ihpguy

Bloomberg is showing 4.178 thus evening.

Another batch of photos First of the hotel room Two from Evita's family tomb Inside LaBiera this interesting sculpture Pink Flamingos - not the John Waters film Fountain at the entrance to the Palermo Zoo Thiago being swallowed by a tree, not me Santiago Calatrava bridge on the waterfront, old barquentine on the right And terribly sorry, I haven't a clue how to rotate these photos, just posting them took me over an hour.

Here are some photos from the Mio Buenos Aires and La Cabrera parilla

I cannot remember how long ago it was, but I remember posting about the private militias of retired armed forces, fire and police and their protection rackets. This is a further step. About three weeks back there was an announcement in the papers about the cancellation of a large numbers of bus routes from the Zona Sul(South) and Zona Oeste(West) into Centro(Downtown) and the Zona Norte (North) with one reason to make it more difficult to travel from one side of the city to the other. Last summer, the proposed arrastoes were even being posted on Facebook. The reason that the police cannot stop the adolescents from invading the Zona Sul is because of a recent judicial ruling preventing untoward intimidation from anyone traveling into the southern areas, Ms. Ann .

Thiago had a day off over this past weekend so I started to look for flights with good times and decent last-minute fares. Montevideo had nothing good. Ditto Foz do Iguacu. The fares to Salvador were higher than to BA. Aerolineas Argentinas had the best prices and times. The drive out to Ezeiza is longer than to Galeao here in Rio. But with the low price of the Argentine peso it was only about US$30.00 each way. I had read some awful trip reports about them over the years but out flight out was only 15 minutes late and the flight back only pushed back five minutes late. Beware that US and Canadian citizens need to get a visa for $160,00 before departure. It is good for ten years. All because of the USA. A reciprocity fee. I spent more than normal for an incredible boutique hotel in Recoleta about 1 block from the cemetery where Evita Duarte Peron can be found. Hotel Mio Buenos Aires. Contempoary design boutique hotel with only thirty rooms and a spa. Very very nice. As to gay life, I really wanted to see the gay tango show. I think Axiom had mentioned something about it being far out of the city. Not at all. In the San Telmo neighborhood. But the show as of now at Le Marshall only takes place on Fridays. We arrived Saturday at 4:30AM and left Monday night at 9:45PM so out of luck. I did some research and found three bar discos to hit. We started at Bar Flux at just after Midnight and the place was dead. It also didn't seem too large. Maybe 10 or 15 guys at that time. So we headed over to Kilometro Zero at about 12:45AM. The place had a nice crowd and only got busier and busier. There was a drag show for ninety minutes and then there were two male and two female strippers and almost everyone dancing. We left at about 4:45am We never got around to what is rated as the #1 spot in B.A. Sitges Bar/Disco Interesting that at KM Zero most everyone ordered bottles of spirits or champagne with mixers. Much less expensive than by the drink. Cover charge was 100 Argentine pesos or about $11.00US. Cheap night relatively speaking. Drinks in Rio are more expensive at a place like 40 Graus in Lapa on Rua Riachuelo. As to sex, well, I had Thiago with me so it wasn't something that concerned me. Thiago and I do agree that Argentines are much better-looking than the "unfortunate" Chileans. We both found the Portenos much more well-mannered than Cariocas. I am a fan of fine leather so that was on my agenda for part of one of the days. On Saturday, we walked and taxied and ended up in Palermo Soho at a Trip Advisor top 50 restaurant, the parilla/steak house La Cabrera, for a large lunch. It was really very good, but with more investigation I probably could have found someplace else just as good, less expensive and not as touristy. We worked off lunch by walking a bit to a three block stretch of outlet leather shops with good prices. Murillo 600 is the address at the start. Near a metro stop as well. If you go to BA, bring Dollars or Euros, as there are two exchange rates in existence. The official was around 9.10 and the street rate used in many shops and restaurants was 15.60, more or less. Sunday was spent visiting various parks in the city including the waterfront where there are a couple of floating museum ships, a schooner and a barquentine. After a nap and fun time, the concierge directed us to a famous late night place with nice food from breakfast through late supper. La Biera, Across the street from the park containing Recoleta Cemetary. On our last afternoon I passed a factory leather store that had some nice things a half block from our hotel. Nice quality. Good service. And they charged my credit card through a bank in Miami so I got the street rate even using a credit card. We spent about three hours at the zoo in Palermo. Really very nice. A bit like Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo with buildings right on the park, but older and more interesting pavilions architecturally.

Thanks for posting the two videos. I was in Buenos Aires over the weekend and had only seen parts of the second video. I had heard nothing about the incidents that also happened in Botafogo, Humaita and Barra da Tijuca. In 2014 I was on a bus going from Ipa, through Copa towards Centro, where the kids got wild and were jumping in and out of the windows and making life scary. Not a pleasant memory.

