mvan1

This just came out and may interest some travelers to Brazil - http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-08-26/brazilian-airline-azul-launches-all-you-can-fly-pass?mbid=nl_082715_Intel&CNDID=11696385&spMailingID=8021137&spUserID=NDk0OTY1Njk1NDES1&spJobID=743248620&spReportId=NzQzMjQ4NjIwS0 -

Here is a link to the federal indictment: https://tribwpix.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/rentboy-complaint-redacted.pdf I am surprised that the "other site" (daddy site) was named repeatedly in the indictment. Also, certain popular escorts were discussed. There is also an explanation (description) of some of the sex acts advertised by some of the escorts. -

Muchas gracias -

Hi, You mentioned visiting Colombia and that you were there four years ago. Did you visit Medellin? Other than for guys being good looking and being on the streets and connecting through grindr and scruff, did you happen to visit the sauna named Sauna Tobi or Sauna Toby? I see the sauna spelled either way. If you did visit the sauna, did you notice if the sauna is a rent boy sauna? Thanks in advance. -

http://www.gayscout.com/en/entry14987/Thermas-Planetario-11 Salvador http://www.gayscout.com/en/entry30429/Sauna-Fox Salvador http://www.gayscout.com/en/entry27315/Club-117-Sauna Rio de Janeiro http://www.gayscout.com/en/entry14890/Blue-Thermas Recife http://www.gayscout.com/en/entry15043/Club-De-Toby Medellin The first four above links are links and sauna names of Brazilian saunas that I personally know are saunas with rent boys. The reviews of those four saunas clearly state that there are rent boys on premises. The last link in the above list is for a sauna in Medellin, Colombia that is alleged to be a sauna with rent guys. However, if you look at the reviews at the link of the Medellin sauna, there is no mention of the sauna having rent guys. Furthermore, I did a Google search on the Medellin sauna and found several links to access information about the sauna (Sauna Tobi). Nothing on those links even hint that there are rent boys at that sauna. Logic says that if the Medellin sauna were really a rent boy sauna, there would be at least some mention in reviews. Nada - Does anyone know the reason for the silence about rent boys in the reviews of the Medellin sauna? Could the reviews be a mistake? Could it be that the sauna is not a rent boy sauna? Could it be ????? P.S. There is no place like Brazil - -

If you feel that you need a guide and do not already have one in mind, there is a guide named Daniel Cabral who is a private tour guide for Rio de Janeiro. He has more than three-hundred sixty positive reviews on Tripadvisor. That is a lot of positive reviews! Here is a link to what his clients say about him: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303506-d2001162-Reviews-Daniel_Cabral_Rio_Private_Tour_Guide-Rio_de_Janeiro_State_of_Rio_de_Janeiro.html I don't know what he charges. You can e-mail him and ask him. His e-mail is - contactus@rio4visitors.com His phone is - 55 21 99355-9585 He speaks excellent English plus three other languages. He has his own auto to take you around. Good luck - -

“Hustler bar, Sounds very interesting to me. I used to like those bars in Prague. It was always easy to make contact with the boys and it was the perfect mix of the feeling of the hunt, scoring but still pay at the end of the day and with that make an end to it. Could you tell me something about the Crowd, other than that they are hustlers? Like i said, I'm into the twinky, little fem or not, but skinny not muscular type.” The name and address of the hustler bar in Porto Alegre is: Bar Mixx - Conde de Porto Alegre 232 - Porto Alegre You will need to take a taxi there. You asked me to tell you “Something about the crowd.” The crowd changes constantly. There is no fixed type. Many of the guys are good looking but the guys seem more ordinary rather than the better looking and athletic type guys usually found in the saunas. On occasion, some guys from the saunas show up at Bar Mixx. If there are any “twinky little fem” and not skinny not muscular” guys there, I never noticed any. I tend to like the ordinary and athletic type guy. This means that the non skinny twink feminine guys are almost invisible to me when I go to Bar Mixx (or any other place, for that matter). Based on your description of type of guy you prefer, I suspect that you would not like Bar Mixx. _______________________________________ “Well, I hope to get some more information so I can make the final plane bookings. Also, I would be interested to know where the safer street trade can be found in Sao Paolo.” In my post in response to your questions, I wrote, in part, “My many trips to Brazil have taught me things that only time and exposure can teach one.“ Which means that my PERSONAL experience over many trips and many years visiting Brazil have taught me things about visiting there. I would never recommend specific streets or areas to meet street hustlers to a person who has never been to Brazil. It would be too dangerous for you to venture out on your own to such areas and it would be irresponsible of me to make such a recommendation. I say this even those those areas are heavily patrolled by police. I learned about those places while being accompanied by Brazilians, not from being told about the areas. I really hope that you overcome your reluctance to use the saunas for your entertainment while you visit Brazil. Safety is never guaranteed but safety is more likely to be existent in the saunas than on the streets. _______________________________________ I mentioned in my post that I booked a current trip to Colombia prior to my next trip to Brazil in mid September. I will visit only Medellin on my current Colombia trip. In your post you mentioned Bogota, a city that I might visit at some trip in the future, provided I have a good time in Medellin. Again, have a wonderful trip to Brazil. While there, take a deep breath, forget about your shyness for the saunas, and go to the saunas that have garotos. Not all saunas in Brazil have garotos. One more thing. I remember my first trip to Brazil and particularly my first time in a Brazilian sauna. I was fascinated by the idea of the saunas. However, when it came to my actual first visit, I found it nearly impossible to put aside my inhibitions. I went in to the sauna with unfounded trepidation. After that first visit, I have returned many many times to various saunas. Going to the saunas is now second nature to me. I hope it will be the same for you. -

