numazu

Was in 202 today for Junior’s birthday. No apparent signage requiring vaccination status that I could see. Also I wasn’t asked for my vaccine card and neither were my two companions, just like 117. 202 was super packed today! If you’re at all paranoid about COVID and social distancing, tonight was not a night for you to come. The show was good and there was free food, and Junior was giving away these cups as giveaways:

This photo is from tonight, at 117. Looks promising in theory, and at first glance I felt at ease with my visit here. But as I checked in at reception to get my key, I was not asked for my vaccination record. I was also with two boys, who looked like GPs, but was with me like a client and therefore not working, and they weren’t asked for their vaccine records either. I’m not saying that they are not asking for the records, it just wasn’t asked of me. I did ask from boys and they said they only had to show it to reception once and then never asked again. Maybe clients are not asked? Unsure. Another anecdote: earlier today we went to Vidigal to take photos and have lunch at Mirante, and we took mototáxis up the favela. My cute motoqueiro assured me that he had two doses of the vaccine, and also slyly told me that i could hold on to his waist on the way up. I obliged of course. He got a tip. I’m that gullible.

Just to add to the ample warnings from previous posters. I've seen two thefts happen in front of me during all of the 4 years I've been going to Brazil. Oddly enough these two thefts happened within a week of each other, and within the last month. First one happend last week. I was walking on the sidewalk by the beach in copacabana. I was with a GP. He wasn't a slouch - he's 6'3, muscular, young. He had his shirt off (as you do), and was wearing his cheapie "gold" necklace. I was noticing a younger guy on a bike eyeing him as we walked past. A few steps further a taxi driver shouted to us to "be careful". As we approach posto 4, the same kid who was eyeing us quickly rode past us and snatched that necklace from my friend. The kid quickly disappeared in his bike. My friend should have known better. He was a Carioca after all. He was shaken after the incident, and wanted to look for the thief. I had to calm him down by disappearing into one of the quiosques and shared a beer with him and tried to just talk him out of it. He was left a bruise in his neck where the necklace was snatched. This was like 2 pm in the afternoon in broad daylight. The second one happened two weeks ago in Sao Paulo. I was in Higienopolis with another GP friend and we were just heading back to his condo from a Cafe after breakfast. We were walking in a quiet street with other people when a woman in the further side of the same street started screaming. A thief snatched her cellphone while she was walking. As the thief tried to run away from her, I see the thief trip and fall to the ground. A group of older guys happened to manage to trip him and pin him down. My GP friend, not a stranger to confrontation, quickly rushed to the scene and filmed the whole thing. The older guys were punching him and kicking him. The woman whose cellphone got snatched joined in, and retrieved her cellphone. Some other passers by also joined in the melee. Pretty soon the police arrived. The guy was bloodied when all was said and done. The mob was rightfully angry, probably frustrated by all the theft happening lately. This was before noon. While all this is horrible, this two incidents have done nothing to change my view about Brazil. Its a dangerous place for sure, but if you know how to be careful, and to be mindful of your surroundings, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. The pros way outweigh the cons. Did I mention that sex after an exciting incident is just way better? You already have all that adrenaline flowing!

I just want to give my most heartfelt thanks to @vinapu for taking the plunge on not only visiting Thailand during these uncertain times, but also to document, in almost real time, his exploits. The trip reports continue to be the bread and butter of this forum, and @vinapu your perspective is always welcome and greatly appreciated, in my world. I have completely written off Thailand for at least this holiday season. While I'm glad that things look like they are slowly getting back to normal, some of the uncertainties still make me feel that I won't be able to enjoy myself as much as i would, like the usual New Year circuit parties for example, have not been reinstated, as far as i know. I am heading to Mexico and Brazil for Christmas and New year, but who knows after that. Maybe Songkran next year will be a thing? And @vinapu please continue this trip report! Maybe you will have a monodiet of twinks this trip. I havent been dining on twinks lately. Too many muscle gods taking up my time in Brazil.

I agree with Bolsonaro being a big destructive force in Brazil. However, this destruction means less jobs and less money for the boys, and therefore more available boys. While I'd like Brazil, as Thailand, to succeed after COVID, while it sounds bad, I am definitely reaping the benefits in the interim. But is anything fun open? Ugh @reader. From your lips to god's ears. I am ready to go in December. Will they let me? Will there be anything open? Sad state of affairs indeed. I am not a wait and see guy. I am go and do. That's why I go to Brazil and do everything in sight. I went to this party last Sunday btw. Another story for another day... Yes to Europe, and I guess my schedule opened up and Brazil is back on. Sad that you had to cancel your trip. Someday I will see you at a boy bar and I'll buy you a drink @vinapu. So, any new news about reopening? Any new sandbox news?

So I had an old friend in Bangkok who messaged me out of the blue, which made me think about Thailand, which made me think about this forum. It has been 20(!) months since my last Thailand trip, in December 2019. It has been way too long. I have, of course, been putting most of my travel eggs in the Brazil basket this pandemic, which is a pretty good consolation prize, since going to Thailand seems to still not be in the cards any time soon, and I have a feeling, not even this year. I always wondered how Brazil can be as open like they are - with virtually all the boy saunas open. Even if the big Brazilian gay dance clubs are still closed, I'll take that over the totally closed Thailand. I hope the situation changes soon, though from the posts here it does not seem likely. I guess I have to keep taking those Brazil trips to get me through the year. Anyway, back to my old friend, who messaged me today. He is probably known to some of you on here, but I won't divulge his identity. He is not a boy, but you have probably crossed paths with him if you have ever taken tours in Bangkok (and beyond). He opened up the conversation, telling me about how he remembered me today when he drove by my old party condo building Centric in Sathorn: I haven't been paying close attention, but are there really no boy bars open? That seems really sad: I've always wondered how the boys are surviving. Not being able to eat is grim. I know there are apps, but without the tourist numbers, there is only so much money they can earn: "Boys will get old before open" was a very funny thing to say, but this also applies to us, the farang clients. Grim. So this made me sad. Maybe 2022 will be better? Or have any of you heard about the rest of this year? And will we be able to see the old boy bars back? I am dreading how this long closure has affected the bars. When do you think I can go back to Bangkok again to a nice boy bar? Any guesses?

A Sao Paulo Interlude Ugh. I got derailed with the posts because life just got busy. With the USA fast opening and personal stuff with my own life getting in the way (read: I am finding new distractions), I both haven't had the time to update this thread or go to Brazil in the same frequency as since Brazil opened up in July. I will still update when I can, or maybe not, we shall definitely see. But I do find my self in Brazil this Memorial Day week (in the USA) for some reason. I've chosen Sao Paulo as my main location for this trip (for now), based on the two positive days I spent in the beginning of May before I headed back home. I have frequented Rio since December, and even with the never-boring charms of Rio's beaches and boys, I have to admit that I have become bored with the tedium of the 117 and 202 merry-go-round. While some American friends have introduced me to the very specific charms of Meio Mundo (probably due for a post at some point), it is time for me to concentrate on Sao Paulo. A lot has changed since I was in Brazil about 4 weeks ago. I have found a country that is more restless, more fed-up, and possibly ready to burst at any moment. And probably because I am in Sao Paulo, a city that is less touristy than Rio, it is harder to paint over the seams that are forming from the suffering of its citizens with the whiplash of COVID restrictions, with the lack of good paying jobs, and the slow rollout of vaccination. I met up with my gorgeous ex in my first few days here, and even with the distraction of the always great sauna Lagoa, which has been busy these days, I cannot ignore the other things that are happening. A casual stroll in Paulista Avenue on tis gloomy Sunday revealed some interesting street graffiti: "Out with Bolsonaro" "Down with the dictatorship" "The Emergency Assistance is not enough to buy food." "Out with Bozo" While passing by the "Fora Bozo" graffiti, I explained to my ex that "Bozo" was a name of a famous clown in the USA. The ex says its the same in Brazil, and for him, Bozo is a fitting name for Bolsonaro because he thinks he is also a clown. A sad state of affairs in Brazil for sure. Pretty worse than normal, even. That's probably why there is always more boys than clients in the sauna. So hopefully, next, I will continue with the Rio posts...

New Year in Fortaleza: And a Muted New Year to Everyone! I had no expectation whatsoever about any business-as-usual New Year’s celebration in Brazil. That is not why I went here in the first place. The pandemic is still very much raging, and I wouldn’t think there would be any place in the world (that accepts Americans) that would have a full-blown New Year’s celebration. So my expectations were to not to go to any parties, to not see fireworks, and not to see a lot of people comingling. But the point of me coming was to spend time with the BF, which takes the sting out of the lack of any celebrations here. As we got close to the date of my arrival to Brazil, we have been going back and forth as to where to spend the turn of the New Year. We ruled out Rio and Sao Paulo, as both cities were proactive in letting everyone early know that (a) they were taking this pandemic seriously and (b) no celebrations were to be had. So we were stuck with choices in the Northeast, and in the end, there was no place like home, and Fortaleza won out. I decided to splurge and I had us stay at the Holiday Inn Fortaleza. It was definitely more upscale than staying at an AirBNB, its across the street from Praia Iracema, and with its nice restaurant and bar and other first world creature comforts, we can celebrate the New Year in some style. Lucky for me as well, I was able to redeem those accumulated IHG points that have been left unspent during the pandemic. They usually come in handy when staying in Sao Paulo at the Intercontinental Hotel there. But in Fortaleza, the points definitely work as well: Upon arriving at the hotel, Paulo immediately whips out the cellphone and takes selfies, around the hotel sign: The hotel was decked out for the holidays, and the room we got was spacious and faced the beach. The buffet breakfast was a nice treat to have every morning, with a shit ton of breakfast items, combining American and Brazilian food. I looked forward to it everyday. And the premises were pretty nice as well, with a chill pool to hang out with. Again, Paulo took advantage of the nice surroundings and took many photos by the pool: I filmed him doing backflips and such by the pool. It was going great until he somehow hurt himself with all his exertions. It wasn’t serious or anything but the next day he felt some backpain. We go to the pharmacy to get him some pain relievers. I suggest buying some BenGay, the fairly ubiquitous pain cream (in the USA) with Menthol and Methyl Salicylate. We were in luck that the drug store we went to had it. Although the name itself made Paulo laugh out loud. On the Uber drive home, he could not resist sharing this with the Uber driver. I guess BenGay sounded exactly like “Bem Gay”. It was trully, really gay. We ran into further bad luck, as the night before the eve, we see the barriers being installed by Praia Iracema, where traditionally the fireworks will be. I guess Fortaleza is choosing the safe way out, which is to also prohibit people going to the beach and the sand on the 31st, prohibiting fireworks, and all other parties for New Year’s Eve. I guess escaping Rio got us to the same type of restrictions here. Which was fine. A relatively quiet New Year’s celebration with just the two of us, is probably the best we can do. With the saunas closed on New Year’s Eve, and the beaches closed the whole day, our options were limited. Which is why choosing to staying at a hotel was a good idea. The gym hotel was still open, the pool was still open and hopping, and walking around Praia Iracema was also a good idea on this slightly cool day. It rained in the afternoon, and when the rain stopped, it was time for us to get some dinner. Paulo wanted to go to a restaurant close to the Holiday Inn that had the best picanha steaks in Fortaleza (his words). We walk there and there was a wait. The place was packed! But finally we get to a table. We immediately order some of the freshest cairpirinha de limaos I've ever had, to start the festivities: It was the first New Year’s eve that we were spending together, and we mostly spent the time over dinner, sharing stories about Eve’s past. Paulo is a wild child, and it was no surprise to me that his idea of celebration was both very wild and very drunk. We finally get our dinner and yes, the meat was pretty tasty: We were sitting close to the road side and he noticed a family of panhandlers begging for change next to us. Mom, Dad and baby. It was a firm reminder of where we were, Brazil, and with the pandemic, I am sure this panhandling has only worsened. Paulo, with a heart as big as his cock, hailed the waiter to come to us. He asked the waiter to cook a quick picanha dinner to go and to pack it up with utensils and napkins. 15 minutes later we got the plastic bag filled with the food. He looks at me and says “don’t worry, I am paying for this.” and gives the food to the beggars. They were very grateful obviously. Afterwards Paulo tells me that he is nothing but a GP and can’t do anything to change his country. But this, he can do. Afterwards, we walk back to the Holiday Inn. It was almost midnight so we decide to head over to the pool area, where there was a terrace where people can watch the beach and the (lack) of foreworks. There were some people there but I am sure this would be more crowded pre-pandemic: The clock strikes twelve, he gives me a chaste peck in the cheek (we were in public, in Fortaleza after all). There were some people milling the sidewalk by the beach, but there were a police presence to help avoid any agglomeration. There were no fireworks at first, but then we hear some fireworks by the beach, and the police quickly race to apprehend the people who were doing this. They were serious. After the turn, we decide to join the people walking by the sidewalk. There were advisories everywhere, reminding us that we can’t gather in huge numbers, and the people were constantly in the move and sitting down was generally frowned upon: Still, Brazilians do what Brazilians do. There were some who managed to take a Bluetooth speaker to blare celebratory music, and soon people were dancing. Some vendors were selling beers too, and very discreetly so police won’t be able to apprehend them. The police can’t be everywhere after all. We took advantage of this and a couple of cans of beers later, we were definitely were having a good time. We got home at 3 AM, after taking part of some dancing some walking, some laughing. This was a fairly muted way to spend New Year’s Eve, but it was fun regardless, and Paulo was game enough to lift my spirits up, as he is always wont to do. The next day, while getting some breakfast at the hotel, we see this scribbled on a mirror by the restaurant: It says: “Here comes 365 new opportunities. Make the most of the good things to come, embrace the challenges, and overcome the difficulties.” However horrible 2020 was, the promise of the New Year, and a new chance to start again, is usually enough to make one forget of what happened in that horrible year. Even if it only lasts for a day. Next… back in Rio.

