SolaceSoul

No Bahian in the 21st Century actually calls Tororó or Saúde “Nazaré”. That would be like calling Harlem “Washington Heights”, just because they’re both uptown. Sometimes, in efforts to come across as “smarter than the average bear”, one can just seem douchey or smarmy. It helps to chat and interact with (and actually listen to) more locals and less gringos, and rely less on impersonal online reading material. Moving on: In previous posts about Salvador, I briefly mentioned an older payboy sauna called Olympus. It’s in the Centro neighborhood of Tuitui, which is slightly east of Av. Sete de Setembro intown. For years, it has been a hit-or-miss proposition, not very well-appointed and not too many garotos or clients. Out of curiosity, since I was in the neighborhood, I went by Olympus and was impressed with the vast redecoration job done downstairs. I was also told by staff and working boys that Fridays and Saturdays are busy nights at this smaller sauna. I went on a late Sunday afternoon and saw about 5 working garotos — 2 of which, IMHO, were worth my hiring, Sauna Olympus has been around for quite some time. It’s in a decent (for Salvador) downtown area family neighborhood and is easily accessible by Uber, cab or bus. It’s also within a close driving distance to Clube 11 (in Tororó), so if you’re in the area, on a weekend, a reasonable 2-sauba trip would be Olympus/Clube 11 (or vice versa).

I don’t understand your question at all. It’s all a matter of tastes and I don’t know you as a person or what your preferences are. All I can say is enjoy the city of Salvador and I also like going to its saunas. The two main payboy saunas are nicely appointed but don’t expect the crowds and plethora of physique models like at 117 or Lagoa.

A common setup in the DR is to get underage boys and girls to be seen with tourists acting inappropriately or at the bare minimum, suggestively (sitting on laps, hugging, caressing, etc.). Photos are taken from afar, then the supposed parent and a police officer swoop in and threaten to file criminal charges of soliciting a minor unless the tourist pays up to get out of the mess. Whenever anyone that even looks under 21 approaches you in the DR, say loudly to them, “NO!” and use the appropriate hand gestures that are universally recognized as “get away!”, so that witnesses see, if necessary.

Wednesday and Saturday are better at Clube 11. Friday is not terrible there but it isn’t as crowded as Saturday. For Fox, Sunday and Friday are best. Saturday is okay, but not as festive as Friday and Sunday. There is usually live music there each of these nights. If it were me and my tastes and interests, and I had to do a sauna Monday , Wednesday and Thursday, I’d select 11 on Monday, Fox on Tuesday, and Fox on Thursday. Or, like I said before, Uber to both. Each of these nights will be slow — even by Bahian standards. But there will be garotos there. As stated before, teenage-boy-looking twinks and around-the-way regular-looking guys are fairly invisible to me, which seems to be the favored type by most on this board, so I’m not good at assessing that kind of quality. But Salvador isn’t exactly a treasure trove of muscle men, like in certain Rio and São Paulo saunas — the more built ones from the gyms look more like natural futbol players and beach boys. But both of these saunas tend to have a couple of them. Whether they are there on slower nights is a toss up. I can’t explain why the sauna workers weren’t helpful to you about the best nights. They were very open and helpful to my traveling friend (his first trip to Salvador) and me (one of many trips). My friend is very personable and easily makes new friends everywhere he ventures. But I’m much more aloof and yet, they were still very helpful and open with me. Also, to be pedantic, Clube 11 is situated in the Tororó section of town. Nazaré is the neighborhood slightly north. There was an attractive trans woman at Fox on Thursday who looked like a naturally beautiful woman. She claimed she lives in Paris now. All the working boys there knew her. I imagine we are referring to the same person. Fox is located in Pituba, which is their Melrose / Chelsea / Georgetown / Buckhead disgrict and relatively upscale. There are going to be lots of trendy restaurants there, like in Rio Vermelho.

Perhaps you should have just asked around (either here or at the saunas). The big Friday party is at Fox, as well as on Sunday. 11 is better on Wednesdays and Fridays. Thursdays are fairly quiet at both. The front staff at either location are usually very good about informing new-ish customers about the best nights each week. Most Baianos tend to be laid back and agenda-free. If you’re cool to them and easy enough to talk to and get along with, then they’re cool with you. This Friday was SRO in the open bar area at Fox. 11 was, understandably, comparably slow. The reverse is the same for Saturday. If the experience of trying both saunas each night is important to you, then it would probably be best to do the slower sauna first early on, then Uber or cab it to the busier one for the remainder. Car traffic during that time can be a bitch going to / from Tororó to Pituba — it can take about 40 or so minutes. So, plan accordingly. There was a terrible tropical rain and thunderstorm Friday night in Salvador, which caused much rapid street flooding in lower areas, especially near the ocean and sea. Also some power outages. Driving in Uber or a taxi once the storm hit that night was challenging, to say the least. And it looks like no more sunny beach days for the rest of the week, and muito mais chuva. The slow pace and eternally tranquilo culture of the Bahia is not for everyone.

