Tomcal

My experiences over the past 17 years has been very good! 90% of the guys that come back to the Apt are from the saunas. I have also had guys from Grinder, never a problem. This last trip i had a bartender overnight after his shift ended at 3:00am. One thing i do is if i am having a first time visitor i tell them we have to be quiet as my friend is asleep in the 2nd bedroom even thou we are the only two there. There are a lot of escorts on Grindr

Those who read this forum regularly know that I have a 2nd home in Merida Yucatan, Mexico. I have been asked many times why Merida? what's the gay life like there? Costs to live there? etc? I, like many people had never heard of Merida(it is 90 miles west of Cancun). Florida Rob on this site is a good friend of mine for close to 15 years and he had moved there and opened a restaurant and told me I should visit him. His stories about how all the guys in Merida "are gay or if they aren't they want to be" lol, sounded so over the top that I wanted to go and find out. Merida is the capital of the state of Yucatan and has a population of over !,000,000 It is considered the safest city in Mexico as it is not a route for drugs to the U.S. Unlike Cancun, there has been no killings, robberies assaults of Americans/Canadians. The city has a expat community of approximately 5,000+ Americans and even greater number of Canadians! Canadians seem to have discovered Merida years ago as a 6 month winter get away that was very inexpensive. It is also the number one city for Medical tourism in Mexico. Merida has a International airport(MID) and has direct service from Houston on United, Miami on American and Atlanta on Delta. It is about a 1-1/2 hr flight from either Houston or Miami. Airfare from SoCal to Merida is usually just under $400.r/t The Centro part of Merida has the Historic Homes that are over 100 years to 200 years old. This is the area where most of the foreigners have bought homes as the younger Mexicans would rather move to the new suburbs rather then in the town center where their grandparents lived. Merida is about 20 miles from the beach area which really doesn't have any major hotels...Yet. but a 4 mile long pier was built to accommodate cruise ships. you can still buy individual private homes on the beach for $300,000. The city is dominated by one of the oldest churches in the Americas, built in the 1500's the park in front of the Cathedral is where all the activities take place every night in Merida, with music, dances, food fairs, and a number of hustlers always there. the photo of the guy is one of the strippers at one of the four gay bars, who often swings by in the late afternoon on his way to work to ask if I want to do anything. if I say no not today he goes "ok will check with you tomorrow". He is tall compared to most as he is 6'1", he is from a village about a 100 miles away.

that previous post should have said “I have had very few TURN DOWN...”

You can “trust” someone you meet at the sauna more because a copy of their ID is on file at the sauna, so there is a record of who they are if you should have a problem! I will say that in 17 years of taking guys from the sauna back to the hotel or Apt i have never had a problem! (we are talking hundreds, maybe a 1,000 guys! lol)

Summary of August Trip! I really had a great time on this trip! So much so that i am coming back to Rio the end of October(and one of the Rio guys is coming to Mexico in September!) The saunas were good in August which is not typically a great sauna month both because of weather(shitty...rainy and cold) and fewer guys typically! But overall Pointe was good to great on Monday’s Wednesday’s and Friday’s and MR was good on Mondays and Fridays and i actually like the smaller more intimate setting it has a mixture of twinks and when i was there some muscle guys! i did not make it to 117 but on Weds night Pointe had a lot of 117 guys there!

Sit at the corner table along the sidewalk in ToNemAi! One night i was there by myself the one and only time the place was about 2/3 full and there were two guys inside sitting along the wall, I saw the one kept staring at me and after about 15 minutes I called him over to the table, we had a drink, he said he was with his friend and they were going to a late night club but he needed some money, we walked the 2 blocks to my apt., had a great hour together, I have him $100R and we were both happy! I can not think of why I was by myself as that was the only time I think I have ever been alone in Rio at night, but it worked out great! This was about 11:00 pm

i have not done any of the “touristy” things in years, but this last trip i went with my “BF” to Pau de Acucar(sugarloaf) in the later afternoon on Sunday and i really had a good time! At the top on the back side there is a bar and seating with tremendous views looking towards Copacabana! we had cocktails at sunset and not only were the views great but the drinks were especially good! It was a romantic spot there was a straight couple in the love seat about 6’ from us and when they got up to leave they turned to us and said “isn’t this a great spot? have a great evening! “

for members some new photos are up!

ToNemAi , it’s still there! I was at it last week but really a place to go with friends not really a pick up place and drink prices are the same as bars in Manhatten w/o as many gooodlooking guys! imho

No, Remember Rio has a rainforest around it! (Tijunca) Even during August the coolest month there are days that are definitely beach days! It has been closed over a year! Don’t do it! Repeat Dont do it! i could give two different examples of people who didn’t listen to my advise and were very sorry! One was a muscular couple who thought they were too smart and big and tough to have any issues....they weren’t !! look up Boa Noite Cinderella! On your first trip stick to the saunas! (and your second and third trips!) most of your questions can be answered by reading the forum!

