SolaceSoul

I agree. The police were probably targeting young men in poorer neighborhoods. i also wouldn’t overlook the possibility that it was an attempted shakedown for some money. That happens often, it’s happening much more in Santo Domingo these days — especially if they suspect they are getting gringo dollars.

Unfortunately, this is a normal scene for men of color in South America AND in America proper. It’s not something that white guys by themselves would normally experience or witness, so it may be hard for them to believe it happens so regularly. The “Americano” thing usually works well. In Santo Domingo, an American friend and I (we were both men of color and can be easily mistaken for locals until we open our gringo mouths) were in a car with 4 Dominican men on our way to the big Western Union superstore when three armed cops did a stop and frisk and demanded to look through the entire vehicle. My first instinct was to start talking as gringo-ey as possible, not speaking any Spanish and prominently using words like “American” and “United States”. The cops never laid a hand on either my friend or me, and never searched us. Our Dominican companions said that those kinds of searches are common, and happen almost daily when local young men are in a group. It’s one of the few times I was able to pull out that sort of privilege, since something like this wouldn’t really occur to men of color in the USA — no matter what they sounded like or how they dressed.

My experience has been that looks and build wise, the strict masseurs are not any better than the garotos. My experience has been that the massages can always turn into more (exaception being the ones out on beaches). But individual experiences vary. Just because something happened for one person, it doesn't give the next one an automatic ticket to that same activity.

How's your Brazilian Portuguese? My experience is that, because they are all about appearing as if they are "above" doing programas, and in some cases, may have straight friends, colleagues and girlfriends in their presence, that you will need to approach them and appear as if you're not there for gay sex from them. If you can somehow communicate with them when you meet them while they are working that you have a very "regular, hetero" job for them, then after the show (like through WhatsApp or another method), privately communicate what your actual intentions are, that may be the safest method for you.

Thermas Lagoa in São Paulo and Sauna Fox in Salvador, both saunas with garotos, have dedicated masseur rooms with massage tables. Half the time there is a masseur there, the other half the time, there is not. Some non-garoto saunas almost always will have a masseur on staff with a massage table room, and the availability schedule will be mixed: Sauna Rio in Salvador is one off the top of my head. Many, many, many garotos and callboy escorts will offer massages, either in saunas on beds or in your hotel or apartment. Results may vary, and they usually do vary wildly. In the garoto saunas, they will usually show off what they think are their massage skills by giving a quick neck rub to get you to go to a room with them. That may be one way to test them out before making the plunge. Also, sometimes (most times) at the popular gay / touristy beaches during the Brazilian summers (November to February), you'll find a masseur working the beach. This may require some asking around, like befriending the boys who work the umbrellas and booths and asking for referrals, or just keeping your eyes and ears open. If you have no problem getting a rubdown in broad daylight with people around, then go for it. Good luck.

My experiences with strippers / gogo boys are just as recent as Bobbalino's but are more in line with Tom's. I've met gogo boys in Brazil working at the saunas, at gay clubs, even at straight discos and have discreetly arranged for paid "private dances" later at my apartment. The ones I've met working at the saunas have never wanted the working garotos to know they were available so they would not be open to a programa inside the club. Also, the ones I have met practice discretion with whom they will do privates (or in some cases, just like to think they do!), so the manner of approach, among other things, will determine how far you get. My estimated success rate thus far has been 6 for 6. But, as with everything, your mileage may vary, so proceed with caution. Regarding muscle worship, the concept might not be popular or understood and hard to communicate in Brazil through language, but if you get the guy alone and describe it through physical gestures, I doubt most would mind very much. Stand and pose or flexing, to me, seems like easier money than actual physical sex -- and who doesn't want easy money?

Typo and timed out of edit time. That should be "one".

My somewhat funny Love Tine story involves me telling one garoto at 117 that I really, really liked that I wanted him to come by my room at Love Time later. Another garoto that I was not attracted to at all was eavesdropping on our conversation. Later, he showed up at the front desk asking for me. I went downstairs thinking that it was the hot garoto and it was this annoying, not hot obe. He told me that the hot one sent him in his place! I told him that I didn't care who sent you here, I'm sending you back! I ran into the hot garoto a few weeks later and he told me that the not hot garoto told him that night that I told him to relay the message that I changed my mind! What a crafty queen he was. I suppose those are the tricks one must resort to when you are not so hot.

The aptly-named Love Time Hotel in Rio, in Copa across from the Gloria metro station, and right around the corner from Club 117, the games garoto sauna, is probably your best bet in Rio. It's known for and marketed to adults going for hookups or "romantic getaways", the security is goid and the rooms are not that shabby. I believe they may only require local guests to be signed in by the hotel guest with their Brazilian ID -- if that at all. They do require anyone staying at the hotel not accompanied by the hotel guest to call up from the front desk before they are allowed to go up -- or the guest may have to go down to the front desk to sign them in. I have never had a problem. In Sampa, I recommend Bourbon São Paulo Express Business Hotel, in República, which is one block from the Republica metro station and in or around a somewhat active but low-budget gay scene, and in an area of the city with a lot of business and pleasure activity (but as always, be cautious where you venture). The hotel has never minded much when I bring back a guest, and has even sent pay boys / escorts up to my room without first having to announce them or sign them in. Good luck and as always, use common sense and good judgment.

