Tomcal

Yes Hotels and Airbnb are "cheap compared to what we are used to! And homes like the one below go for under $200. A night!

Here a a video i took of villa verde when i was there for drinks with some friends. It has just 5 guest rooms which surprised me because it is a large place with beautiful grounds! The link didnt work so here is the youtube link to it:

I have never stayed in a hotel but only done Airbnb until I bought my house. but there are two I would recommend for different reasons. One is a really nice gay owned small(in number of rooms but big in terms of facilities) it is called Villa Verde, and a beautiful place with great small bar overlooking the pool and also a swimsuit optional sundeck. https://www.hotels.com/hotel/details.html?pa=1&tab=description&hotel-id=613305120&q-room-0-adults=2&YGF=14&MGT=1&WOE=1&WOD=7&ZSX=1&SYE=3&q-room-0-children=0 the other one is a 10 story pink hotel that is only a block from my house so it is in the center of the city and you can walk anywhere from there! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150811-d154610-Reviews-Gamma_de_Fiesta_Inn_Merida_El_Castellano-Merida_Yucatan_Peninsula.html there are many other choices from Hyatt(not the best location but new) to many boutique hotels, check the ones out in the Santa Lucia neighborhood! Both have pools

I agree with you! Btw i will be in Brazil in September and in Mexico the last week in October if you are around! :-)

This is definitely Merida's Year! Over 1 Million in first 6 months this year!

Kevin in reality there is no contrast! 1) first rule of the saunas, dont believe 50% of what the sauna guys tell you and seriously doubt the other 50% until you get to know them away from the sauna! :-) this has been discussed a while ago but let me reiterate it here, while 90% of the guys in sauna say they are only "activo" in reality once they get to know you 90+% will/do bottom! You have to remember in the testostorone filled enviorment of the sauna locker room the guys dont want to admit they bottom or even worse like it! Of the 5 guys that most frequently stay at the apt in Rio with me, 3 only "top" in the sauna but all 4 bttm privately! Bottom line there is no difference between Mexico and Brazil in the % of tops and bttms, IMHO!

Just to reiterate, Kevin asked me specifically about Merida! other cites especially the resort cities are more expensive! although I had a stripper from Cancun who was spending the week in Merida and he charged double (1000 pesos $50.US and stayed about 4 hours) There is no difference if you are top or bttm, officially but if you are a top you will definitely get more attention. the guys seem to want to spend time with you before and after if you aren't a jerk. I have never had a guy stay for less then 2 hours and usually much longer.

$500. Pesos. About $26.25 US

Bobbolino, first let me say that up until the present time, for me nothing is as great as Brazil when it comes to gay sex! But we all need backup plans! Lol In between Brazil trips i used to go to Europe, specifically Prague, London and Barcelona, but the flights there from LA are long and across 9 time Zones! It was getting harder on my old body! And europe is certainly not cheap! Mexico depending on where you go is no more then 2 time zones to the same one you are on! That was one factor. Two, it is relatively cheap compared to Europe! I had a good friend who lives there who had been telling me for almost 5 years i should check it out! The particular city i eventually bought a home in, is not for everyone! Probably not for most on this site! It is not a resort city like Cancun or PV! But it is 1M people and a thriving and accepted gay community! Now about the guys specifically, even the guys who are escorts treat you more like it is a date! They come to the house we have some drinks and talk and laugh, we order pizza, and in several cases it was 3 or 4 hours before we made it to the bedroom! The first "professional" escort i was with here was a stripper from Cancun that got to the house around 9:00pm and left at 2:00 am and wanted me to go with him to a bar he was going to! 3 other times the guys stayed overnight but no diffference in price for one hour or overnight! There is a cute 21 yr old college student that comes by every day at noon when i am in town and stays for an hour! Mexico It is more like my Brazilian experiences where the guys stay at the apartment, as far as looks go lots of "regular" 20 to 25 yr old guys available and there is definitely model type looking guys but you have to get in with the local gay guys to find them! they are not on the internet or bars! But let me reiterate "for me there is nowhere that beats Brazil"...but mexico is a good 2nd choice!

Kevin i thought the same as you before my friend convinced me to come down here over a year ago. And the majority of guys are like the majority of guys you would find in LA or Chicago or NYC in a gay bar, but the ones that are for hire keep themselves in better shape then average! Then there is a sub group which are the guys that hang not in the gay bars but with the older(over 40) business professionals, these were the guys that came to the first party i threw and were as hot as any Brazilian i have ever been with! And that is a pretty strong statement on my part! I am sure the resort cities like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, etc are the same or better, IMHO!

I havent come across this either as a renter or as the owner(my home in Mexico is on Airbnb). Let us know what you find out?

Very intuitive of you to figure that out!

