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SolaceSoul

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Everything posted by SolaceSoul

  1. If one is selling early 80s Madonna paraphernalia, it’s a brilliant name. For a site plagued with posters that think it’s cute to post pornographic photos of young men that look like they could be underage (which could prompt investigatory measures), and other copyrighted photographic images (which could prompt costly legal filings), no, it’s NOT “brilliant”. It’s actually quite the opposite of that. Regarding your comments about competitors or haters making DMCA copyright violation claims, some content owners are very protective of their intellectual property rights — and some make good money protecting them by filing suit against offenders and making settlements. One site (x-art), with a great lawyer, collectively made $10 million in settlement claims by aggressively going after individuals who post their copyrighted images without permission. So, I agree with you on this one point: why would a site webmaster / forum owner allow its members to post such content at all, knowing that the owner, not the poster, will be the one who has to pay for the offense? You’ve been here long enough to know that some posters are just not very smart. Is their moronism worth bankrupting (and/or possibly a federal investigation of) a site owner?
  2. This would be better suited for the LATAM board. I rarely, if ever, view this particular forum. Someone directed me to this post. So I’ll answer your question. The curfew is now 7pm everyday. It was changed sometime in December. The U.S. State Department should give you updates on any curfew changes if you sign up for their SMART Traveler Program, if you’re a US Citizen or resident. All business, including stores, bars and restaurants are shut down for customers at 7, and they stop serving at 6. You can be transitioning to your hike or hotel until 9 pm without getting arrested (yes, they are serious). So you needs to plan accordingly. Uber Eats stil delivers for some restaurants until a little after 9. Uber stops picking up customers after 9 pm. There are some authorized drivers who have passes on their windshields and are allowed to pick passengers up to take them home, to hotels or to airports. If you’re staying at a hotel, they should be able to help you with this. if you want a dare to come over or leave after 9 pm, you’re going to need a hookup with one of those drivers, if the guy doesn’t have one already. Or else it’ll have to be an overnight until 6 am, when curfew lifts. I can’t help you with the adult theatre Cine Lido. Not my cup of tea, and I don’t even think they’re open anyway. But if they are, like everything else, they would have to be shut by 7pm or risk going to Dominican jail.
  3. It’s not even a river. It’s more like a creek. It’s on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, about 30 minute drive. I don’t remember the name. Maybe you can ask Freddy to be direct with you. I said above that it’s similar to going to a picnic or a barbecue in the States. Would you just show up to one of those, uninvited, without a familiar guest? It’s the same with “the river”. Almost everyone who goes there knows each other from the area neighborhood, and probably won’t take too kindly to tourists treating their day of relaxation as a zoo or safari project. If you do choose to go, you’d be wise to be accompanied by a guide who can vouch for you, introduce you, and show you around. Especially since you’ve already stated your more prurient intentions.
  4. “The river” is a nice getaway day trip outside of Santo Domingo where you’ll see many locals having more rural, down home time, and there will be some attractive Dominicans there — similar to a picnic or barbecue in the park in the States. It would be a nice, pleasant enjoyable getaway... with an outside possibility of meeting some available guys. However, Freddy has always had a very active imagination, and likes to use it on new, less suspecting clients — to put it mildly. There is a lot of sunlight between your description of “the river” and the reality of it.
  5. “The evangelical pastor-turned-politician is scheduled to leave office Jan. 1 after losing a reelection bid to his predecessor, Eduardo Paes.” ”Crivella, an ally of President Jair Bolsonaro...” Good riddance to bad rubbish, as they say!
  6. I’m just paying it forward. An expat in the DR from the USA recently opened up a very nice gay hustler bar in Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo. It’s named after him and it’s called Marlowe’s. He owns it and works there along with his regular staff of Dominicanos. His goal is to make it a higher-end version of the old Bar Friends hustler bar. He even has space in the back for clients to play with the “bugarrones”. It’s actually a nice set up, a very modern bar, and hopefully, it will survive the pandemic and more crowds (clients AND hustlers) will start frequenting. It has a ways to go to be the frequented hustler bar with the variety of bugarrones and sankies that would show up to the old Bar Friends and Jay Dee’s. But it’s a start, and with regular patrons and a regular flow of visitors, it should get there. IG page: marlowesbar FB page: Marlowe’s Bar Google Maps: Marlowe’s Address: Calle Arzobispo Nouel 53, Santo Domingo 10210, Dominican Republic
  7. All Brazilian cities have cancelled the normal Carnaval during February 2021, and some have already rescheduled their Carnaval celebrations for July, while Rio considers it. https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-entertainment/it-is-official-carnival-2021-in-sao-paulo-and-salvador-to-occur-from-july-8th-to-11th/
  8. No. Everything isn’t about you. These are private Facebook groups where (majority straight) black men discuss their travel — a number of them are straight whoremongers and sex tourists that travel for women, the way many men in a group like this one are sex tourists for men. The black gay men that are in these groups don’t really discuss their sexcapades.
