My third trip to Rio

[alankay]

I just returned from my third trip to Rio in seven months. This was by far the best yet. On the first day I had the opportunity to meet Tri along with two of his friends visiting from Germany. The chance to meet Tri, who inspired my first trip to Rio last November, was greatly appreciated. Later that day I went to Point 202 for the first time. It is very nice but I found the guys quite pushy (few customers did not help) and the cabines rent by 40 minute periods--which I found out when the price was doubled on my bill! I went to Coruginha afterward with Eduardo and Kaik--now working at 202 and whom I had met previously at Rogers. This provided my first opportunity among several to see Paco/Jabba. This guy is right out of a Fellini movie! His entourage of musclemen and drag queens was a sight to behold. (One muscleman was particulary handsome and I understand he holds a Mr. Rio title among others). Alas, I suspect Pacos visits to Rio are numbered. He appeared to be in great pain at times and needs a cane/assistance to walk a short distance. I followed Tomcals lead and had Eduardo reserve a table for 6-8 guests every night at 11:30 PM. I ran into Tri there and met Brad from NYC on another night. It was great to have a drink with the guys from the saunas and I took my new love(s) there several times. On previous visits to Rio I found 117 to be my preferred sauna. This time was no different. The place was full of beautiful men and only a handful of customers. I met two guys with the help of Eduardo who translated for me. Luis Carlos and Luciano had worked at Spa 73 but poor business let them to 117. Both guys were my type--construction worker physique, hairy chest and ruggedly handsome. Luis Carlos was the star of the duo. He is a gifted kisser and knew how to push all the right buttons. Luciano was a close second. He doesn't talk much but he too is erotically gifted. We went to Le Boy several times and I tried to get both of them into the Atlantico but found that only one "guest" is allowed. I offered to pay a fee for the second guest but this did not work. Needless to say I had my hands full with Luis Carlos who stayed over four nights and there was never a charge for him having breakfast with me either. For this alone I highly recommend that you stay at the Atlantico--it is the most accomodating hotel I have stayed at yet. My stay was enhanced by the translation expertise of Eduardo. I took him with me every day and he learned a lot more about Rio during my week there. I highly recommend the Museum of Modern Art a few blocks walk from Cinelandia Metro Station. I also thought the Museu Arte Naif was fantastic. It is the primitive art museum at the foot of Corcavado. In it is a treasure trove of primitive art with a wonderful little cafe where we had fresh banana cake--the best dessert I had in Brazil. The other restaurant find this time was a great place near the Museu National and Rio Zoo. It is the Quinta da Boa Vista Restaurante which served great Bahian style fish. Even though they claimed the servings were for one there was more than enough for two. (Eduardo took a large doggy bag home afterward). The service at this restaurant was truely supurb. I should also note that the restaurant is close to the Sao Cristovao Metro Station and this is in the vicinity of Spa 73. I intend to check this spa out on my next visit to Rio in late November. Needless to say I am looking forward to my next trip to Rio--it is truely a paradise. If you want to contact Eduardo for his translation services his e-mail address is <harlanblake2002@yahoo.com> I highly recommend him.

[alankay]

I want to correct an error in Eduardo's e-mail address. The correct address is <harlanblake2002@yahoo.com.br>.

[+ Axiom2001]

Alan- would you be so kind as to cite the information regarding Rio restaurants in its respective area which Tri began a month or so again? That way- we can go to one area and get all of the "goodies" at once!

 

...enjoyed reading your take about your trip; I plan to return in October/November of this year and envision the third time as "being a charm" since we now have additional help and resources to use regarding our travels in this part of the world!

[Guest Jake]

So, Alan...NO mention of Fernando! What's up? Did true love die or didn't you catch up with him? Or is this another case of my theory that everyone falls in love once each trip to Rio?

 

Anyway, sorry I missed you and glad you had a good time. Hope to catch up with you soon.

[alankay]

By the time I ran into Fernando (who works between Estacio and 202) I was already smitten with Luis Carlos (at 117). I enjoyed seeing Fernando but the spark was no longer there. I should also mention regarding this third trip to Rio that today I learned my credit card had been used fradulently after my return to the US. I happened to contact the credit card company to check the damage I had racked up and it was $1200 higher than I estimated. Upon further checking I learned that someone had racked up $1200 at various stores in Rio the week after my return. I will not be held responsible for these bills but it may be a good idea to check your credit card accounts when you return to the US. I had used this same corporate Visa card on my last two trips and never had a problem!

[Guest Tomcal_]

Alan, same thing happened to me on one of my trips to Rio last year. What I do now is notify the CC company ahead of time of my dates in Rio and tell them my departure date back to the U.S., so if they get any charges after that date they are fraudulent. There is really nothing you can do to guard against this according to the credit card company! It could be the cashier at the restaurant, the busboy, the hotel clerk in the acctg office, etc. they take the number of your card or sales slip and make a new plastic card with your number and someone's name which is why these usually show up a week after you are home, it takes them a few days to cut the plastic card. It was so bad about 12 months ago that several of the Visa/Mastercard companies stopped authorizing any use in Brazil as they were losing so much money(you don't suffer a loss the credit card companies have to eat it!). They said it has not been as prevelent this year and most if not all of the Credit card companies are now allowing use in Brazil.

