Novarunner

What bathhouse did you go to in Paris? Sun City is amazing but I have never had any luck there. Not speaking French of course certainly doesn’t help.

Brazil is a magical place where mature dogs are able to have their day frequently. In my completely unscientific estimation, if I went to Steamworks in Chicago this weekend there is about a 10% to 20% chance of me being invited to do “gay stuff” with a hot 22 year old in the dry sauna whereas if I go back to Hotel Chilli in SP I’d say the odds increase to about 80% or 90%.

I am 40+. Doesn’t that count as mature….? The ratio was about 50/50 which - come to think of it - was another thing I liked about the place.

There are no GPs. This mature foreigner left happy. It’s a bathhouse and not a GP sauna so some guys that you are into won’t be into you and vice versa but that’s just common sense and I know not really what you are asking about. So, what is the answer to your question then? I’d say it’s the in-person version of trying to use Grindr to connect with the locals for free in Brazil. If you’re curious, just go. It wasn’t expensive and while you are sitting in the dry sauna a 22 year old with rock hard abs might indicate he would be open to doing gay stuff with you.

The place is a really big really popular bathhouse. Overnight accommodations are available but I didn’t do that. I went on a Friday or Saturday night in October and the place was packed with locals aged 18 to 80 with the majority in their 30’s. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, I’d definitely recommend.

I went in a couple months ago in October and had an amazing time. There are no GPs and basic Portuguese is very useful.

Personally, I’m fascinated by how we are all cracked and broken in slightly different ways. Case in point, I wrote some drivel about desiring something slightly more than meaningless often mechanical sex with a garoto in a Brazilian sauna earlier today which really does represent how I feel about sex and I guess life in general to an extent but should we find ourselves in Bangkok getting a massage from a 22 year old that clearly spends a good amount of time swimming laps and he is naked and I am naked and the massage goes well and I’m feeling relaxed and he says in broken English that I have a nice ass and that he wants to fuck me, well, that’s an experience I’ll probably just try and book at least once more before heading home. Do I have a point? No, not really other than that we are all different, caipirinhas are delicious, staring at the ocean on Thursday is better than working, I’m a cracked and broken hypocrite myself at least to some extent and may Prince’s overpriced soul RIP.

After conducting a multi-year survey consisting of numerous “experiments” primarily focused on Rio de Janeiro but including to a lessor extent São Paulo and other cities in Brazil I have come to the completely unscientific conclusion that sex with guys that are genuinely interested in penis is better - at least for me - than guys that are doing something that doesn’t come naturally to them. Aside from my stated goal of avoiding mechanical sex, much of it also has to do with the fact that I like staying in touch at least to some degree with the people I exchange bodily fluids with and a guy that is reluctant to share his WhatsApp because he is concerned that his esposa will inquire about strange messages isn’t what I’m after. My experience has also been that garotos sem esposas or filhos result in fewer pleas for ajuda after I return home. On an odd but related note, has anybody out there read Sex at Dawn? To answer the question you actually asked though, I look for a garoto that is lindo and doing something - anything - with his life other than having meaningless (usually mechanical) sex with tourists day in and day out at the sauna. Bonus points are also awarded should the garoto be able to show interest in some part of my life other than how many reais are in my wallet.

I went to Club 117 today (Tuesday) after a long absence. Boys significantly out numbered clients and much of what was available had too much muscle for my taste. I like lean and toned but get turned off once they cross the line into body builder territory. In any case though, there were two that caught my attention but after chatting with them I got the feeling that spending time with them was likely to be a mechanical experience and decided to pass which I guess is what happens as you get older and your Portuguese improves. Both had esposas/namoradas and filhos at home which is a red flag for me. I’m at Etta Bar drinking caipirinhas and listening to lives jazz now and don’t regret my decision at all. I’m definitely getting older….

Fellow Travelers, Will anyone else be in the Cidade Maravilhosa this week (or Bogotá this weekend)? PM me.

I will be in Bogotá in mid-October.

Has anybody been to Complices in Bogotá?

I will be traveling to Bogotá and Medellín with my boyfriend soon. While in Colombia, we want to visit a bathhouse. Babylon Baths in Bogotá appears to be exactly what we are looking for (clean, modern, big, etc.) but I see that it is no longer open. Is there something similar in Bogotá or Medellín that is still open? Advice on what times are best to go would also be welcome. We also enjoy massage while on vacation. If anyone out there would care to share some recommendations for where to get a massage in Bogotá or Medellín that would be welcome too.

Could you share a bit more about Delalos? What exactly is it? When is a good time to go? What should I expect when I go? Asking for a friend.

A friend from the States will be joining me on my next trip to Brazil. Most of his time will be spent in Rio but we may also go to Salvador too. I will just exercise outside - I’m a fan of the loop around the lagoon - but he is a gym rat. We will be in Brazil together for about two weeks. Would anybody like to suggest a gym that has decent daily or weekly passes available to foreigners?

The facilities at TarZan are excellent and the prices are very reasonable but they show you pictures on an iPad rather than let you look at the guys in person. The guy I selected was nice and decent looking but not as good looking as his clearly airbrushed iPad pictures. That said, I’ll probably still return. anybody have any experience with nadam spa?

The visa need to travel to Vietnam from the US used to be expensive and involve a trip to the embassy or mailing your passport off. There is a now an electronic visa available similar to that which Australia has offered for years. Now, all you have to do is go online and pay about $20 USD and you het an email back about a day later saying that your visa is approved.

I usually try and use Bradesco or Santander as well. My bank rebates the ATM fee and the exchange rate is always very very close to the published rate.

May I ask what attracts you to Cambodia? Vietnam appears to be very, very, very affordable.

Any experience with Cool Spa? They seem to be responsive on WhatsApp and I’m really into one of the guys there.

I’ll be passing through HCMC, Vietnam shortly. Does anybody have any recommendations? A massage after the long flight would be amazing.

I do not disagree with you. Non-GPs on Grindr respond to me when I am in Brazil that would probably not be interested in me were the interaction taking place here in the States. I am a huge fan of this phenomenon, especially since I am generally not into other tall white boys (especially ones with a few grey hairs like me) anyway. I like mixed, if that makes any sense. It doesn’t have to be the “mixed” that Brazil has in spades though. One of the hottest guys that I have ever been with was this half Japanese half Russian guy that lived in NYC.

G Spa in Rio can be good too if you’re interested in non-GP. I don’t think it is open 24 hours though. I have been twice. The first time I went, the place was filled with 20-something Cariocas, a shockingly large portion of which were interested in me (now 40 ughh but still somewhat fit, very mediocre Portuguese, white). When I went back a few days later though, it was still fun but it was no longer filled with 20-something. Promotions/day of the week probably greatly influence the clientele present or at least that is what I suspect.

Where did you find him?

Does anybody have any experience with him at Ganymede? PMs welcome if you are more comfortable with that. I only have two days in Bangkok and very much want to avoid duds.