  9. He’s been going to Brazil several times a year for many years, and is well-known among garotos, clients and sauna employees as a nice, personable, generous guy who doesn’t exactly spend his time counting pennies, lives the good life, and likes a lot of good sex. Did I just crack some secret code for you?
  10. Of course, a winning personality does wonders. However....
  11. Google is all sorts of free today. It must be having a big sale! https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/americas/brazil-coronavirus-cases.amp.html
  12. If you do decide to go, whether alone or with a travel companion, but especially alone under your circumstances, I would recommend a gay tour guide. Fernando Bingre is the best one in the Bahia. He’s all over social media under that name and Bahia Tour Guide or Gay Tour Guide. He has plenty of international tourist clients from all over the world.
  13. I’ve been regularly going to Salvador and the Bahia state for over a decade and it’s absolutely one of my favorite places in the world. I love the people, the history, the food, the culture, the music, the dialect, and yes, the men — and I’m a bit protective of it all. I’ve seen good and bad visitors come and go. I’ve seen people have wondrous experiences and I’ve watched tourists “get got”. From my perspective, I will address your concerns: Safety: No, it’s NOT “safe”, and also, yes it IS “safe”, depending on where you go, who you are, and who you’re with. The touristy area of Barra around the beaches (Porto da Barra and Farol da Barra) and the streets which face it are the safest in the day and relatively safe at night along the beach boardwalk. If you like to put your life on the line, you can try cruising at night around the lighthouse or the small Christ statue, where rough trade and malandros are just waiting with knives for horny gringo turistas. Also, the world-famous UNESCO site the Pelourinho district is nice to visit, but not adviseable to do at night alone if you’re new and stick out like a sore thumb (in recent years, it was being heavily patrolled by police to make it safer for tourists but lately, due to the economy, that’s backed off and the crime and drugs seemed to have taken over once more). So again, use caution — even someone who “fits in” shouldn’t be dumb enough to walk around those dark alleys at night. Areas like Rio Vermelho and Pituba are considered more upscale but may be out of the way for other areas of interest. Remember, there are lots of pockets of favelas all over Salvador, including on the outskirts of Barra, Ondina, Rio Vermelho and Pituba, and while most people are good and honest and frankly, unconcerned about you, there are plenty of poor, desperate people (especially young men) looking to prey on an out-of-place, non-Portuguese-speaking gringo tourist — especially one who is alone and without the benefit of locals. Crime and violence is higher in the Northeast of Brazil, where Salvador is. You can keep your chances of being a statistic down by staying in well-lit, well-traveled tourist areas in the daytime (where you’re a lot more likely to find English speakers), having a local guide for everything else, and sticking to Uber or cabs. If you look Caucasian or Asian, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb in Salvador. Of course, if you open your mouth, it’ll remove all doubt. This won’t matter much in well-traveled touristy areas, but can be a cause for concern elsewhere, which is why traipsing around Salvador alone under these circumstances is not such a good idea. Saunas: They’re not 117 in Rio or Lagoa in São Paulo. Perhaps they are more comparable to 202, but not on its busiest nights. Salvador is of a slower pace. The atmosphere is more laid-back, and the garotos de programa there are fewer and in most cases, more average to slimmer builds (with some exceptions). As mentioned many times before, 90% of the inhabitants of the city are black or mixed with black, so you’ll find a multitude of shades, but not much “white” (branco) there — if that’s what you seek, you should go to Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul. The prices ARE already cheaper in Salvador and in the entire Northeast, so don’t be a dickcheese asshole and try to talk them down too much. The exchange rate would currently make 100 reais around only $17 USD. If you’re haggling over that at a sauna for a sexual encounter with a living, breathing human being, then you are seriously psychologically damaged and ethically compromised. Be prepared to take cabs or Ubers to and from the saunas.
  14. Maybe the twinks and twiggies go for this rate in South Florida. I wouldn’t know, as it’s not my thing. But what is my thing, I DO know, and I am not aware of any muscled, physique or bodybuilder types in South Florida who go for less than $250 USD an hour.
