First trip to South America

[Guest jon]

I am contemplating a trip to South America this winter. Never been there before. The FAQs and recent posts were very informative. I do not speak a word of Portuguese and most likely will not bring my laptop.

It sounds like Rio is a must stop. Should I spend a few days each in Sao Paulo and Bueno Aires ? How many days in each city? A littile bit of sightseeng during the day and fun with the boys every night! How can hook up with m4mers? Can I make a day trip from Rio or SP to ?Igassu Falls or should I spend a night out there?

I need help with ground Trasportation from Rio airport to hotel. It looks like Atlantico is a good choice. Will they change their rules about bringing overnite boys? Any other suggestions ? I would like to be close to the beach and gay areas and sauna within walking distance. Is it safe to walk bak to the hotel at night or should I take a cab?

My understanding is you rent a cabine for ? 60 minutes and spend the time with the guy youv'e selected. I need help with negotitations on price, kisser, versatile or top. If I like someone to come back with me to the hotel, how to I go about asking and the rate he will accept?

Most of the boys shown in other posts are dark skin. I am not biased against any race but I'd like to sample every race. Are there a lot of caucasians in the saunas?

If I have enough supply of guys from the saunas do I need to bother checking for escort listings or escort agencies?

What I have in mind is to wake up next to a hot guy, sex, eat breakfas/brunch and manwatching by the beach, come back, rest and more sex and the spend the evenings at the gay clubs and saunas.

Should I just stick with Rio for my first trip?

Thanks a lot in advance,

Jon

[trilingual]

The answers to virtually all of your questions are in the FAQ and other threads on this board. Use the "search" function within this board to find those postings.

 

You don't say how much time you have, so it's difficult to give you any advice about where to go and for how long. You would want to spend at least one night at Iguassu Falls. Two or three days are plenty for a taste of São Paulo, but you'd want to allot a minimum of three full days for Buenos Aires, and as much more as you can spend. It's like going to New York or Paris; it's a huge city and there's lots to see and do.

 

Info about getting to and from the airports are in the FAQ/postings. Negotiating with guys at the saunas if you don't speak Portuguese is easy: just hire Eduardo to be your intermediary and translate for you. His contact information can be found by using the "search" function. Brazilians come in all shapes, sizes and colors, so you'll have no problem finding someone attractive. Just smile at the guy you like; he'll take it from there! Eduardo can help you make arrangements once you've made your choice. There's enough variety at the saunas that most M4Mers haven't felt the need to use the agencies, but a number have hired from them and have been pleased with their experiences. Chacun à son gôut.

 

You won't have any problems spending your time in Rio as you described, but São Paulo and Buenos Aires are not beach towns, so you'd need to be prepared to do more conventional sightseeing in those cities.

[lfarj]

Hi,

I do agree with all that Trilingual said but one thing. Like most cariocas I hate São Paulo. If this is your first trip to SAmerica I do think you should stick to Rio, Iguaçu Falls for one day/nigyt, and BA for a few days.

If you need anymore info please ask, but the FAQ is quite complete.

[+ Axiom2001]

As Trilingual suggested, read everything in the FAQ section as well as in other areas, for many of your questions have already been answered. I would like to suggest that you contact Romanusrj.com.br, Carlo's travel agency in Rio. He can assist you with tours in both Sao Paulo and Rio. Actually, I'd suggest your using his services for Sao Paulo; he can provide you with English-speaking guides, numerable itineraries, or you plan your own itinerary, and his guides will comply. The tours are reasonably priced in terms of our currency, but he gives the prices in reais. Sao Paulo is difficult if you don't know the language or the layout of this expansive city; it's so damn large (larger than Los Angeles); it's the third largest city in the world, but is worth visiting. You'll see another facet of Brasil; it's quite different from RIO in many, many respects. (The guides provided me with exemplary service and guidance; they're gay and can answer many questions directly and give ample assistance and suggestions. Along with being wonderful companions showing me the cultural aspects of SP, they were great lunch and dinner friends: their being bilingual truly, truly enhanced my visit.)

