Brazil v Spain v Switzerland

[sydneyboy]

This is a question for the seasoned traveller. I have visited Brazil a number of times in recent years and am considering expanding my horizons. I love the sauna scene in Brazil (Rio and Sao Paulo) and the Brazilian culture. I have read favourable reports on the rent boy sauna scene in Spain (Thermas in Barcelona and Adan in Madrid, although some contributors have reservations about Adan)and although widely travelled I have never visited Spain. The Paragonya sauna in Zurich also is very favourably reviewed and I have not been to Switzerland for many years.

 

My question for those able to answer, how would you compare the saunas in Brazil (I am thinking of Lagoa and Fragata in Sao Paulo and 117 and Point 202 etc in Rio) with Thermas, Adan and Paragonya? For those who may be jumping to the conclusion that I am some international sex expedition I repeat that I am taking into account the value of the cultural and other advantages of expanding my travel experiences but having some fun as well. Any comments/comparisons on the rent boy sauna scene would be appreciated.

[LGA]

Here's my experience: nothing beats the Brazilian saunas.

 

The selection of garotos is a lot larger than in Europe, and the rates are a lot lower (on average, $35 USD per session in Brazil; $70 USD in Barcelona / Madrid; $140 in Zurich). My experience also suggests that the Boys in Brazil are more enthusiastic and have fewer limits.

 

Having said that, the saunas you mention in Europe can be fun. While the rates are definitely higher (particularly in Zurich) and there are fewer guys than the large Brazilian saunas de programmas, there is a more diverse choice of guys, ie a mix from Eastern Europe and sometimes elsewhere (Asia, North Africa). So if variety is the spice of your life, than you will enjoy the European saunas.

 

In terms of the broader cultural context, Rio, Madrid and Barcelona certainly trump Sao Paulo and Zurich, IMHO.

Hope this helps.

[sydneyboy]

Thank you LGA for those helpful comments.

[+ glutes]

I agree with LGA, except a session at Paragonya is (at present exchange rates) U$D88.

It maybe expensive, but worth it!

[LGA]

And I stand corrected by glutes... The going rate @ Paragonya is actually 100 Swiss Francs per session (about 88 USD)- double that if you ask them to come to your hotel. I was confusing Francs with Euros above.

[goingtorio]

How many guys are there typically at the spanish saunas? i go to brazil for brazilian guys but like the idea of the variety.

[LGA]

Depends on the time of day, and other factors.

 

My experience is that you will generally find 20-30 guys in Thermas Sauna in Barcelona between about 16h and 21h, about 3/4 Brazilian. Slightly fewer at the Adan Sauna in Madrid; but on the other hand Madrid has a pretty active rentboy bar (Black and White) with about 25 guys at peak times (22h-24h), while Barcelona doesn't seem to have an RB bar. Both cities have "houses with boys" which seem to have several guys available in the afternoon and the evening (American Boys in BCN, Adonis in Madrid).

 

However, I haven't been to Spain at this time of year, and I understand that some of the Brazilian guys go home now for the holidays, and to enjoy their summer. So things might be a little slower.

 

If quantity of guys and cost are your top criteria for a European RB excursion, I recommend Barcelona followed by Madrid.

 

If "variety" is your biggest criteria, I suggest Zurich (Paragonya Sauna and Carousel bar), as you will find the most diverse group including central and eastern europeans, latin americans, and asians.

 

If "European" guys (ie slavic and aryan types plus swarthy gypsies) is your thing, and you're not into saunas, then Prague might still be the best choice.

 

Caveat emptor: If you look at the past threads on these places on this site, you will see that the situation is never enitrely predictable. Some people have complained of showing up at anyone of these places, from Pinos in Prague to Thermas in BCN, and finding next to no one; while others rave about running into a bumper crop of great guys. I guess that sense of chance and discovery is part of the fun!

[+ Axiom2001]

Since you have visited the saunas in the two major Brasilian cities and have an interest to venture out, I would travel to Spain (Barcelona and Madrid and perhaps to a few other places) to experience their unique history and culture, and yes, some hot men in the saunas and from http://www.Arrowmen.com.

 

In October of 2002, I was in Rio for the first time. While there I went to Roger's where I met :9 "oh so luscious Lucas" who is now in Spain and is an escort at Arrowmen. I plan to go to Barcelona and to Madrid from what I cited in the first paragraph as well as to see Lucas again along with some of the other men who advertise there.

[goingtorio]

Axiom - you always had great advice for me for my Brazil trips - what are your thoughts on Prague? I feel somewhat of a need to do something a little different and wondering if the blond boys and the like of Prague will be fun/satisfying?

[sydneyboy]

I started this thread and I thank all you all for your contributions, they have been very helpful. Axiom makes an interesting point about how these Brazilian boys get around. A friend who has been to Brazil a number of times saw boys from the Brazilian saunas at Adan and Thermos in Spain.

 

One further question. I notice that Thermos and Adan are open 24 hours, are there many boys there in the "middle" of the day? I like to get my activities over early if possible and leave the evening free for fine dining, one my (expensive) idiosyncracies.