Rather than reinvent the wheel, you will find useful information and answers to your questions at this site: http://www.boytoy.com/forums/index.php?/topic/23958-medellin/ Good luck -

The recommendation from tomcal relative to your shyness over visiting the Brazilian saunas is an excellent suggestion. As he said, your concern over extra weight is not an issue in the Brazilian saunas. Clients in the Brazilian saunas come in all shapes and sizes. You mentioned street trade as an alternative to meeting garotos in the saunas. While it is possible that you could meet garotos on the street, it is extremely dangerous to chose the street trade over the safety of meeting garotos in the saunas. In the saunas, it is unlikely that you will be robbed or worse. You have the protection of other garotos who want to protect their ongoing income derived from working in the sauna. You also have the protection of management and sauna employees who would expel any garoto who tried to harm a client while in the saunas. Remember, most garotos depend on working in the saunas for a major portion of their income. They do not want trouble in the saunas because trouble can cause clients to stay away from the saunas, which is not good for business. On the other hand, if you were to choose the “street trade” for meeting garotos, you have little to no protection for safety. In Rio, the street trade, unless you know the areas well, is especially dangerous for a “gringo” which we (as foreigners) are classified while in Brazil. The street trade in Sao Paulo is less dangerous than the street trade in Rio. In Sao Paulo, the areas of street trade are usually patrolled by the police which tend to lessen the danger of being robbed while on the streets negotiating with a potential garoto. There are one-hour motels in most large cities in Brazil where you can take a garoto that you meet from the street trade. Those hourly hotels require garotos to leave their identification at the front desk as a safety to the client. The garoto retrieves his identification when you both leave the hotel, assuming that you, the client, are okay when you both leave. If you decide that you cannot accept the sauna as your method to meet garotos and if you decide that the street trade is the method you will use, NEVER, ever take a garoto from the streets to your regular hotel (even if the hotel will allow a garoto to your room). While you are together in your regular hotel room with a garoto from the streets, anything can happen, especially bad things. I do not mean at one-hour hotels - I mean if you can get a street trade garoto into your regular hotel room you loose a major safety factor. If you meet a garoto in the saunas (rather than on the street) and after you get to know the garoto a while) you can invite that garoto to your hotel (with relative safety). You mentioned the possibility of visiting another South American country during your upcoming one-month long trip to Brazil. Rather than visit another country, why not visit other cities in Brazil? Sao Paulo is only one hour away from Rio via aircraft. Porto Alegre, depending on the routing you take, can be reached in about two hours via aircraft. Those two cities are very different from Rio. Those two cities also have saunas that are great, but above all, are safe. Porto Alegre, in addition to the two saunas found in that city, has a fun hustler bar that gets busy after the saunas business slows down in the evening. I have visited Brazil 127 times and I will be returning again in mid September for trip number 128. My many trips to Brazil have taught me things that only time and exposure can teach one. On another note, you mentioned the possibility of two other countries, Colombia and Venezuela. Coincidently, I will be making my first trip to Columbia next week (prior to my returning to Brazil in mid September). I have done a fair amount of research concerning things I want to see and do in Colombia. If I enjoy myself while in Colombia, I will report back here about my experiences and recommendations. Have a wonderful trip to Brazil. -

