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I was just in New Zealand for a few weeks. Amazing country to visit with stunning scenery and great people. I was traveling with friends so I didn't hook up. I was surprised by the number of guys advertising on grindr, some quite cute, for fun with "rewards welcome" which indicates $$. Chatted with a couple but didn't waste their time since I really couldn't get away to hook up. All were very nice.

Planning my first trip to Barcelona this summer. It sounds like Sauna Thermas is great and I am looking forward to checking it out. I will try not to raise my expectations too high so as to be disappointed. Since it is my first trip to Spain I will be splitting my time between Barcelona, Stiges, and Madrid and doing a lot of tourist things as well as visiting friends. The sauna scene will definitely be a nice addition to my trip but not the whole purpose. That being said--are there any nights that are so dead at Thermas I should not waste my time? I understand Friday, Saturday are the best nights but what about the other nights?

Not sure if has improved at Thermas California but on each time I have visited, there were at least a half dozen or so working guys--unlike Dragon Club which has only had one or two. I really can't figure out Fortaleza. It has so many gorgeous guys walking around and from what I hear bisexuality is even more common in the Northern Region of Brazil but the sauna scene for working guys has always been disappointing.

Uber is good in the city but sometimes traffic can be crazy there. Don't be afraid to try the Metro which has a stop close to your hotel It's much more efficient for getting around CDMX and is cheap, safe, and somewhat of a cultural experience! You can even ride the Metro back to the airport.

Maybe try Thermas California. More working guys there.

I seem to remember one of the historic plazas being populated with hustlers in the early evening hours. My friend from Lima told me that that is where guys went sell themselves. Since I was with group I didn't have a chance to pick anyone up. Sorry I can't remember the details but there is a scene there.

Lots of guys making out on park benches in the city as this article describes. https://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-city-pda-capital-20190408-story.html

BB bar a few doors from your hotel has strippers that you can hire for private dances. There can be great looking guys there or just so so depending on the night. It gets started around midnight. That whole street is packed with clubs and if you are willing to buy a few beers for the guys it can often lead to something else. Grindr is also active. I love Mexico city and I am sure you will enjoy your stay.

Depending on which rate you get it can include breakfast. I love the fact that breakfast is served until noon.

Roommate Valentina on Amberes. Right in the middle of the gay clubs in Zona Rosa so if you are a light sleeper the noise might bother you. Higher floors are pretty quiet. Although a smaller Boutique style hotel never had a problem with guests. It is gay owned and gets great reviews on Trip Advisor.

Hi there--I enjoyed your postings about Santo Domingo. I travel to the DR at least once a year. I was wondering if the guys ever hit you up for money after you've left with the usual story about the sick grandmother, etc. I've travelled a lot of places in Latin America and Asia and in my experience the Dominicans I've met have been the most persistent in asking for money via email or messages even when you say no 3 times! It makes me want to avoid the temporary boyfriend experience that you describe when visiting there in the future.

Here is the story about the shooting in Ipanema during Carnival--just down from the gay beach. https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rio-de-janeiro-registers-seventy-shootings-during-carnival/

Already a day after carnival things are much calmer and returning to normal. You still need to be careful but it feels much more relaxed.

I am here in Rio now and Carnival is over tonight. As a USA friend who lives here said--Carnival is the best and worst of Rio--and I tend to agree having been here for four Carnivals. On the good side the city is generally in a festive mood with street parties everywhere and many people wearing costumes that are amazing or some just simple and fun. There are lots of hot guys in gender bending costumes that adds to the eye candy. The saunas have been full of guys and the party is full on there! The Sambadrome where the floats that make Carnival so famous is really an incredible spectacle that I never get tired of. There is a gay party on Friday night of Carnival that gives you front row seats and open bar with admission called Candybox. You can buy tickets online a few months before. There were heavy rains earlier in Carnival this year but it didn't stop the party. One final good note---city services and trash collection seemed to be pretty organized and cleaned up effeciently after the big events--unlike a previous year I attended when they chose Carnival to go on strike. On the bad side crime and yes violence is rampant. First day of Carnival I saw tear gas fired by police at Ipanema to break up crowds causing people to panic. Another night I was walking on Farme de Amoedo and someone attempted to rob me--but since I had nothing with me they got nothing(this was an aggressive grab in my pocket while I was distracted by three twinks whom I suspect were working with the guy. My cell and most of my money were locked away in my apartment). Two other well traveled friends had their cell phones taken within hours of arriving( one wall pulling it out to call an Uber). Tonight several local guys told me that 5 people were shot in a fight between "gangsters" and police at the beach in Ipanema just down from the gay beach toward the Arpoador--and again more tear gas fired. Since I did not see this incident I cannot confirm it. What i did see tonight was a big fight on Farme de Amoedo that spilled into Gallitos Grill despite metal barriers with several staff joining in and customers fleeing. Police eventually arrived and occupied the restaurant with about 20 officers standing guard. Well for me that was the end of the party. I still have a lot of fun at carnival but it is a crazy time in the city and I really feel it is not the best time for someone's first trip to Rio. Anyway I thought I would share my observations.