New Year in Fortaleza: Sauna Por Dinheiro and Sauna Por Amor Kleyton was a great companion, but I was ready for my main event, which was: seeing my boyfriend in Fortaleza. I would rather be single, especially because I find myself in a land full of hot boys, but at least currently, the boyfriend has been giving me enough to work with to “suspend” my slutty self and be content, even elated, with being with him. As with any relationship, it is not perfect, and he is not perfect. But I am not as well, far from it. The heady mix of his Brazilian-ness and stubbornness with my own neuroses and headstrong tendencies has made this relationship the roller coaster it was always meant to be. But I am here for it, for now. For people who are not familiar, here is how I met the boyfriend. The odd thing is, even if he is a Garoto de Programa, and I, a very prolific client, we never really started our relationship as one of client and boy. But the fact that I am a client (for some boys) and he is a boy (for some clients) looms large in the relationship. He still works because he needs to live, and I still hire because I want the sex. Even with this, though, it somehow works. Don’t ask me how. It just does. So I have talked about Fortaleza during the pandemic here. The gist is that it is a nice enough beach city among many beach cities in the Northeast of Brazil. But experiencing it through the eyes of a local certainly elevated it to a more interesting place to be in for me. There is enough variety among the beaches here, and enough creature comforts in the city to be comfortable, and enough places to unwind and party, that it makes it one of the more versatile cities in Brazil. And everyone knows how I like things versatile. Paulo, as I call the BF here, has asked to visit him in Fortaleza over the New Year. He said that to be able to spend more time with me, he will only try get one programa per day at the sauna, which will enable us to hang out in the sauna after his work. Since it is still the pandemic, the sauna is probably the few gay spaces that are continues to be open in the city, so we would be hanging out here anyway, work or no. And there was really only one sauna worth its salt nowadays, and it is Mykonos Thermas Club. Most of my initial thoughts about Mykonos still remain. The place is spacious and open. Probably because this is Fortaleza, and it doesn’t have to contend with high rents or property prices like in Rio and Sao Paulo, but unlike the saunas there, which are sometimes old and tired (117), falling apart (202), or weirdly designed (Lagoa), Mykonos is brand spanking new, and the sauna, hydromassager/pool, even stage area and chairs, are a breath of fresh air. And thank goodness, because I do not mind spending 4 hours in a towel here, since Paulo like using all the facilities in the sauna, in one night. We would start with drinking of course, to start the night, and maybe after we would go to the sauna to sweat out some of the alcohol, and then after a quick rinse at the very public showers, we head over to the hydromassager to soak our cares and aches away. Then it was back to the bar for more drinks, and then maybe a game of pool if we wanted, or even some dancing in the stage area. All in one facility. All for 25 reais entry fee. Their flyer: And probably the main point of Fortaleza for most people is that it is cheaper than Rio. And that cheapness of course comes with it, cheaper prices for programas. Paulo says that unfortunately, most of the boys here may earn less than 100 reais per programa. Sometimes as low as 50, or even 30. And I guess you get what you pay for, because this is not 117. Gone are the wall-to-wall muscle that I crave sometimes. A lot of boy-next-door types, and some even fairly off-brand looking boys. Which is unfortunate, but everyone has to make a buck. Paulo says the a lot of the boys do a volume business. 50 reais is not a lot of money, but if you do 4 in a night, you might just get to survive another day. But there are a few choice boys in the premises. You know, those boys you would expect to find in 117 or 202 and feel that they belong. Along with Paulo, they will cost you 100 reais or more. And most of these “higher quality” boys are Paulo’s friends in the sauna. They sometimes hang out outside the sauna, and get to compare notes about clients as well. I got to meet some of these hotties this trip, and it was interesting to see both Paulo’s dynamics with these boys, and also the boy’s reaction to me. Paulo is never shy in introducing me as the BF, and I could tell that they have not seen this side of Paulo ever. They know not to approach me for a programa, even if Paulo is busy somewhere else, and even if they notice the drool on my mouth whenever I stare at them for too long. Since this was the New Year, there were a bunch of special party nights in the sauna. And indeed, the place was decked out for the occasion: I would never dare do a programa with anyone here, as long as Paulo is with me. Paulo has the trademarked Brazilian jealousy, and I know it would be trouble if I would ever want to see the extent of his jealousy. In turn, sometimes my very presence affects Paulo’s desire to work. He would oftentimes not want to work, even if he needs the money, because I was there, and he would rather spend time with me than with someone he has to pretend to like for money. And in times that he does go to his programa, he sometimes rushes things, because he didn’t want me to wait too long (both because he didn’t want me to get bored, and also I wouldn’t be tempted to get a boy for myself). And a client or two would complain because of this rushed atmosphere. Oh well. This is a typical night for us at the sauna. 25 reais for client entry. 15 reais for boy entry. 5 reais for a big bag of peanuts. And 10 reais for a generous glass of caipirinha (we got 5 this night). I never leave this place with a bill more than 100 reais. Sooooo cheap: I’ve talked about how clients get to wear white towels, and boys wear blue towels, but even while exiting the sauna, the exit card you give to security at the door is also delineated by color as well. Quite cute, I think: Mondays in Fortaleza though, are GP sauna-free. There are two other GP saunas in Fortaleza: California and Dragon, and even those were closed on Mondays. But Paulo still wanted to go to a sauna with me, but to a regular gay sauna, one that prohibited GPs in their premises. So we would go there only as a couple, and not as boy and client, to just have a good time. Paulo admits that this is new to him, actually wanting to go to a gay establishment. But he said he did want to go to a place both to drink and to be close to me, and he is not ready to do that in general public. So in search of a gay space, he wanted to try the regular gay sauna Rommeo. We were in luck today, as it was 2-for-1 entry at the sauna: We get to the door and after security approves of our appearance, we get to the entrance and get our keys to the locker. We enter the premises and immediately see 4 rows of big lockers. We were given teeny-tiny towels to wear. Paulo tries one on and you can see the half of his soft penis dangling past below the towel. “This won’t do,” Paulo laughs. Paulo will not stand for these bitch towels, so he got us regular seized towels to wear. I am thrilled at the sight of Paulo’s penis just dangling out of the towel, but I guess he is less amused. Besides, he said, people usually pay him to see his penis. Why give it away for free? We, and Paulo’s penis, all get squared away, as we head to the bar area. At 9 PM, the place was hopping. Lots of male flesh, lots of gays. Most are boys-next-door but some are a tier above that. Paulo, as he does usually, stands out with his awfully muscular torso, 8-pack and manicured beard. He has garnered attention here for sure, moreso than he does in public. He was uneasy at first, but the alcohol, and my gentle back rubs, slowly ease him into relaxing to enjoy the night. Overall it was a nice space. I remember it being two floors, with the first floor having the bar area, some tables, some bathrooms and places to sit. Upon going up the big staircase, there were the dark rooms and semi-private rooms if you wanted to do the nasty. Some more showers and some places to sit. It was definitely a nice playground for anyone looking to ogle at some man flesh, or even try the (apparently) free merchandise, if that suited your fancy. We went into the darkroom to make out. Paulo pinned me to the wall and we started kissing and touching. After a few minutes he said “let’s switch places” he said. So he leans on the wall and we continue. “Why did you want to be on the wall?” I asked. Because people were touching him as they walked by he said. It made him uncomfortable. Maybe having sex in a sauna in full view of people was not his thing. I was able to get him hard though, but it was not the place for us to do this fully and completely. But it was nice to try. We decided to just go back downstairs and drink and talk and gossip about the people in the sauna. Paulo was still dipping his toe in these things, so maybe going full on gay sauna was not for him at the moment. And I am far from the exhibitionist myself, so maybe a sauna is not for the both of us. But it was fun to try, and on a Monday night, it was the only thing to try. We head home to the apartment. And that’s where the true fireworks began. Next… New Year’s fireworks, or lack thereof.

Thanks @spoon, I was hoping this would be the case. If it is, I could see a million worse things than "quarantining" in Phuket, as long as you have free range to go everywhere in the city.

From OneMileataTime: As of April 1, 2021, the quarantine for visitors will be cut from 14 days to 10 days for all arrivals, with the exception of visitors from some African countries As “early as next month,” Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Na, and Phuket, will reopen to fully vaccinated tourists, though a seven day quarantine will still be required for those visitors As of July 1, 2021, vaccinated tourists will be able to travel to Phuket with no quarantine requirement If this proves successful, as of October 1, 2021, the quarantine requirement will be scrapped for vaccinated tourists in Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Na, and Phuket As of some point in 2022, Thailand plans to lift all quarantine requirements for foreign visitors I have been itching to go back to Thailand since December 2019. OK so if in the end this is how it is going to shake up, then I am going to plan a Phuket trip sometime in late July - early August. Doees anyone know if the gogo bars there are still there? The last time I went to Phuket, the one gogo bar there was pathetic. If that goes well and they do decide to open up more cities to vaccinated folk without quarantine, then a trip to Pattaya and Chiang Mai would be my next plan in November. I'd like to at least go to Phuket as soon as possible, and if they do decide to not open it up in October to other cities, then I would have at least tried Phuket earlier. Like I said I've been wanting to go back all this time, and will go the earliest possible time without having to quarantine.

