Lagoa was a waste of time tonight

[mvan1]

Generally, we can count on Lagoa sauna being busy with lots of handsome garotos on Wednesday and Friday nights.

Yikes, I went there tonight and only about fifteen garotos were there and few of them were good looking.   There were lots of clients.

All I learned tonight was to not rely on "generally" as a predictor as to when Lagoa will have lots of available and handsome garotos.

Needless to say, it felt good to leave there a bit earlier than I usually leave.

Maybe this Friday will make up for this disappointing night.

The best thing about going to Lagoa tonight was the fast arrival of the Uber driver - - the Uber took less than one minute to arrive after I pressed "confirm".

 

[Badboy81]

Seasons are changing and the sauna scene will be winding down as Brazil moves from summer to fall then winter...

[pauleiro]

I will go there on Friday. Hopefully there will be a better selection of boys ! 

[Riobard]

I went to Lagoa midweek twice very recently, and once to Fragata as it was within walking and I thought it possibly could not have been worse. Both dreadful and not nearly representative of what the country can and does offer in such venues.

IMHO, once you have done all the sights, São Paulo is merely a connection city in terms of the brothel options. Perhaps best to structure the layover on a weekend where prospects may improve. 

I expect there will be some repeat commentary here about how wonderful they are. I am sure it is just fine according to specific tastes.

Coming all this way, I want some good-looking built guys. I don't care if it is 300-500 reais. I don't care about the variables of which season or which night. For a city this size where you see drop-dead gorgeous hunks in public all around you? That said, I had a handful of good experiences last September, but the pickings were slim and much time was spent sitting around. 

Anyway, I had a nice and quiet little studio cobertura but cut it short this time. 

Edited March 22, 2019 by Riobard

[pauleiro]

On 3/20/2019 at 10:52 PM, mvan1 said:

Generally, we can count on Lagoa sauna being busy with lots of handsome garotos on Wednesday and Friday nights.

 

On 3/20/2019 at 10:52 PM, mvan1 said:

Maybe this Friday will make up for this disappointing night.

...

 

Hopefully this friday night will be better than wednesday ....

[mvan1]

2 hours ago, Riobard said:

I went to Lagoa midweek twice very recently, and once to Fragata as it was within walking and I thought it possibly could not have been worse. Both dreadful and not nearly representative of what the country can and does offer in such venues.

IMHO, once you have done all the sights, São Paulo is merely a connection city in terms of the brothel options. Perhaps best to structure the layover on a weekend where prospects may improve. 

I expect there will be some repeat commentary here about how wonderful they are. I am sure it is just fine according to specific tastes.

Coming all this way, I want some good-looking built guys. I don't care if it is 300-500 reais. I don't care about the variables of which season or which night. For a city this size where you see drop-dead gorgeous hunks in public all around you? That said, I had a handful of good experiences last September, but the pickings were slim and much time was spent sitting around. 

Anyway, I had a nice and quiet little studio cobertura but cut it short this time. 

I don't often agree with you.  However, I must say that I understand your reaction to your most recent Brazil visit and your cutting short your time here.

In fifteen years of visiting Brazil rather often, this is the first time I am seriously considering cutting short my current trip.

Fragata was awful again on Tuesday night. 

Lagoa , on Wednesday was deadly dull and a major disappointment.

To make it worse, the rains and street flooding add to the negativism of my time here.

Depending on how Lagoa is tonight, I might, like you did, cut this trip short.

On the other hand, a truck load of handsome garotos might make it to Lagoa tonight and all will be like the old times there.

[sanddunes]

Does anyone know why the summer is generally busier in the saunas...(I have noticed that as well from my past trips)

Don’t the garotos need money during the fall and winter too?  Is it that they go more in the summer to have extra spending money for Carnival season?  Or does it have something to do with school/college breaks?

Edited March 23, 2019 by sanddunes

[TotallyOz]

Do you see this as a sign of the times and things changing in Brazil as they have so many other places? 

[Riobard]

As we are touching a little on the broader context, I can tell you that I flew yesterday into SSA, subway'd (easy-peasy) to Lapa and Über'd to Barra apto, and then Über'd short distance at 19:45 to Clube 11.

Nice enough facilities but simply horrid trade choices. My head swivelling on the Metro, street, Walmart etc, the hotness not to be found where you want it in a towel. No strippers, nor will there be tonight (Sat) or during my stay. Three years ago here, I had at least one hot programa every one of 3 consecutive nights. Shame. My money is currently getting moldy. 

If Fox sucks, it is going to possibly be celibacy. Interesting some of the top restaurants are nearby in the same district Pituba.

