Rio... anybody else notice a change here?

[Guest dillon]

Hi everybody - first, thanks to all here, great forum. i have been a user for a few years now, this is my first post.

I am in Rio (Aug 25, 2004) for the, um, 6th? time in 2yrs... always have had nothing but fun here, great time at the saunas. Is it just me or is something up here? the mood is way off. copacabana is creepier at night than i have ever seen it (i was robbed here for the first time, practically in front of the police station on NSCopacabana, at a reasonable hour and in full light), shots firing all night on sunday/monday, street boys on the beach so thick i have given up walking altogether this trip after dark! Went to Point202 where i have always had a great time, this time the front desk decided to add a 100% tip to my massage! when i asked: "what is this?" all three desk guys start shouting at me: YOU NO WANT TIP DARKE??? YOU NO WANT TIP DARKE?? blah blah. well i love Darke, in fact i would marry Darke tomorrow if i could...but since when does the sauna double the posted charges and call it a tip? i already gave him one! big demerits for 202, sorry. no need for greed, guys, when did this begin? the boys are still the most outgoing and pro i know in rio, too bad management is screwing it up for them. Saunas are supposed to be where you DONT get robbed. Next, Club117...had 2 guys, both tried to double, no, almost triple the agreed 50. no cumshot, nothing extra... they just had a go for more and not in a nice way. the first had a very nice cock but was absent during the 10 minute proceedings, i wouldnt think of tipping him - the second was just a massage but since he jerked himself off (halfway) on me somehow he equated this to 3 dates (???), again, demanding his bonus in not so nice a way... seems like those 50R dates at the saunas are becoming a thing of the past, even when you set the price in advance as i know to do. unless you feel like arguing with the whole place, that is. which i didnt. Also the boys at 117 these days are very busy talking to each other with half the customers playing lonely wallflower, and the guys there are NOT what they used to be. AND ... lol, nothing, i'm done... seriously, what is going on in rio? is the scene here just maturing into something more worrysome/less fun? is it just august, is it time to just get the hell out of here or what? i am hearing good things about natal, fortaleza, florianopolis, recife - that the scene is way more relaxed, safe, and is growing gayer by the day, that rio is over (this is from Rio locals) .. any thoughts?

ps: havent tried spa 73 or meio mundo. have they gone all sharky too? i'd like to find a sauna in rio that at least feels like a fun place and not a fleece joint...help! dillon

[imrthr]

>seriously, what is going on

>in rio?

 

It is slow season in Rio. When the guys see an American at the saunas, the guys try agressively to make money. I, too, noticed that many of the guys are pushy this time of year. Some tried to get more money then first agreed.

 

>just august, is it time to just get

>the hell out of here or what?

 

If you get bored in Rio, you can take a last-minute flight on Vasp Airlines for about $100.00 round trip from Rio to Sao Paulo. In Sao Paulo you will find Lagoa and two other very fine saunas. The guys and the atmosphere are different in Sao Paulo. The website for Vasp Airlines is: http://www.vasp.com.br/reserva/fase01.jsp

 

Considering that you have had six trips to Rio in two years, perhaps you should give Sao Paulo a try if you have not already. Getting to Sao Paulo from Rio is cheap and it takes only forty minutes by air from the downtown Rio Airport to the downtown Sao Paulo airport. The hotels in Sao Paulo are not expensive. Sao Paulo has the best sauna in the world (Lagoa) which is only a few blocks from a Metro stop (Santa Cruz).

 

I have been to Brazil many times. Last month I rotated from Rio to Sao Paulo and had a wonderful time and I got rid of my Rio boredom. I went to Sao Paulo on Fridays and Saturdays and returned to Rio on Sundays or Mondays. Friday night is the best night for Lagoa - it remains open until 5:00 a.m.

 

I agree with you about the rude guys at the front desk of 202. The only time they ever said hello to me or to any of my friends was last Christmas when they had a "tip jar" on the counter. Prior to Christmas and following Christmas when the tip jar was removed, they exhibited their usual rude behavior of not saying hello and merely handing you your locker key after you entered the premisis.

 

Above are my personal observations and suggestions on how you might consider coping with the slow season in Rio.