Even though it is your first trip to Rio, you need not be concerned about having a great time. You will have a great time - Guaranteed. Looking at photos of sauna guys will not benefit you. This is because each day at the saunas there is a different inventory of guys available. Sometimes the "regulars" are in attendance while other times there is an entirely new crop, rarely seen before (or ever again). You merely show up at the sauna. Walk around and you will be approached - again, guaranteed. All you need is the names and addresses of the saunas. With that information, you can take a taxi or learn the Metro to get to the saunas. It is good to be prepared for a trip. However, in the case of enjoying Rio saunas, it is an automatic thing. It does not require learning or instructions. It merely requires your being there. Have a grand time. (You will) -

Thank you for your detailed explanations and opinion. While you presented a good reason for the present economic problems, I must use the old idiom that "reasonable people disagree" when it comes to impeaching the president. Let us assume that she were at fault for the economic downturn and is impeached. What can be done to "un-ring" the horrible economy bell that is ringing loudly throughout Brazil? Like I said earlier, economies have good periods and they have bad periods. Eventually, just as other countries have economic troubles, Brazil's economy will improve. The question is - when will it improve? -

No, I am not joking. I did a lot of reading on the subject and concluded that if the Brazilian people could prove that the president is guilty of an act that warrants impeachment, the impeachment would take place - but it hasn’t - and it won’t. Agencies of Brazil’s federal police and government hired international forensic audit firms to hunt for all assets of the president. All countries that allow foreigners to open bank accounts were included in the examinations. The forensic audit firms found no foreign accounts for the president. By the way, for many years, “numbered accounts” ceased being issued by foreign banks. This precludes any "secret" accounts for the president. An examination of the president’s total net worth disclosed that she has a net worth of approximately $500,000.00 American dollars. She is not even a millionaire. Hardly a person who has shared in bribes and kickbacks. In view of the above reports from both internal Brazilian agencies and external international forensic audit firms, it is obvious that the president did not share in any kickbacks or bribes. Like I said previously, if it could be shown that she was guilty, she would be impeached. Even the Brazilian government and reputable news agencies agree that the president is not guilty of any act that would result in impeachment. The citizens are rightfully unhappy with the poor economy. It is human nature to want to blame someone. However, in the instant case, the people are blaming the wrong person. I, also, have a few Brazilian friends who are feeling the poor Brazilian economy. It is depressing to see these good people go without jobs and money to support their families. Were it not for the money these guys make in the saunas, they would have no money at all. With respect to your comment about posters “crowing” about the high dollar and resultant cheap boys, I must remind you that Canada, at the present time, has a loss of about 30% of its recent value which makes everything (including escorts) cost less for Americans. Economies have gains and economies have loses. Not too many years ago, the U.S. economy was in the slumps and the "burst of the housing bubble" forced America into a recession. Europeans and citizens of certain other countries came to America and enjoyed “cheap” goods and entertainment. Currently, the Euro has depreciated against the U.S. dollar. Ups and downs are just part of life. As the idiom goes, “Make hay while the sun shines.”

You didn't say anything about the bogus "fuel charge" added to some tickets. -

Yesterday was another day of protests in Brazil. Even though the president has been thoroughly investigated and found innocent of any corruption or wrong doing, there are still thousands of angry people calling for her impeachment. While it is true that Brazil has a lot of economic problems, the problems were not caused by the president. It is a case of needing to blame someone - whoever is in charge - that person must be blamed and driven out of office. Here is an article from today's Rio Times - it gives more details about the demonstrations: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-brazil-against-rousseff/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29 -

American Airlines has a non stop from Miami to Medellin - The flight arrives a little after noon. When you leave Medellin, you return, again non stop, to Miami in the early afternoon.