I am edgy about Grindr. I may just invite a hot guy for drinks or a meal out, vet vet and more vet. I do not mind squandering cash for enhancing safety. 

.........

I realize I am off the post topic and will likely try to report my time here in a new heading.

Edited March 23, 2019 by Riobard

[pauleiro]

On 3/22/2019 at 11:17 AM, pauleiro said:

 

Hopefully this friday night will be better than wednesday ....

This Friday nite was indeed great with a good gathering of boys of all types. I loved Thiago (see other post). It was slow until 6.30 pm. Maybe many boys came for the special bingo (special prize 1000 R$)

[mvan1]

7 hours ago, Riobard said:

.........

I realize I am off the post topic and will likely try to report my time here in a new heading.

 

You are not off the post topic.

You merely reported a similar situation in Salvador that I have experienced in Sao Paulo for the past two weeks. 

You also reported a similar situation that caused you to cut short your scheduled time in Brazil on your previous trip.

The issue is an absence of garotos of the quantity and quality we formerly found in the saunas and elsewhere.   I found a high quality over the past fifteen years until now.

I am not picky but I do have a type.  

I am talking about saunas (Lagoa and Fragata) that had more clients than garotos.  That was the case at Lagoa last Wednesday and Tuesday at Fragata.

Last night at Lagoa there were more clients and garotos than there were on Wednesday.  However, there was a larger amount of twinks which are not my thing (not intended as a slight). 

One forum member reported meeting a garoto last night at Lagoa and having a good time.   However, I do not know the forum member or the garoto he met.  I do not know what type of garoto he likes.  Based on reading some of his posts, he appears to favor the twink types (please, no offense intended).  Thus, last night, for him. was great.

To make matters worse, last night at Lagoa, Rodolfo decided to have a bingo game with a R$1,000 prize.  Needless to say, the prize amount took away the interest of a large number on non twink garotos.  I was told that some clients and garotos went to Lagoa last night solely for the possibility of winning the bingo prize.

Instead of looking for clients or being available for clients, garotos filled the seating area working on their bingo cards hoping they would be the winner of the R$1,000 prize.

That bingo prize of $1,000 was understandably enticing for the garotos. 

Are all these negative changes merely the luck of the draw?

Will things go back in Brazil like I experienced them for fifteen years?

Now, wouldn't that be nice?

[mvan1]

17 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

Do you see this as a sign of the times and things changing in Brazil as they have so many other places? 

I hope not.  Brazil has been like no where else. 

Hopefully, the changes are temporary.

One Brazilian friend said that Bolsonaro, Brazil's new right winged president, is saying such hateful things about the gays that possibly the garotos are staying away from the saunas and other gay areas out of embarrassment.  I don't know how much credibility can be placed on that possibility.

I hope things go back like they were.

[likeohmygod]

Mvan I strongly believe that the Bolsonaro thing is pure fantasy. The situation is the same as usual, the garotos need money and sex in saunas has always been a reliable and easy way to get it. The people who voted for Bolsonaro could not care less about what he says about gay people (for which he still hasn't done anything wrong... But it's too early to speak). Brazil has a very different culture from the other countries... The "i don't give a fuck about what you're doing" seems to be quite common, unless you're stealing something or killing people. 

I believe you guys are somewhat unlucky, or maybe it's just that since I live here, I have a bigger pool of experiences to be added to the statistics. Maybe you should also consider the thing that nothing will be like the first times you were getting in a sauna in Brazil, because that kind of new thing experience (the discovery of such a good places) is gone. 

I don't think that saunas are getting worse. Actually I think they're improving both in quantity and in quality. The economic situation (which is shit) is helping too. 

Fragata is well dead from years and it's just a complete waste of time.

Lagoa is a sure bet only in the Fridays and in the Saturdays. That's it. All of the other days are hit or miss. I did have great Wednesdays (like the past week one) and did have shitty Mondays and vice-versa. This week's Friday and Saturday have been great... I've met new extremely good looking guys. 2 of them are models with over 15k followers in Instagram. I was thinking that since there was no bingo tonight there were going to be a lot less garotos... It was packed. 

But it's always been like that since the year when I begun to visit saunas with GPs in SP. 

In Rio they're even better. 

Since junior has put money for the new facilities in 202, there's been a surge in garotos quantity and quality. 

117 is always good every single day.

And about Rio that's it because NMM is dead and Manhattan won't survive 2019 from what I'm constantly being told (99%of the days is empty). 