[trilingual]

It's definitely the depths of the low season and the guys are kinda hungry! But I was recently at Estação and it was fine; I had a good time there. Sometimes I think it's Rio, sometimes I think it's just where my own head's at when it comes to the city being wonderful or boring. Same for the saunas. Sometimes they're too hot for words, other nights I just don't seem to see anyone I'm in lust with, or I just find I'm not in the mood at all and end up taking a sauna and having a drink and heading home! On balance, though, Rio is still the most appealing city I know, and I'll always keep coming here.

 

Occasional changes of scene are always a good idea, though, and the suggestion that you spend a few days in SP is a good one. There's much more to Brazil than Rio and SP, and a swing through the northeast or the deep south (the latter perhaps not in winter) will be rewarding. The scene in the smaller cities is less intense but still lots of fun.

 

As for the safety thing, I don't think it being August has anything to do with it. It's just part of a never-ending cycle and things seem to have flared up again temporarily. There was a shoot-out a couple of days ago involving the police and the drug dealers from the slum on the hill above the tunnel on Barata Ribeiro near Miguel Lemos. Streets were closed and traffic re-routed, inconveniencing LeBoy fans. It's just one of the facts of life about Rio, like tornadoes in the Midwest and hurricanes in the Gulf: you just learn to live with the threats. You don't ignore them, but you don't let them stop your life, either!

 

Walking on the beach at night isn't a good idea at any time of year; stay on the sidewalks and where there are lots of people.

[sf traveler]

I have to agree with IMRTHR and Tri, esp. the former's comment about Sao Paulo. While I have occasionally experienced the harrassing behavior you talk about, I believe it's much worse in Rio than in SP. They could just never get away with pulling this shit on Brazilian clients--therefore the behavior patterns just don't develop in places with few tourists. In Rio with all the tourists, sometimes they can get pretty aggressive. I've usually dealt with that by excluding the really aggressive ones from consideration. I will normally only go with boys with whom I have initiated the contact--and, trust me here, a little smile is all it takes. As to Darke, who you can not marry since he's already engaged to me, I can't believe he knew about or was even getting the "tip". I hope you refused to pay. I can speak Portuguese relatively well, although certainly not fluently, and I think the door staff at Point are the rudest people I've met in Brazil. It is my least favorite Rio sauna and they are significant reason for that. The only consolation is that they are almost as rude to the Brazilian clients as they are to the foreigners. Junior should fire them. SF Traveler

[Driver]

Certainly on my last visit people seemed a little poorer. Lulas honeymoon period is over and to some he has failed to deliver the goods.

 

The doormen at 202 I have found to be ok. There is the cute one with the burn mark on his bicep who doesn't speak much english and the one that looks like the younger Dean Cain who played superman. He was very aloof in my first visits but seems to have opened up a little to me on my last visit and always greeted me well.

[Guest dillon]

thanks. good suggestion re vasp -> SP last minute... sounds fun! is SP alive on mon/tues? hmm..

[TinyBubbles]

Speaking of Darka, does he put out, or is he just massage only?

[Guest dillon]

still getting the hang of this format, bear with me...

 

just wanted to say thanks to all for the suggestions.

 

SFTraveler: i am very sad to hear of your engagement to Darke, just don't make him quit the sauna, ok? lol! (speaking of darke, it's a rainy day here and i feel a spa-day coming on...)

 

TRI: yep, those would be the shots i heard, above the tunnel, which is ONE block from my flat. it seems to have passed now, i hope. btw have you been to the gym up there at the top of the stairs? interesting place...

thanks, btw. your posts made me decide to come here the first time and it's been my favorite place ever since, too. this trip's bumps notwithstanding.

 

North, with one week's time, what would top your list? I'm game for a detour...

[Guest dillon]

i second that question! although i wonder if darke's magic has everything to do with his NOT being available that way, u know? he is truly a 5 alarm hottie (also a kickbox champ, did u know?). with 25 raging brazilian hardons in towels right outside his massage room door waiting to be had, he still tops the list even with his clothes on... and i don't think he knew about the 'tip' trick the front door was trying to pull. (i suspected they did it to bump up the take because i had only a massage this day, no cabine rental for sex. the nerve. junior needs to keep his eye on the big picture, somebody tell him pls) darke has a loyal clientele which he seems to genuinely appreciate, and he brings a lot of business to the sauna for sure. i would sort the desk guys out if i were him...

