mvan1

A few months ago, a couple of forum posters commented about their anticipated flights to Brazil via Boeing's so-called "dreamliner" aircraft - the Boeing 787. Several airlines use the dreamliner for flights to Brazil. When the dreamliner first became used in commercial aircraft, many of us remember how often the dreamliner was grounded and removed from service for months at a time. The groundings were later determined to be due to onboard fires that were related to lithium batteries used during operation of the aircraft. Now, something new is amiss with the dreamliner. According to the Seattle Times (a news reporting source located where Boeing is based), the dreamliner has problems with engine shut down during flight. Not a pleasant thought, by any means. Having been a passenger, many times, on the dreamliner, I was not particularly impressed with the plane, comfort wise. For those interested in this issue or for those anticipating being a passenger on the dreamline, take a look at this article: http://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/faa-orders-engine-fix-on-176-boeing-787s/ Also, here is a related Bloomberg article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-22/repairs-to-ge-engines-ordered-after-dreamliner-in-flight-damage As much as airline schedules permit, I will take my future flights on Boeing's other great seller, the 77W, an aircraft with a great safety history and continued reliability.

- For those new to Brazil, check out the link below, then go to this garoto's video - He is already a hit at Lagoa - He gives many of the other garotos a lot of competition for clients. I think the answer and reason for his high demand in the saunas is disclosed in his video - here: http://malicia.com.br/Anuncio/AnuncioDetalhe?idAnunciante=5110 By the way, there is an error in his ad. His ad says "idiom" (languages) - espanhol - He is from Northern Brazil and speaks Portuguese. -

- Yesterday, the Brazilian real closed around 350 to 1 USD. The significance of the above statement is shown by saying it another way. Such as, earlier this year if we exchanged U.S. $1,000.00, we received R$4,100.00 reais. Today, if we exchange U.S. $1,000.00 we would receive R$3,500.00 reais. That is R$600.00 fewer reais than we received in January of this year. R$600.00 can buy a lot of entertainment in Brazil. Depending on who offers an answer or reason or opinion for the marked change in value of the real, no one is in agreement. This is because no one knows. The answers are mostly guesses. Check out this link concerning yesterday's increase in value of the real: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/brazils-real-closes-above-r3-50-to-the-dollar-in-8-month-high/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29 No question, the real is unpredictable.

Thanks for the information. Ouch, 100 degrees in late March or early April - The weather forecast indicates that it gets hotter in full summer and remains that way for months at a time. The Bangkok forecast says that the humidity stays high and visibility is usually limited to a short distance. I had no idea Thailand was that hot. My prior visits were in winter when the weather was pleasant. Now I understand what you mean by "slower season."

You wrote "It's starting to head into the slower season." Is the slower season due to hot weather issues? It has been years since I was in Thailand. I have an opportunity to visit Bangkok next month with some American friends. In the past, when I visited Thailand, it was in the winter months and the weather was pleasant. Is the month of May still a good time to visit Thailand, weather/heat wise? Thanks in advance.

Good point. How many from this forum remember the sauna named Alterosas in Sao Paulo? The sauna was a popular sauna and it had been in business more than 20 years. One day, there was a sign on the door stating that the sauna was "closed for renovations" but that was more than eight years ago. The place never opened again. A couple of years ago I went to the address of the sauna to see how far along the "renovations" had come. The building that housed the sauna had been torn down. Here is a link (in Portuguese) to a Folha de Sao Paulo news article about two gay saunas that were closed in Sao Paulo, supposedly for violating "security" laws. Sauna Alterosas is one of the saunas mentioned in the article. http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u134993.shtml Sauna Alterosas is mentioned in the middle of the news article. According to the article, the police came to the sauna because of a "tip" from someone who said there were drugs and minors at the sauna. The tip was false because the police found no drugs or minors. Nonetheless, the sauna closed for a while then reopened only to close again, forever. The real reason for the sauna closing is because a church was constructed directly across the street from the sauna. The church goers could not handle the fact that directly across from the church was a male house of prostitution. The sauna guys could be seen coming and going most of the day while the church services were in progress. Hence, there went the sauna.