The article pasted in is from 2007. A while ago concerning Sauna Altarosas. The scary thing to me about being in an arrastao or just surrounded by a small group of poor and pooisbly violent adolescents is that they have nothing to lose. The Brasilian penal system will just give them a slap on the wrist, no jail time as long as no serious injuries or killings. No decent job prospects. Poor or total lack of education. No money to do anything for entertainment. Either they sit on the front porch, watch the tube, play video games, have sex and get pregnant or smoke cheap grass and sniff cheap coke. Probably don't even have the monthly fee to join a cheap gym.

There's video but I don't know how to post. Sorry. It shows some frightening violent tendencies. Very sad.

The beach in Copacabana suffered a major arrastão yesterday. This is the invasion of a large marauding band of youths, normally arriving by bus from the Zona Norte and Baixada Fluminense. Because of the economy and mack of opportunity, a way to get swag to sell and pawn or just use for poor adolescents. And because of their ages, the police don't have a reason to arrest. And the government prosecutors have no reason to take them to trial. The justices will just let most off with a slap on the wrist. Personally, I've always felt safer in Ipa on the beach between Texeira de Melo and Farme de Amoedo than anywhere near either side of Arpoador or Copacabana. Take care, visitors.

At Meio Mundo in Rio, the shows usually start between 9pm and 9:30pm. There are two to three groups of clients. The early clients, those who arrive after work and the third who come later for the show. The third group generally do not get undressed The first group gas left before the show has started. The second group in towels does not get dressed to watch the show.

Axiom2001,and poster, although I didn't hire when I visited Chile, brought Thiago with me, it was still a fascinating and interesting trip. Santiago is much closer to being in a city in Europe than Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, And worth going with or without prearranged date

Santiago was nice to visit, great walking on the Avenida, fun zoo on the hill and museums in the park, best of all was the easy driving through the wine country and discovering the smaller coastal villages south of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, just to the north. A beachside Beverly Hills. I regret not making it up to the Atacama or south to the Lakes region. If my cardiologist ever permits, the Atacama is on my bucket list.

The Horti Fruiti fruit and vegetable market chain here, owned by Grupo Pao de Acucar, will no longer except cards that do not have chips in them, Every morning at their opening all of the staff, and I mean all of the staff, managers, drivers, cashiers, stockers, baggers, sweepers all stop what they are doinf and sing the company start the day strong. A REALLY FUN MOMENT. I've taped it on my phone but don't have a clue how to post it.

A friend sent me a youtube like when this same thing happened a couple of years back. I don't know if the theft occurred the same way or not. But it seemed to be about the same thing. When I went into the branch it was not during business hours. I was the only one in the agencia vestibule. BIG MISTAKE #1 Only do a withdrawal during normal business hours with lots of people around. Odds that anything will happen are greatly reduced. After I started my transaction, someone young came in to the agencia and went to the other side. I though nothing of it. I inserted the card, punched my numbers, and the machine shut down. BIG MISTAKE #2 I left. I should have stayed with the machine and stayed there until someone else arrived. After leaving unsuccessfully, the other person came to my machine and withdraws a very thin paper card with a magnetic strip, looks exactly like the disposable parking passes given out in US parking garages. The paper is so slim that when a card is inserted one cannot even tell it is there copying your data. After I left, my card was used within 20 minutes and 40 minutes of my attempted transaction and receipt of declined transaction. Going to Santos Dumont or Galeao was a withdrawal I feel much safer as there is such a large movement of people, I assume that the thief must come to the machine right after you to withdraw the copied paper card. BASIC WARNING: Never place your card (or anything else of yours) in any hole(human or mechanical) that doesn't look right. I'd estimate that most in the center of Rio de Janeiro Banco do Brasil and Bradesco branches have many assistants or guards in the lobby during business hours. My two thefts happened at about 6:50AM on a weekday and 8:15AM on a Sunday, both in the city. The center. The Santander branch by Meio Mundo has a guard until after 6PM. The Banco do Brasil has a guard until 4PM or so. The Bradesco between the two on Praca Pio X has one as well. A few Brasdesco and Banco do Brasil branches that I use in Copa and Ipa do as well. My fault in using Santander and HSBC outside if business hours. Ive used the machines at Santos Dumont at various off hours with no fear, There is so much movement there I have always felt the odds of anything happening are significantly reduced.

First, it took me forever to get a new debit card from my US Bank. It turns out that the Alfandega/Customs House is operating on a semi-strike basis here, in the US called the blue flu or what is called here a greve branca. My first card sent never made it to me by regular mail, now at five weeks. And my normal bank statement which was generated on the same day arrived two weeks ago. So I requested another be send via FedEx. It took 48 hours for the FedEx mailing envelope to be cleared by the Alafandega, Times here are tough and getting tougher. My new card has a smart chip embedded.