I'll tell you another thing. I have variable tastes about boys...but I can say for sure that the internet is not replacing the saunas (yet maybe). Apps like grindr are good to find paid sex, but the quality is not better than what you can find in saunas... Maybe is worse. So... Or all the great guys have disappeared, and that is not the case, or the guys in Brazil are still preferring the saunas because it's easier to let demand meet the offer in there, and the risks of getting caught while doing the escort by the people you know (if they care) are a lot smaller. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by likeohmygod

[SolaceSoul]

20 hours ago, Riobard said:

As we are touching a little on the broader context, I can tell you that I flew yesterday into SSA, subway'd (easy-peasy) to Lapa and Über'd to Barra apto, and then Über'd short distance at 19:45 to Clube 11.

Nice enough facilities but simply horrid trade choices. My head swivelling on the Metro, street, Walmart etc, the hotness not to be found where you want it in a towel. No strippers, nor will there be tonight (Sat) or during my stay. Three years ago here, I had at least one hot programa every one of 3 consecutive nights. Shame. My money is currently getting moldy. 

If Fox sucks, it is going to possibly be celibacy. Interesting some of the top restaurants are nearby in the same district Pituba.

I am edgy about Grindr. I may just invite a hot guy for drinks or a meal out, vet vet and more vet. I do not mind squandering cash for enhancing safety. 

.........

I realize I am off the post topic and will likely try to report my time here in a new heading.

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.

[pauleiro]

6 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

 

I believe you guys are somewhat unlucky, or maybe it's just that since I live here, I have a bigger pool of experiences to be added to the statistics.

I can confirm that likeohmygod has a big pool of experiences.

Lagoa was indeed great both  yesterday and friday nite. 

[Riobard]

1 hour ago, SolaceSoul said:

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.

I think you meant 11 better Wed and Sat (2nd line)? Yeah, late start Fri (my arrival day here) influenced the choice for Nazaré/Tororo area. Decided not to transfer to Fox, by then would have arrived past 21:00 - but nevertheless startled by the calibre of the ten or so GdeP contingent. Best body a very average middle-aged fellow. Neither attendant nor a few clients seemed enthused or encouraging when I asked about Sat and the apparent uncharacteristic Sat absence of strippers mentioned in the poster ad for Sat.

An attractive woman (trans? convincing in an incontrovertible way) was at Clube 11 on Fri and Fox on Sat. I have seen her in Rio at NMM, so I wonder if she had a level of local insider savvy that actually put me reasonably in the correct order of nights, for Sat anyway. In fact, Sat night was hopping with dozens of patrons at Fox and a live band. The oceanside ride in, going east, was very nice. 

Averted car travel in torrents so far. Electrical storm Fri/Sat midnight was explosive and put a 6-foot hairline crack in the apto ceiling. 

Wed at Clube 11 will be opportune geographically ... final night and up early next day.

Now then ... Mon? Tues? Netflix, right?

Edited March 24, 2019 by Riobard

[SolaceSoul]

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. 

[Riobard]

Thanks, good tips. I try not to get too put out because my tastes are specific and I know Rio is the more sure bet. Also, relying on locals' advice about "quality" is similar to forum advice, only it is more awkward to have a local with whom you get a little chummy steer you or introduce you to their version of Mr Right Right Now and I want to swipe Left because pineapple on pizza: eww!

[likeohmygod]

@Riobard, @SolaceSouldo you think that the saunas in Salvador are worth a visit? Cause during the years, are the only places where I've never been to. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by likeohmygod

[SolaceSoul]

18 minutes ago, likeohmygod said:

@Riobard, @SolaceSouldo you think that the saunas in Salvador are worth a visit? Cause during the years, are the only places where I've never been to. 

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.

[Riobard]

Not a thesis, but I understand that Tororo is one of three districts subsumed within the broader neighbourhood of Nazaré. 

In terms of recommendations, Salvador can only retrospectively have been worth it. My saggy balls are not crystalline. DIY is my recommended approach.

My flight was inexpensive and there are worthwhile sights. This is my second visit in three years. First stay Pelhourinho, now Barra. Mind you, I have the resources and time to travel. Therefore, it is not like working days where vacay is limited and disappointment would be of greater magnitude. 

I think there may be more of a shift to ads and apps compared to 2016. 

[mvan1]

10 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

Mvan I strongly believe that the Bolsonaro thing is pure fantasy. The situation is the same as usual, the garotos need money and sex in saunas has always been a reliable and easy way to get it. The people who voted for Bolsonaro could not care less about what he says about gay people (for which he still hasn't done anything wrong... But it's too early to speak). Brazil has a very different culture from the other countries... The "i don't give a fuck about what you're doing" seems to be quite common, unless you're stealing something or killing people. 