I am not surprised that the place closed. Over the past few years, there were fewer and fewer people visiting the disco. On some nights, the place was pathetically quiet, almost like a sauna gets just before it goes out of business (Rogers, Estacao et cetera) for example. For those who have visited Rio for a while, there was another large and famous "disco" in Copacabana that drew huge crowds since the 1980s. That disco had countless male and female prostitutes at all hours of the night. The disco was called "Help" and was well known for what it was. Here is an old article from January of 2010 that discusses the place and its closing. Clearly, the article contains a lot of morality about the disco, even though the author of the article states otherwise. http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/help-closed-and-rio-moves-on/ I suspect that we will soon be reading a similar article about LeBoy and its wild history and reputation. Too bad, or as the Brazilians would say "que pena" (what a pity). -

Even though your suggestion is good, the forum user has a slight problem. He wrote in his post that he has no local currency. It is true that he can pay the cab with a credit card. However, how can he pay the porter (bell man) a tip at his hotel? Even if the poster has only a little bit of luggage, the porter will expect a tip. That is why I suggested getting at least a little bit of local currency. I realize that tipping in Brazil is not the same as it is in the U.S. A porter at a hotel depends on tips as part of his salary and is one of the exceptions in connection with tipping in Brazil.

Here is the answer to your Uber question: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/alternative-transportation-controversy-continues-in-brazil/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29 As you will see from the article (dated today), last Friday, the following occurred in Rio, relative to Uber: On Friday, the city of Rio de Janeiro faced a gridlock with hundreds of taxi drivers blocking the city’s main roads to protest against alternative transportation services. Trips which usually take only a few minutes took hours during the morning hours, with taxi cabs blocking major highways going in and out of the city and to the city’s airports. Initially Uber services were banned in Rio in September of 2015, but the courts overruled the ban in December, and Uber services have been operating in the city ever since. On Monday, Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes told journalists that his administration would not stand for another protest as that seen on Friday. “Everyone has the right to protest, as long as they don’t block the roads,” said Paes threatening to revoke taxi licenses if a similar situation every occurs again. According to Paes the effect of the protest was negative for taxi drivers, “Instead of the population supporting these taxi drivers, what it [protest] did was to tarnish their reputation and make the population angry at them.” Brazilian Daniane Ikenami, who works with InterNations – a global network of expatriates – explained why she prefers using Uber, “The first time I used Uber was with a friend who was visiting Rio, one month ago. Although, I already knew about it, I wasn’t sure to give my credit card previously.” Based on the article cited above, initially, cab drivers in Rio got sympathy because of losing customers to Uber. However, because of Friday's intentional traffic congestion and gridlock they caused with their protest (while using their cab to block highways and streets), cab drivers lost ground for their support. By the time you get to Rio, it is anyone's guess how the Uber situation will unfold. Stayed tuned.

You are quite welcome. If you don't find anything to confirm that Uber is working in Rio, you can access the Uber app after you clear immigration and customs and see if the little icons of Uber drivers are showing on the screen as being in the vicinity of the airport. If the icons are there, you will be able to take Uber to your destination. Assuming that Uber is working in Rio, be sure to find out where the Uber pick up location is at GIG. If you are not at the Uber location when the drivers arrives, the driver will call the telephone number that you have listed with your account with Uber. If you don't understand Portuguese, you will have a problem coordinating your ride. Another thing you might consider is to use a translator so that you can tell or show the driver where you want to go. If you are going to a large well known hotel, most drivers will know how to get there. If you are going to a lesser known address or an apartment you rent from Airbnb, you will need to advise the driver of the exact address. The easiest way for you and for the driver is for you to print the Portuguese translated directions so that you can show the driver where you want to go. Boa viagem -