That child fucker knows exactly what is doing. Unless he has enough pesos to keep paying off Dominican authorities, he’ll eventually wind up in a Dominican prison or get extradited to the USA.

In order to boost tourism, Tropical Trump plans to drop visas for US citizens (and Canadians, Australians, and Japanese) entering Brazil altogether. Although this is very promising news for tourists to Brazil, do not expect a travel authorization document requirement to be eliminated altogether. It most likely will be replaced with a quick, on the spot, visa-like ETIAS or a travel document granted at the airport. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2019-01-16/brazil-plans-to-drop-visas-for-americans-to-boost-tourism-minister Brazil Plans to Drop Visas for Americans to Boost Tourism: Minister Jan. 16, 2019 BY JAKE SPRING BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil plans to eliminate visitor visas for Americans, the country's tourism minister said on Wednesday, as President Jair Bolsonaro seeks to turn around the lagging tourism sector and engineer cozier relations with the United States. The visa initiative is part of the Foreign Ministry's plan for the first 100 days in power of Bolsonaro, who assumed office on Jan. 1, Tourism Minister Marcelo Alvaro Antonio told Reuters in an interview. "Our intention is really to eliminate visa applications for Americans," Antonio said. Bolsonaro won the presidency running on a right-wing populist platform and is an open admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump. He has sought to realign Brazil with the United States, unlike the leftist Workers Party government that led the country for 13 of the past 15 years and favored relations with fellow developing economies. "The left has treated the United States as an adversary, but not our government," Antonio said. "President Bolsonaro wants to embrace the United States as a partner of Brazil." Brazil is Latin America's largest economy but has long punched below its weight in tourism. The country currently receives 6.6 million foreign tourists a year, roughly half that of New York City alone. Brazil will also seek to eliminate visas for Canadians, Japanese and Australians but the timeline is up to the Foreign Ministry, Antonio said. A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman declined to comment. Currently, U.S. citizens pay $44 for a two-year visa, or $160 for a 10-year one. Antonio said bureaucracy increased for Americans seeking to visit Brazil under the Workers Party government, which supported equally strict treatment for Americans seeking Brazilian visas as Brazilians face when going to the United States. Other plans to overhaul tourism policy include doubling the country's spend on foreign tourism advertisements to more than $34 million by 2023, said Antonio. An existing target of doubling international visits to 12 million annually by 2022 remains in place, he said. The government also is seeking to convert its national tourism board into an agency, allowing it to partner with private enterprises like airlines, which is currently forbidden, Antonio said. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Additional reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Copyright 2019 Thomson Reuters.

As I mentioned above, some posters here are arguing over a distinction without a difference. The main difference between the ESTA and a visa is that an ESTA can be obtained electronically through an online form, while the tourist visa must be obtained at or through an embassy or consulate. The travel rights of entry and restrictions are the same for both.

Never mind. I found a WaPo article that attempts to clear up the confusion. It seems that the ETIA is categorized as a “travel authorization document” and not a “visa” — which for anyone reputable who works in US. immigration law will inform you that is a distinction without a difference: ”A spokesman for the commission said the E.U. decided to establish the ETIAS in summer 2018. In 2016, the European Commission proposed ETIAS, “an automated IT system created to identify any security or irregular migratory risks posed by visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen area, while at the same time facilitate border crossings for the vast majority of travelers who do not pose such risks,” according to the fact sheet, which the commission released in July. It added: The ETIAS authorisation is not a visa. Nationals of visa liberalisation countries will continue to travel the EU without a visa but will simply be required to obtain a travel authorisation via ETIAS prior to their travel. ETIAS will be a simple, fast and visitor-friendly system, which will, in more than 95% of cases, result in a positive answer within a few minutes. An ETIAS travel authorisation does not reintroduce visa-like obligations. There is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, no biometric data is collected and significantly less information is gathered than during a visa application procedure. Whereas, as a general rule, a Schengen visa procedure can take up to 15 days, and can in some cases be extended up to 30 or 60 days, the online ETIAS application only takes a few minutes to fill in. The validity will be for a period of three years, significantly longer than the validity of a Schengen visa. An ETIAS authorisation will be valid for an unlimited number of entries. The ETIAS travel authorisation will be a necessary and small procedural step for all visa-exempt travellers which will allow them to avoid bureaucracy and delays when presenting themselves at the borders. ETIAS will fully respect this visa-free status; facilitate the crossing of the Schengen external border; and allow visa free visitors to fully enjoy their status.“ https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/2019/03/09/americans-must-soon-register-not-get-visas-travel-some-european-countries/