[+ Axiom2001]

>Axiom - you always had great advice for me for my Brazil

>trips - what are your thoughts on Prague? I feel somewhat of a

>need to do something a little different and wondering if the

>blond boys and the like of Prague will be fun/satisfying?

 

 

Thank you for the compliment, but I cannot shed any information here. When I visited Prague in the latter 90s, I was with a group (touring and experiencing those castles; I was also not into escorts at the time. If it were today-- I definitely would hunt for a few encounters with those guys who Lucas from Lucas Entertainment seems to like.

 

Sorry! Check out http://www.Erados.com and http://www.EsCupidio.com; I'm not certain of the correct website for the latter listing. You might find contacts there.

 

Recently I deleted a great company from my favorites which has guides and escorts and tours. Do a search here for Hungarian or Czech guides; you might find the information to which I am haltingly alluding.

 

Also check this site in the archives; I've read info. previously regarding Prague and Hungary and another Eastern European country.

 

<In November when I was in Rio, I took a 3hr tour to see Rio via the water; a couple from Germany and a real cutie from Hungary joined the independent tour guide and me. It is too bad that I am shy because the young guy from Hungary was a cutie. He and I kept our distance (unfortunately).>

[LGA]

Perhaps you're thinking of this: http://www.gaytailoredtours.com/

[Reed]

Hi Sydneyboy...I think we briefly crossed paths in Rio over Thanksgiving. I just returned last week from my first trip to Zurich, where I had the opportunity to visit Paragonya several times.

 

I'll echo what other posters here have said. There is much more variety in Paragonya than you will find in the saunas in Rio or Sao Paulo. Beautiful eastern European men and lots of Asians, along with a number of gorgeous Brazilians. So if you are looking for some variety, this is the place to go.

 

The atmosphere is much different...much like that of a club. My first impression when I entered the bar and lounge area of Paragonya was surprise. It is a stylish, nicely decorated area. The chairs are nice, comfortable easy chairs, not the hard plastic chairs you find in the Brazilian saunas. Most of the chairs were occupied by locals, reading newspapers or magazines! Not a boy to be seen. After settling in, various boys would pass through the bar area, making eye contact....or they would line up against a far wall. None of them approached a client, as they would in Brazil.

 

I've gotten so used to the easy atmosphere of the Brazilian saunas, where you dont need to work at all to find a partner...that it took a little adjusting to the more laid back, reserved atmosphere at Paragonya. You definitely need to be the aggressor there. I learned after a few days that the upstairs area, where the cabines are, the boys are much more apt to approach you, rather than you have to approach them.

 

That is another area of differentiation. The cabines at Paragonya are free...you just find a boy and move into one. There are no locks on the door...just sliding doors, enclosing a cubicle area, with a nice sized bed, but no sheets. The upstairs is a dark maze of cabines and alcoves where there is porn being shown and where some of the boys hang out. The cabines in the saunas of Brazil need to be booked thru the reception area and have doors and locks and, normally, sheets.

 

As has been mentioned before, there is much more variety in Paragonya....lots of beautiful East Europeans, many Asians, and of course the hunky Brazilians. Over the holidays, however, the boys I was interested in quoted 150, rather than the apparently going rate of 100.

 

Beyond the sauna, Zurich is full of hundreds of rentboys...I think that over 200 advertise on http://www.gayromeo.com. I engaged a couple off this site and had amazing experiences. They were just what they advertised and very reliable. I also found a beautiful Turk at the Carousel Bar who provided an evening of enjoyment.

 

All in all, I enjoyed my Zurich trip though, in my opinion, it continues to be hard to top the saunas in Brazil for price, quality, and ease of engagement.

[sydneyboy]

Reed

 

Thank you for remembering our brief meeting in Rio and for your excellent contribution to this discussion. Very much appreciated. Looks like its back to Sao Paulo and Rio for me! Not hard to take!

[vabballfan]

I would have to echo what most have said. I have been to Rio twice in November and this past November/December did a Mediterranean cruise that ended in Barcelona. Since I was in Barcelona, I stayed there for two days and went to Termas twice.

 

Other than one or two Europeans, almost all of the escorts were from Brazil, Venezuela or Cuba. I did two different Brazilians, a Venezuelan boy, one Cuba boy twice and another Cuban once. The most memorable of the six "programmas" was a Brazilian from Brazilia who was one of the best tops (and hot one of the hottest bodies I've seen in a long time) I've been with in a while. He was a "white" Brazilian and he actually looked very European. I almost expected him to be from one of the Slavic countries until he said Brazilia.

 

Other than the one standout Brazilian in Barcelona, the overall quality of guys, for my taste, was better at 117 (and just about on a par with 202 - I prefer 117 to 202 in Rio). There are probably a dozen boys in Rio that I would hire again if I walked into 202 or 117 and saw them there. I would probably only repeat with the one hot guy from Brazilia in Barcelona.