Ideally, you would arrive in Brazil with reais to pay for taxi and incidentals. If you know someone who would sell some reais to you, that would be a help. But, if you get an airport cab, you can use a credit card to pay the fare to town. Even though changing money at the airport (GIG) has a higher fee than in town, the cost would not be anything approaching the cost of having a cab stop and wait for you at an ATM away from the airport. Therefore, you might want to consider getting some reais before leaving the airport. In town, depending on which bank you use in the U.S. you will not be charged an ATM fee in Brazil. Your relationship with your bank (and, of course the particular bank) determines whether you will be charged an ATM fee. When you use ATM machines in Brazil, inspect the slot on the ATM machine where you insert your ATM card. Look for a skimmer. A skimmer can capture your details from your ATM card. Some skimmers have a miniature camera attached which captures a photo of which numbers you use to enter your password. Skimmers are common in Brazil. Check out this article about skimmers: http://krebsonsecurity.com/all-about-skimmers/ With respect to paying the garotos or other services in dollars, forget about that. In my many trips to Brazil, I have never been asked for dollars by anyone at anytime. I recently met a garoto at one of the saunas. He had a $20.00 bill an American had given to him. He was having trouble spending it or exchanging it at stores and banks. He asked me if I could change it for him into reais. No question, the dollar is not preferred in Brazil. You also asked about Uber in Rio. I did not use Uber in Rio on my last trip about a week ago. However, I did use Uber in Sao Paulo. I had an excellent Uber driver and the fare was about 25% less than I pay to a taxi driver from the same starting point to GRU. Here is an article that discusses Uber in Rio. Uber was banned for a while in Rio then reinstated but I cannot find anything more current on whether you can presently use Uber in Rio: http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/judge-issues-order-that-allows-uber-in-rio-de-janeiro-1.2604334 You might look for something more current on Uber in Rio. I could not find anything since the article that I linked above. One more thing - - despite the warnings and cautions stated above, you will have a great time in Brazil. That is a guaranty.

Almost every news source concerning Brazil discusses Brazil's high unemployment and economic crisis plus unhappiness of the current political party in office, including Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff. Despite the above facts, the Brazilian real continues to increase in value against the dollar and other major currencies. Around the first of the year, the exchange rate was more than 410 to 1 U.S. dollar. Today, the exchange rate closed at 355 to 1 U.S. dollar. Each economist has a different opinion for why this strange contradiction is occurring with the Brazilian real. The increase of more than 13% in value of the Brazilian real since the first of this year is quite remarkable. I remember several years ago when we got 160 to 1 U.S. dollar. Even though our money is worth more than 13% less than it was at the beginning of the year, Brazil is still a great bargain and a fun place to visit.

We read and hear so many different reasons why Brazil is suffering high unemployment and why Brazil's economy is in the pits, so to speak. We also read and hear stories about Brazil's president, Dilma Roosseff, in connection with calls for her being impeached or not being impeached. There have been demonstrations throughout Brazil relative to the above issues. Here is an article from the BBC (unquestionably, a highly regarded news source) relative to some of the issues surrounding President Rousseff. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35728133 The article also furnishes some interesting history that contributed to the current problems. -

For those who have been to Rio or for those who have never been there, here is a Breitling Watch advertisement commercial that includes aerial shots over several parts of Rio and famous landmarks. The views are similar to what one might see from a helicopter. Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/embed/LhR2WMGqjHU -

- http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2016/03/24/united-airlines-pilot-arrested-running-brothels-houston/ -

Considering the doctor's apparent lack of review of your medical history or chart, and in view of his erroneous assumption, have you considered getting a consult with a different doctor? If a doctor told me something like you were told, I would loose confidence in that doctor. I can well imagine the shock you must have had after the doctor told you of his false assumption.