Provide a link for your source(s), please. Thanks.

My non-political reaction = UGH. My political reaction = cue Radiohead’s “Karma Police”: “this... is... what... you... get.” “The European Union announced on Friday that American travelers will need a new type of visa -- a European Travel Information and Authorization System or ETIAS -- to visit the European Schengen Area.” https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-citizens-need-visas-to-visit-europe-in-2021/index.html

Jacqueline Bissett still looking good!

Flex in Atlanta is still open, and by all accounts, still thriving. The area around it has gentrified rapidly, so its surprising that it has lasted this long and hasn’t been sold for yet another high-rise. I used to enjoy visiting various bathhouses whenever traveling. In the USA, the last one I visited was Club Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale several years ago. I believe it’s still open. I think the one in Tampa as well as the one in Miami is still open. A few years ago, there were two in Dallas but I believe there is only one left. Same as in Houston. Pre-internet days (not just during pre-height of the AIDS crisis), bathhouses were a popular hookup method, and in some cases, were good for relaxation and working out. Also, the physical quality of the patrons was higher. Now? To be kind, not so much. As a previous poster mentioned, if one is into physical appearance and has an age range preference, the dying bathhouse scene in the USA is not worth the cost or the time. The Internet and dating apps have changed the game. Also, in major metro areas, private clubs and sex parties — usually on invite-only emaillidys and strict membership requirements by category) have replaced bathhouses (and adult bookstores / peep shows). Outside the USA, it seems that the bathhouse, or sauna, Illa’s remained more popular. I know several Americans who wouldn’t be caught dead in. Bathhouse in the USA, but whenever they travel abroad, cannot wait to get to the local sauna.

I met a few who have asked me to give them a few US dollars, just out of curiosity. However, it was never in lieu of payment in Brazilian reais. When requested, I would give a $1 or $5 bill for their collection.

Kev, regarding a boyfriend experience / tour guide, whether in Salvador or Rio, if you have the money, you can find a garoto at the saunas with the time. Regarding the nappy Afro look, there are a few at the saunas like that in Rio, but not many. Actually, even at the Salvador saunas, that look isn’t exactly plentiful. But in statistical terms, maybe 10-15% of the garotos in Rio saunas are darker with kinkier hair, with another 50% in the moreno / brown / mixed category and the rest white / Caucasian in appearance. In Salvador, I estimate the numbers are: 30-35% darker / black, 50-60% moreno/ mixed, and 5% (at the most) white.