  15. Corrected above In bold. There is a 2 hour edit limit.
  16. This sauna very recently changed its named from Termas Olympus (maybe because of new ownership or new management), which has been around for years. Believe it or not, it has actually gone through a renovation / visual improvement, but in terms of garotos, it’s always been very hit or miss. And every time you go there, the staff will tell you that it just happens to be slow at that time, but it is better later or on another night. Unsurprisingly, it never gets much better! But it sometimes on rare occasions can offer a good diversion, if you happen to be in the area (Tuiuti). This is most likely due to the COVID pandemic. Sauna Fox is usually busier and just as if not more lively than Clube 11, and that was the case during my last visit last year. Because they are on opposite ends of the peninsula, the two saunas tend to get two different neighborhoods of garotos and clients. I rarely see the same garotos at both 11 and Fox. But then again, in Salvador as in all parts of the Bahia and Northeast Brazil, the economy is comparably worse and businesses can often change or close at the drop of a hat. A few years ago, there was a sauna called Persona 12 that had the most beautiful men from the region. A year later, it was dead. A year later, it was closed. Same thing with many neighborhood gay clubs, bars and restaurants. During the pandemic, I’d expect this to worsen. As another black person in the USA who discovered for himself the beauty, history and kinship of Salvador and the Bahia over a decade ago (it was the first place in Brazil I ever visited) beyond just the sex tourism, I am genuinely very glad to read this part of your report. You’ve learned for yourself why an increasing number of black Americans (and just from the American South) have fallen in love with Salvador da Bahia and either are moving there permanently or consider it their second home. Salvador is actually the most African place in the world outside of the continent of Africa, and people of African descent from all over the world feel spiritually connected to the city, the Bahian state and its inhabitants. And yes, there ARE definitely things you can learn and experience there as a black person that non-black folks just won’t be able to even if they try to co-opt or colonize. I would move there in a heartbeat if there were work for me in my field (there is not much at all, unfortunately). Liberdade is an amazing comunidade (favela). If you’re invited by a favela resident, you can be welcomed into their parties and even their homes with open arms. What Salvador lacks in public LGBTQ bars and parties, it makes up for in comunidade and favela watering holes, parties and gatherings.
  17. Understandable, but when in Rome...
  18. Not in Brazil. The term “boy” (which in Portuguese is “garoto”) is only used to mean a “garoto de programa”, which is a male prostitute / hooker / escort / call guy. If you hear a BrazilIan Portuguese speaker use the word “boy”, that’s exactly what they mean — NOT the definition that you provided above. You will often hear garotos de programa refer to themselves as “boys”. However, it’s ONLY used in that context in Brazil. Referring to a BrazilIan with that term (“boy”) who is not a garoto de programa could cause you some serious embarrassment, anD perhaps even some physical problems. In the United States, referring to adult black men as “boys” is historically Insulting and highly problematic, but for different reasons from the ones discussed here. Perhaps universally not referring to ANY adult men as “boys” would be a better approach.
  19. Also, I don’t think that most garotos at the saunas identify as gay. My observations over the years are that maybe 90% or above identify as straight (some bi) and are just gay-for-pay or gay-for-the-stay. Maybe another poster with plenty of experience at the saunas can chime in if they think my numbers are off. Gay men looking for other gays for sex can go to the non-payboy saunas in Brazil, of which there are quite a few. There are plenty of regular, run-of-the mill, “guy next door” type gay guys at those kinds of saunas, the kind you might see as a customer at a regular gay bar in Brazil — and then, you can really put your attractiveness and charm to the test, since money is not a motivator. Rio G Sauna in Ipanema in Rio is one, Wild Thermas or Chili Pepper in São Paulo are two others, Sauna Rios or Paradise in Salvador are some others.
  20. I think good sex is all in the head, so if your partner is not someone you would be very attracted to or turned on by, you’re less likely to think the sex is great. Or maybe that’s me! Some people are just wired to be (or maybe are trained or conditioned to be) sexually attracted to specific types, while others have broader sexual tastes. I can give examples from my Immediate social circle of wolves — one likes hairy, swarthy Mediterranean / Arab types; another is only into smooth twinks; another likes tall, dark, skinny basketball player types with huge dicks; another likes short, fire hydrant-height bottoms; another likes street trade with “character faces”; another wants them to look like a model fresh out of GQ Magazine; the last one wants to get fucked by anything with a huge dick, looks be damned! I prefer masculine, muscular men, dark or olive-skinned. Sometimes, my friends and I can overlap in what we like, but not that often. One of my friends told me that “I’m missing out on the good twinks”, yet I remain unmoved. I try to get him into one of my favorite guys, and he says “there’s nothing that a statue can do for me”. As one of my good friends likes to say, variety is the spice of life.
