hornyfrog

Yes, by “I live here” I meant in Rio, not in the hot tub, Point 202 or any other sauna. Though I suppose it would be possible to attend the sauna so much that it could practically become your residence, I’m not aware of any client who has actually pulled that particular trigger yet. (A few working garotos have stayed temporarily in rooms at the saunas before. I think that would require a special arrangement with the manager or owner.)

Hi, long time Rio resident / expat here. This whole back and forth about whether or not there is higher pricing for gringos / tourists is never going to be solved. The answer is: “it all depends”. (1) It depends on who the garoto is. Some garotos price themselves higher than some others — usually because they look like male supermodels or are built like professional athletes, or are hung like a Shire horse — and the market has already taught them what price point they can command. (2) It depends on who the client is. Often, like with many other kinds of services, regular clients get reduced rates. A client that may not be seen ever again, or at the most only once or twice a year, or who may not see him regularly but also doesn’t provide him fringe benefits like gifts and Western Union, probably should not expect this kind of discount for a programa. Also, like it or not, looks / attraction as well as age, charm and personality, do matter to quite a few of the garotos — whether “straight”-identifying or not. The extremely rare superstar client that resembles something like George Clooney, Henry Cavill, Ricky Martin or Idris Elba would get this “discount.” But the overwhelming majority of us clients not blessed with such physical gifts aren’t in this category, and have to flirt with our wallets instead. (3) It depends on what the client wants out of the programa. Asking a garoto to do more performative or more “difficult” or unusual sex work in a short programa — especially for a visiting, rare client — is more likely to increase the cost. Remember, these are human beings, not machines. Yes, there are some garotos who want take advantage, act like scoundrels and charge foreigners more just because they’re gringos and might be naive or unaware of the current market. There are also some who will charge the same, no matter who the client is or what is done during the act. But the price is also to be negotiated and agreed upon in advance, each garoto charges his own price, and he is not obliged to charge the same price as the others, nor is he obligated to charge each client the same. The guys all are independent contractors, not employees of the saunas. The client goes into this knowingly and willingly. It seems like the problem arises when clients take these pricing differences personally. Hey, I’ve also seen the reverse occur: garotos getting upset when they somehow find out that a client paid another garoto more than him! So, it all evens out, I suppose… Gringos / tourists paying more has always been part of “the game.” It’s not like how it is with gentrifying-areas real estate prices; it’s more like tourist-area restaurants or gift shop two-tier pricing. It doesn’t seriously affect local pricing, and locals already know about the two-tier system. Gringos also try to “game” the system themselves by getting local pricing on what basically amounts to only a few dollars, euros or pounds difference between the two. Hope this helps.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Yes, I have. I live here. It’s used about 50% of the time when it’s operable, but it’s often not operable — like with the hot water in the showers.

The airport in Porto Alegre, the main city in Rio Grande do Sul, has been closed since May due to the terribly, deadly flooding in the region. Reports are that it will not re-open until December, at the earliest. https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2574807-brazil-s-porto-alegre-airport-to-stay-shut-to-dec

Fair enough. That’s actually the best we all can hope for — an even, fair exchange.

I said before, I think I posted at the other similar board, that in reality, in all my years of being in this sauna scene, there have been only a few charmed-life clients that the guys really, really are into and want to have sexy time with. Like I can count them on one hand and still have some fingers on that hand left. The rest, the overwhelming majority, to some varying degrees, are walking, traveling wallets and Papas Noel (Santa Clauses). I understand it’s good for the ego to feed into the fantasy and delusion of it all that these beautiful young studs like us for us, and many of them are very good at playing as if they do (those are the best at their jobs). But falling for the “hooker with a heart of gold” story or getting a savior complex over these working guys down here is falling into the most common trap. One of my best friends here in Brazil is an older, retired garoto de programa. He keeps it real with me about these guys whenever I am on that proverbial ledge, and reminds me that their job is to get the dinheiro and presentes from the clients, and as friendly as everything seems, that’s always going to be the nature of the relationship. Give and take — you give, they take. You can be a kind client without being a fool with your money or your heart. And if you still decide to be “generous” and give into their asks, then Dear God, give with absolutely no expectation at all and don’t give anything close to what you can afford to lose.

Thanks. I used real life examples. 🙂

I think you meant to type you feel “exploited”? Because that makes more sense. I’ve been living here in Brazil full-time for several years now, and I can tell you that the asking from the boys / garotos is never-ending. The reasons for needing the dinheiro or the presente can run from the very very stereotypical (“sick grandmother”) to the very practical (“need a new iPhone to replace my broken phone”) to the very creative (“want to buy an açaí cart to become a beach vendor”) to the brutally honest (“I need a new watch to look good for the ladies at the discoteca on Saturday night”). No matter the reason, it’s best just to say no, politely and firmly. The first reason is because once you say yes, the asks never end and usually they increase in value and complexity. Also, it’s a numbers game with these boys. They all have a list of Cliente contacts to make asks for dinheiro and presented. If out of 100 who they can ask, just 1 or 2 respond favorably, that’s a win for them. Now, imagine if 4 respond favorably. In spite what they say, you’re almost never their only option for help. More importantly, all that giving doesn’t make the boys like you or love you any more than the clients who don’t. Remember, in spite of the sweet talk, or the talk about how rough their lives are in Brazil, that this is their job, and receiving dinheiro and presentes from clientes outside of sex work, to them, is just another form of payment for their job. Yes, be nice and kind, but nicely, kindly, and firmly tell them no.

Gerry: There are a few garotos that go by Felipe who work at Club 117. I can think of 3 or 4. That’s a common name in Brazil. Do you have more details that can narrow it down? You can send me a private message here if it’s too personal. HF