I went to Meio Mundo last night and it was like the difference between night and day. My friend visiting from Germany wanted to head over there after ArtRio in the restored warehouses near the Praca Maua. I got there about 4:45PM and the place was busier and just kept on getting busier until about 7:00PM or so when a few from the first group of Garotos de Programa started to head out. There were probably 12 clients and 35 GDP at 5:30 or 6:00. The dry sauna was working. The urine smell in the shower room was gone. Lots and lots of new guys. A very few of the ones from a while back. Tops, bottoms, muscular, thin, light and dark skinned. Something for everyone. Prices are still the same. Brasilians pay 50-60. Foreigners pay 80. As I came in a Torontoan was leaving and we chatted a bit in the locker area. He had been quoted 80 and paid that. The boy wanted 150 to cum. He declined. Acyr and Jorge seemed to have signed up for satellite TV so there are a better selection of movies on the tube downstairs.

I have now had the opportunity of using Easy Taxi four times. All when I was in the Zona Norte and there were not either any circling passing taxis nor cooperativo taxi stands. The power center behind Norte Shopping in Cachambi to be precise. It worked like a charm. My biggest fear with the taxis down here as to get in one with a rigged taximetro/meter. Little recourse. Am I really going to get into an argument and risk a fight/bodily injury over 30 Reais/US$8.00? Try to flag down someone from the Guarda Municipal or Policia Militar and waste lots of time filing a protest? I have on a couple of occasions told the taxi driver his meter didn't read right and the trip to the airport should be x number of reais and his meter wasn't correct. And at the airport there are police right there. So he agreed with what I offered and took off QUICKLY with ZERO complaints. But how many foreign travelers who don't speak Portuguese are going to do that? (Let me add that I even complained once after being charged in an elegant restaurant in Geneva Switzerland when simple table water was charged to the bill for EACH glass. I told them I wasn't paying the bill and they could call the police to decide if they didn't want to take the 6 glasses of water off of the bill for the three of us. I won that round. Better to have peace in a restaurant than a raving crazy American tourist screaming in terrible French mixed with English and German for the polizei to come help.) So it seems that both Easy and 99 are great Apps. The taxi drivers still get their clients. The government still gets their taxes. The vehicles still get their inspections. We get taxi drivers who are known and registered with Easy and 99. I still try to find a taxi with a cooperativo decal on the left and right rear quarter panels, But no longer have a rule against getting into one or worry so much about a rigged meter.

Thanks. Way better than the Rio Times puff pieces.

The unions are very strong here. Easy Taxi and 99 Taxi work well. It was either in June or July here in Rio that the taxi drivers staged a protest and closed down the Aterro and access to the Zona Sul.

This is a good basic story about pollution and lack of sewage treatment here. It is a shame that the article didn't go into more depth about the problems. Only two of the 1000 favelas here are even mentioned. Hardly a mention of the lack of connections to the city's water treatment facilities. Nor that building inspectors for years have taken payoffs to look the other way and not required the new construction in Recreio and Barra da Tijuca to connect up to CEDAE, the metropolitan water company. Just under three minutes of video and 17 photos showing how dirty some parts of Guanabara Bay really are. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/87ec7a2c6bf84ed09d4a6861fd17c753/away-olympics-sewage-blights-vast-swaths-rio

I went to Meio Mundo last night with the friend who is visiting me here. Thought it would be nice to report even if I didn't partake The early crowd of boys was almost nonexistent. We got there about 4PM, Maybe 4 or 5 boys and about the same number of clients. Boys started to arrive at about 4:30PM or so. No one very interesting. One guy Enzo from Sampa who normally works at 117. I didn't stay past 5:15PM, At that point, 14 boys and 10 clients. As it was Independence Day here, and almost everything in Centro was closed, I didn't know if it even would be worth sticking around on the chance guys would show up later. The state of the building is not great. One of the 2 client's bathrooms is broken. Dry sauna is out of circulation. And the steam sauna was so weak, I could have fallen asleep inside and my heart problems wouldn't have cropped up. There must be another sewage blockage as the shower area on the first floor smelled like an open urinal. The crew that runs the place is nice. Acyr and Jorge must be too busy with Point.

For now, at 117, the first suite free is only for the rest of September. Yesterday morning I went by the original Estacao as I was leaving the Metro, Building is for sale if anyone has an interest. Some rent saunas that have gone bye-bye include Roger's, Spa 73, Spazio 18, the enormous Caracala and the one in centro on Rua da Quitanda that lasted about a month.

They sell adapters on the street here for 5 Reais.

I went with a friend to 117 last night. Lasted 3 minutes in the steam sauna before my problems reoccurred, I stayed for a bit less than 30 minutes. A rough count had more clients than boys last night. The special is free suites all night on Tuesday. First suite free on Wednesday through Saturday. Zero specials on Sunday. Advertisement states for September only. They have done some work inside. The men's locker room floor has been totally retiled in granite. Ditto on the walls in the showers. They are still in the process of doing the floor it seems as the entire area was bare concrete. There are a couple of signs that ask for understanding as things are still in the works.

Club 117 Rua Candido Mendes, 117 Gloria www.netgay.com.br/club117.htm New Meio Mundo Rua Teofilo Otoni, 18 Centro www.saunameiomundo.com.br New Point 202 Rua Siqueira Campos, 202 Copacabana www.saunas/point.htm Termas Estacao Rua Paulo Barreto, 119 Botafogo