  21. Hello, Babybear: I have spent quite a bit of time all over Brazil over the last decade, and continue to do so. I’m a bit hesitant to delve again into pricing discussions here because oddly, some posters seem to equate the amount of money they pay for sex (whether it’s a smaller or a larger amount) with their self-worth or their physical attractiveness — and it has to do with neither of those things (It’s purely transactional. Stop. The End.) Nevertheless, regarding overnights with garotos de programa in Brazil, I will provide you with my personal experience and the experience of my travel partners (all of whom vary in physical appearance and personal tastes in men, but are in the same socioeconomic class in the USA and Europe): Asking prices for pernoite (overnights) can vary widely — depending on what Brazilian city you’re in, the demand of the garoto from other clients, how he looks and his self-perceived value. In general, the “guy next door types” / average guys / twinks will expect and cost less, while the Greek Gods / body boys / muscle guys : supermodels / “Beach Barbies” expect and ask for more. (I suspect that at least one of the garotos that quoted you the 800 - 1000 R range fit in the latter category — or at least perceived himself to be In it.) Also, consider that some garotos, due to family or other obligations, do not even like or want to do overnights, and consider pricing them simply on a time basis (by the hour, instead of pernoite), and thus, will charge accordingly. So again, it depends. I have seen or have been quoted overnight prices from anywhere from $200R to $2000R. Yes, I said $2000R. Now, I don’t know anyone who admitted to actually paying that amount out — I certainly did not — but that was the garoto’s quoted overnight price. A good rule of thumb is to follow the 80/20 rule. High 3 figures to 1000 reais in SP and RJ is not an unusual overnight asking price for a number of the “Greek God” types. Estimated about 10% will ask in this range. The lower range of around 200R or so from the average “guy next door” or “man on the street” types is probably around another 10%. But in the mid 3 figures (which would include your expected range of 400 R, but that’s usually a variable, not a hard and fast number), you should be able to happily secure an overnight with about 80 percent of the available garotos, which should include a wide range of looks and body types. (Prices are generally less in the North and NE regions of Brazil. It should not be shameful, insane, indentured servitude less, but slightly less due to cost of living differences.)
  22. For severe COVID-19 illness, hospital treatment is care to support lung and other vital organ functions. You’re suggesting that respirators and ventilators, and not the actual complications due to COVID-19, are the cause of death for those with serious advanced COVID -19 illness? Or are you asserting that clinical trials of Remdesivir and convalescent plasma are killing hospitalized COVID patients? Here is Mount Sinai’s current protocol for treatment for patients with COVID-19. Why don’t you take a look and tell us which currently medically approved procedure for managing the care of patients infected with COVID-19 is, in your opinion, actually their cause of death. https://www.mountsinai.org/files/MSHealth/Assets/HS/About/Coronavirus/MSHS-Treatment-Guidelines-COVID.pdf
  23. WHAT “treatment”? There currently is no effective treatment for COVID-19. Where are you getting your information from?
  24. Hello, Alaskabear. i have been going to Salvador regularMy since 2009. My last visit was late last year, pre-pandemic. Unless there have been some drastic decor or design changes, that is not Club 11 (formerly Planetario), Sauna Fox or Sauna Olympus. I have never been to the Thermas Clube 13 near the airport. so I can’t speak on that one. I’d also point out that, since he’s in shorts, the photo was probably not taken at a sauna (although some garotos do wear shorts, it’s less common).
  25. There is a saying in Brazilian Portuguese that in English, translates best as “The finger is worth more than the ring.” Putting it bluntly, some malandros will cut off a finger just to get to the ring, or slice an ear just to grab the earring. Or slice the wrist to take the watch, or the neck to grab the necklace. A few meters away, most cannot tell the difference between a cheap watch / necklace / ring and an expensive one. They’ll only find out after they grabbed it off you and ran away, and hopefully for your sake, you weren’t sliced or diced up in the process. I am entering my 11th straight year of going to Brazil, and about half of those visits are months-long stays. I wouldn’t advise a new traveler to behave as familiar with the place as I do, and even after more than a decade, I am not cavalier. One can still enjoy Brazil and exercise caution. I think it’s important, @Tomcal, for us both to disclose to new(er) posters here that, even as much as we love Brazil and as much as we travel there and feel “familiar”, we have both “gotten got” (been victims of crimes, or attempted at least). Yours (as you posted before) was by gunpoint outdoors in very upscale Ipanema. Mine was a snatch and grab (by a malandro on a bike) in broad daylight at the edge of Copanema and Ipanema. I know more brasileiros and regular-visiting foreigners who HAVE gotten got than have not. I also have a good friend who has been robbed on the streets of São Paulo three of the last four times he has visited. Some things are avoidable, but sometimes it’s just a numbers game and when it’s your time, it’s your time. Don’t wear a target on your shirt and tempt fate.
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