Christmas in Rio: A Good Night for Clients or A Good Night for Boys? Choose one. The one big thing I’ve noticed in my days in Rio this trip, is that a number of the Sao Paulo boys that I’ve seen and/or hired in the Lagoa sauna are currently in Rio, including my current companion Kleyton. And their reasons for being here are the same: that it was slow in Sao Paulo at the moment, and the tourists that are in for the Christmas holidays had their sights on Rio instead of Sao Paulo. So far, they said, they’ve been making bank. I see a number of them post their ads on garotocomlocal, and I see them ply their wares on Grindr as well, as oddly enough, most of the are in Copacabana like me, probably 4 guys sharing a room, overcrowded but getting that GP money. This was also the last days of being “single” this trip. In two days, I’ll be meeting up with the BF in Fortaleza, where I’ll be spending the turn of the New Year in. I’ve been hearing that the usual grand Copacabana New Year celebration, in which I have been to twice, is cancelled this year due to COVID. They even have banned fireworks by the beach: Indeed, a lot of the celebrations are either muted or all together cancelled in Rio, so it was probably good timing for me to leave Rio, to be at the more open Northeast for now. Besides, I didn’t want this to happen to me, which I could have attended: So I was eager to slut it all out and make the most of these two days. Kleyton is shaping up to be a pretty good friend during these days as well, motivating me to go to the gym and the beaches, and at 22 years old, has the sexual appetite to spare even with having to sell sex at the saunas. And yes, he is also motivated to go to the saunas, since he needs the moneyz for his school expenses next year. So it is Christmas day today. I wake up with Kleyton on his phone. He sees me wake up and gives me a kiss. Then he says “Adriano wants to leave, but is waiting for us to wake up so he can say a proper goodbye.” I put on some shorts on and go to the living room. I see Adriano just in his underwear, laying on the couch. He bolts up to meet me for a hug and a “Bom dia!” He asks me if he could shower. “Fica vontade,” of course, I tell him. As Adriano got ready, I make coffee for everyone. We all chat a little bit before Adriano had to take his leave. Hugs everywhere. A few more Merry Christmas greetings. And he was gone. Since it was a glorious day today, it was a no-brainer that Kleyton and I catch a few rays at the beach. We put on our swimsuits, and pack the bag with sunscreen and water. We have a quick breakfast at Stalos again, and that American breakfast they have has become a favorite of mine. Checking Stalos’ Facebook page, it looks like it is actually called “Café Nova York” for some reason: At gay beach Ipanema, it seems that everyone had the same idea, which was to celebrate Christmas day with their hundred or so closest friends in skimpy swimwear, enjoying the hot sun and warm water. Where we sat, someone had a Bluetooth speaker pumping out the latest Brazilian and American pop music that the gays loved. It was kind of interesting to me how the vendors here have leaned into the gay signage to announce that they are gay-friendly. The rainbow flags, and the HotBoys and other gay bar sponsored flags are one way to get them to come: No Brazilian beach experience is complete for me without a fresh serving of Strawberry Caipirihna, and a sweet Acai treat: This was too much fun, and I wanted to so bad to share all this on my social media to greet everyone at home a Merry Christmas, but I knew that that would not go over well, with the majority of my friends and family who are stuck at home, going through winter. Oh well. Hope this pandemic is over soon. With 117 closed till Saturday, the 26th, it was just 202 today this Friday. Christmas day Friday should be great for the sauna right? With everyone still in a celebratory mood? WRONG. We get to 202 at 7 PM and see an almost empty sauna. It was sooooo depressing. And for the first time this trip, there were more clients than boys. Which is bad news for me, but great news for Kleyton. No sooner as he gets into the premises, he gets accosted b a client. I don’t blame the client. I’d snap up the first hot guy I see, with this slim pickings. After an hour of doing nothing, the show starts. I guess there was enough clients to still have the show: Thank goodness for the show though, at least the night was not wasted. And the gogo boys were yummy, and I wanted to see if they were available after the show. But I blinked and saw that one of the gogos was already sitting with a client, and the other gogo put his clothes on and with motorcycle helmet in hand, left without talking to anyone else. There was one boy who flitted in and out of my sight throughout the night. He was in a towel when I saw him, and he would appear near the bar and then a few minutes disappear again. Presumably doing programas all night. After the show, he suddenly came and sat beside me, fully-clothed. “Boa noite,” he greets me, extending a hand. He was cute, muscular (not 117 muscular, but beggars can’t be choosers). Mid-20s. I asked him why he was fully-clothed. He said he’s had two programas already tonight, so he was ready to leave, but he saw me alone sitting so he decided to say hi and to see whats up He told me he has seen me in 117 and 202 and wanted to say hi then to me but I was always busy with a boy. I tell him I wished I was busy now. He tells me that if he wanted to get busy with me, he could change back to a towel. I guess don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He was fine, and cute. Probably too boy-next-door for me, and someone I wouldn’t do a programa with on any other night. But this was tonight, a slooooow night, and 150 reais seems a small price to pay for something that may make me happy. Sex is still sex. And it turns out, I wouldn’t regret it. He was vey passionate, and his giant ass certainly made up for some of his lesser qualities (in my eyes). He even came with me, probably because I was his last programa tonight and could waste a load now. I gave him 200 for that. I got a smile on my face. My night was saved. I had to wait 15 minutes after for Kleyton to appear. I guess another 4 programa night for him. Merry Christmas. The next day was all about 117. I was eager to salvage my disappointing night at 202 and fully bask in the muscular goodness of the legendary sauna. It was packed, as before, and again I was treated with wall-to-wall muscular goodness that was present in the premises. As Kleyton bids me farewell to do some work, I sit down to do some work of my own. I sit in the smoking section of the sauna and just watch the boys come and go. Hard to choose a first programa tonight, but I guess someone will do the choosing for me. Two muscular guys, young, white, and looking very fetching in their towels (soooo much abs), come to me and sit down with me on my table. The taller guy suddenly talks to me in broken English “200 for two of us? We will fuck you good?” I laugh out loud. He was very direct. The other guy, the more handsome guy, shakes his head. “Speak Portugues?” he asks. Affirmative. He then apologizes for his friend for being too direct. He says it was his first time at the sauna and is very excited. I get them two beers while taking this time to get to know them. I like having this extra time to suss them out to see if indeed I will spend more time with them and to part with my money. And it gives them time to get comfortable with me as well, which may or may not pay dividends when it came to the sex. They were indeed very attractive. Both mid-20s, cariocas, white and muscular as hell. Super straight for sure, but they are Brazilians, so they know how to do it anyway. And in the suite, it was obvious who was the more veteran sauna boy. He knew how to please clients. It might as well have been only him in the room with me. The other one was gorgeous, and hard as a rock, probably aided by Viagra, but he hardly made any overtures with me. Maybe he was intimidated by his buddy, who was all over me, and didn’t have any qualms with the very gay sex we were having. He kissed well though, and was great eye candy while his buddy topped me. He topped me as well, and I felt every bit of it because he was gigantic. 200 for the newbie, 250 for the veteran. Afterwards I made my way to the show area to enjoy the upcoming show. I was able to rope in a gorgeous black muscular guy to sit with me for the show, and he asked me to order him food and drinks, which was fine by me since the show was a long one. And it was worth it! It was one of the better show I’ve seen in a while. The drag queen was amazing. The extra show with lights was a trip, and the strippers were more animated than usual: After the show, I take my boy to the suite, and had a perfectly nice time with him with just foreplay and jacking off at the end. 200 reais. Kleyton did worse tonight, with only 2 programas in the four hours we were in the sauna. It is rare that a good night for clients translates to a equally good night for the boys. I guess that is the constant push and pull that happens nightly in the sauna scene in Brazil. Next up… Fortaleza!

Christmas in Rio: Make Your Own Family Christmas is for family, New Year’s is for friends. That’s the mantra I’ve always heard in South America whenever I go here during the holidays. It’s a good thing to remember, especially if you find yourself in Colombia one Christmas night, wondering why the bars and strip clubs are closed, and can’t seem to pin down your usual boy to hang out with you because he is with his family. It is after all, a Christian holiday. This is probably why I’ve always thought that Thailand was a better place to spend this holiday at. Out there, they still have all the decor and cheer associated with the holiday, without the usual familial traditions behind it. If you are a gay boy who is not ready to talk about your life to your hetero family, spending any family gathering with them, never mind Christmas dinner, can be quite awkward. That is what a particular boy, Kleyton, is currently going through. He is a cute young-looking 22 year old college student. I met him in the sauna Lagoa in Sao Paulo last year in between visits with the new boyfriend. He seems at first very unassuming at the sauna, just blending with the other more boy-next-door types. I tried him out because I was looking for a bottom and none of the current boys that day were willing to do so in the moment. At the suite, it turned out, up close, he was gorgeous. Nice lean body, smooth and smelled good, yummy ass, and the big surprise was he had a gigantic dick. In subsequent trips I’d invite him on some overnights, and it turns out that he is an amazing top as well. He also turns out to be gay, which is a blessing sometimes when it comes to going out and depending on him to know where the gay haunts are in Sao Paulo, and the cultural touchstones are similar. And not only was he a college student, he was also whip smart, so while my Portuguese needs help, my conversations with him are more nuanced and gives me insight on a lot of the politics of the day in Brazil. He, in turn, appreciates my thoughts about the USA on a variety of subjects, and we have one hell of a time comparing notes on both countries. I do believe he does consider me as a friend, with benefits, and the benefits part has evolved as well. Initially of course it was a client and boy relationship, but as with any relationship that is worth its salt, it has to evolve if it is to remain worthwhile. Which brings us to present day. He is a gay boy who does not want to spend Christmas with his family, as he does not want to answer questions about “why don't you have a girlfriend yet” or stuff about his supposed "decent" job in Sao Paulo (he tells his family that he works as a waiter in between classes, well in fact he is a prostitute). We have been communicating about what to do over Christmas since November. So I decide to invite him for the five days I have before I meet up with the BF in Fortaleza. I tell him he can stay with me in Rio, and we can go to the sauna together so he can work and earn money, but the rest of the time we can spend time together. He was very excited about the invitation, and planned to take the bus from Sao Paulo to Rio when I was ready for him. What wasn’t discussed was any kind of payment he needed from me, or what kind of sex that was expected from him. But from the evolving part of the relationship, it turns out that he was not expecting any payment, and the sex just happened naturally throughout his stay with me. So after a slow night in Lagoa, Kleyton takes the bus (with the fully reclinable seats) from Sao Paulo to Rio at midnight. I get a call from him at 8 AM to tell me that his Uber from the bus station was arriving at the apartment. In a few minutes, he was at my apartment door, with big suitcase in hand, looking great in a tank top and jeans. After a big wet kiss, he collapses on the couch, and tells me to not mind him, and to tend with Lucas, who was still in my bed sleeping. I rejoin Lucas to complete my sleep. Before noon I hear Lucas emerging from the shower. He “helps” me with my morning wood, and then (after another shower), he bids me goodbye. Kleyton wakes up as Lucas leaves. He still has his shoes on and just collapsed on the couch from exhaustion. He immediately disrobes all his clothes, gives me a deep kiss, and bolts to the bathroom, with his long dick swinging. After a while emerges from the bathroom, smelling nice and lovely. “I’m in Rio!” he explains, with all the giddiness of a young guy. He says he wants to at least hit the beach immediately, before checking out the sauna later. “But it is overcast outside. It might even rain.” I said. He said he didn’t care, as he has not been to a beach in months, which to a Brazilian is might as well be an eternity. After a quick run at McDonalds (his choice), we rush to Ipanema to the gay beach. It was overcast, and the gays were out but in small number, but we didn’t care. We were able to catch up with our lives in the rest of the afternoon over numerous pineapple caipirinhas, which gave us the buzz we needed to have a good time: At 5 PM we head back to the apartment to freshen up and head to 202, since it was Wednesday, and it is supposed to be the Copacabana sauna's busiest day. And it turns out that it was, as we get to the sauna to a packed standing room crowd. It was Kleyton’s first time in any Rio sauna, so as we check in and make our way into the premises, I give him the rundown of the place - where client lockers and boys lockers were, seating and stage at the primary floor, suites in the intermediate floor, and smoking area and sauna the top floor. I even lent him my luggage lock and key to use at the 202 lockers, as they ask the boys to bring their own padlocks, or rent one for 10 reais. I leave him by the boy’s locker room and tell him I’ll be around, and if he needed a drink or a snack, come looking for me. I promptly dove in to the crowd. Nothing like pre-Christmas cheer, and the pre-Christmas need for money, that makes a sauna light up. I sit down on my usual bench to perch (and it was the only space that was vacant, as the rest was packed with clients. I settle in for a caipirinha, and then my second. And pretty soon some boys came and pass me to gage my interest in them. Maybe because I was with Kleyton now, but I was interested in the younger guys tonight. And there were some nice choices. I find a very cute branquinho who was tall and could pass as white back home. I invite him to have a drink with me. He had a very smooth body, not too worked out but faily toned and sexy. Up close he even looked younger. I asked his age: 20. Indeed pretty young, at least for the average age at this place. I find out he was a carioca, though his accent wasn’t typical of one. He was interested about the USA and my work, and then quickly got to brass tax: full versatile, 150 reais. The sex was pretty good, and his ass tasted amazing. Definitely a repeat is in order down the road. During the show (and it was pretty good), another branquinho young-ish guy gets my attention. He had a more worked out body, and lean enough that you can see veins pop out. Very good Brazilian genetics. He wasn’t as tall as my previous programa, but he was as pretty. He sits down next to me and shakes my hand. He was 22, another Carioca, and sounded every bit of it. Once he found out that I was American, he switches to English. He actually spoke English very well, and probably better than my Portuguese. He made for a pretty awesome seatmate as we get through the show. The sex was fine, though was only a top so that diminished my lust for him a little bit. 250 reais with cum at the end. It was around 10:30 PM when I finished up. I didn’t see Kleyton at all tonight, but then I spotted him at the seating area by the stairs, staring at his phone. “How did you do?” I ask him. He said he did great, and had 4 clients tonight. He said he never has this kind of night in Sao Paulo, but then again he was new meat, so he was able to leverage that tonight. We get home, get some sushi from Uber Eats. In bed he whips out his erect cock. I was surprised it was hard. “I didn’t cum today so you get it all tonight.” I gladly oblige. The next day was Christmas Eve, and there were no saunas open. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t anything to do today. We have a late breakfast at Stalos, the famous 24-hour restaurant that was across the street from the AirBNB. I try the “American” breakfast that was on the menu. Bacon, grilled bread, cheese, ham and eggs. It was actually pretty good: At breakfast, he tells me about his ex. The ex was his age, 22, and lived in Rio. He shows me pictures, and his bf was stunner like he was. I ask him if the bf goes to the saunas. He says no, and said that he just does Garotocomlocal.com these days, as well as doing some porn on the website meninosonline.net. He then shows me his ex's handiwork, and it was pretty impressive. I ask him where he was. He says he was in Rio, and knows that he was here too. He has been asked if he wanted to meet with the ex. I ask Kleyton if indeed he wanted to see him. He said maybe. He said that the bf was kind of self-centered and selfish, and I'd probably not like him, but admitted that he was cute and at least would be good eye candy. I asked him if he wanted to invite the ex to the beach today. A few text messages later, the ex was on his way. We head back to the apartment. In and hour, the ex said that he was in Ipanema with friends, and to meet him there. An Uber ride later, we get to Ipanema. We get some chairs from the vendor at the gay part of the beach. After 5 minutes, Adriano, the ex, appeared. He was indeed gorgeous, probably the epitome of a white muscle twink. He was shorter than Kleyton at 5’8. He shakes my hand, and then leans over to kiss my cheek. He hugs Kleyton, and they kiss on the lips. He gets a chair from the vendor and sits by my side, away from Kleyton. The sun was out, and the gays were equally out as well. Adriano was pretty chill so far, and the self-centered boy that Kleyton described has not appeared. The boys chugged beers and talked and laughed, and Adriano described his life in Rio. Kleyton was relatively pretty quiet compared to Adriano, but he was kind of an introvert anyway. Adriano was the extrovert, and I can see how much trouble he could be if you let your guard down around him. I ask Adriano if he was going to spend Christmas dinner with his family. He said he was not going to do that, because he said his family was crazy. I text Kleyton to ask him if he wanted to invite Adriano to dinner with us. He was OK with it. After the beach we tried the Christmas spread that Siquiera Grill was offering, and it was pretty good: Adriano was pretty appreciative of the dinner. Kleyton then suggested that we have some Christmas drinks at one of the Copacabana kiosks that was open. We share a few beers and share a few more stories as we pass midnight, and that's when we give each other kisses and bid each other “Feliz Natal” as we commemorate another Christmas. We all walk home, pretty buzzed from the beers at the kiosk. At home we watch the series “Luna Nera” on Netflix. No threesomes. Just Christmas among friends. And that was fine with me, because its not like I am haven't been oversexed this trip anyway, and I was pretty buzzed from the alcohol, and I thought the Kleyton didn't want to cross that line again with the ex Adriano. Adriano sleeps on the couch. Kleyton spoons with me in bed. Next… Rio is beginning to look like Sao Paulo.

