mvan1

Thank you for the information. I will check it out next week. I know where it is. I believe this is the bathroom that has glass showers immediately across from it. It is also quite near the television set. You don't need a key. If the room is locked it means someone is in it. Yes, I agree, it is a small room.

Very interesting about the notes on the wall. There are lots of bathrooms at Lagoa. Can you tell me which area of the sauna I might find the one with the graffiti wall? I am wondering how effective the warnings could be considering that so many garotos use different names or change them periodically. Much obliged.

You should get a copy of the film or watch it through one of the medias. Movie title - Just a Gigolo - Marlene plays a madam while David Bowie becomes one of her "boys" for rent. It is an intriging strange movie.

Speaking of David Bowie (and Marlene Dietrich)

Even though it has been only a couple of days since Trump removed the United States out of the Iran agreement, gasoline and oil are already increasing. I just got back from filling my car with gas. I generally use the same gas station. To fill my tank today was about 20% more than I usually pay. That increase will not hurt me. However, I resent having to pay more money because of a lunatic that has power to influence prices of items that I purchase. Here is a short excerpt from "Money Watch" a publication that is highly regarded: "With the U.S. abandoning the Iran deal, Americans can prepare for higher prices at the gas pump -- and a hit to everything from airline tickets to the cost of package delivery. Between the time President Donald Trump started 2018 tweeting about the Iran deal and the time he officially pulled the U.S. out of the agreement, prices of crude oil and gasoline have steadily risen. Oil surged early Wednesday to its highest prices in more than 3 years." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In case anyone is interested in reading the entire article (unless you are afraid of throwing up at the thought of what Trump caused), here is a link to the article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-deal-gas-prices-rise-trump-withdraws-joint-comprehensive-plan-of-action-today/

I know you did not say he was a defense attorney. What I pointed out was that although his background and experience is that of a prosecutor, he is taking on a new and serious role as defense attorney. Clearly, one has to wonder about competency, which Giuliani has not shown through those numerous and hideous interviews he has granted over public airways. Legally, as a licensed New York attorney, he can practice in any field despite lack of experience in that field. Of course, he is an attorney. He has been licensed in New York since 1969. It is just that he has not practiced on the side he has now chosen to defend. Attorney Detail as of 05/10/2018 Registration Number: 1080498 RUDOLPH WILLIAM GIULIANI GREENBERG TRAURIG 200 PARK AVE NEW YORK, NY 10166-0005 United States (New York County) (212) 801-9200 E-mail Address: Date Admitted in NY: 06/27/1969 Appellate Division Department of Admission: 2 Law School: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Registration Status: Due to reregister within 30 days of birthday Next Registration: May 2018 Disciplinary History: No record of public discipline

He is worse than you described. He was a prosecutor, not a defense attorney. Worse, he has not practiced any kind of law in decades. Suddenly, he decided to come out from the woodwork and "defend" Trump, the biggest embarrassment our country has ever had. He does have something in common with Trump in that they are both draft dodgers: See this: "Giuliani did not serve in the military during the Vietnam War. His conscription was deferred while he was enrolled at Manhattan College and NYU Law. Upon graduation from the latter in 1968, he was classified by the Selective Service System as 1-A, available for military service. He applied for a deferment but was rejected. In 1969, Judge MacMahon wrote a letter to Giuliani's draft board, asking that he be reclassified as 2-A, civilian occupation deferment, because Giuliani, who was a law clerk for MacMahon, was an essential employee. The deferment was granted. In 1970, Giuliani received a high draft lottery number; he was not called up for service although by then he had been reclassified 1-A.[30][31] Seriously, would anyone out here want Giuliani as your attorney?

"Giuliani resigns" as a thread title is misleading. While he did resign as an associate in a law firm that represents the untruthful and bigoted Trump, Giuliani did not resign from his co-representation of Trump. Unfortunately, Giuliani remains quite prevalent in the news despite his severance with his former law firm.

http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/brazils-gymnastics-may-lose-sponsor-due-to-reports-of-abuse/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+(The+Rio+Times)

Considering this thread includes the word in its title - "diaries" - together with postings about other non sexual things to see and do while in Sao Paulo, it is propitious to mention an exhibit I saw last summer at MASP. Incredibly there were 75 original artworks of Henri de Toulouse Lautrec plus and 50 original documents on exhibit. Talking about value - that many original paintings/artworks and documents of Lautrec would be valued at far in excess of one billion dollars. I suspect that MASP rectified its deficient alarm and security system since it previously experienced the infamous Picasso theft. Here is a link to a short discussion about the exhibit, for those who might be interested: https://artmap.com/masp/exhibition/tolouse-lautrec-2017 You see, there is a lot to do and to see in Sao Paulo during the day - even while the saunas are closed.

