Lucky's post on another site

[mvan1]

"As someone who has traveled to Brazil five times when it was a bargain. It is very hard to take a chance on a trip now. Higher prices all around, perhaps fewer sauna boys, although I agree it takes just one for me to have a good time. But the stories of the guys hired who were duds and ho were thieves, well, that is kind of the icing on the cake."

Lucky,

I can relate to your apprehension, however, your concerns are excessive, and I mean that in a friendly way.

It is true, regardless of what a couple of people will post here to the contrary, that the quality and quantity of garotos in the saunas have declined. This, does not mean you will not have a good time in Rio. It means, simply, that you will not have as good a time as you had during prior trips.

"Yet the information is so contradictory. I was told by a friend that he spoke to the owner of Meio Mundo and learned that a recent night there were 71 boys available. If I couldn't find one of 71 then it is me that is to blame."

I have been to Meio Mundo many times. That can be a fun sauna. There are days when that sauna is very busy and there are days when that sauna is nearly empty of garotos.

As to the claims of the owner (Asyr), I sometimes find that he sometimes becomes a salesman when he overstates the number of garotos in the sauna. I have been there on certain nights with friends when the place was dead and/or with only a few garotos. The next day I returned and the place was not dead. On one of my return days I saw and spoke with Asyr. I remarked to him how dead it was the prior day. He said that I was mistaken because the sauna was very busy. What could I do, call him a liar? I think not.

After that conversation, I take anything Asyr has to say with a grain of salt. This is not to mean that he is not a nice person. Rather, it means that he is protecting his investment by claiming the sauna was busier than it really was. I know this because I was there and saw the opposite of what he said. The only way he could have been correct would be if many garotos suddenly arrived after I and my friends left after 9:00, which is highly unlikely.

Asyr does a great job running Meio Mundo and he is a real asset to the place. However, he is in business to make money and acknowledging an empty sauna is not good for business.

"So, ultimately, who do I believe? If I was wealthy, I would simply go and find out for myself. But, not being so, it's a big investment to go and find the negatives to be true.

Snip snip - - - I have free tickets to Rio."

Who do you believe? That is up to you and I agree, it is not an easy decision to make.

Considering that you are planning to visit only Rio on your vacation, your probability of having a good time is greater than if you planned your trip to another city in Brazil, such as Sao Paulo or Porto Alegre or Recife.

It is true that you will spend more money in Rio than you did in the past. However, your airfare is paid (free). This means you will only have costs after you arrive in Rio.

If you are willing to accept the fact that there are fewer garotos than on your prior trips, you will have a good time because your expectations are not relying solely on your past experiences.

Although you did not ask me my opinion, I think you should take your trip to Rio knowing that probability is in your favor.

I expect my response will have the usual counter posters who will tell you that there is no decline in the sauna despite numerous complaints by several posters. Even the post just before this one from "Mac from England commented on the decline.

The most ridiculous dissent offered as proof that there is no decline in the saunas is a count of 150 garotos advertising on the internet in Brazil. I am not smart enough to figure out how garotos advertising on the internet somehow disproves the decline of quality and quantity of garotos in the saunas. Maybe you can figure out what was meant by that analogy.

Bottom line, give Brazil another chance despite your apprehensions.

Although I do not live in Brazil, I am in Brazil almost every month (except December and early January to avoid the holiday seasons). I am adventurous and I know Brazil well. If I, and several others, say that there is a decline in quality and quantity of garotos, believe it despite anything anyone else might write. Notwithstanding the decline, you will more than likely have a great time if you go ahead with your plans to visit Rio on your next vacation.

Boa viagem!

[axiom2001]

We know that the Brasilian economy has grown tremendously since some of us were last there during the latter part of the last decade. My take is: go and make the better of it, or not go! The same goes for the saunas in the various areas!

Go and see for yourself and partake or not partake!

My good friend and I will be traveling to both Buenos Aires and Rio de janeiro in October respectively. This will be my 8th to Brasil and my 5th to Buenos Aires. Both of us have our tickets (his business class ticket with miles and my coach at $1,130.60 with TAM from Miami, a much greater rate for me from the past. I'd not had to pay more than $800 but over $500 from 2002-2007. In both cities we plan to stay in well-appointed apartments, sharing the costs, and although both of us will be paying more for everything, we are not letting that deter our going.

We plan to go occasionally to the saunas while in Rio. If we see that the offerings are not to our liking, we'll just forgo this part of our impending experiences, but at this moment I am viewing my future traveling experiences optimistically. We'll see when we arrive and ADJUST!

Last September I was in Italy. The Euro vs the US dollar "kicked my butt," but I DID NOT LET this hinder my going and enjoying myself. Tuscany and the Almafi Coasts were stellar; it was one of my best trips for me! I had one sexual encounter in Rome with a guy (independent escort) I'd met in Rio in 2007. He gave me a much, much better time in Brasil than he did in Roma. I was disappointed. I gave him EU150 and might see him in the future once he's told what I will be expecting from him.

Well, I hope the preceding helps, and to Lucky-- I did not read what you'd written, but might I encourage you "to take the plunge and travel to my most favorite city of this our world: Rio, and enjoy! You can do it!!!

[Lucky]

"Well, I hope the preceding helps, and to Lucky-- I did not read what you'd written, but might I encourage you "to take the plunge and travel to my most favorite city of this our world: Rio, and enjoy! You can do it!!! "

What? After B2 went to all of the trouble to copy and paste it from another site, you didn't read it?

[ihpguy]

One must admit that he does know how to cut and paste extremely well.

[axiom2001]

Lucky, I posted at www.gaytravelbrazil.com and wish to post here as well. I read your paragraph. I guess the response to it which was indeed rather, rather long, confused me! Sorry, man!

[Lucky]

We have decided not to go to Brazil, and are going to New York City for a short stay instead. Thailand is still on our minds, and if we can get a good consolidator fare, then we will go there at a later date.