Even though Brazil's economy is in the pits and its political system is in turmoil, the Brazilian real is gaining against the U.S. dollar (and many other currencies). Despite Brazil's high unemployment and increased crime, the local currency is increasing in value. Speaking of crime, for the first time in many trips to Brazil, last night I saw a gang of street hoodlums in the Pineiros area of Sao Paulo, not far from Lagoa sauna. They were walking up to people on the street aggressively pestering them for money. At the present time, there is a large presence of police in uniform in Sao Paulo doing street patrol. The police presence helps to control street crime. It was somewhat amusing to watch the police stand close to and/or follow the hoodlums but not say anything to them while the hoodlums bothered passersby for money. Neither said anything to each other during the short period of time I observed the event. The gang members were dirty and looked out of place in the fairly upscale area. Like I said, I never saw hoodlums in that area before last night. I hope this does not become a trend. Here is a report about the gain of the real against the dollar: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/brazils-real-appreciates-to-9-month-high-to-r3-52us1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29 -

Here is a link to Boeing's original inspiration for preparing the seating chart for the Dreamliner: https://www.google.com.br/search?safe=active&q=us+troops&tbm=isch&imgil=ilLyzCvWu33pNM%253A%253B9Ux9ohiMcIXh5M%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.pinterest.com%25252Fpin%25252F338544096964729968%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&tbs=simg:CAESyAEaxQELEKjU2AQaAggADAsQsIynCBpiCmAIAxIo5RffHuAe3h7cHucX1R7bHt0egAzTK8M54C2_1K8E57DntOcQ5_1z7yLhowINAEL8JF7anF9tca8MWFedZKHYl1fSdiNddLZhFbiXVIdNVKNFYL4Vp_1TepUPwYHIAMMCxCOrv4IGgoKCAgBEgT3wHJRDAsQne3BCRozCgYKBGFybXkKCgoIbWlsaXRhcnkKCQoHc29sZGllcgoHCgV0cm9vcAoJCgdtaWxpdGlhDA&fir=ilLyzCvWu33pNM%253A%252C9Ux9ohiMcIXh5M%252C_&usg=__9l_B_lzDqq9lVs2CEuOKQ1myy_Y%3D&biw=1366&bih=633&ved=0ahUKEwiEqILM8MjLAhXDHZAKHT4cAfYQyjcIPw&ei=cD7rVoSwIMO7wAS-uISwDw#imgrc=ilLyzCvWu33pNM%3A Just kidding about the inspiration. I added the crowded photo (above link) for purposes of humor (I hope). As is describe in post # 28 up thread (which is accurate), the seats in this aircraft are smaller than are seats in other Boeing long-range aircraft.

- From an entirely reputable source - Bloomberg Business - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-08/straight-or-gay-your-boss-wants-to-know-but-don-t-worry?cmpid=BBD030816_BIZ -

From the CDC article: "Zika virus can be spread by a man to his sex partners." Read the above plus additional information at this CDC link: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/sexual-transmission.html -

While the post from badboy81 is good, let me expand on two items he said: 1. "If you speak NO Portuguese, this is pointless outside of saunas unless you want sex...if you are looking for companionship from a garoto and want to spend that much money to basically not communicate, best regards to you..." 2. "They are safe inside the saunas, outside the saunas, they are not monitored and they do not leave id cards in the saunas...." 1. With so many smart phones in use today by both garotos and clients, it is not difficult to communicate with garotos via one of the apps available on most phones. The apps allow the American to say something in English and the app will translate it to Portuguese both in writing and verbally via an audible telephone microphone. Then, the garoto who speaks Portuguese (but no English) will say something in Portuguese that will come out in English, both in writing and verbally on the same telephone microphone. True, it is slow to communicate this way but there is communication. It is also a way to get to know the garoto better. 2. While it is true that the garoto does not leave his i d card with the sauna, the sauna personnel photocopy the i d and file it along with the working application completed by the garoto. If there is ever a need for the garoto to be located (for good or bad reasons), having an actual copy of his i d aids with that process of locating the garoto. -