Pre-Christmas days – My Time with Old Faithful I was kind of bummed about the turn of events with Diego. I could have just faked it, and would have gotten the benefits of having an attractive and sexy companion at the apartment, who didn’t mind my sauna visits, and gave me the love and attention that only a Brazilian can. But one must not toy with actual feelings and emotions, as some of us here in this forum sometimes forget: that the boys are capable of having feelings in the first place. But I am reminded that I am in Rio de Janeiro, and if you find yourself lonely in Rio, it is your damn fault. So I message Lucas, the stallion I went out with in this post, to accompany me for a couple of days. Lucas checks so many boxes (young, handsome, tall, lean-muscular, super hung), but the one thing you can rely on him is that he is one of those perfect boyfriend-for-hire guys that can give you the boyfriend experience that you would want. He has known me for a few years now so he knows how to deliver it for sure. And the perfect thing is, there are no strings attached, and I can get all the love and attention a love-smitten boyfriend would shower me with, for an oh-so-worth-it price of 400 reais a day. That is 69 dollars in today’s exchange rate. Even the price is perfect lol. Lucas arrives a little after 2 PM on this Monday. He hugs me warmly when he gets to the apartment, still towering over me with his 6’4 wonder. He tells me that he needs to get in the shower real quick because he was sweating profusely to and from the Metro, and it was a scorcher at almost 90 degrees today. After 5 minutes he got back to me, just in his skimpy briefs, all fluffed and hard. After all this time with him, I have now him well-trained. He is game for just about anything I throw at him, and he admits that he allows some things to happen with me that he usually doesn’t with others. I have seen him evolve through the years, from my first programa with him being satisfactory but mechanical, to him evolving to a sensual, passionate friend. And we catch up again, giving me updates about his pandemic and programas and his day job. He was the first people I met up with on my first weeks back in the pandemic when Brazil reopened, and I must hand it to him, he has weathered this pandemic with a combination of keeping his day job, enough fixed clients to keep him afloat, and actually being busy because of his appeal. His Instagram is usually full of trips around Brazil and even to other countries (that still accept Brazilians). He is doing just fine. He also cums like faucet, which is always a sight to see. He also has no pretenses with accompanying me to the sauna. And since it is Monday, with 117 closed, it was 202 for us today. As we get our keys, we get a preview of 202’s holiday schedule: I have told Lucas that while he is in the sauna with me to keep company, he can get customers too if anyone fancied him. Why not, since I will be trying to get some boys to have some fun anyway, might as well be efficient and get Lucas some work. But Lucas said no. He said he is not in the headspace to build the inertia to sell himself in a sauna setting, as it has been a while since he has done it, but also because he just hates 202, and never really want to go here to sell himself. So as we settle down to our seats by the stage area, I notice that the sauna is slow, like it always seems to be on a Monday night. There were probably 5 clients I can see, and double that the amount of boys, and none of which I felt I got to have right away. Invariably, this happens when my present arm candy at the sauna is hotter than all the boys in the sauna. I tend to compare them to the one I am with at the moment. Thank goodness at least, there was a show today: Some minutes before the show started, I notice a tall young moreno in gym wear. You know, Nike shorts, Nike t-shirt and Nike tennis shoes. Not really in a towel like the rest of the boys. He was sitting at a table across from us, idly looking at the current people milling about, not really approaching anyone. He would drift in and out of sleep sometimes, and finally laid down on the bench and closed his eyes. His shirt hiked up a little bit, and his long legs draped on the floor. Nice abs, long legs. Could be something. I guess maybe he was trying to make a sale with me but was trying this way. He did stand out because he was fully clothed. I tell Lucas to see if he can talk to the boy and get him to sit with us. And indeed, the boy does. He sits right next to me as Lucas sits on my opposite side. He asks for beer. He seems aloof. After I pry a few more words out of him, he warms up. Tells me about where he is from. He tells me his age (young!) and then tells me a few more details about him that makes me realize that he is a little bit more going for him than I initially thought. I am the soul of discretion so I will not divulge here those details. But they were every bit as juicy and as interesting as this boy is turning up to be. After the show (great drag queen and great strippers), I have him get a suite for us. As I take the boy upstairs, Lucas assures me that he will be fine just waiting at the table, chugging his beers and talking to some of the boys who knew him. At the suite, the boy disrobes and heads to the bathroom with no comment, to shower. Unfortunately... he ended up probably the worst programa I have ever had in Brazil. And yes I am counting that time a boy shat on my dick while I was inside him and he was sitting on me at Sauna Olimpo in Belo Horizonte. This boy didn’t have the passion, nor the hard dick, nor the anything else that could even make me cum, let alone hard. He just went through the motions, hoping it would be over soon. And what a pity. He was very cute, with a rocking bod. But looks will only take you so far, and for me, it was not far enough. 150 reais. It was the agreed upon price. Back at the apartment I tell Lucas about the programa. He told me that he sensed that the guy was going to be a dud, but didn’t say anything. And Lucas, being Lucas, made it up to me, even if he didn’t need to. He rocked my world that night. Tuesdays however, are great at 117. I guess this was their best night, right? And they have stuff planned for the holidays: And inside was indeed festive. It was definitely a fry cry from the slow 202 yesterday. The place was packed with wall-to-wall muscle that I just can’t contain my excitement. Lucas was amazed too, and didn’t realize that 117 could be this busy again. “Maybe I should start going back to sauna work again.” He tells me. And indeed it was busy for him too. There were a number of clients roaming the halls of 117. The place was alive and ready for Christmas. I should probably be spreading some Christmas cheer around here, and by cheer I mean cold hard reais. And the boys didn’t waste time. No sooner than Lucas and I sitting down at the smoking area, one of those typical 117 muscle gods approached me. I have never seen him before, here or in any other sauna. His name was Anderson, and he was a white Brazilian. He was about 5’10, late 20s, and has the classic, most probably steroided, muscular body. The chest was insane, and abs for days, and he was wearing stylish gym shorts that definitely made him stand out from the other steroided gods milling around. I ordered beer for him, and over a course of his beer, he proceeded to tell me what he would do to me if he got me into a suite. I’ve never heard this kind of sell job before, but it was working. After his second beer, I take him to reception to get a suite key, condom and lube. After 10 minutes of waiting, and the line behind us was growing, we get our suite. He wasted no time and he takes off all his clothes. Yowza, the cock definitely is Brazilian. He kissed very well for sure, but soon he was shouting orders at me. “Suck my dick!” “Rim my ass!” “Stroke my balls!” He certainly wanted to get worked on. And he was pretty dominant as well. Not my thing, but if a muscular god was doing this to you, you just do it. He managed to get me to bottom for him, and it was actually pretty good. Towards the end, he asked if I wanted him to cum. I said yes. Took the cost up to 300 reais, but what the heck right? Came a little, probably has cum once before today. Totally worth it. I got back to Lucas in time for the show to start. Overall, it was a pretty festive Christmas-y show, with two strippers and three drag queens. The room was standing room only and everyone was having a good time. While the show was going on, I notice a younger muscular guy trying to get my attention. He looked nice and all, but once he caught me looking at him, and he immediately smiled. Wow, that smile. 1000 watts. He knew that was one of his strong suit for sure, apart from his giant biceps and chest of course. I wave a hand to motion to him to sit with me. Rodrigo. Prazer. He asked for a Heineken. He smelled amazing up close. And weirdly enough he liked smelling me for some reason. After acknowledging Lucas, he drew close, put my left leg on top of his right leg, and spent the rest of the show entwined with me. At the group drag show at the end, I ask him if he could get a suite for us, in case there was a line. 15 minutes later he gets back with the keys and condoms. He takes my hand and leads me to the suite in the basement level. He takes off his towel, and he helps me out of my clothes as well. His body is amazing, and his tan was popping except for a tan line in the shape of a skimpy speedo. That was hot. We spent some time standing up, kissing each other, necking and sucking nipples, jerking each other off. We spent some time in that position, all the while making small talk about our lives. It helped that he was close to my height. He agreed to bottom, and preferred getting on all fours as a first position to get used to it. After which we do it missionary style, my favorite because of easy access to kissing and to my bottom’s cock. But of course the number once reason to do it in this position was I can see his oh-so-pretty face. It was pretty. He smiled a lot. I came buckets with just the sight and sensation of this guy. 200 reais. Overall, I’d say that this is as good as I’ve ever seen 117 in a while. Great choice of guys, with satisfying sex, and great overall sauna atmosphere. Lucas even said he had fun, and it didn’t seem that he was waiting for me finish my programas at all. We have midnight pizzas delivered at the apartment. He came in my mouth to wash the pizzas down. Next… Christmas!!!

