A "likeohmygod" adventure in Rio and its saunas - Feb 2017

[12is12]

Redsx, google translate works also offline. Just download it ahead od time.

[Guest KevinC]

On 1/26/2017 at 5:14 AM, SolaceSoul said:

The Week is great for music, dancing and hard, shirtless bodies. If you are going alone and without local friends, and you don't look the part, you are bound to meet no one. You'll look just like the old perv hanging out at the playground -- seriously. If you can't enjoy The Week for the experience it is without feeling like a total failure if you didn't make a sex date, then you are probably better off avoiding it.

Several of my Brazilian friends love the place. Others hate it. If you remember the big gay dance circuit party clubs in Manhattan (or London, or Paris) that lasted until 9 am, where many shirtless muscled men would dance tweaked off recreational pills, then this is the Brazilian version.

Some of the GPs I know well like to go there to hang out with friends, but never to make new clients. That would be an awkward situation for them as they are usually with some friends who don't know they are garotos.

Very true.  I have been to the week both in SP and Rio.  They are similar to the gay circuit parties in your own countries.  In fact you can find some clips from the Week on YouTube. People get high or get drunk(me) there. Most people go with friends and don't look for sex dates there.  It is defdefiniy not a place for garotos to seek clients.  But the music, the lights, the atmosphere are all fantastic. 

[Guest inkaras]

On ‎31‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 10:40 PM, KevinC said:

Very true.  I have been to the week both in SP and Rio.  They are similar to the gay circuit parties in your own countries.  In fact you can find some clips from the Week on YouTube. People get high or get drunk(me) there. Most people go with friends and don't look for sex dates there.  It is defdefiniy not a place for garotos to seek clients.  But the music, the lights, the atmosphere are all fantastic. 

I did not go to the Week when I visited Rio, but as an occasional gay clubber can testify that gay clubs aren't cruisy anymore. People go to party, drink, dance and most leave without meeting anyone. Grindr killed the hook up element in the gay scene - if you want sex, just use the app. Besides, I used to go to Barcelona circuit festival with thousands of the most beautiful, young gay guys. You would think all they do is shag each other. Wrong. It's a party with friends and a massive show off.

And I doubt it that the crowd there is exclusively middle class. Latinos love nice, fancy places and even if they cant really afford them, they can occasionally treat themselves. In Colombia I met this stunningly beautiful, dark-skinned boy in a gay club in Cartagena dressed in expensive clothes, yet it appeared he lived in a poor neighbourhood.

But if you enjoy clubbing and looking at sexy guys without having sex with them, then go for it.

[Gotti]

The occasional sauna boy that hangs out at The Week is certainly not middle class, but they are very few and far between, when I was there the admission was $30.00 to $35.00, very high  or on par with US / European standards (but the time it closed a few years back, New York Roxy, The Week's closest equivalent, was charging $20.00/$25.00 admission, I've been to both), besides that, the scene couldn't be more alien to Brazil lower classes, especially the heavy and loud techno/trance, they have lots of options on that regard, all of them massively popular in a substantial more affordable environment. No, not even Shaquira or Rick Martin are ever played there, Yes, The Week is a middle class or better yet, predominantelly upper middle class affair, anyone looking for programas will be disappointed, and at best will be perceived as a desperate misguided queen/throll. 

 

[Badboy81]

2 hours ago, inkaras said:

I did not go to the Week when I visited Rio, but as an occasional gay clubber can testify that gay clubs aren't cruisy anymore. People go to party, drink, dance and most leave without meeting anyone. Grindr killed the hook up element in the gay scene - if you want sex, just use the app. Besides, I used to go to Barcelona circuit festival with thousands of the most beautiful, young gay guys. You would think all they do is shag each other. Wrong. It's a party with friends and a massive show off.

And I doubt it that the crowd there is exclusively middle class. Latinos love nice, fancy places and even if they cant really afford them, they can occasionally treat themselves. In Colombia I met this stunningly beautiful, dark-skinned boy in a gay club in Cartagena dressed in expensive clothes, yet it appeared he lived in a poor neighbourhood.

But if you enjoy clubbing and looking at sexy guys without having sex with them, then go for it.

Off topic but a response is warranted...