Thanks for sharing your opinion about the two cities. It seems Rio has caught you in its snare. I travel often to many parts of the world. I can say, without any doubt, that there is no other place in the world like Brazil where our kind can be ourselves and enjoy life as we never imagined possible. Over my many years of making bi-monthly trips to Brazil, I have seen changes for the good and changes for the bad. The bad had to do with the Brazilian economy which is slowly trying to recover. I have seen many saunas come and go. There was a time when Rio had five very popular saunas that were consistently busy and filled with handsome garotos. Then there was the notorious and wonderful Corujinha's in Rio that was something out of a fantasy book, but it was real - it is no more. Sao Paulo also had five good saunas but two were the busiest (Fragata and Lagoa). This year I decided to stop visiting Fragata because it is too often disappointing and a waste of time and effort to go there. Where am I going with all this history and nostalgia? Those who enjoy Brazil should continue to do so. There could be a day when the good places are no more. As I said, I have seen many saunas in Brazil close. Rio still has 117 and Sao Paulo has Lagoa. Even though 202 in Rio is popular at the present time, for several years, 202 was barely staying in business. If it were not for Junior's friend, the place would have closed. I return to Brazil this weekend for my bi-monthly trip there. I want to thank you for your frequent updates about some of the places I visit in Sao Paulo and Rio. It is good to know that nothing negative has happened to them.

You have had a chance to visit and report on both Rio and Sao Paulo. Although some posters to this forum visit Sao Paulo, most visit and remain in Rio for their time in Brazil. Even my friends who visit Brazil on a regular basis prefer Rio. I personally prefer Sao Paulo over Rio although I still visit Rio, but not as much as I visit Sao Paulo. I feel safer in Sao Paulo - clearly, there is less crime than there is in Rio. Considering that you know both cities, do you prefer one over the other?

That is a good philosophy - when the horse is dead, it is time to get off! There is no need to keep trying when there is no possibility of success.

The building mentioned by sanddunes used to be the tallest building in Sao Paulo (and South America overall). It is still quite tall despite three newer skyscrapers constructed in Sao Paulo. The building is located on a hill which gives the building more height, sea level wise. The building has changed names several times. For those interested in visiting the building and thus doing something different during the day, below is a link to the building and its location. Also, the area where the building is located is very near Brazil's stock exchange. This equates to the area being well maintained and safe with lots of excellent or good restaurants in the general neighborhood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altino_Arantes_Building

Uh, oh! You read only the first part of my post where the starting flight is from Brazil to New Orleans. If you had read a little farther, you would have seen that I furnished data for the same airline with cheap flights FROM the United States. I gave and presented one example of flying from Los Angeles to Rio for $524.65. There are many bargains to Brazil from many cities FROM the U.S. offered by that airline.