Now it is arund $2200 biz class tickets. Still a good price but almost double what I bought. The guilt is real, for me at least. In this pandemic, I do not post anything on social media because there is a lot of travel shaming out there. And I think of myself as someone who adheres to mask mandates and other mitigation measures known to man. Except when it comes to Brazil. So there is nothing I can do but just keep my head low, go about my business with the minimum of fuss, and hope that i don't catch the disease after hobnobbing with people who expose themselves to a large number of people as part of the job. My risk-taking has awarded me with some of my best travel experiences ever, which is kind of weird considering the shit-show we were (are?) in. LOL. Thanks @nubiox. I doubt i will win any awards for this slut-writing that I do. But i appreciate the praise, and it was nice meeting you in real life. Maybe i'll write about it Horny and jealous - a dangerous combination lol. You have met two of them, and in different continents! Friendship with an ex is rare, I feel. But when it works, it works really well, I think. Come for the Tomcal, stay for the Numazu. I've heard that a couple of times now lol. @Lucky yes white space is so good, It is hard enough to read a wall of text on a computer screen. Thanks for the reminder! I think the not being known in their town and going to Rio to work is not isolated to Curitibanos. the weird thing is, working at the saunas is probably the best way for them to stay anonymous if they work as a GP. Having an ad on a website, for example, exposes them to being found out, as a friend has found out the hard way. I have not encountered Henrique, though he sounds lovely and I would like to meet him. Nor Andrea, sorry. And yes, who doesn't love a slight boy with a third leg so big that you are concerned that they will faint with all the blood rushing to their enormous cocks when they get hard.

Pre Christmas days – The Ghost of Rio Past Part 2 It always happens this way, doesn’t it? As time passes, and you get reminded about a past relationship, at some point, you only remember the good parts. You somehow forget why you broke up in the first place. And then you try to rekindle the romance, expecting only the good parts reemerge, but if neither of you have changed, and all the niggling details that led to the downfall of your relationship slowly creep back up to the surface, the outcome will be the same. But the thing is, both of us have changed. He is not the same Garoto de Programa that I fell in love with all those years ago. On some things, he has changed for the better – gone is the drug use, the binge drinking, the anger issues. But with that, the excitement mostly has gone away as well – the crazy sex, the reckless abandon. This Diego iteration was almost boring, which is not his fault. I guess after a lifetime of instability and selling one's body, one should aspire to be as boring and predictable as the rest of us. I do respect and admire his change in his outlook in life. But I have also changed as well. I am not a babe in the Brazil woods anymore. I’ve appreciated Diego’s guiding hand in my first year into discovering Brazil, helping me with Portuguese, introducing me to the culture and the people and other idiosyncrasies that is seen through his eyes. But these few days with him have made me realized that I have moved on from what Diego had to offer. It was nice though to be spending the non-sauna hours with him. And he has given me his take on how the coronavirus has changed his life here in Rio. He has seen a lot of people lose their jobs and gone to desperate places. He tells me that he is lucky that he and his family are in the restaurant biz, and people still need food in the pandemic, so that at least guaranteed him not going hungry. He said that if he stuck with being a GP, and with the saunas closing for a good part of 2020, he might not have made it. As we go have lunch one of the days I was with him, the TV that was showing the news in the restaurant reminds me that COVID is still very much a thing here: But Copacabana, and the rest of Rio, seemed to be determined to go into the summer season in a celebratory mood, seemingly unbothered by all this sickness and death. Rio actually is helping me forget all this a depressing stuff as well. I do not think I am going to get sick here. And why would I? The beaches are hopping and full, the water is warm, and the saunas are filled with clients and boys eager for a good time. Definitely delusional thinking on my part, but too late to worry about it now that I am in the soup. It was Saturday today, and I tell Diego that I wanted to check out 117 later. He agreed to it but told me that Lions had a birthday party today for their DJ, Dudu, his friend, and he wanted to go after 117 to greet Dudu his parabens. So we get to 117 at 6 PM so I can get scratch my muscle boy itch for the day. We get to 117, and as usual Diego gets recognized by everyone. After some catching up, we finally get to go downstairs to leave our valuables in the locker. Immediately upon entering, I got reminded on why 117 was my favorite sauna in Rio. There it was, the wall-to-wall muscle-bound boys that left me gobsmacked in my first trip to Brazil, chronicled here. The slow days of Rio during the pandemic are over. It was back. Hopefully for good. Diego opted not to change into a towel, citing that he has stopped his cycle of “anabolizantes” a long time ago, so his muscles are not up to snuff anymore for this place. I gave him a kiss, telling him that to me, he could give these boys a run for their money. Which was true. He was trimmer, less muscles popping, but the Brazilian genetics was still in place for him, so the abs, the chest, the tone, all were still there. As we made our way through the corridor and into the main stage area, it was amazing the amount of boys available. As we sit down for drinks, I told Diego that there was almost too many boys. Too many is almost as bad as too few. Noone stands out, and everyone seems to blend in into the crowd. It was hard to pick one that would stand out. I was ready to randomly throw darts and just pick one, any one, until I lock eyes on one guy. I recognized the guy from somewhere, but I could not put my finger on it. He was tall, strapping, handsome. He had a lean face with carefully coiffed hair. He was a mix of a lot of things, as most of them are, but he was light-skinned, and with just the right amount of tattoos that accentuates his muscles. And then it occurred to me: he was one of the four strippers that had a dance at Lions yesterday. I remembered that he was the best out of the four I saw, and the body was perfection – not an ounce of fat, an 8-pack, and ample ass and cock to complete the package. From his Instagram: I wave him over and after acknowledging Diego, he sits right next to me. I commented on his stripper performance yesterday, to break the ice. He laughs and thanks me. That smile. I tell him that I usually don’t see strippers do the rounds at the sauna. He tells me that it is a rarity for him as well, but said that Christmas was coming, and he needs to get enough money fast to give his family a good Christmas feast. He says he has some fixed clients as well but just needed the money to come in the next few days. He was warm, and forthcoming, and made me a Diego feel like we were talking to a friend. I was sold. I tell him to get a suite for us. For a stripper with crazy muscles, he was very down to earth. He was also very generous with his body. And he was passionate. I’ve always have some reservations with getting strippers to do programas. Maybe they are all for show and not much else. Not this guy. Maybe going into these things with lower expectations helped, but he was doing his part to dispel this notion I had with strippers. Maybe I’ll give more a try. Sufficed to say that I explored all the nooks and crannies of his perfect body, and he showed more attention to mine that I thought it deserved. We both came. I was in heaven. 350 reais for such an experience. I will be going back for more. After the programa, Diego was worried. I indeed took my time with the stripper. We get our things and walk the 10 minutes from 117 to Lions, to join the birthday party already in progress: There was free food and some free beers in the premises: And we enjoyed an hour of drag queen performance after drag queen performance, giving Dudu his tribute. We left at 11 PM, and from what I understood, the show went on for another hour, for a total of 3 hours. That seems a lot but it was a night of celebration. The next day, Sunday, we decided to check out Ponte 202. We got to the sauna and find that it was closed: I was kind of surprised, but I guess they close on Sundays now. We race to Gloria to go to 117. Less boys today, but still had enough boys to strike my fancy. And fancy turned into this lean built guy who had the confidence and swagger that attracted me to him (and probably qualities that I missed from Diego, who is now a little boring and stable). Upon talking to him, I find out that he was a porn star at Hotboys. He grabbed my phone to google his name and he showed me his oeuvre of fine quality naked video work. From the amount of videos I guess he was a popular top, and by the look of his exertions on video, he seems to know what he is doing, and how to use is 9.5 inch (24 cm) dick: At the suite, he was all what his videos promised, and coupled with a playful and happy disposition, made it an enjoyable programa. And he knew how to prime me before getting to take his giant cock, as he rimmed like he was liking it, and got me warm enough for the deed. I came while he was in me, another first in a sauna suite. 200 reais. Money well spent. Epilogue So before this 117 visit, since it was Sunday, it was family day for most Brazilians, and Diego was no exception. We were invited to have a late lunch with Diego’s family. Which meant a 1.5 hour Uber ride further inland into the interior of Rio. Diego’s family’s house was modest, as most favela dwellings are. I got to meet a lot of relatives and friends, and the beer was flowing. Diego was very open with the PDA and kisses which threw me a little bit. But he was determined to show me that he was not ashamed anymore. It was my turn to be ashamed I guess. Not with the overt gayness that was displayed, but because I was pretending to reciprocate his affections. I did not want a love relationship with him anymore, even if he was eager to get into one with me again. I have just moved on. Otherwise, though, the food was amazing, and I appreciated every bit of hospitality that was given to me: Diego had a lovely family, and my mastery (or lack thereof) of Portuguese was indeed tested in this 3 hour lunch. But afterwards, after we were in the Uber on the way back to Copacabana, and Diego lays down his head on my lap, and as it raced to a closed Ponte 202, I realized that I had to nip this in the bud, before Diego overstayed his welcome, and Diego would further assume that we were together again. After 117, and at the apartment, Diego and I have the heart to heart that we never had when we were together. After a few tears, and a lot of laughter, we get into an understanding. It is better that we say goodbye now, before feelings got in the way. They already have, as it turned out. He stays the night. He leaves first thing in the morning. Next… I’m free!!! Not really, but still, a slut can dream.