Circuit festival is very expensive even by American standards, club wise, hotels, transportation, etc....Barcelona is not a cheap city and if you don't buy the all access pass, getting into the clubs during the week long event was at low 30 euros up to 50 plus euros

The is PLENTY of sex going on during the festival, inside the clubs and even at the parties, hotels...everywhere...you put thousands of hot guys in a city for a week and you know what is bound to happen...one must know where to look...Check out the bathrooms after a pool party or event....NO WORDS can describe the scene on the floors...use condoms and wrappers all over the place...And the apps are hot 24/7

While the crowd is definitely not exclusively one class, those who are on the lower spectrum are WORKING during the time they are there...Rentmen.com and backpages.com are definitely in full swing...

Poorer neighborhoods-subjective...are you basing that off the area, how it looked, how much he spends on rent?

I have been in some cities that are very old and thought I was in a rundown neighborhood based on looks only to find out it was prime real estate location wise...

Latins are very similar to other cultures where pride in appearance is paramount...even if you are broke, you do not have to look that way...

There are some people who look like trash and have millions...go figure

[Badboy81]

12 minutes ago, Gotti said:

The occasional sauna boy that hangs out at The Week is certainly not middle class, but they are very few and far between, when I was there the admission was $30.00 to $35.00, very high  or on par with US / European standards (but the time it closed a few years back, New York Roxy, The Week's closest equivalent, was charging $20.00/$25.00 admission, I've been to both), besides that, the scene couldn't be more alien to Brazil lower classes, especially the heavy and loud techno/trance, they have lots of options on that regard, all of them massively popular in a substantial more affordable environment. No, not even Shaquira or Rick Martin are ever played there, Yes, The Week is a middle class or better yet, predominantelly upper middle class affair, anyone looking for programas will be disappointed, and at best will be perceived as a desperate misguided queen/throll. 

 

The sauna boys you see at the Week are 100% gay and are probably hustling to supplement their income versus it being their only source of income...Unless they are with a sponsor...

[Guest KevinC]

8 hours ago, Badboy81 said:

The sauna boys you see at the Week are 100% gay and are probably hustling to supplement their income versus it being their only source of income...Unless they are with a sponsor...

Sponsor...hmmm... that's a good idea. I usually go to the week by myself, still had good times.  But it would be nice to party /dance with a companion.  I wonder how much I should offer to the garotos for a night out at the Week, with admission and drink paid.

[likeohmygod]

So...here i am. I am very sorry about the delay, but these days i'm extremely busy, so i will write a more detailed report as soon as i can.

I've mostly been in Club 117, and it's a paradise full of extraordinary hotties for sale. I had a lot of fun. Going rate goes from R$100 to 150...it really depends on your ability to get a deal. You will most of the times. The quality of the sex is AAA grade. BE KIND with the guys. And this doesn't mean buying drinks or overpaying them (DO NOT DO THIS...if you do, the sauna scene will be over much sooner than the expected, since it's a market which strongly depends on local customers, and to their wages). Learn some portuguese and ALWAYS think with the big brain, not with the "smaller" one.

I have always felt safe and i've been always great...i've visited most of Rio South and part of the Centro and Tijuca. But this happened because i acted like a local. DO NOT wear jewelry or expensive watches, DO NOT use your smartphone while walking on the road, DO NOT carry more money than the necessary, DO NOT carry your passport with you...keep the original in the hotel, DO NOT speak english in the metro, especially if you are alone, DO NOT go in darker zones in night, even in Copa or Ipanema.

If you follow the rules, you'll be 100% fine.

Now what i'm going to say might be pretty scary, but keep in mind that i've been very unlucky and that i've done 2 huge mistakes...one after the other.

LEAVE THE BEACHES when the sun goes down, otherwise you run the risk of getting robbed. The 1st mistake i did was deciding to stay after the sunset...i told myself "i fell safe, and i'm not far from the lights of Copa". The 2nd mistake was to remain there even when i noticed a couple of the kind of guys that, after looking at their face, you're sure they're criminals.

So i got robbed...they did not touch me, they "asked" me to stay down (sit) and to give them my money. One (the one speaking) was in front of me, the other one was behind me. I gave them all my money (R$70) and i showed there was nothing on the wallet. They counted the money, and they left, telling me to remain there. Of course when they were 100/200m far, i took my things and i run to the baraca where just in front of it there was a police car.