[alankay]

I will follow your advice and contact the credit card companies prior to leaving. I limited my use to two cards this trip. One for purchases at restaurants and the saunas and the other for the hotel bill and as a back-up. So far the other card has not had any suspicious activity. I was also surprised that in Brazil virtually no one checked my ID which--a common practice here in the U.S. and elsewhere.

[Guest Jaunty]

Credit card Follies

 

Alan Yes, credit card fraud is very common. It has happened to me 3 out of 4 trips!! The first time the bogus charges started to appear several days after I returned and the CC company caught it and called me. One phone call . . finished.

 

Second time: similar story, charges(in Niteroi) started to appear after I returned. No brainer, but I had to fill out a form and have it notarized . . .

 

Third time: Not the Charm This last trip I stayed much longer than previously and as a precaution I used one card exclusively for the first 12 days & then switched to another. Sure enough, 2 charges showed up after the cut off date. I called CC company and they credited my account after I filled out one form for each transaction this time but no notary. Since I was still in Rio when the charges were made, this seemed to change the rules of the game. I thought the matter was settled until I rec'd a form letter in the mail with a copy of the sales slip. This began to take on a certain surreal quality. The form letter stated that since the card was present at the transaction (i.e. not a phone order) the transaction was presumed to be valid and my account would be charged plus interest and if I had any further complaints I should take it up with the merchant !!!!

x( NOT SO FAST !! The next phone call was even more weird than the letter . . . When I pointed out that the sales slip not only didn't bear my signature, it didn't even have my name on it, the reply was, "Oh we don't even look at that" "The bank (in Rio) is fighting us on this one" "You have to write a letter to our claim dispute department" Four months later we are still disputing . . .

[CarloRio]

A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

This has become a very common problem down here. Thus we suggest all of our customers to only use their credit cards at reliable and well-established places: hotels, fine restaurants etc...

 

It's been known that some escorts and sauna boys do steal their customer's card information and use it with not too ethical merchants..

 

Thus we strongly suggest not to use your credit card on saunas, small souvenir shops... but only at well established places such as nice stores in nice shopping malls, hotels, fine restaurants etc...

 

Of course you won't be responsible for expenses you can prove you didn't make, but it's always a headache when you come home... and if you can avoid it... Much better.

 

Um abraço;-)

[Guest Jake]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

Obviously these kinds of problems can happen anywhere and do. And, perhaps, there's extra reason to be careful of your cards in Rio. But I just wanted to get on record that I have used different cards regularly at all the Rio saunas as well as at all the "regular" restaurant stops (Maxim's, Courujinha aka Jabba's, Sequora Grille, Trattoria, etc.) as well as a variety of other establishments and never had a problem.

[Guest Tomcal_]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

The visit before last, I used a mastercard at Maxim's, Corojinha's, Roger's, Estacio and 117 only, and when I returned back to L.A., the card company called and said the the third day after my departure $750.U.S. had been charged, mostly electronics, they took it off my bill after I signed and notarized a letter. So someone at one of those places copied the number and then had a card made. As I said, it could be a busboy,waiter, cashier or someone in the accounting office, there is no way of knowing. Since I have used CC in all of those places many times and it only happened this once, It didn't stop me from using it the next trip, but I did tend to pay in cash at the resturants and used the Credit card at the sauna, and no problem this time.

[floridarob]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

lets see who the common denomiator is here....same thing happened to me....I used my card at Jabba's, Atlantico and Roger's.

 

The only difference is that I'm poor and only had $60 available credit....they tried using the card at 21 different places, only to be declined.

 

Imagine what they thought....what is this gringo doing in Brazil if he only had $60 available credit?

 

So now I use cash only and take money daily from the ATM.

 

I'm putting my money thats it's someone at Jabba's or Rogers...I could be wrong though.

[trilingual]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

This hasn't happened to me in Brazil (it has in other places) but travelers should be aware, because if it happens to you it can be a real headache. See the new FAQ section for some additional info about credit cards in South America.

[Guest Jake]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

Well guys, no definitive proof here - BUT, the one place I don't go anymore that's on everyone else's list is Rogers???

[CarloRio]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

As Tomcal and Tri says,

 

It's little difficult to track where it could have happened as credit card frauds do happen anywhere.

 

But from our experience we know that this can happen at not very well established places, therefore is very unlikely that a restaurant or a hotel would do something like that, but as Tom says it could be the busboy, the waiter etc... and they usually have agreements with not so ethical merchants who help with the fraud.

 

Your best bet is to pay in cash at some places and save the cc for the others.

 

Um abraço,}(

[alankay]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

I have not been to Rogers on my last TWO trips to Rio--so the card was cloned at another place. I confess that I find it much easier to rely on plastic for everything except for the escort fees, taxis and some small purchases. Making larger withdrawals from the ATM and paying cash for most purchases is probably a safer strategy. On the plus side my credit card company (VISA) appears to be very reasonable. I just completed a fraud report and notarizing the document was not required. It appears that I will not be held responsible for the $1200 in charges incurred about one week after I left Rio. The largest fradulent charge was from Brasif Shopping for $637.21 (US). Is this the appliance store in Rio Sul?

[trilingual]

RE: A little suggestion on using credit cards in Brazil

 

Brasif is the company that runs the duty-free stores at the airport, if I'm not mistaken. They also have some non-duty-free stores at RioSul and other smart shopping malls featuring expensive imported items, including gimmicky electronics (kind of a mini-Shaper Image). It wouldn't be hard to drop a lot of reais there very quickly!