I was conflicted on whether to continue with this thread in the midst of the worsening COVID outlook in Brazil. Not even able to pursue a competent response to the pandemic has been deadly to the country, and as I left Brazil a few days ago, I saw that even Rio de Janeiro, which was fairly resistant to any kind of lockdown since things reopened in mid-2020, having to shut down till April 4th. A report, if you are interested: And I felt particularly guilty because as I see the USA kicking ass in terms of vaccination against the virus, I get message after message from friends and boys back in Brazil, ranging from slight irritation because of the lockdowns and the lack of parties, to desperation because the saunas are closed and therefore their main source of income is cut off. I am scheduled to go back in the latter half of April, and I have no idea if the COVID situation would be any better by then. I do hope so. But I guess that is the point, is all I can do is hope right now. And by continuing on with this thread, I feel that I am continuing that hope for myself, and maybe for others that are waiting patiently to go back as well, and who are not as willing to take the risks I have taken since August of last year. If my risk-taking seems too much for you, maybe read this thread after everything is back to normal, as we all hope it would, eventually. Pre Christmas days – The Ghost of Rio Past I have now spent the last 3 Christmases and the New Years in South America, and this year 2020, even with the pandemic still very much a thing, was no different. And can you blame me? Exchanging the cold weather and the bulkier clothes, for a much hotter, more festive, and much more naked atmosphere is a no brainer. And Christmas means family to a most Brazilians, and I was not going to pass up an invitation by an ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas dinner with his sister and her family. In my previous trip earlier in December, I was contacted by an ex who happened to be in SP too. This ex has the special distinction of being my very first boyfriend who lived in Brazil. We dated for six months, and in that time, being my formative months in my Brazil trips, I’ve probably learned the most about Brazil, and Brazilians, from him. There are many advantages of dating a Brazilian - the giant cock, the insatiable appetite for sex, the patented zest for life, but with that come some faults – the famous temper, the fire within that burns you at both ends, the obsessiveness. The relationship ended because the endless fights just became untenable for both of us. But he was a good guy, and has a good heart, and when he reached out almost two years after we ended, I was eager to reconnect. I’ve talked about him, Diego, here and here. He was a Garoto de Programa when I met him. He was one of those Brazilians who had an interesting racial mix that was fairly common in Brazil, and who unfairly got most of the best parts of each race – fair skin that tanned easily, light green eyes that called attention, a desire for physical activity that resulted in a perpetually fit body, and a cock that would only have descended from his… ahem… darker-skinned ancestors. The one fault, which is not really a fault, but one he hates, is his curly hair. He gets his hair straightened with blonde highlights, almost weekly when he was working as a boy. But now, having quit the GP life for a year, he has let go of this conceit, tho he maintains his hair close cropped, which suits him. He said he had to quit the GP life. The money was good, but also deadly. He earned a lot so he spent a lot – most of the time on girls and drugs and booze. The fast life caught to him eventually, health-wise, so he had to quit the whole GP life altogether. He lives now with his family, helping out with the family business. Little money, but comes with little problems, and less stress. He insisted on picking me up at the airport as I arrived in Rio, which he has never done before. As I exited the arrivals area, there he was, smiling from ear to ear. He met me halfway, and kissed me squarely in the lips, in front of everyone. When I first dated him, he was pretty clear that no one was to know publicly that we were together. He said at the beginning of our relationship that one of the advantages of dating me was I could pass as his friend in public because we didn’t look too far in age. That both flattered me (I look young!) and horrified me (he is ashamed to be seen as gay!), but I was willing to overlook that. But here he was, practically humping my leg, as we make our way to the Uber level in Galeao airport. This was indeed a change. But I made him aware that I had a boyfriend already (see thread), and also I fully intended to go to the saunas while I was in Rio, but told him that he could keep me company and could stay with me as long as I was in Rio. He said he didn’t mind going to the saunas with me, and actually would relish seeing friends from his past life there. Upon arrival at the AirBNB at Copacabana, since he was Brazilian, it was physically impossible for him to keep his shirt on. The sight of him shirtless of course was too much to bear for me. So with the shirt came the pants as well. He takes off my own clothing too, and it took all my strength to go to the bathroom to take a shower first (I was after all coming from a long flight from the USA, so I had to clean up). He joined me there to start the fun. What came next well… let’s just say we made up for lost time. A shower, then lunch at one of the nearby restaurants, we of course went to the beach afterwards. Not even 2 hours in Rio and I already had sex, eaten feijoada, and had my caipirinha in Copacabana beach. Welcome to Brazil: Diego and I got to catch up further at the beach. And after the beach, it was almost 6 PM. So my usual afternoon nap after a flight did not happen. So I just downed a couple cans of Red Bull to get through the evening. Diego and I discussed what sauna we should go. Diego recommended going to Lion’s tonight, since he said Friday nights were Lion’s best night. I told him I was not particularly fond of that sauna, but since I had a week of freedom in Rio, I guess I can try to go there. There was a nice crowd inside when we got there. Thank goodness. Lots of customers with lots of drinks, and some boys milling about as well. Looks like the holiday crowd has descended upon Rio. This was definitely a change from motnhs ago, when the Rio saunas were dead. The boys that Lions attracts usually are too boy-next-door for me, but I could see tonight that there were some promising boys that I could see going out with. Diego was still holding his own too, as it was obvious the regular clients and some boys knew him. He was saying hi to some clients and boys in the premises, as well as the staff at Lions. As the night, and the booze, got on, he had some pretty juicy gossip about the staff, boys, and even some clients present, to share with me, which made the evening more enjoyable. And he assured me that I could just call on any boy I wanted and he would just remain where he was, waiting for me to finish. The show started, and it was pretty elaborate. There was a total of 4 strippers tonight, and 6 drag queens, which to me felt like a big production. In between the 3rd and 4th drag queens, I noticed a nice young-looking moreno walk past us. He was trying to get my attention, of course, and I took the bait and called him over to sit with us. His body was to die for. Nice tone arms, 8 ack abs, nice chest, and the cutest smile. Big plump ass. Smooth all over. He was 23 (the magic age), and was very generous with his body to just show me what he was about. He guided my hand under the towel to get a feel of his cock. “Sou versatile” he says the magic words. I was sold. I tell Diego I will be right back. At Lion’s, while the downstairs stage and bar area are renovated, the upstairs suites were not, and were kind of run down. It will do the job, however. The boy gets me the suite keys and some condoms and lube. We entered the suite, and the boy excuses himself and asks if he could shower and get clean. I could not argue with that. I lay down on the bed to wait. A few minutes later, he was ready, emerging from the bathroom naked, smelling amazing, and hard. He takes my clothes off and immediately sits on my groin to start of. He leans down to kiss me, deeply. This boy knows what he is doing. When it comes to these programas, I can be game for anything. Sometimes I am game for worshiping a muscle god, sometimes I like getting serviced and let the boy earn his programa money. But the sweet spot for me is a boy who was equal parts into getting you into him, as he is getting into you. He sucked me, I sucked him. He rimmed me and I rimmed him. When it came to the main course, I opted to top him, but he called the shots, riding me and calling the shots and making the thrusts. I was so turned on that I came while he was thursting on me up and down, a rarity for me. “Leite?” he asks. Of course, I answer. He gets off my dick, feeds his still hard cock on my mouth, pulls out, and then jacks off. 30 seconds later he shoves his dick back into my mouth and comes inside. Wowza. He kisses me afterwards, our kiss was a mix of saliva and some of his cum that I did not swallow. He takes the condom from my cock and disposes of it, and cuddles with me in the bed. We exchange some pleasantries and get to know each other, and we exchange numbers as well. 200 reais. After a shower to de-whore myself, I was back in Diego’s arms. He playfully puts his hand on my crotch and asks me if the boy was good. I kiss him and told him he was good. We enjoy the rest of the evening watching the show and having more beers. We get home and after laying down with Diego in bed, I immediately fall asleep. I was exhausted. I wake up in the middle of the night, with a naked Diego snoring next to me. This was going to be a good trip. Next, 117, 202, and more Lions.

I thought I’d put this placeholder thread for now until my current trip is finished, which is going to be soon. The good news: after a rough few months after Brazil opened up to the world last July, where the Rio saunas were ghost towns with few boys, and even fewer clients, I’d like to report that Rio is back. Probably not as “back” as it was pre-pandemic, with the wall-to-wall muscle in 117, and crazy parties in 202, but “good enough” to spend time in. As it is, the picking are slim in the pandemic, and I am thankful that there are options in Rio at all. This is because as Brazil opened up to foreign visitors at the end of July 2020, I found that Sao Paulo was the place to be, with even boys from Rio flocking to Lagoa because the tourists numbers was still low in Rio. As 2020 drew a close however, Rio gathered strength, and now, with the city of Sao Paulo’s numerous openings and closings and Fragata, the once-promising alternative to Lagoa opening to some fan-fare, and then slowly slid into a whimper to its (temporary?) closure in December, I was also able to visit other Brazilian cities with the new boyfriend, as chronicled in the previous thread I started last year, and still need to complete. In this thread, I’ll report about my experiences in Rio over the holidays, and in the 3 months after. And since I spent the New Year in Fortaleza, I’ll report about that too. Putting aside the obvious horrible stuff that has happened during the pandemic (so far), I’d say that I was able to take advantage of the low tourist numbers, discounted hotel and AirBNB prices, and the bargain basement airfare to Sao Paulo and Rio from the USA. This is a unique point of our history, and oddly enough due to the “work from home” mode that the majority of us have adopted to mitigate the spread of the COVID, I was able to spend the majority of my (post-July 2020) time, in Brazil. And I won’t expand on the mountain of risks I have been taking (and continue to take) with venturing out to this country, I have been lucky enough to have kept my health, and my sanity, in check. I hope it keeps up that way. So here I am, in the last leg of the trips I’ve taken that will be chronicled in this trip report. This trip was made possible because last Janaury, I was able to book three speculative flights into the future, all at $1200 business roundtrip, not knowing if I can make all the flights in the dates I’ve booked them at, but since the prices are so low, and with the elimination of change fees at least this year, I’d say the risk of losing my money from these bookings are low. But it now March 2021, and the second wave (third? fourth?) is upon Brazil, which is extra concerning because even with all the lessons and trials we all have learned and endured in this pandemic, Brazil meanwhile, seems to have regressed somewhat, back to a scary time in the pandemic. Regardless, I am still soldiering on and flying into to the belly of the beast, so the question was just what Brazilian city will I go to next. I see city after city announce their lockdown plans, and mine and BF’s plans to spend a week in Sao Paulo, has been wrecked by Sao Paulo’s super duper serious pandemic phase: And Lagoa of course has to comply, and is closed at least to the 30th of March: But Rio de Janeiro, being Rio de Janeiro, even with some sort of lockdown, is still semi-open. There is just something about Rio that really can’t get shut down. With notices from Lion’s and 202 on their Instagram, and the notice at the door at 117: Which means diverting my flight, and AirBNB rentals, to a stay in Rio. Armed with my RT-PCR test, I took the United Sao Paulo flight from Houston, which was half-empty, and then the flight from Sao Paulo to Santos Dumont in Rio was filled to the gills. And the ultimate sign of the times was a dedicated COVID testing area at the mezannine floor at International terminal at Terminal 3 in Guarulhos. And the place looked busy: Another sign of the times: greeting me in Rio was a cute masked Azul mascot: though the mask does look ill-fitting. Speaking of masks, everyone in the airport was wearing masks, and the Uber ride had me and the driver wear masks the whole ride, but there was a lot of mask-less people milling around the streets of Copacabana where my AIrBNB was. So please be patient, I will continue this thread when this current trip is over (and it’ll be soon). Next, a December to remember.

So I just presented this email to the airline reps when checking in, and when at the actual gate on the actual flight to Brazil (not on the domestic connection to the actual flight, if you had one, as I did on flight to Miami beforehand): They just checked the name, document number, and the date and time the email was received. That's it. I also saved my answers to the ANVISA questions to a PDF (in case I needed it), but this was not needed. In case others are wondering, here is the link to the ANVISA page if you need it yourselves: https://formulario.anvisa.gov.br/

I just got back to Rio today... got the RT-PCR in California last Tuesday... paid $120 to expedite the results, and got the results in 8 hours (that night), for a flight on Thursday night. The airline people do seem to check the dates of the test results so they adhere to 72 hours. This is a requirement only to get on a flight to Brazil. At immigration in GIG, they didn't ask for anything, one stamp and I was on my way. On another note, I was at 117 tonight, and a guy who I have never met before approached me and told me "I think I know who you are." I guessed that he knew me from my writings here, and was actually surprised that I was that descriptive on my physical apperance as well as my choices in the sauna in my writings, for just anyone to guess who I am if they saw me in real life. It was a scary thought. But the cat's out of the bag now, so I can't do anything about this. And even though I was soon dripping with embarassment because he told me what he thought about my writings here (he liked it!), he began lamenting that he would never be able to read them again. Of course I asked why, since it is a public forum and anyone can read what was written here. He told me that he never really signed up for an account here, and found the 10 post minimum to be a barrier to his passive involvement in the site. I told him that I was eager to write again about the trips I've been taking these past month, but told him admittedly that the smaller reading audience gives me some pause on whether it was worth it to do so. I encouraged him to create an account and post to get access to my "blog writings". He didn't think he would, he said, and we just left it at that. I did appreciate the compliments he gave to my crazy ramblings, and felt it is a shame that he won't be enjoying these going forward. He asked me if I could just go ahead and start a personal blog so that everyone can see these again, and he had other suggestions for me that I am truly going to think about. At the end of the day, this is not my forum, and I feel lucky that we still have this venue to get this info and to be able to live vicarioulsy through others. And since I have the fortune to actually know @TotallyOzand count him as a friend, in real life, I know that his reasons on these changes are justified. I will probably continue the writing here, even with the smaller audience, as it is in the process of writing, not the actual amount of eyeballs that get to read it, that give me the most joy out of the process. P.S. Holy fucking god, it is a buyer's market here. As in 10 boys to one client tonight... More on this... someday.