They've told me that this is something rare to see and that i was "unlucky" since i wasn't using my phone, i wasn't wearing fancy clothes....they were just 2 random thiefs/drugaholics who found me in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Remember that Rio is a nice city and it's very safe until you "help the city" to keep you at safety by not doing stupid things.

[Tomcal]

Thank you for telling this! This has been the same since 2001 when i started going to Rio!

 NEVER walk on the beach side of the Blvd that separates Copa and Ipanema from the restaurants and condos on the opposite side of the Blvd at dusk or later! I have walked the commercial side opposite the beach at midnight or later 500 times and never had a problem but once my friend wanted to walk the beach side back and he got robbed! I wouldn't do it unless i was in a group of 4 or more!...which i always am now! :-)

[Badboy81]

7 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

So...here i am. I am very sorry about the delay, but these days i'm extremely busy, so i will write a more detailed report as soon as i can.

I've mostly been in Club 117, and it's a paradise full of extraordinary hotties for sale. I had a lot of fun. Going rate goes from R$100 to 150...it really depends on your ability to get a deal. You will most of the times. The quality of the sex is AAA grade. BE KIND with the guys. And this doesn't mean buying drinks or overpaying them (DO NOT DO THIS...if you do, the sauna scene will be over much sooner than the expected, since it's a market which strongly depends on local customers, and to their wages). Learn some portuguese and ALWAYS think with the big brain, not with the "smaller" one.

I have always felt safe and i've been always great...i've visited most of Rio South and part of the Centro and Tijuca. But this happened because i acted like a local. DO NOT wear jewelry or expensive watches, DO NOT use your smartphone while walking on the road, DO NOT carry more money than the necessary, DO NOT carry your passport with you...keep the original in the hotel, DO NOT speak english in the metro, especially if you are alone, DO NOT go in darker zones in night, even in Copa or Ipanema.

If you follow the rules, you'll be 100% fine.

Now what i'm going to say might be pretty scary, but keep in mind that i've been very unlucky and that i've done 2 huge mistakes...one after the other.

LEAVE THE BEACHES when the sun goes down, otherwise you run the risk of getting robbed. The 1st mistake i did was deciding to stay after the sunset...i told myself "i fell safe, and i'm not far from the lights of Copa". The 2nd mistake was to remain there even when i noticed a couple of the kind of guys that, after looking at their face, you're sure they're criminals.

So i got robbed...they did not touch me, they "asked" me to stay down (sit) and to give them my money. One (the one speaking) was in front of me, the other one was behind me. I gave them all my money (R$70) and i showed there was nothing on the wallet. They counted the money, and they left, telling me to remain there. Of course when they were 100/200m far, i took my things and i run to the baraca where just in front of it there was a police car.

They've told me that this is something rare to see and that i was "unlucky" since i wasn't using my phone, i wasn't wearing fancy clothes....they were just 2 random thiefs/drugaholics who found me in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Remember that Rio is a nice city and it's very safe until you "help the city" to keep you at safety by not doing stupid things.

The story about you getting robbed sounds like something is missing....maybe you were staying behind because you found the guys attractive OR you didn't notice that locals start packing up and leaving at a decent hour and all the vendors on the beaches leave before it gets dark as well...A lesson has been learned...

if you look like an easy mark, regardless of you being in Brazil or New York or Barcelona, you will get robbed,especially because there are a lot of poor people everywhere who are more than happy to take your $70... And you are very lucky all they did was take your money....

It is not rare at all...while I was there the week before Carnival, I saw 2 incidents on the beach during the day, which was packed with people....Silly tourists left their belongings out and one incident involved a very nice cell phone being taken out of a guys hand....

Use common sense at all times....

[likeohmygod]

You're missing one thing because i forgot to say one important thing...i was not alone! In the previous post i use the 1st person just because the friend who was with me, was completely scared and frozen, and he didn't have his wallet.Ok they might take your phone from your hands, they might rob your belongings while you're having a bath, but a direct robbery is very unlikely to happen in Copa, which was packed of police even in the night. This is why it was strange.

These guys were just looking for moneys to buy drugs...but what i mean is that we did have to leave the beach before it got dark. That's the mistake.