 

I was in SP for at least four days; I did some touring on my own to venues which were near my hotel after seeking help from my guides. I took taxis to some places, but in one day, 3 of my 4 taxi drivers ripped me off by charging me the rate on a card vs the one on the meter because I do not speak Portuguese. I know this happened, for it was not a special time of the day or the weekend or holiday or night when the rates increase. I did not cause a stink, but I know this happened because a taxi driver on the same day charged me what was indicated on the meter. I'm not a man to throw money away and chalked up that situation as another reason I should work through the challenge of learning the language.

 

I'd be willing to share more about my Sao Paulo adventures and other facets about my visits to Brasil. Send me an email if you so desire, but do this before this Tuesday, as I'm off for Costa Rica for two weeks. (My third visit to "paradise" was indeed a charm, and if my mental retention for learning another language at my age was sharper-- I'd move to Rio or Salvador, Bahia.):9 :-)

[Guest pyell]

I made my first trip to South America in August - the second last continent (I haven't been to Antarctica yet, though my flight from Australia brushed the pack ice each way).

 

I was bowled over by Buenos Aires - sophisticated, elegant, lively, attractive, lots of good looking people, and so cheap!!!!!!! Unquestionably one of the world's half dozen or so greatest cities, right up there with Paris, Rome, London, New York.

 

As for Iguassu Falls, it's one of the great wonders of the world, and if you don't visit it you're insane. Standing at the Argentine lookout right next to the Falls is indescribably awesome: I can still hear the thunder of the water and feel the spray as I write this. There's lots more to do in the Argentine National Park, and that's without even crossing the border to what looked like a good but not quite as impressive Brazilian National Park on the other side of the Falls (the border runs down the midle of the river).

 

I'd skip Lima, and if you want to do the Andes, you should get into training for the altitude. You don't want to walk round Maccu Piccu, for example, feeling sick and exhausted. Give yourself lots of time to acclimatise to anywhere high up like Cuzco, Quito, Maccu Piccu and so forth.

[Guest jon]

Thanks for all the information. Tri, you sounded like a well experienced resource. All the FAQs are helpful. I am planning for a week in Rio in January 2004.Should I rent a cellphone at the airport or after check-in. Hotel Atlantico looks great. Should I stay there?

Jon.

[Guest jon]

What is Cariocas ? Corujinha+gay district? size queen? I need help with these terms. Thanks,

Jon

[trilingual]

Jon, is English your first language? I wasn't paying attention to your earlier postings and assumed that it is?

 

A "Carioca" is what a resident of Rio is called. It's also used to describe things from Rio. For example, "the Carioca lifestyle." Natives of Rio will describe themselves as being a "Carioca da gema," which literally means "from the yolk."

 

"Corujinha+gay district": Corujinha is a sidewalk-café type of bar a few blocks from the Hotel Atlântico on the corner of r. Hilário de Gouveia and Pça. Serzedelo Correia. It's where the sauna boys and other rentboys go later in the evening after the saunas close and before it's time for the discos. It gets very busy around 11:00 - 11:30 p.m. It has also become the meeting point and hangout for visiting M4Mers; someplace to get together to get to know each other and see who else is in town, exchange information and experiences, pick up guys we might have seen earlier but didn't have time to meet at the saunas, and, of course, drink and eat. The closest thing there is to a "gay district" is Copacabana, where the escort saunas are located within two or three blocks of each other, along with Corujinha, the gay beach, and LeBoy, the most popular gay disco. There is also a mini gay-district in Ipanema near the gay beach there and the bars/night spots on r. Teixeira de Melo. There are a few other spots around town. However, gay people live all over town; there's no exclusively or predominantly gay neighborhood, although Copacabana comes closest, probably. As you'll see when you get here, Rio is an extremely large city and there are pockets of gay activity all over the city and metro area.

 

A "Size queen" is someone (like me) obsessively preoccupied (or with a fetish for) huge dicks. Brazil is heaven for someone like me! There are other combinations with "queen." "Rice queen" is someone with a strong or exclusive taste for Asian men. There were some no-longer-politically-correct "queen" expressions for white men who prefer black men, and black men who prefer white men. Of course, there are "drag queens," who like to dress in women's clothing. It's also possible to a "fashion queen," a "decor queen," a "theater queen" or an "opera queen," meaning someone who has an overwhelming interest in any of those topics. Then there are "gym queens" or "muscle queens." I think you must be starting to get the idea. These are not expressions you will want to use in mixed (i.e., non-gay) company, by the way.