I don’t take anything personally except comments about Henri! :-)

A week ago wednesday evening i went to dinner with 2 guys at a nice restaurant in ipanema, when the food arrived i took the second bite and i could not swallow it! it was like my throat closed up! I sat there for a minute and then threw up the last bite i took into my napkin! within the next 5 minutes i threw up 4 more times but it wasn’t coming from my stomach but from my throat so just for but the feeling normal was terrible and we left the restaurant without finishing the meal! on the 3 block walk back to the apt., i threw up 4 more times then like magic felt totally normal. The next morning it started all over again so the guys took me to a private hospital in Copa and after a 1/2 hour with the ER Dr. they put me on a IV for a hour with 2 drugs in it and with 3 prescriptions and i have been fine since but i found out i had a Hiaetal Hernia! and it appears the 10% of those with them that requires surgery to fix(easy procedure)! one thing is the cost to be treated in the ER in one of the private hospitals compared to the US! 2 months ago i took my mother to the ER, she was there for 3 hours no IV , set of x-rays and the cost was $7,000, my cost in Rio for 2-1/2 hours with tests and 1 hour IV and meds was $325.US!

I got back home last Wednesday from a 2 week trip to Rio. Originally it was supposed to include 2 days in Porto Alegre and 3 in Sao Paulo but it was changed for two reasons! more on that later. I spend 5 days in Ipanema and 7 days in Centro for the first time! I stayed at a friends' condo in Centro and is really the first time I had spent any time there. The apartment was about 3 blocks from the American and Mexican consular offices. The American ia a large well fortified building but most of the area is made up of some beautiful historic buildings man of which are used as government offices. Daytime there are many people/office workers and many restaurants and sidewalk dining available. Night time the area has much fewer pedestrian traffic but I felt very safe in the immediate area of the Apt. building which is on a busy blvd. I uber'd everywhere and while not as convenient as staying in Ipanema it was fine. I went only to Pointe and MR saunas this trip not to 117, not for a specific reason just due to that I was having a good time where I was at on the nights that are best at 117. On both Mondays I went to MR first at 5:30 and Pointe around 7:30 second. Both were good but Pointe has really improved on Monday evenings and the only slow nights there were Tuesdays and Saturday nights. Wednesday was great there with Monday and Friday also being really good. The improvements made esthetically are all good. and the massage guys(Venezuelan)are both good. On Monday night I ran into a guy from Uruguay who I originally met at Lagoa in Sao Paulo 4 years ago when he was 20, he was friends with a friend of mine and he moved to Europe to do fashion/sports modeling and was semi successful at that before moving back to Uruguay last year because of family issues(he is one of 13 children in his family). We both recognized each other immediately and he ended up spending the night and next day at the apartment. He came up from Montevideo a week ago and is going back next week. He is good looking, great athletic body and a amazing bttm., if you run into him I would highly recommend him.

you were greeted by Jackie who worked the counter at 117 before she left in April to work at MR until a month ago to work at Pointe! Monique hasn’t worked the counter since i started going to 117 in 2001! the first photo is Jackie the Second is Monique who still owns 117 but shows up there maybe 2 days a year!

i have very very few down overnights! just saying! including the guy i met Monday night at pointe!

i was probably there for a 100 late night dinners between 2001 and 2007 or 8, it was great but after the gay disco next door closed down and the park across the street installed bright lights and the dismise of street hustlers, all these things had a direct influence on the restaurant realizing it couldn’t rely on the after 10:00 pm gay crowd for that portion of their revenues anymore! i remember nights when there would be 25+ guys across the street on the park side leaning against the fence waiting to be noticed!

a couple of guys who now go to Pointe figured out that even though it is crowded with more customers, they don’t make anymore money because of the long wait for rooms on Tuesdays!

Then you will be very happy there on Tuesdays! as to why? who cares what their reason is? they go there but that is where the MONEY(clients)is on Tuesdays! But...things are changing, Pointe is on a upswing with monday’s and especially Wednesday turning out where a number of the guys from 117 can be seen at, and Thursday was not bad with Junior offering a free Buffet! This Past monday i talked to 5 guys at pointe who are 117 regulars! So go to 117 on Tuesdays you won’t be disappointed!

*

Cause that’s where the muscle guys go on Tuesdays! Wednesdays a number of them show up at pointe! and now Monday’s is also getting very busy at Pointe and MR was busy as well. Last night i ran into a guy i only met once before 3 years ago at Lagoa from Uruguay who was 20 at the time and left for europe shortly thereafter, i really liked our first encounter so i invited him back to spend my last night here with me! It/He was amazing! looks like i have to put him on the list to visit Mexico!

yes it is very nice in the summer!

that is true! if you have status with a airline or over 60 you get in the faster lane.

My friends went yesterday and they said guys starting showing up at 6:00 - 7:00. and was busy until 11:00 when they left

i just said goodbye to a guy who spent the night last night with me who is from and lives in Montevideo! I met him originally in SP in 2015. He loves it there but loves the scene in Rio and Europe where he has been several times for 3 months each time.. But he is 24, his view may change dramatically when he gets into his 30’s + i think it is not a black or white issue, when someone retires to a geographical location it is not just about the cost of living or the availability of rent boys, especially if you have a income that doesn’t require you to live cheaply! For example if i was to retire to Brazil(i am not), i would live in Porto Alegre! My friends go “Why”? there is no beach, the sauna is only good 2 days a week, etc. It’s because i like it there! for some logical and some not so logical reasons! All of us are different in how we view a place or people :-)

I have been going to Brazil for 17 years and I Have NO idea what it is or heard the term “Brazilian Wolf” before! maybe i just hang in the wrong circles...