[sfcastro]

9 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

You're missing one thing because i forgot to say one important thing...i was not alone! In the previous post i use the 1st person just because the friend who was with me, was completely scared and frozen, and he didn't have his wallet.Ok they might take your phone from your hands, they might rob your belongings while you're having a bath, but a direct robbery is very unlikely to happen in Copa, which was packed of police even in the night. This is why it was strange.

These guys were just looking for moneys to buy drugs...but what i mean is that we did have to leave the beach before it got dark. That's the mistake.

I think with all the new lighting that they put in for the World Cup/Olympics, which lights up Copacabana beach at night, some of us may have felt a little safer on the beach as the sun goes down.  I've heard the stories many times about not going on the beach at night over the years and thought maybe things were a little safer.  I was there a few months ago and was continuing to hang out on the beach at dusk with a Brazilian guy feeling relatively safe when one of the vendors came over to us and advised us to leave.  He said it was really unsafe to stay on the beach even for a little while at dusk given the robberies that continue to occur.  We were fortunately to leave without any incident.  Badboy81 thanks for sharing your story to remind everyone.

[Guest KevinC]

19 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

You're missing one thing because i forgot to say one important thing...i was not alone! In the previous post i use the 1st person just because the friend who was with me, was completely scared and frozen, and he didn't have his wallet.Ok they might take your phone from your hands, they might rob your belongings while you're having a bath, but a direct robbery is very unlikely to happen in Copa, which was packed of police even in the night. This is why it was strange.

These guys were just looking for moneys to buy drugs...but what i mean is that we did have to leave the beach before it got dark. That's the mistake.

I witnessed direct robberies with my own eyes on every trip to Rio (Copa)--

 A black kid ran to grabbed a white woman's handbag while she was crossing Avenida Atlantica from the beach side to hotel side. She screamed, people watched but nobody reacted. He got away fast.  No police showed up.

A black kid ran to a "big" mid-age white man and jumped to pull his necklace.  He got away fast.

...etc.

These all happened during the bright day light.  I think these are all "direct robberies".  

You can also search Youtube clips.  These robberies happen so often that people have the luxury of time to record the entire incidents as they occurred. 

 

[likeohmygod]

NO @KevinC...you're talking about absolutely different things.

The black kid grabbing a handbag or a necklace and running away, are things which happen in a very short time frame...just a few seconds. I've seen this happen a lot of times and at least once in every place where i've spent some time...i've seen it happen in Brazil, in Venezuela, in the USA, in Mexico, Italy, France and Germany.

My episode looked like a kind of kidnapping, and it lasted over twelve/fifteen minutes, where we were asked questions and where we were asked to stay down "to avoid further problems". Still...even today i'm unable to recall if one of the guys was hiding a weapon.

This has nothing to do with the videos you see on youtube.

That's why i'm telling this again, for the last time...this is very unlikely to happen, at least in the "Zona Sul". It happened to me because i've been very unlucky and because i did not follow one important rule...do not stay on the beach at night.

I don't want to scare people, there's no reason to do it. Rio is safe, but you must not do stupid things, that will increase the chance of an undesired event.

[Badboy81]

12 hours ago, KevinC said:

I witnessed direct robberies with my own eyes on every trip to Rio (Copa)--

 A black kid ran to grabbed a white woman's handbag while she was crossing Avenida Atlantica from the beach side to hotel side. She screamed, people watched but nobody reacted. He got away fast.  No police showed up.

A black kid ran to a "big" mid-age white man and jumped to pull his necklace.  He got away fast.

...etc.

These all happened during the bright day light.  I think these are all "direct robberies".  

You can also search Youtube clips.  These robberies happen so often that people have the luxury of time to record the entire incidents as they occurred. 

 

Interesting because I rarely see "black" people in Copa or Ipanema....so I would think a random kid that is wandering looking for a victim would pick somewhere that he is not going to stand out like the beach to commit a theft....

I have been traveling to Rio since the early 2000s and have only seen theft with my own eyes on my last trip, on the beach....And I have been all over the city and even in favelas....

What areas are you hanging out in where you see direct robberies on every trip?

Again, if you look like an easy mark, In what is considered a 3rd world country, you may get robbed...

[Tomcal]

I guess I have been lucky....I have been coming 4 or 5 times a year since 2001 and never have SEEN or been a victim of a "grab and dash" or any other kind of assult!  but have never walked the beach side at night time or gone to a ATM at night.