plenty to do in rio of course, but be reminded that in pandemic times, a lot of the acitvities are still either closed or scaled back. And sadly, when it rains in Rio, its actually kind of depressing, because of the beaches and such. I've found that winter in Rio (June to August/September) is the perfect time to go, as it is not oppresssively hot, and precipitation is the lowest in the year. I've had my best, and funnest, times in Rio in these months. So maybe its probably best that pospone your trip anyways. I was in Rio last week and there was appreicable sun to enjoy in 3 out of the 9 days I was there. It was glorious when the sun was out, but two-thirds of the time, I was indoors. Have a warm boy to cuddle with at these times, which, quite frankly, is not hard to do there. The best teacher is experience, and all the preparation in the world won't prepare you for what you will encounter in the saunas. i'd say just dive in and enjoy! But to answer your question: Are the folks naked - no. the majority of the people in the sauna have towels wrapped around their waists. The more bold garotos will be jacking off their erect penises to entice punters, and some will give you a flash of the goods, in the guise of adjusting their towels. Some saunas have naked nights, where the boys can get in for free, if they are naked all night, but I've never encountered this in Rio (or SP) saunas. Are the clients naked? Thankfully, no. Again, most are in towels, and some are even in street clothes, except if the sauna require everyone to be in towels (I'm looking at you, Sauna Olimpo in Belo Horizonte). Some boys have a strategy and wear either skimpy undies or gym shorts with no underwear, to help distinguish them from other towel-wearing boys. It works sometimes, if the boy has a big juicy butt that gets obscured by a towel, so undies will accentuate this, or has a big penis even when soft, so thin gym shorts will show the pendulum swinging. TL;DR - most people are in a towel. Safe bet for you, if you want to blend in. No you don't rent a room when you get in, you only do when you are ready to do the dirty with your prince charming. Or in my case, if I needed to join a work conference call while in a sauna. I recommend doing this while a boy gives you a blowjob. Best conference call ever. Room rates depend on the sauna and day and type of room, but generally can go from 20 reais to 60 reais, for 40 minutes to an hour each time. Most of them don't speak English, but nothing beyond what is required in a sauna can't be solved by google translate. The majority of the boys know the basic phrases to ask to get what they need, and it is actually comical when a boy resorts to sign language. Still, this trip, I found a surprising number of GPs I had the pleasure of knowing, actually knowing more than basic english. Which was bad for me because I always want to practice my Portuguese with the locals. I didn't sweat and toil all these years to learn this language, to only speak english while in Brazil. Since you are months away from your trip, I suggest at least knowing some phrases. Sample here: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/basic-portuguese-words-phrases-for-travel . I'd also listen to spoken PT on YouTube if you have the time. So at least you know how it sounds like. I do not have experience with Fasano, but its a mixed bag sometimes when it comes to Rio lux hotels. Some hotels don't care about the occasional guest (JW Marriot, Pestana), but some either require the guest to leave their ID at reception, or even insist they be registered with you in the room (Hilton). If you are gonna have parties/orgies at your room with a handful of GPs (and why not right), best be at an AirBNB. There are Rio AirBNBs with english language listings and english speaking hosts. that are in apartment buildings that won't have a problem with guests. Just be vigilant that a listing does not mention "NO GUESTS ALLOWED" in the rules of the house. You don't have to haggle. Say no if you think the price is too high. No boy is irreplaceable. Trust me. 9 times out of 10, they'll haggle down for you. Just (a) agree on the price before the programa and (b) agree on what you expect him to do when in the room, to avoid confusion. I always ask for the price. I am always curious what they think of me, based on the price. But if you have a price per programa in mind (or can afford), don't be afraid to quote it. The worse that can happen is they say no and walk away. Move on. I do hate the favorable exchange rate the dollar has with the real, because I made it rain last week in Rio. And it was not with water. I'd nail down any specific freaky thing you want to be done to you beforehand. I always prefer having the boy to myself when discussing this. Sometimes a boy is embrassed to say he is a bottom, or sucks dick, or pees on command, or whatever else you want out of him, in front of others. And yeah I do like the getting a kissing sample out of them before a programa. I get a sense on how close a boy wants to be with me in that kiss. If you are at all concerned about COVID transmission, then simply delay your trip till after a vaccine at least. I think all the signage and mask wearing of the employees in the saunas is simply theater. There is lots of mitigation while in the general areas of Rio, but in the saunas, noone wears a mask expect the employees, and how would you ever mitigate COVID when you are getting your freak on with a boy? Hazmat suit sex is not appealing. MEEEEEE, but you have postponed your trip to possibly March, so maybe see you then!