Circumcision in Brasil is also something that, if done at all, would be done in upper-class, European-centric families. The upper socioeconomic class guys tend NOT to be the ones working at the saunas. So your chances are probably better locating a pink unicorn.

Personally, I'm extremely selective on travel partners and housemates -- especially on trips where a lot of sex will be involved. One wrong travel mate or housemate can fuck up the entire trip. And honestly, when I go on vacation to another country, I'm not very interested in socializing with other Americans. Getting away from them is half the fun. So, that's a no from me. Good luck to you.

Your mileage may vary, but for the type of men that I prefer, which are more muscular men, Lagoa is on par with 117, and the facilities are top notch. Fragata is more like Meio Mundo in terms of garoto and facilities quality. I usually go there once during a Sampa trip, and I have maybe met 3 memorable guys there, of all the times I've been.

Just for clarification, the garotos at 117 also are allowed to roam around the client's locker room and some watch you change it try to start a conversation and even hock their wares. Personally, I don't mind it at all. I actually like it. Especially if it's a garoto that is just my type! I don't find it bothersome and I've never once been disrespected.

You're probably better off visiting Porto Alegre, a city in the south of Brazil. The whiter, more European-looking Brasileiros live there.

Property rights in Brazil in general are complex. The titles in favela home ownership are often very murky, if not practically nonexistent. The very origin of the favela involves providing substandard housing for impoverished citizens in previously undesired hilltops. Favela home rights are usually not really considered land rights but roof rights. But it's definitely being done. If you don't want to take my word for it, you're welcome to read these articles in trusted Eurocentric periodicals, safe for gringo consumption: https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/23/rio-favela-real-estate https://amp.ft.com/content/5a4c57ea-1612-11e3-a57d-00144feabdc0 http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-real-estate/favela-homes-one-layer-at-a-time/ http://www.foxnews.com/real-estate/2013/01/13/rio-de-janeiro-slums-from-no-go-to-must-buy.amp.html http://www.businessinsider.com/rio-favela-transformed-into-prime-real-estate-2013-1

With that being said, some of the safer favelas near tourist areas in Rio and São Paulo are going through gentrification. Some attempts are being made by ruthless, risky pioneer investors to navigate the complicated processes of favela home purchase, and they are grabbing some of the best views of the city. I recently looked at a place for sale in Vidigal, the favela just west of upscale Leblon, the community right next to Ipanema. David Beckham and supposedly Madonna already bought properties at the top of the favela hill in Vidigal, and trendy restaurants and bars have also opened. Of course, there's also the minor problem of sewage and water piping for you to resolve as a buyer --- and then there's possible resentment from longterm favela residents who feel they may be ignored or even worse, pushed out. There are other favelas in or near Rio's Zona Sul, like Rocinha further west of Vidagal, Cantagalo near Lagoa and Copa, and Santa Marta near Botafogo, that have mostly gotten rid of the drug trafficking and are ripe for home purchase or rental. There are even several favela apartments for vacation rent on AirBnB.

The second guy's latest pic looks like he would win a "Most Changed" award at any 10-year high school reunion in the Midwest USA. The other two seemed to have aged very well.

Remember that after reading every fortune, you must add "in bed"!

It has been said countless times here (by me, and others) that one doesn't have to be fluent in the language. One only needs to try, and do it with kindness and humility. To not do so makes one a "colonialist dickhead" (which, by the way, is far less preferable to me than being a snarky asshole on a message board to someone who is -- but your mileage may vary). I've mentioned here before that I had a fellow American travel buddy (R.I.P.) who knew no other language but English. He had the most magnetic personality of almost anyone I'd ever met -- not to mention he had male supermodel looks and build. He would make feeble attempts at communicating in a foreign language, but mostly he would flash his pearly whites and everyone, male and female, would melt and be impresssed with his lame attempts at communication. HE could get away with it. Mere mortals without these demidog-like looks and charm should probably not try this method. Make an attempt at communicating with the locals in their language -- even if it's just a few key words and phrases. Otherwise, get a guide or a translator.

A once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trip? A trip done before you die? Then, by all means, book that trip to Brazil now.

Thanks you, Bobb. The irony of this dickweed troll calling me a professional victim, while contorting himself into a pretzel about how his "mind works" only to allow him to learn English and an intermediate level of another language, is just delicious. There are tribal West Africans who know six or seven languages. I've interviewed Chinese immigrants who knew Cantonese and Mandarin, and learned English and Spanish within a few years of emigrating to North America. I meet Brazilians who speak Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French and Spanish. I have a tenant whose principal language is French and his second language is German. He moved to the USA and now speaks English at more than an intermediate level. He can pat yourself on the back for his mediocrity, yet use the "victim" label for others. Trumpian, indeed.

Says the guy who admits that he isn't capable of keeping more than one language in his head at a time.

.... and THIS is why you really are a dickhead.

Considering that I am American myself, and biracial with a family tree that resulted forcibly from colonial dickheads, I think I've more than earned the right to call out colonial dickheadism when I see it. If you don't want to be called a dickhead, then the simple solution is just don't do dickheadish things. If the term does not apply to you, then it would not matter. But a hit dog will holler.

Tom: I know the second guy in the photos fairly well. I last saw him in June 2015.