Too bad the place was not busy and exciting. Just like in the Brazilian saunas, at Black and White, there are good days and there are bad days. -

Several years back, I would have said Varig was the best air carrier for Brazil. However, Varig no longer operates as a named carrier. Varig was merged into GOL. The three main existing air carriers offer pretty much the same fares, depending on when you travel and when you buy the ticket. There is GOL, TAM and Azul. If you book flights on-line and early enough, it is possible to get some very reasonable fares. There is also a bargain that is not often advertised. It is called -TAM and/or GOL Air Pass. Here is a link that explains the rules for the air passes. Depending on your travel desires, it is possible to save a fair amount of money using these air passes. http://www.brol.com/airpass/ As you can see from the link, a minimum of four flights within Brazil must be booked with the Brazil air pass. When I first started traveling to Brazil, I used to buy these passes fairly often. It was a way to see lots of cities within Brazil. The old rules were less restrictive before the present rules were initiated. The new rules with GOL, allow a passenger to see not just Brazil but other parts of South America in addition to Brazil. See the link to learn the appropriate rules for each pass. -

I hope you meet one of the loves of your life at Black and White. -

DEPENDING ON WHICH ARTICLE IS READ, ONE GETS DIFFERENT ANSWERS AND OPINIONS ABOUT THE CLEANLINESS OR LACK OF CLEANLINESS OF THE RIO BAYS - CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FROM THE MIRROR IN THE U.K.: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/athletics/rio-2016-olympics-one-year-6199625 -

I have never liked sauna Adan beginning with my first visit several years ago. I first went there with friends. The employee at the check in counter was incredibly rude and argumentative. After we entered, we were assigned lockers and all. When we went to change into sauna attire, the bizarre employee came out of his office space and began to shout at us to hurry and change and go into the bar area. After we explained to the nut that there were several other clients near our assigned lockers who were changing, he still continued to argue with us about hurrying. We thought is best to continue to wait and allow the other clients to finish changing rather than force our way in between them to change. Our decision to continue waiting angered the employee more. He came back out of his office space each minute to resume the shouting about our hurrying to change to sauna attire. While we were waiting (maybe five minutes), we noticed this same bizarre employee going up to various sauna guys and to other clients demanding that they either move to a different area of the sauna, buy a drink or be expelled from the sauna. We stayed at the sauna for a while but were not at all comfortable in a place where the in-charge employee behaved so badly to clients and to sauna guys. At one point, one of the clients in the sauna came up to us and told us to ignore that "loco" employee. However, it is difficult to ignore someone who repeatedly approaches you and is yelling nonsense at you. On later trips to Madrid, I returned several times to sauna Adan. I was hoping that the atmosphere in the sauna would be different. Although the loco employee was no longer there, each later time I visited sauna Adan, I never felt comfortable nor did my friends feel comfortable. Maybe I am spoiled by the sauna Thermas in Barcelona or the many saunas in Brazil compared to the piece of garbage called sauna Adan. In short, sauna Adan is the only rent boy sauna in Madrid and you have to "take it or leave it" which is what many people do (leave it). What a contrast this place is to the wonderful sauna Thermas in Barcelona. In Madrid, there is an alternative to sauna Adan. The alternative is the hustler bar Black and White that some people report as a problem. I have been there many times and I have never had a problem there. The only negative thing about Black and White is that is does not get busy until midnight or later. In summary: Sauna Adan in Madrid = awful Sauna Thermas in Barcelona = wonderful

Thanks The alphabetic letters are getting smaller. I will go to the eye doctor for a new prescription, straight away. -

The new Sao Paulo monorail is available for limited times during the day. The cost is R$3.50 (about one U.S. dollar per ticket). Check out the below cited article all the excuses given for the delays: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-real-estate/brazil-launches-first-monorail-in-sao-paulo-after-delays/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29

What smile? There is no photo shown, that I can see. -

How true that is. Most of them make promises but do not deliver. They are generally the most pushy of the guys at the Thermas. -

The Barcelona festival you mentioned lasts until August 16. If your trip continues, you can be confident that the sauna will continue to be filled with a great selection of working guys. I know that sauna well. The remodel of the sauna a couple or a few years ago makes for a cheerful place. I have had many great times in that sauna and still keep contact with some of the working guys, many of whom, advertise on Plantetromeo, in addition to working in the sauna. Even though most of the working guys leave the sauna by nine o’clock, some of the guys actually sleep at the sauna. The sauna is open 24 hours a day. As you know, there is no charge for the rooms on the cruising floor. The guys who did not score a client or those who are short of money or no place to go, can sleep at night at the sauna for the admission price they paid for sauna access. They can close the room door, get some sleep and have shower facilities when they wake. If they are lucky, they will score a client the next day, without paying entrance again, since they are already in the sauna. I have talked with working guys that have done that. I hope your stay in Barcelona continues to be amazing.