[sf traveler]

As far as I know, Darke has never had sex with a sauna client--in spite of an enormous number of requests. Including some from posters on this board with very large, uh, reputations. Tomcal? SF Traveler

[Guest Tomcal_]

First, re: Darke, great guy, very straight, he brought his wife to the hotel one trip to meet us and say goodbye as we were leaving that day. We (Gulliver, FloridaRob, myself) have had him come several times to the hotel in the afternoon to do massages rather then at the sauna at night. Always excellent, and never a hint of anything sexual.

 

Regarding the perceived changes in Rio...I have been there 14 times including 5 times this year and I am going back next week. The only change I have noticed is that some of the guys particularly at Pointe are more "pushy" and there are more of them }( then before. I can honestly say I have never had a guy be demanding about getting more money at the end of a session, some will ask but I say "no the price is ..." whatever we agreed on and they have never pushed. The vast majority have never said anything except thanks! I do realize that given the fact that I am well acquainted with the owners as well as a mojority of the "boys" the few that are agressive or demanding probably are not going to try and pull anything on me.

 

Crime: going back to my first trip to Rio three years ago, we were warned not to walk along Atlantico Blvd/Beach at night! If you do make sure you are walking with someone. Saying that, I have walked back to the hotel or apartment many times at 1:30/2:00 a.m. but I always stick to the well traveled streets...siquero campos, copacabana blvd, etc. and usually I am not walking by myself. If you find yourself at Corujinhas late and your not taking guy back to the hotel, offer one of the many boys there $20 reias to walk you back to your hotel, several guys have done that, the boys are happy to earn 20. for 10 minutes work and it's worth the piece of mind it gives you!

(pick one of the more muscled guys!!)

[imrthr]

>re vasp -> SP last minute... sounds

>fun!

>is SP alive on mon/tues? hmm..

 

I do not know where you are staying in Rio. However, there are numerous travel agents throughout Rio. For that matter, any Brazilian travel agent can write a Vasp ticket for you. Even if you decide to fly the same day, you pay the same rate for the flight as though you had purchased the ticket long in advance. As I said, the round-trip fare is only about $100.00 ($50.00 each way). Be sure to choose leaving from and entering into the downtown airports of each city. Otherwise you end up with a large cab fare or a long bus ride in from the airport.

 

With respect to SP being alive on mon/tues, that depends on where you go and what you expect. If you mean the saunas, Lagoa may not be open or if it is, it may not be busy on those days but there are guys still available in Sao Paulo. I know very little about the other saunas on mon/tues. Maybe someone else out here could let you know. You might also check out this website for saunas and other

activities in Sao Paulo:

 

http://www.queerspecial.net/menu/queer_life/queer_sampa/saunas.asp

 

Besides the saunas, Sao Paulo has a wealth of things to do and see. I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you spend some time there. At a minimum, it will help you forget about your bad experience of being robbed while in Rio.

 

Cheers

[trilingual]

>North, with one week's time, what would top your list? I'm

>game for a detour...

 

If it's your first time, spend a week either in Salvador or Recife. Both are large enough to have saunas as well as lots of sights to see. The saunas in Recife are fairly luxurious. Salvador's are more basic, but I still had a good time there. Fortaleza is nice, but it's mostly new and modern without many sightseeing attractions. I'd leave it until I'd seen the more interesting northeastern cities.

[gulliver]

Talk about the power of the message board! When i walked into 202 last night - it was like someone had gone in their and done a crash course on consumer relations with the entire staff. I agree 100% about the poor attitude of the desk staff and the surly behavior of many of the staff.

Last night was a total turnaround. I was greeted - quite warmly and it went from the front desk, to the locker staff, the bar boys, and the lounge -cleaning staff. Obviously someone passed this info on to Junior or Luis and something got done - very very fast. I have never been offered a hand to shake by SO MANY STAFF ever before. I guess we have a bit of clout when the message gets passed on. I wonder who did this. Hmmm - TC??????.

I have been here half time for over a year now and the only change for me during this almost month long trip centers around the fact that this is election year. I find the weather in August here glorious and half the time Corujinha's great for watching the boys. I am not in the saunas as much time as I would like since there has been a lot of work this trip but have not found any really perceptible big change - some slight trends but nothing to make it obnoxious for me any more than it can often be the rest of the year.

Last August, Florida Robb and I set out for a tour of Brazil using our airpass organized by Romanus. I have to say - WE WERE BOTH GLAD to be back in Rio. Other than incredible experiences in Porto allegre, we found the saunas rather boring and mundane although there were many great moments.