What you wrote makes sense. However, that is not what happens with this promotion. Although most members do not live in New Orleans, if you leave from another city in the US, you will pay a nominal amount for the distant city and the amount will be added to the overall ticket price. One example is if a traveler lived in Los Angeles and traveled to Rio with this promotion, the fare would be, including the Los Angeles - New Orleans portion - $524.65 which is well below the prevailing rates of other airlines. There are several examples of several fares on the below screen shot; See this screen shot of the Los Angeles example: Buscar Current stepSelección Resumen Pasajeros Asientos Pago Confirmación Selección de vuelo IMPORTANTE Pagos a través de transferencias bancarias se encuentran disponibles solo si realiza su reserva con un mínimo de 14 días antes de la salida de su vuelo. Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de América - Río De Janeiro (GIG), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - vie ago 03 2018 Día anteriorDía siguiente Valor de salida para 1 pasajero, basado en precio de boleto ida y vuelta. Incluye sobrecargos de combustible, impuestos y tasasSe abre en una ventana nueva. Consulte la política de equipajeSe abre en una ventana nueva de los vuelos operados por Copa Airlines. Consulte la política de equipajeSe abre en una ventana nueva de los vuelos operados por aerolíneas socias. Outbound flight results updated Vuelos salientes de Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de América a Río De Janeiro (GIG), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. La información que se encuentra en esta tabla describe los detalles de vuelo, los paquetes de tarifas y la información de tarifas para cada vuelo. Los detalles de vuelo contienen los lugares de salida y de llegada, los horarios y los Vuelo Sale Llega aeropuerto Duración Económica Promo Económica Extra Económica Flex Promo Ejecutiva Ejecutiva Flex Número de vueloCM0396, Con pernocte 01:30 AM 10:13 AM Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de AméricaLAX-Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY 6h 43m Tiempo en PTY: 5h 4m Asientos No disponible 849.65 (H) 1,049.65 (M) 1,665.65 (J) 2,480.65 (C) Número de vueloCM0873 03:17 PM 12:25 AM+1El vuelo llega el día siguiente Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY-Río De Janeiro (GIG), Rio de Janeiro, BrazilGIG 7h 8m Total: 18h 55m Asientos Número de vueloCM0473, Con pernocte 11:20 AM 08:00 PM Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de AméricaLAX-Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY 6h 40m Tiempo en PTY: 1h 24m Asientos No disponible 554.65 (K) 1 asiento disponible 1,049.65 (M) 1,665.65 (J) 2,480.65 (C) Número de vueloCM0216 09:24 PM 06:35 AM+1El vuelo llega el día siguiente Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY-Río De Janeiro (GIG), Rio de Janeiro, BrazilGIG 7h 11m Total: 15h 15m Asientos Número de vueloCM0362, Con pernocte 10:00 PM 06:37 AM+1El vuelo llega el día siguiente Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de AméricaLAX-Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY 6h 37m Tiempo en PTY: 8h 40m Asientos No disponible 524.65 (V) 4 asientos disponibles 1,049.65 (M) 1,665.65 (J) 2,480.65 (C) Número de vueloCM0873 03:17 PM+1El vuelo llega el día siguiente 12:25 AM++1El vuelo llega el día siguiente Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY-Río De Janeiro (GIG), Rio de Janeiro, BrazilGIG 7h 8m Total: 22h 25m Asientos Número de vueloCM0303, Con pernocte 11:31 PM 08:11 AM+1El vuelo llega el día siguiente Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de AméricaLAX-Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY 6h 40m Tiempo en PTY: 7h 6m Asientos No disponible 554.65 (K) 1,049.65 (M) 1,665.65 (J) 2,480.65 (C) Número de vueloCM0873 03:17 PM+1El vuelo llega el día siguiente 12:25 AM++1El vuelo llega el día siguiente Panamá (PTY), PanamáPTY-Río De Janeiro (GIG), Rio de Janeiro, BrazilGIG 7h 8m Total: 20h 54m Asientos Número de vueloCM1063, Con pernocteOperado por United Airlines, Inc.Operado por United Airlines, Inc. 10:30 PM 11:56 PM Los Angeles (LAX), California, Estados Unidos de AméricaLAX-San Francisco (SFO), California, Estados Unidos de AméricaSFO 1h 26m Tiempo en SFO: 1h 31m No disponible 609.15 (Q) 1,054.15 (M) No disponible No disponible NOTICE - THE ABOVE FARES ARE FROM THE US TO BRAZIL - MUCH CHEAPER THAN ANY OTHER SCHEDULED AIRLINE. THE INITIAL AD THAT I POSTED WERE FARES ORIGINATING IN BRAZIL. THESE ABOVE SCREEN SHOT FARES ARE ORIGINATING IN THE UNITED STATES - SUCH A DEAL!

You are correct. A frequent visitor could buy two one-way tickets then schedule these cheap tickets to agree with the one-way tickets, as you said, provided the travel takes place within one year of these cheap tickets.

http://www.secretflying.com/posts/rio-de-janeiro-brazil-new-orleans-usa-488-usd-roundtrip/ or http://www.secretflying.com/posts/sao-paulo-brazil-johannesburg-south-africa-413-usd-roundtrip/

I hope that I convinced you to stay out of the favelas at the current time. As you noticed from the app that you temporarily installed on your phone, there was a shooting reported in Rio about every half hour. Realistically, how many more shooting do you think happened that did not get reported to the police? The favela residents realize there is nothing or very little the police can do to control the violence or the shootings. Therefore, reporting shooting is an exercise in futility. Many favela residents do not have a telephone to call the police. In other words, many shooting do not get reported. If it is a company trying to convince you to take a favela tour, employees of such a company should be ashamed of themselves. Taking tourists to a dangerous neighborhood just to make money is unforgivable.