No--this was a bar in an old building in Centro. The building itself felt like it was going to fall down--especially when the band got cranked up and people started jumping up and down on the dance floor. I heard about the place from someone at one of the saunas and checked it out. It was quite a fun and different scene even if you didn't participate in the activities going on on the balcony.

There is a bar in Rio that becomes gay only for Carnival. It is in Centro and I'm told the site used to be a funeral home. It has a live band playing on the first floor and the balcony overlooking the dance floor is quite frisky with guys having full on sex while watching the music and dancing below. I was there a few years ago and can't remember the name or address of the place. Does anyone know it?

If it's a nice facility and well run it will get there. There is definitely a clientele for the old MM "boy next door" types.

Does Manny have any leaner twink type guys or are they all tending toward the bigger muscle type guys?

Tomcal you should open a Brazilian style sauna there!

I hope in the short term aggressive policing tactics don't actually inflame the situation and lead to more aggressive tactics by the criminals. All the police in the world won't stop crime unless the criminals decide not to commit crimes anymore. I echo what other posters have said--my friends in Rio have said that there has been a change in Rio--what was always a bit dangerous has become much more so. That being said I will continue to visit and will only go out with what I can afford to lose and be prepared to give it up at the first sign of trouble.

Glad you are ok Tom. I am in Thailand currently and it is like night and day in terms of security. You can walk anywhere at any hour and not worry about someone assaulting you--much less with a gun. It got me thinking why Brazil is so different in this regard. They have many of the same issues here--division of wealth, weak law enforcement, and so on. I guess the difference must be their mostly Buddhist upbringing. I'll continue to visit and love Rio as a vacation destination but I know longer think about retiring there as I once did. I can't imagine living full-time in a place where you can't pull your phone out in public for fear of getting held up--but that's what the Cariocas have to put up with.

I was in a gay club in southern California and I met a gay Brazilian that lives here who is a strong passionate supporter of Bolsonaro. His take was that the parties in power while paying lip service to gays had also been corrupt and thieves. He also said that anti-gay violence in Brazil is the highest rate in the world(not sure if this is true or not)--and that Bolsonaro would finally do something about the violence and crime for everyone in Brazil. He also said that since making it into the runoff Bolsonaro had moderated some of his rhetoric(sounds like a politician to me..). His final comment was that Trump is much worse than Bolsonaro(Although I really don't like Trump I disagree). Bottom line the whole picture is complex and I do not think Brazil was left with good choices. Whoever gets elected president the garotos will be no less gorgeous!

Would you rent a place in Rio from a guy who supports Bolsonaro? My usual go-to rental in Rio is owned by a gay guy who has been posting pro-Bolsonaro posts on his Facebook. I've known the guy for many years and he is a good guy but his recent political leanings have me re-thinking renting from him. On the other hand I want people to be accepting of my political leanings even if they strongly disagree with me and so I am trying to let it go. The fact that an openly gay man would support Bolsonaro is baffling to me but I guess he is just fed up with crime/corruption and sees a better future with this guy in charge--no matter how distasteful.

My experience in Fortaleza saunas has not been great. I have been to Dragon Club a few times and never seen more than one or two working guys on any given night--and that was a Friday/Saturday. It is a beautiful club though. The other major sauna Thermas California might have half a dozen guys in a Friday night--but still nothing like Rio. Their busy night is supposed to be Wednesday but I have never been there on a Wednesday. A few of the guys from this board I've chatted with say that they have much better luck in Fortaleza on grindr or just approaching hot guys on the beach in than they do in the sauna.

Is there any problem bringing guests back? Sometimes these upscale gay owned B+B lodgings cater more to couples and do not want short term visitors.