- Although it is good to be cautious about taking garotos away from the sauna, it is also good to look at the history of other forum posters who have reported their “away from sauna” experiences on this forum. For example, if you go back over some of the posts of tomcal, you will determine that, over many years, he often had various garotos visit him in his hotel and many of those garotos spent the night with him. He also reported that he maintains long-term contact with many garotos. I also have had similar experiences over the years in Brazil. Knowing when to invite a garoto is not something one can fully put into words. It is like a feeling you will (or will not) develop after you spend time with a garoto in a sauna or elsewhere. Some people call the feeling “chemistry” while others call the feeling being comfortable with the garoto. Again, going back over prior forum posts, you will see that there are several other posters who reported their experiences with garotos away from the saunas. Those posters did not report any problems from interacting with garotos away from the saunas. Even the owner of this site has posted his experiences having garotos visit with him in his hotels in Brazil. He has, to my knowledge, never had a problem having garotos visit him in this hotels. I know of only one bad experience of an American in Rio who took TWO guys to his hotel room. He did not previously know the two garotos. The American did not meet the garotos at a sauna. Rather, the American met the garotos on the street near a former hustler hangout in Copacabana. At the hotel, the American was given something referred to as “goodnight Cinderella” which is a powerful drug that incapacitates the victim for a day or so. The American had all his money, electronics and even his passport stolen. This is the only case that I personally know of which occurred a long time ago. The above described event could have been prevented. First, the American was not familiar with Brazil and he was, in my opinion, foolish to take back to his hotel simultaneously, two garotos he had just met on the street. On the other hand, I (and many Americans I know) have taken garotos to my hotels and never had a problem. Like I said previously, it is a matter of chemistry between you and the garoto. Most people can tell if they are getting along with a garoto. Most people can sense whether there is danger. Another factor to consider when thinking of inviting a garoto away from the sauna is to select a garoto who works regularly in the saunas. The “regular” garotos do not want to cause problems for themselves. Problems with clients could cause the sauna owners to ban the garoto from a sauna. Garotos make money from the saunas on a regular basis. If a garoto were to rob you (or worse), how much would the garoto get? Perhaps some cash and a telephone or a lap top? The value of those items would not be equal to or worth future lost earnings for the garoto. Getting banned from a sauna would mean losing a lot more than the one-time gain from stealing from one client. If you meet a garoto in the sauna and if you build a rapport to a point you want to invite the garoto to dinner or to a club or even to spend the night with you, probability wise, you would be safe. As to a "going rate" there is none. It would depend on you and the garoto. Some garotos are happy just to be taken to a nice restaurant. Some are happy to make money away from a sauna. The rate would be proposed by the garoto. If the rate proposed by the garoto is acceptable to you, you go for it. With respect to your question concerning the Renaissance Hotel, I have never stayed there and do not know anything about it except for the fact it is part of the Marriott chain of hotels. If you are considering an over night with a garoto, you might want to look into other hotels or learn "clever" ways to get the garoto into your room. Getting past a hotel rule of "no visitors allowed" is not that difficult. After all, the rule is not law; it is a hotel rule. If you have "elite status" with Marriott, it is a lot easier to get a "forbidden" visitor to your room. Another thing about visitors to a guest's hotel room, there are alternatives to that. Brazil has many "hourly" hotels. If you want to visit with a garoto away from the saunas, you can go to hourly hotels and rent a room for one - to- four hours or for an entire day. I hope the above helps to assuage some of your concerns about your upcoming trip. Boa viagem -

You are still trying to learn your way around so you will be prepared when you arrive in Brazil, which is understandable. In Brazil, I have never seen any guys in any club or sauna doing lap dances. While you are in a Brazilian sauna or LeBoy (Rio) or Bar Fama (Sao Paulo), the guys have little to zero inhibitions. A lap dance is quite timid compared to a brincadeira in a sauna or at a club and garotos would not know what you mean, in all probability. You said you wanted to relax at a club after the saunas close. I think you will have trouble relaxing at a club while hearing the loud shows and loud music, unless you like noisy places and noisy places are relaxing for you. I cannot imagine how a garoto would act or what he would say if you told him only to do a lap dance. When you find a garoto you like and if you want to spend time with him after the saunas close, ask the garoto if he will accompany you to a club or to your hotel or apartment. -