The B Word: Sao Luis Edition – Something is Better than Nothing Everyone knows that there is more to Brazil than just Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. I do not have anything against these two amazing cities - and if I don’t visit any other Brazilian cities in my life other than these two, I’d be more than content. But all the “bests” I’ve had ever in my short 3-year Brazil touring experience has been out of RJ and SP: best sauna night (TBV in Recife), best road trip (Gramado in Rio Grande do Sul), best AirBNB experience (a party house in Florianopolis), best churrasco (a restaurant in Joinville, Santa Catarina), best Acai dish (an ambulante near the Amazonas Theatre in Manaus) etc etc. That’s not to say that all Brazilian cities are a must to go to. I’ve always wanted to EVENTUALLY visit all the states in Brazil. So far I’ve been to 15 out of 26, which seems remarkable since I’ve only started going in 2018. So when Paulo asked me if I wanted to go with him to Sao Luis, Maranhao, because he had some family matters to attend to, I jumped on the chance to go, since I have never been to Maranhao state. And when he said there was one boy sauna he knew of that was in Sao Luis, and we could check it out, it made the trip more enticing to me. But other than knowing that Maranhao state has the famous Lencois Maranhenses National Park, I didn’t know much about Sao Luis, and upon reading about it online, learned that it is a city of a million people that is staddled between the Northeastern cities of Brazil in the east, and the Amazonian parts of Brazil in the west. Sounds like the middle of nowhere to me, but it did have a beach, and a sauna, and with Paulo by my side, I won’t have any qualms exploring the city. We got to Sao Luis around midnight, after a frantic dash to the airport to make our flight (never have sex before a flight – time flies when you’re having fun). Without dinner or anything, we decided on getting Uber Eats/iFood at the AirBNB. One of the few blessings in this pandemic is that food delivery in Brazil has thrived by leaps and bounds, more than pre-pandemic times, and we would never be hungry. But not in Sao Luis, it seems. We try to put in an order at around 1 AM, and Uber did not have any drivers available. I guess the town shuts down pretty early, in this weekday night. A far cry from SP or RJ, where you can seemingly get anything at any time. So a bit about Sao Luis – in the map, its in the middle of the Northeastern region, where Salvador and Recife are, and is defined by beaches, warm waters, and 24 hour sunlight, and the Northern region, where Manaus and the Amazon is, and is defined by tropical rainforests, mosquitoes, and hot hot temps. And indeed, it seems to inherit some parts of both regions, and it doesn’t do any of it well. It has beaches, but uninspired ones. It has hot weather, but it seems to be Amazon hot (with mosquitoes!) rather than Northeast hot (with a relaxing wind that takes away the sting of the sun). And the infrastructure seems to be crumbling, like what I found in Manaus, than what you see in Recife, for example. I wouldn’t classify this city as a must-go. But we were here because the BF needed to take care of some family business. We spent most of the waking daylight hours (which is usually after 1 PM for us – it takes us forever to get out of bed) in government agencies and banks, including this branch of Bradesco with a particular inviting ad with world-reknowned hottie surfer Gabriel Medina. It does make me want to open an account here. Some other oddities: We had sushi at a restaurant called Taipan in a shopping mall, and there was an oddly high ratio of gay men among the clientele in the restaurant. Paulo felt uneasy, because he was (again) easily head and shoulders the hottest guy there, and everyone was checking him out like in the sauna. For Paulo, it was one thing to get checked out in the sauna, but in public, he does want to be left alone. But we got confirmation that, on this Friday night, this restaurant was a bit of an informal hot spot for the gays. Whatever. It was weird. And it was the first time I’ve ever found these training wheels for chop sticks: The food and beaches were kind of meh for us, but we tried out best to enjoy what was in front of us. The saving grace however, were the bars by the beach at night. Live music, including some of the best Reggae live music we’ve ever heard. This was not an accident. Sao Luis is known as the “Brazilian Jamaica” after all, for some reason. We didn’t know this at the time of the trip, but was surprised that this was actually a thing here in Sao Luis. We had a blast anyway. There was one sauna in Sao Luis, Sauna Go 63. It follows the proud tradition of naming your sauna after the street number your establishment is in. In Rio, you have Clube 117 (Rua Candido Mendes) and Ponte 202 (Rua Siquiera Campos). Also, SP has Fragata 555 (Rua Traipu) and Salvador has Clube 11 (Rua Jose Duarte). It was across the bridge from the Beach of Sao Marcos where we were. It in the “Centro Historico” part of town, and it felt as such, as it was a bumpy ride getting there, with all the potholes and crumbling infrastucture around us. This was a Friday night, and upon entering the premises, we were immediately questioned by a guy sitting behind a table right at the entrance way. Turns out, he was a health advocate, and he was there to promote safe sex practices, which was I guess pretty appropriate, given the venue. After a brief chat, and some nosiness about the BF’s and my relationship, we were free to check in the sauna. He was also giving out free condoms, as well as free at-home HIV tests: Upon check-in, we noticed some boys, one half-naked, another naked and cupping his dick, approach the counter to get some condoms. This certainly was a welcome preview of what is to come. As we head on over to the locker room, Paulo was recognized by a tall and big fellow. He was a boy who who recognized Paulo from one of the saunas in Fortaleza. He had dark skin, nice face, but not as in shape as I would like. I’m sure he was cute to someone. We both change in towels. Paulo asked his friend about the lay of the land here. Paulo then requests that he go into the premises alone at first, to suss out the territory himself. “Are you going to find a client?” I asked. He said he wasn’t sure yet, judging from his conversation with his friend (cheap clients), but willing to see the lay of the land first before deciding on whether to work or not. Knowing what to do, and acting accordingly, is important to Paulo when going to a sauna with me. Paulo says that clients are always jealous of other clients, and if he decided to work tonight, we would have to tamp down on the PDA, and maybe even not talk to each other for a bit, until he was sure he was able to get clients. If he decides not to work, he is free to touch, kiss, and be boyfriends with me. He is big on the PDA, and seems like he wants to do it with me, especially in a sauna since it was a more-or-less private space where he is free to be “gay” and not hetero like out in the world, so he has to make these choices. As Paulo makes his way into the premises to assess the client situation, I make my own way into the sauna slowly, and made sure I was able to assess the boy situation. Yes, I was still forbidden in getting any of these boys, but I was free to look, and sometimes I can get away with inviting a boy with me for a drink. It is still worth it for me to be “single” while I am with Paulo, since the benefits (amazing sex, great conversation, hot hot hot boy, seeing Brazil through his eyes), outweighs the pitfalls (no sex with other guys, penis too large and thick). And it’s not like I am a saint when I am not with him, and I am able to roam the saunas, trawl the sites, and hit Grindr, like before. After one or two rotations around the sauna, I am sad to say that I found a total of ONE guy that I would even think of hiring. That ONE guy was obviously super busy and was getting hired by one client after another, since he was the hottest one there. He was handsome, dark skin, and muscular with abs, so he would be a fit in any other sauna in Brazil land. And any boy of equal or better quality surely should take advantage of this in this sauna. There was not a shortage of clients here for sure. The rest of the boys were boy next door types. Good for hanging out and a laugh or two, but noone I cannot live without. After a while, I see Paulo, emerging from the lockers, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He meets me halfway and plants me a big kiss. “I just got one, and I don’t want anyone anymore,” he says. He takes my hand and gets me to the bar, where he orders us two caiprinhas: “What happened?” I asked him. “They kind of suck here in Sao Luis,” he says in a whisper, and then laughs. I asked why. “Clients were offering me 50 reais, and then 70 reais. It was horrible. You know I don’t do it for less than 100.” But you did one client? “Yeah, remember that guy handing out HIV tests? I guess he liked me enough to offer me 120 reais. But he ended up paying me 150. It was fast too. I only had my penis head in him and he came. Easiest 150 I’ve made. And now I am paying for these drinks,” pointing to the two caiprinhas. I guess he was feeling generous with his earnings, and also since tonight was 2 for 1 caipis: Paulo has a theory that the boys here are happy with 50 reais programas, as long as they can get 4 or 5 clients, that works out to 250 reais a night. They run a volume business. Paulo suspects that the hot guy I saw worked the same way. He said he'd be surprised if that guy couldn't be had for 70. Volume is the key, since there were a lot of clients. The clients simply don't pay like they do in SP or RJ. The sauna itself was actually pretty nice. The drinks were suuuuper cheap, and we got some snacks too that were 15 reais: The premises were nice too, and there was a pool that was outdoors, but still in the courtyard of the sauna, so with the hot weather, it was a nice addition, and Paulo took advantage of it by diving in naked, which caused a commotion with some guests: Overall, this was a chill sauna to spend a Friday night in. The space was pretty spacious: And there was a separate dance room that one could dance with one’s partner to the day’s popular hits. As the sauna was closing, the owner approached us and asked for Paulo’s number. He said he knew some “politicos” that would be interested in getting Paulo’s services, and they pay way more than the average sauna goer. Paulo gladly gave him the number. We got stinking drunk too. And our bill was less than 100 reais. Worth it. In closing, I guess I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back to Sao Luis, except if I was on my way to Lencois Maranhenses. But Paulo certainly has a way of livening any location we are in, so it was better than nothing. Up next, Belo Horizonte, during COVID.

It’s not a Brazilian term.