The answers to all of your questions are all opinion, so YMMV, but as someone whose first-ever trip to Brazil was Salvador, followed a year later by Rio and São Paulo, here goes my .02: 1. There are definitely more darker-skinned men and women in Salvador da Bahia PER CAPITA than in Rio. However, Rio is bigger and not nearly as laid-back as Salvador. IMHO, as a first-timer, you are going to have to work a lot harder for sex in Salvador than you would in Rio. Are they more beautiful in Bahia than in Rio? That may depend on your personal tastes. In general, Rio tends to be more body-conscious than anywhere else in South America, so you will find more built or muscled men and women who look like fitness models or who have had really good work done. Salvador da Bahia men and women tend to have more natural builds, and you might see a much greater concentration of natural hair styles with kinky hair, dreads, Afros, etc. 2. Looking for one guy to connect you to men and women? If you’re looking for someone “pimpy” like a Manny/Freddy/Francisco in the DR, but In Salvador (or Rio), I can’t really think of anyone similar that is truly open with that (I’ve been going to Salvador since 2009), but once you get there and hang out on the Praia Porto da Barra beach sidewalk, trust me — someone (women more than men — I know this because I’ve had to shoo many a beautiful brasileira baiana away!) will approach a new male tourist. The guys that work the beach barracas (who get you umbrellas, chairs, drinks) also know what’s up too (of course, don’t ask them this immediately, use their services and have them get comfortable with and more trusting of you before you spring it on them). Also, the outdoor cafe across from the beach, especially on Sunday afternoons, used to be a great meet and greet spot, and the older Brazilian man that owned and ran it was good for connections, but now that it has new Chinese ownership, this has died down significantly. Also, the Pelhourinho district is filled with hoes. It also has a well-deserved reputation for drugs and drug addiction, so there’s that. 3. Whether men in Salvador are more “trustworthy” than in Rio seems like an odd question. If you’re referring to crime, statistically, Salvador is more dangerous. Individually, just like anywhere, people are the same, good and bad. I can tell you that, personally, the worst theft experience I ever had in Brazil was in Rio — and that was something I should have avoided — and the only thing I have had stolen from me in Salvador was some sunscreen and tanning lotion off my beach table when I was napping — again, something I could’ve avoided. That being said, particularly as a first timer traveling alone, letting your guard completely down is inadvisable. There’s also less job opportunity in Salvador than in Rio, and fewer educational opportunities, and the Northest is just plain poorer and less developed — so with that comes greater risk for crime — petty or otherwise. 4. GOL is not nearly as fancy schmancy as Delta, but it will get you there safely. My opinion is if you’re a budget traveler, it’s worth the savings. Some people are more aviation snobs — I don’t subscribe to that as much. My next flight to Salvador will be on LATAM using a similarly priced ticket — nonstop. tl:dr — For first-time Brazilian sex tourist seeking darker men and women, Rio might be a wiser option than Salvador. But Salvador, with its slower, more laidback pace and African-influenced culture and views, is a nice diversionary trip, though maybe a bit harder to procure sex for newcomers unfamiliar with the language or the lay of the land. Enjoy.

6 Things Insecure People Do to Make Themselves Sound Smarter It's all smoke and mirrors. “Many average-intelligence people believe they have superior intellects. They aren't just tricking the people around them--they're tricking themselves, too. 5) The person has an over-the-top vocabulary. Someone using big and obscure words (or jargon) can convince others that they know more than they do by making what they're saying hard to understand.” https://www.inc.com/quora/6-things-insecure-people-do-to-make-themselves-sound-smarter.html

A tl:dr answer to your question: Most garotos would not want to be paid in any currency other than Brazilian reais. Paying in USD or any other non-Brazilian currency would require them to incur about a 10-15% currency exchange hit at a cambio. The only three incidents I could envision a garoto accepting USD (or any non-Brazilian currency): 1. The garoto is about to travel to another country and can use that currency there; 2. The client agreed to pay an extra 10-20% to cover the currency exchange fees; or 3. The garoto just likes to collect currency from around the globe, like coin collectors or stamp collectors.

“Emojis hurt my fee-fees!”

This scam is also extremely common in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — often with actual police involved in the scam. Most reputable tour guides for sex travelers (seeking men or women) dutifully warn upfront about engaging with anyone that even looks close to the age of 18. The slicker scammers will get what could be an innocent photo of the tourist seemingly engaged with the underaged boy or girl (like sitting on his lap on the patio of a restaurant) to bolster their claims. I have also heard of this occurring on beaches popular with tourists / sex tourists. Cuba is also a place where you’d want to check everyone’s ID —- by law everyone must carry one, anyway. It’s so common in Latin and South America that I just assumed that this crime of opportunity is also used in other hot spots there, including but not limited to Brazil. Although I have never witnessed or encountered it, that could be because I have no attraction to anything that looks barely legal and therefore, wouldn’t engage anyway. Nonetheless, it’s probably a good idea to check the ID if there is any doubt whatsoever. Hotels (if you use them) and some apartment building front desks will usually require IDs from visitors, anyway. Side note, and not to scare anyone (ok, maybe just a little): anyone planning on photographing or videotaping anyone in a sex act or with exposed genitalia (which could be loosely defined as “pornography”), by USA law, MUST not only check IDs, but maintain proof of that ID in easily accessible records at all time. The laws could be similarly strict or even stricter in other countries. As soon as you hit US soil with the file of those videos or photos (or you upload them to a US-based site — like Xtube), that law applies. 18 USC 2257. So... have fun, but watch yourselves.

117? That’s more like the old Meio Mundo or the new Manhattan Rios! Maybe a 117 cliente.

And yet, you blathered all of that while you are traveling somewhere with lovely sights and beautiful, available local men. Empty life, much?