- This is good news for many of us - http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-airlines-applies-to-serve-cuba-from-four-global-gateways-300229953.html and https://www.unitedtocuba.com/ The above link contains an additional link to United's application for the routes requested. The application contains route maps and meaningful statistics. -

“You are a total Moron!! Is that clear enough for you? All your drivel and you never addressed the title of your original post which clearly states if the article is true then Thailand went to far.” You are not being reasonable. When you are wrong and you cannot come up with a logical answer, you resort to name calling. I assume that you know “name calling” usually accompanies the behavior of children. I cannot imagine why you resort to name calling repeatedly whenever someone writes something that is contrary to your thinking. By the way, you made more grammatical errors in your statement above. You should have written “- Thailand went too far, not to far.” and you do not need two !!, as you wrote after you called me another name, “Moron!!.” Also, capitalizing the word moron (as you did) is another grammatical error. In prior posts in this forum you frequently called various posters names such as stupid, ignorant, dumb, et cetera. Now you added a new name (moron) to your inventory of insults to call people who do not agree with you. You are making progress in childlike insults for people. “You are the one of nothing but personal attacks. You do it over and over again when you have been pointed out to be wrong.” Your above quoted allegation is humorous. Your prior posts to this forum are filled with your countless personal attacks wherein calling various posters names. There is a psychological term called “projection” whereby a person projects his own behavior onto another person. Do you not realize when you repeatedly call other posters names that you are making personal attacks? “Your only useless retorts are sentence structure and spelling.” “Do you realize what an idiot you appear to be in most of your posts.” More personal attacks and more name calling - is that the best you can do - behaving like a child by calling people names? “Every time you reply to a simple question you put the same drivel that you have been to Brazil 160, 140, 180 times. Do you think anyone cares even if it might be true? Not only do you lack the ability to form a simple sentence with correct punctuation and spelling, you also lack the ability for understanding simple arithmetic data. At no time did I ever say that I have been to Brazil “160" or “180" times. I did say that I have been to Brazil more than 140 times, which is true. All one need do is check my prior posts which will confirm that your statement is false, just as most of your statements are false. “Tomcal provides more useful information in 1 post then you have in all of your posts which are nothing but generalities and with no specifics.” Most likely, your limited ability to read and understand English caused your failure to realize that I provided a lot of useful information about Brazil. I furnished specifics and reports about my travels to Brazil. As I have no interest in under age young men, my posts did not include any such photos that you like so much. The lack of any such photos may be why you believe that I did not furnish information concerning Brazil. Regardless of the reasons for your statement, your statement is false. “But at least you stay in the Brazil Forum . Now you want to infect the Thailand Forum with your useless articles and ridiculous suppositions about a place you know almost nothing about.” Isn’t that a coincidence? You formerly stayed in the Asian forum. However, during the past year or so, you migrated to the South American forum boasting of conquests concerning underage boys and attacking several posters by calling them names. Your statement is merely more projection of your own behavior. “It is easy to ignore you most of the time because the majority of your posts are inane and generally just reminding everyone that you have been to Brazil often.” If your above statement were true, why do you repeatedly post nasty responses to almost everything I write? “How many times is it actually? You have used 140, 160, 180. Any day now it will be 200. Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?” I answered the question about how many times I have been to Brazil. It is you who cannot count or read or remember. As answered above, the number of trips I reported is “more than 140.” You will no doubt respond to this post with more childish and erroneous responses. Most likely, I will ignore your next post unless it is more egregious than your prior. Try to be civil, even if it is against your nature. Happy trolling.