 

Yes, if you can get a reservation there stay at the Atlântico. Use Carlo to make your reservation; you'll get a much better rate than if you try directly. DO NOT DELAY because January is high season and Rio hotels are expecting high occupancy now that the economies here and in Argentina are beginning to improve. The Atlântico is a friendly and comfortable hotel with an extremely convenient location. It is not directly on the beach, though. If that's important to you, you'll want to look into other hotels, but they'll be less "escort-friendly."

 

Don't worry or obsess too much about your trip. Rio is actually an easy city to visit. You'll have a great time.

[trilingual]

P.S. I'm not sure about cell-phone rentals. I haven't seen that many places in town that do that (but then, I haven't been looking, myself) so it's probably not a bad idea to do it at the airport, especially if you'll only be here for a week. However, other posters may have more information for you about that.

[Guest jon]

Tri,

You are great with all the answers. Thank you very much. Yes, English is my first language and I do not speak a word of Portuguese. I'm learning a few essential terms your FAQ. I have contacted Carlo and Mike. No word from Eduardo as yet. I will keep you posted.

Um abraco,

Jon

[jackhammer91406]

Jon,

As I read this thread about your first adventure to Brazil, it brought back memories of how I felt before making my first trip last month. I was worried about getting all the info in advance (really easy with the FAQs section) and whether I needed to know the language. All of the questions. Then I went back a few minutes ago and reread my travelogue thread about my trip. Good times came flooding back. I recalled how much the locals went out of their way to help me. How much the other M4Mers helped. The graciousness of the Brazilian people. The beauty of the country and the physical beauty of it's men and women.

 

Currently, there are at least three M4Mers down there who will be there during your trip. There are one or two others who will be down there off and on probably during your trip. You can't go wrong checking in with them as well as Carlo and Eduardo (both really great guys) Eduardo was pivotal in a very special birthday for me. I envy you being able to see him and the others.

 

Brazil will take you to her heart and she won't let you have a bad time, and she will never let go. You LET GO, and she will see to everything else.

 

Have a wonderful experience! Of course, if you still feel you would like some on site help, mail me a ticket and I will happily show you what I can. Alex is back from Zurich and I would love to see him again too.

 

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[Guest Deweywop]

Ion, you are write to ask questions and prepare yourself with some research. I find that having my own knowledge adds greatly to my travel experience, whether or not I get help from local guides. I would suggest you speed-read through a good guide book, like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, just to give you a sense of where you're going and what looks interesting. Empower yourself!

 

As for Sao Paulo, it's got its ups and downs, but I've said this before - the Termas Lagoa is one of the wonders of the world, a truly mind-boggling place, especially on Wednesday or whenever their busy night is, that everyone should know about but only hardy homosexuals actually will. (On second thought, it's better that way.) It alone is worth a visit to Sao Paulo.

[jackhammer91406]

Dewey,

I agree that Jon should research. Of course a good guide book is useful and the FAQs section of this forum is also very beneficial. I just meant that all the time I had spent worrying was really not necessary and hoped to convey that to Jon. He WILL have a great time.

[crazy4u]

it is three years since my last trip to Rio and now I am going back in a week for one month. Can' t wait to be able to enjoy everything Rio has to offer. I have rented an apartement in Ipanema where I stayed last time.

Last time I met a sexy boy at the Copacabana gay beach called Daniel( ?I can't quite remember) who was commuting between Rio and a lover in Switzerland. He was not the typical " taxi boy", but rather went for expensive dining, trips to Europe and luxury clothing. I quickly understood what he wanted, so I managed to pull out after a few days and before my wallet got empty! He was fun, spoke English, but too expensive.

Now I have learned and I will frequent the saunas and the discos and be more careful.

[Guest jon]

Hi Jack,

Thank you for the words of encouragement.Your report with all the pictures has inspired me. Happy Holidays.

Jon.

[+ Axiom2001]

Carlo of Romanus complimented me for having done my research and relayed to him my specific wishes as to tours, etc. My having read the guide books and taking of notes really helped when I arrived in all places-- Sao Paulo, I. Falls, Manaus (the Amazon), Bahia (Salvador), Parati, Rio, Petropolis, etc.....

 

All of my preparations prior to my arriving really paid off in the long, long run; I didn't have to take valuable time while I was there to plan. Plans were made and changed, and this made for the better during my month's stay in "paradise"!