German,polish, german, german, german, ? , And german! :-)

Bobbalino i dont know if you meant specific to this thread or to boytoy but Porto Alegre has had bumerous threads on BT. And i was sirprised but a large number of Polish guys are blondes and of course Germans both of which have sizeable populations in PA along with people of No Italian ancestary which also have a number of blonde genes! I would guess 15-20% All the guys pictured are or were blondes when they were younger! Last one is from rio

Ojibear, you can get a very nice condo for $150,000. there!

I think you are referring to Porto Alegre because of the large German and Polish populations there but it is still a small number of the total # of escorts there. Two of my favorite "blonde" escorts are both in Rio and work at 117

Ojibear, those are not listed in pesos but in U.S. prices! Jim Mann who I referenced above is the listing agent. Even a run down total fixer upper would go for $40,000. U.S.

Unless you are planning on flying in and out the same day most of us need a hotel room or apartment thats why! No one said anything about a "love motel" to my knowledge...

Bobbolino that is a hostel not a regular hotel. I dont think that is the one they were referring to!

I wish! Lol

Today the rate is 17.55 pesos to the dollar at the height it was i think just over 21 pesos but seems to hang around 18 give or take a few cents. Still great pricing especially as growth is projected both in population and tourism.

This city of 1m people has made 3 different lists this in 2017 1)Fortune Magazine Rated it #3 of the top 10 travel trends in the world 2) Cnn/money top places to retire abroad and rated Merida #1 3) Lonely Planet rated Merida in the top 10 of world for travelers Safety and Colonial Architecture! Here is part of the article: On the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula lies bustling Merida, the 14th-largest city in Mexico (pop. 777,615). A rich history has left Merida with beautiful Spanish and French Colonial mansions, some of which have been converted into hotels. Others are up for grabs. Just check out this drool-worthy, 15,200-square-foot mansionwith modern amenities, for just $1 million. For those of more modest means, Merida is rife with pastel homes like this one, with 3,000 square feet, for just $104,000. "This is where I want to live for the rest of my life," says Jim Mann, 65, who moved to Merida 16 years ago from Virginia and is now the owner of Merida Yucatan Real Estate. "The people are one of my favorites about Merida. They are so warm, friendly, and genuine." Merida is also among the safest major cities in Mexico, with little of the drug-related crime and political unrest that have plagued other metros. Americans need to set up a bank trust first—and then you have the right to use, renovate, and sell your home, but a Mexican bank holds the title in your name. The trust is valid for 50 years and then can be renewed for another 50. It can also be passed down to heirs. Americans can visit in Mexico for 180 days without a visa, but will need one for longer stays. Buying property in the country makes it easier to obtain a temporary resident visa for up to four years. But if you want to work, you must have a job offer and obtain a work permit. The photo below is my house which was used by the New York post for article it had on Merida a month ago! PS Jim Mann was not my real estate agent but i have met him and is a very good guy and openly gay!

Here is the uncensored version courtesy of one of the sauna guys! I believe this was last Friday?! IMG_7437.MP4

A number of people asked where in mexico? Here's the map!

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Arthur was still inside his mother's womb when he became Rio de Janeiro's latest victim of gun violence. His mother, Claudineia dos Santos Melo, was almost nine months pregnant when she was hit by a stray bullet from a shootout in a Rio slum on June 30. During an emergency cesarean section doctors discovered that a bullet had also hit Arthur, damaging his lungs and spine. Doctors say the mother is in stable, non-life threatening condition while her newborn is clinging to life in a case that has shocked Brazilians and underscored surging gun violence in Rio. "We had never seen this before," Rafael Lopes, the head surgeon at the Moacyr Rodrigues de Carmo hospital where Arthur was delivered, said during a press conference Monday. Doctors said it was a miracle Arthur was still alive, breathing with the help of machines and currently paraplegic, though they added it was too soon to say if he would remain so forever. According to Fogo Cruzado," or "Crossfire," a free app created by Amnesty International Brazil, there have been an average of 13 shootings a day in the Rio metropolitan area over the past 11 months. Most of the shootings occur in hillside slums controlled by drug gangs. On the same day Melo was shot, a mother and daughter were killed in the Mangueira favela near the iconic Maracana stadium as police and criminals exchanged fire for over three hours. Marlene Maria da Conceicao, 76, was shot in the doorway of her home. Her 42-year-old daughter, Ana Cristina da Conceicao, was also hit when she tried to help her mother. "The state government has abandoned the communities," said Mangueira community leader Washington Fortunato at the women's funeral. Last year, 920 people died during police raids or patrols in Rio state according to its Public Security Institute. This year's figure is up by almost 60 percent over 2016. "I hope no family has to go through what we are going through because it is too painful," said Arthur's uncle, Walter de Melo, as he accompanied the speechless father to register the child.