I know you have decided against going to Brazil @MiamiEthan until possibly March, but I thought I'd get my 2 cents in, while it is about 4 PM here in Fortaleza where I am now, and the BF is sleeping at the moment, and soon we shall be hitting the saunas here. Yeah, these months are the sweet spots for cheap biz class flights. In August to October time, the pandemic meant having a whole economy row to yourself to recline and sleep the flight away, but I've found in my flight back in November, and again in December, with the flights getting fuller, I decided that those still cheap biz flights were the way to go, and actually helped my clinch Executive Platinum in American for the first time ever. As for non-sauna activities, plenty to do in rio of course, but be reminded that in pandemic times, a lot of the acitvities are still either closed or scaled back. And sadly, when it rains in Rio, its actually kind of depressing, because of the beaches and such. I've found that winter in Rio (June to August/September) is the perfect time to go, as it is not oppresssively hot, and precipitation is the lowest in the year. I've had my best, and funnest, times in Rio in these months. So maybe its probably best that pospone your trip anyways. I was in Rio last week and there was appreicable sun to enjoy in 3 out of the 9 days I was there. It was glorious when the sun was out, but two-thirds of the time, I was indoors. Have a warm boy to cuddle with at these times, which, quite frankly, is not hard to do there. The best teacher is experience, and all the preparation in the world won't prepare you for what you will encounter in the saunas. i'd say just dive in and enjoy! But to answer your question: Are the folks naked - no. the majority of the people in the sauna have towels wrapped around their waists. The more bold garotos will be jacking off their erect penises to entice punters, and some will give you a flash of the goods, in the guise of adjusting their towels. Some saunas have naked nights, where the boys can get in for free, if they are naked all night, but I've never encountered this in Rio (or SP) saunas. Are the clients naked? Thankfully, no. Again, most are in towels, and some are even in street clothes, except if the sauna require everyone to be in towels (I'm looking at you, Sauna Olimpo in Belo Horizonte). Some boys have a strategy and wear either skimpy undies or gym shorts with no underwear, to help distinguish them from other towel-wearing boys. It works sometimes, if the boy has a big juicy butt that gets obscured by a towel, so undies will accentuate this, or has a big penis even when soft, so thin gym shorts will show the pendulum swinging. TL;DR - most people are in a towel. Safe bet for you, if you want to blend in. No you don't rent a room when you get in, you only do when you are ready to do the dirty with your prince charming. Or in my case, if I needed to join a work conference call while in a sauna. I recommend doing this while a boy gives you a blowjob. Best conference call ever. Room rates depend on the sauna and day and type of room, but generally can go from 20 reais to 60 reais, for 40 minutes to an hour each time. Most of them don't speak English, but nothing beyond what is required in a sauna can't be solved by google translate. The majority of the boys know the basic phrases to ask to get what they need, and it is actually comical when a boy resorts to sign language. Still, this trip, I found a surprising number of GPs I had the pleasure of knowing, actually knowing more than basic english. Which was bad for me because I always want to practice my Portuguese with the locals. I didn't sweat and toil all these years to learn this language, to only speak english while in Brazil. Since you are months away from your trip, I suggest at least knowing some phrases. Sample here: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/basic-portuguese-words-phrases-for-travel . I'd also listen to spoken PT on YouTube if you have the time. So at least you know how it sounds like. I do not have experience with Fasano, but its a mixed bag sometimes when it comes to Rio lux hotels. Some hotels don't care about the occasional guest (JW Marriot, Pestana), but some either require the guest to leave their ID at reception, or even insist they be registered with you in the room (Hilton). If you are gonna have parties/orgies at your room with a handful of GPs (and why not right), best be at an AirBNB. There are Rio AirBNBs with english language listings and english speaking hosts. that are in apartment buildings that won't have a problem with guests. Just be vigilant that a listing does not mention "NO GUESTS ALLOWED" in the rules of the house. You don't have to haggle. Say no if you think the price is too high. No boy is irreplaceable. Trust me. 9 times out of 10, they'll haggle down for you. Just (a) agree on the price before the programa and (b) agree on what you expect him to do when in the room, to avoid confusion. I always ask for the price. I am always curious what they think of me, based on the price. But if you have a price per programa in mind (or can afford), don't be afraid to quote it. The worse that can happen is they say no and walk away. Move on. I do hate the favorable exchange rate the dollar has with the real, because I made it rain last week in Rio. And it was not with water. I'd nail down any specific freaky thing you want to be done to you beforehand. I always prefer having the boy to myself when discussing this. Sometimes a boy is embrassed to say he is a bottom, or sucks dick, or pees on command, or whatever else you want out of him, in front of others. And yeah I do like the getting a kissing sample out of them before a programa. I get a sense on how close a boy wants to be with me in that kiss. If you are at all concerned about COVID transmission, then simply delay your trip till after a vaccine at least. I think all the signage and mask wearing of the employees in the saunas is simply theater. There is lots of mitigation while in the general areas of Rio, but in the saunas, noone wears a mask expect the employees, and how would you ever mitigate COVID when you are getting your freak on with a boy? Hazmat suit sex is not appealing. MEEEEEE, but you have postponed your trip to possibly March, so maybe see you then!

Omg. Well let me finish my current trip first and then I’ll post updates lol. Currently I am in Rio and I must say that the saunas are more or less better than earlier in the pandemic. it’s been raining this past week but today it’s glorious. I must say when Rio redeems itself, the results are amazing. Both at the beach and at the saunas. I’ll post a new thread about my Christmas and new year adventures, as well as wrap up this thread (so much to write!), but for now, here’s an Ipanema teeming with gays this sunny Saturday:

The B Word: Fortaleza Edition – No Place Like Home After a week or so with BF#1, and some time alone, as well as getting some work done in the process, it was time to see Paulo again. He was adamant in showing me one of his adopted cities – Fortaleza, and to show me why he loves this city so much. I have been to Fortaleza once before, partially chronicled here. I was not able to visit any saunas that time, but still had fun with some Garoto Com Locals. And this trip was to be different – I was going to stay at Paulo’s apartment this time, so no hanky panky with others, just me, him, and the city. So since this is me we are talking about, I had to find a way to sample Fortaleza boys before meeting up with Paulo. Saunas are off-limits because I was going with Paulo to the saunas and boys will talk if I go there without Paulo. So Garoto Com Local was again a saving grace in this regard. Which meant getting a hotel first before meeting up with Paulo. From Sao Paulo, I took an early morning flight to Fortaleza, arriving at noon. Upon checking in to the Hotel Gran Marquise, a reported 5 star hotel in Fortaleza ($60 a night, cost still at pandemic level when I stayed), I was ready to receive the boys before meeting with Paulo later at 7 PM. I met up to 2 boys from the website. One was a firecracker of a versatile guy, who was moreno, super cute, and with a giant ass. Fulfilled my thirst for a more bottom guy. The second guy was your typical bombado with large muscles, big dick and giant ass. He was a pardo, and while his ad had pretty good pics, he was even more of a knockout in person. Surprised me too. I was ready for a more “worship-type” programa with the bombado, but he was game for way more. Super passionate and versatile as well. The programas were 150 and 200, respectively, which is at sauna level pricing in SP or RJ. The boy prices are definitely lower once you leave the southeast. Some comments about the Hotel Gran Marquise: not quite 5 star in my book, as the room I got was fairly average, but the services were as top-notch as you can expect in Brazil. Between programas I was able to take advantage of the gym and pool. And obviously one can receive visitors, at least during the day, as no one checked on the two guests I brought on the way to my room. I wouldn’t know if it was like that at night. As everyone knows, Fortaleza can be dangerous, so I am certain that they are more diligent at night, at least checking ID of your guests. And to close, I had a nice coffee and Bailey’s combo for an afternoon snack, as I relished being in a 5 star hotel in Brazil, especially since I will be shifting gears to stay with the BF in his apartment: And shift gears I did. Once I got the whoriness out of my system (at least for a week), I was ready to meet Paulo. I Ubered it to his apartment, which was more inland and away from the beaches. It was in Centro, in a two story decrepit looking building on a busy street. Upon arriving at his street, Paulo was waiting for me on the curb. He looked happy to see me as I emerged from my Uber. He has a one bedroom apartment. Fairly spartan. Not a lot of furniture. Not the 5 star hotel I was just in for sure. But it was his home, and I was welcome, and that made the quality of the surroundings irrelevant. Since I was in familiar surroundings for Paulo, he laid some ground rules about this trip. Since a lot of people knew him in the city, especially in this part of town, he said to tamp down on the PDA while in public. This rule would be broken numerous times, and it was all him, not me, breaking the rules. During the trip, instead of getting Ubers to get around town, I rode in the back of his motorcycle, and he drove like a maniac. He was an adrenaline junkie, I was not. But I adjusted, because I was living Paulo’s life now. Another ground rule: to stay at his side at all times. Fortaleza remains a dangerous place, and he has stories about him fending robbers and their ilk while living here. I would break this rule once: when we were in Praia Iracema and we got into a silly fight, and I abruptly left our perch in the beach. Astrologically, we were both fire signs, so the fire was in full display in Fortaleza. He had to hunt me down the praca near the beach, and was looking for me everywhere. I sat down near a group of police at the end of the praca. He was relieved to find me, unscathed. He was genuinely concerned. He said I could have been kidnapped or robbed in the praca. I swore to him to never do that again. I would do it again. Apart from intermittent nastiness between us, my Fortaleza visit was actually pretty nice. Paulo showed me his city: warts and all. We got new tattoos from one of his friends. We ate at his favorite places, and drank in the street pubs that he usually haunts. Met some of his friends. Probably the highlight of my trip with him was seeing the crowds in Praia Iracema, and the surrounding parks. It was like seeing a world pre-COVID, as almost no one was wearing masks, and the crowd density was something I haven’t seen for a while now. You must be wondering what the sauna scene here is. From what I know, there are three GP saunas in the city worth noting, and two more that are horrible. At this point of the trip, the other two saunas, Dragon and California were still closed (they have now reopened at the time of this writing), and only one was open. Mykonos Thermas Club. From what I understand, this was a new sauna, opened earlier this year before the pandemic. Perhaps to recoup some of the owner’s investment, the sauna reopened as soon as the city said it was OK to do so. Paulo said that he liked the other two than this sauna, but since this was the only one open, he had no choice but to work here. The place was in a residential part of town, and the façade could be mistaken for any house in the street. Inside of course, was all sauna. The first night, we got there at around 6 PM on a Saturday, and immediately was accosted by boys. Majority of them were next door types, but quote a few were smoking hot as well. Upon checking in, Paulo let me know that clients wore white towels, and boys wore blue towels. This was kind of interesting, as I guess it highlighted which populations were more numerous that the other. My estimate was an even 50/50 split of boys and clients. On the first night, Paulo was immediately chatted up by some clients who were eager for his business, so I was left to my own devices minute one. Which was interesting because I had quite a few boys ask me questions and tried to get something going with me. As one particularly branquinho who was young and tall was chatting me up, Paulo swooped in and put an arm around me. Apparently I was chatting up his “best buddy” in the sauna, and he was firm in telling him that I was the BF. The cute guy apologizes to him and me and quickly moves along. I met quite of few of Paulo’s posse in the sauna, all pretty good looking. He was also coaching one of the young bodybuilders on fitness and supplements, and though I was quite smitten by him, I knew I cant even broach the subject of a programa. I can only look, but cannot touch. Paulo said a lot of the boys here accepted 50 reais as payment for one programa because (a) this was Fortaleza and (b) they ran a volume business. They probably did 5-10 clients a night. Paulo only did a max of 3 or 4, and he would never accept anything lower than 100 reais. Even if I wasn’t able to do any programas, Paulo made up for it by deciding not to work the three nights we visited Mykonos sauna, so his attention was all on me, and boy it was great. It was fun, since he was game to both show me the facilities of the sauna, and using the facilities to their fullest potential. An example, they had a nice small pool/hydromassager that the sauna had, and we had a blast *almost* having sex in it. We drove people away because of the insane PDA. We also played pool in the premises, and it was actually nice to watch the boys play pool sometimes, because some of them had to contort themselves to make a move, and since most of them were in either underwear or towels, its nice to see, I got to see some cock and balls at times. Oddly enough, the sauna had not one but two places for a stage for any drag numbers or stripper shows. The owner actually gave me a personal tour of the premises, and explained to me that the second entertainment space was left empty because sometimes there are private events in there. I got an insight on the challenges a sauna owner had during a pandemic. He had to sacrifice a lot to get the sauna to still be running. Two of the major things he did that he thinks made his sauna the place to go for the gays were: he made the entry for the working boys (GPs) free, and he fed the boys dinner every night. This made the boys come in droves. Even to just have one meal a day. And in a place with a lot of boys, clients will follow. It was an interesting strategy, and yes there was a lot of boys, and a lot of clients, in the premises. I also got a sample of the free dinner one night. Some rice and meat thing. It was actually tasty. I have to say that this space is pretty nice and spacious, and it reminds me of the old Lagoa space in SP. And I certainly had a ton of fun in it, even if I didn’t do one programa in the three nights I was there. This was definitely a new paradigm I was in. I was in a “monogamous” relationship with a GP, and I still got to go to the saunas and gawk at the boys. Let’s see how long this lasts. Next, the weird Sao Luis, Maranhao.