I believe you guys are somewhat unlucky, or maybe it's just that since I live here, I have a bigger pool of experiences to be added to the statistics. Maybe you should also consider the thing that nothing will be like the first times you were getting in a sauna in Brazil, because that kind of new thing experience (the discovery of such a good places) is gone. 

I don't think that saunas are getting worse. Actually I think they're improving both in quantity and in quality. The economic situation (which is shit) is helping too. 

Fragata is well dead from years and it's just a complete waste of time.

Lagoa is a sure bet only in the Fridays and in the Saturdays. That's it. All of the other days are hit or miss. I did have great Wednesdays (like the past week one) and did have shitty Mondays and vice-versa. This week's Friday and Saturday have been great... I've met new extremely good looking guys. 2 of them are models with over 15k followers in Instagram. I was thinking that since there was no bingo tonight there were going to be a lot less garotos... It was packed. 

But it's always been like that since the year when I begun to visit saunas with GPs in SP. 

In Rio they're even better. 

Since junior has put money for the new facilities in 202, there's been a surge in garotos quantity and quality. 

117 is always good every single day.

And about Rio that's it because NMM is dead and Manhattan won't survive 2019 from what I'm constantly being told (99%of the days is empty). 

I'll tell you another thing. I have variable tastes about boys...but I can say for sure that the internet is not replacing the saunas (yet maybe). Apps like grindr are good to find paid sex, but the quality is not better than what you can find in saunas... Maybe is worse. So... Or all the great guys have disappeared, and that is not the case, or the guys in Brazil are still preferring the saunas because it's easier to let demand meet the offer in there, and the risks of getting caught while doing the escort by the people you know (if they care) are a lot smaller. 

Thank you for your well thought out analysis of the negative situation that I find lately in the saunas and other venues in Sao Paulo.

What you wrote makes sense, particularly "The situation is the same as usual, the garotos need money and sex in saunas has always been a reliable and easy way to get it." 

I agree wholeheartedly with that quote of what you wrote.    

However, during my current trip of the past couple of weeks, I noticed a major change in the Sao Paulo saunas and other venues.  A change I do not like and a change I have not seen in my many travels to Brazil over more than fifteen years. 

As a coincidence, another former member had a similar experience of finding the saunas lacking in the type of garoto he used to find.  Out of disappointment, he ended his Brazil trip early.  Therefore, the changes in the saunas and other gay places is not isolated to my observations.

Clearly, each of us has a particular "type" of garoto that interests and attracts us.

I think it is great that you and your companion (the other forum member) enjoyed Lagoa Friday night. 

However, for me, the place was a disappointment because the type of garoto I prefer (and usually find at Lagoa) was not there in sufficient quantity to overcome the bingo game that kept many of the non twink type garotos glued to their bingo card in hopes of winning the R$1,000 prize.

The bingo game was an isolated instance of distracting garotos from meeting clients. 

There has been a trend since my trip began that the saunas and other venues have changed negatively.

If my current trip had been my first trip to Brazil, I would not have returned.

Of course, it could be that I just picked a bad time to visit here.  I do not know. 

I have been here many times over many years at different times of the years and never experienced a decline in the saunas and other venues to the extent I have seen during the past two weeks. 

I will cut my losses and leave Brazil earlier than planned.

I will return to Brazil in a month or so in hopes that things returned to the way they were during my prior visits. 

There is an old proverb that I think is appropriate for my current dilemma.

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

 

 

[lopesv2]

Hi guys.

I am Brazilian, but I have never been to the Saunas #shame.

One thing that people discuss in our blogs/sites is that many garotos now prefer to use the websites/apps, it could explain the sensation of less boys at the Saunas.

Bolsonaro is a tragedy, but i think it is too soon to blame him for the frequency at the saunas.

 

[Riobard]

OK, Eureka! We know probability incentivizes. Next time I am going to put up $R1000 and each of those higher-end gamblers I approve can line up and enter me (and vice versa for a greater chance at the prize) and the final name draw, with their winfall chance equal to 100% divided by number of entrants.

Bingo! Perhaps even a more complex algorithm where I rate the impression they leave and factor that into the number of tickets allocated for each. For example: a 10 rating gets 10 chances .... 5 gets 5, etc. 

I think the competition aspect will actually raise the stakes.

Can't beat them (off)? Conjoin them. 

[mvan1]

26 minutes ago, lopesv2 said:

Hi guys.

I am Brazilian, but I have never been to the Saunas #shame.

One thing that people discuss in our blogs/sites is that many garotos now prefer to use the websites/apps, it could explain the sensation of less boys at the Saunas.

Bolsonaro is a tragedy, but i think it is too soon to blame him for the frequency at the saunas.

 

Thank you for your thoughts.  Maybe you should try one of the saunas.