Most saunas charge garotos a small fee to enter and many garotos are let in to a sauna without paying. However, Rodolfo charges garotos more than any other sauna. Rodolfo does not make the connection - If a garoto does not come to his sauna, clients will not come because there would be no garoto. However, Rodolfo does not see it that way. He insists that garotos must pay despite the fact that clients only go to his sauna because of the garotos. It seems there is some logic missing on Roldolfo's part. No, Rodolfo is not the large guy that takes the photos after the shows.

I don't think the saunas are dying. In Sao Paulo, Lagoa is doing quite well. On the other hand, Fragata is barely hanging on and could close at any time. I don't bother to go to Fragata anymore. Have you checked the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar lately? Today, Americans get more than 3.50 reais for one dollar. What does that mean? It means the Brazilian economy is in the pits. Unemployment is high and those lucky enough to be working are earning low wages. The saunas do not rely on Americans to stay in business. It is the local folks who go to the saunas and pay the fees to enter the saunas and pay to enjoy the garotos. But, if the local folks do not have jobs or sufficient money, they do not go to the sauna or they limit how many times or how often they go. It is a vicious cycle. If the clients don't have money to go to the sauna to meet garotos, the garotos do not go to the sauna because there will not be customers. Worse, Rodolfo makes the garotos pay to get into the sauna. Saying it a different way, if a garoto goes to the sauna, the garoto has the expense of getting to the sauna (bus, metro or car) then has the expense of paying to get into the sauna. If there are no customers, the garoto is worse off by going to the sauna because the garoto spent money and got nothing in return for his money paid out. Based on the reports you wrote, you visited Brazil at a great time. Also, you seemed to have good luck on grindr and other ways to meet garotos.

I agree, for now. There was a time when there were many other places in different parts of the world where it was possible to have as much fun as one currently can in Brazil. Sadly, most other places are now gone or markedly minimized. Barcelona has not yet met the same fate as the other places. There remains much fun in Barcelona. When the decline of our scene began, it began with the police hassling the gay scene. Later, drugs came along and changed things. Now, the internet is the culprit. It is far easier to meet someone on the internet than through bars or elsewhere. But, ah, Brazil - the best place to be. Saunas like no other country in the world. For reasons I do not understand (but appreciate), Brazil still has that magic not found in most other parts of the world. Enjoy Brazil, it might be later than we think.

If you still decide to visit a favela, before you go there, download this app on your phone (I assume that you have a smart phone). You can download the app now from your home location. OTT (Onde Tem Tiroteio) No matter where you live in most other countries, the app will function and send you a notice each and every time a shooting occurs if the shooting is reported to the police in Rio- The app will also tell you the time and location (neighborhood) of the shooting. You will notice that most of the shootings occur in the favelas. After you download the app and wait a day or so, your phone fills with countless alerts. After you see the actual alerts, you might want to reevaluate if you still want to visit a favela at this time in Rio. I suspect the people who told you that seeing a favela is a must, are involved with selling favela tours. Yes, even if you are located in Australia, you will receive the alerts. Not a pretty picture.

Then there are the few garotos we meet at the saunas with whom we develop "a connection" that can be long lasting (not forever, but longer than just a one-time thing in a sauna or hourly hotel). I have traveled to Brazil countless times. Even though I met and still meet lots of different garotos in the saunas and elsewhere in Brazil, there is that "special" garoto that comes along every now and again whereby a "connection" just happens. I do not mean a garoto to love. I mean a garoto that includes compatible sex along with a genuine friendship and affection. These type of arrangements are rare but do happen. There are few things more exciting and enjoyable than having a handsome compatible garoto as a regular thing while in Brazil. Equally so is taking a handsome compatible garoto to a foreign country for a vacation. I have done that several times. Under usual circumstances, Brazilian garotos cannot get a visa to visit the U.S. Nor can they usually afford to experience traveling to Europe (or any other place). Brazilians can visit Europe without a visa as well as several other countries. They only need a valid passport. Travel changes people, often for the better. Travel is an education, all in itself. Yes, “Befriending a garoto opens up a whole new insight into the sauna world.” - sometimes -