My only suggestion as you start your tour is - stay flexible and hit a few spots - dont spend a week or more in one. Some of the saunas listed in the guides are VERY SHORT on rentboys. Call the sauna first and find out how many "massage boys" are there. Check out our posts from last aug and sept. While a sauna may be very nice with great appointments and lavish decor - it isnt that great if there are few boys there and a mile away is a dark, dated hole in the wall with 15 boys!! Enjoy your tour - just keep your expectations a bit moderated and perhaps expand your horizons to include the south of Brazil.

Some of the noise you may hear on some of these August evenings are not gunshots but the continual fireworks that come when some of the local politicos are having their speeches and parties - as I was told by one of the informed locals.

[gulliver]

i am here till Sept 7th and have enjoyed Mei Mundo immensly although my American friends think it is the pits. Some real hot authentic non-Stepford type boys. Ok, ill grant you the place could use a rehab but I am not their for a house tour. You may want to check it our.

I am alway 100% bored at 117 - every single time I go there. It can be packed with boys and I never really notice anyone of interest. That is never the case with 202, Rogers, Estacao, or Mei Mundo. Whatever it is that everyone sees with that place totally escapes me.

It is like the Barbie sauna of rio in my eyes. And you are right - the boys stick to themselves except for the 2 or 3 I wish would dissapear who plant themselves at my table and dont budge.

[Guest Tomcal_]

>>...Obviously someone passed this info on to Junior or Luis and something got done - very very fast. I have never been offered a hand

to shake by SO MANY STAFF ever before. I guess we have a bit

of clout when the message gets passed on. I wonder who did

this. Hmmm - TC ??????.<<<

 

I sent Luis a email after I read about the lack of "customer service"

I am glad they responded so fast. They know the Americans are becoming a fast growing part of their business, although still better then 75% is locals. But regardless of where your customers come from, making them feel welcome and appreciated is one of the things that brings them back and now that their are 6 "working boy" suanas in Rio, it has become more important.

[+ Axiom2001]

I hope to return to Rio on 18 October and hope that a few (if not all of the negatives) have been rectified by then. I cringed when I read about my fellow M4Mer and the experiences that he underwent.

 

But all I can say is that I've visited Brasil on three other occasions (a non Portugese speaker) and ALL of my experiences have been utterly positive. Last October I traveled throughout this huge country enjoying its people and the culture...

 

At Point 202 I've never had any negative experiences: last year when I had to wait in the registering area (for something that has since left my memory), the guys on the desk were more than concerned. They invited me to come closer into the room vs the area where I initially stood; they were respectful... Thus, if they are the same guys who are working there, apparently they've changed their tune a bit! I hope that their actions and reactions to the yank clients who've undergone some reported disrespect, etc. will soon change for the better.

[+ Axiom2001]

Gulliver, I liked and appreciated the advice that you rendered here! Yes, one has to be flexible and willing to go along with the flow in order for his adventures/trip/experiences to work!

 

From what you wrote, my first response here pales in relationship!

 

Take care- Axiom/Edd-

[+ Lucky]

My recent Rio experience was pretty good, but I did notice that the sauna fee seems to have escalated. I am also relieved to know that I am not the only one who finds the reception at 202 to be rude. In particular, it is frustrating because the very cute clerk is the rudest.

My friends and I had no problems regarding safety on the streets, and we were of course out late many times.

[Big Daddy]

I stopped going to 202 because the staff was rude and I felt umcomfortable with their attitude. Just figured that Junior and Luis had an overwhelming reason for employing them. They need to see how the staff at Spa 73 treats the clients, actually like they appreciate the business.

[TinyBubbles]

I've been going to Rio since 1988, have seen lots of changes (3 different curriencies, new clubs, hotels, etc...) and this origional posting just sounds like the up and down nature of the way of life there. I think sometimes we forget its a Third World Country, and like all places, they have their little outbreaks of violence and unrest. I too have noticed that during the slow season the guys get a little pushier, but as soon as high season arrives and thier bellies are full and they have new jeans to wear from the money they are making they relax a little. We just have to remember that its a buyers market, and not to reward bad behavior with our money. And alas, I would have to agree Darka is 100% straight (damn!!) but the jaded queen deep down in me keeps hoping every man has his price!!

[Guest msclonly]

Funny thing at the Point front desk.

Their weekly flyer said cabins 10Real on thursday, but the guy charged 20R, and stated that is what it is!

 

HMMMM!

[Reed]

Just returned from a short trip...only 4 nights this time. Only visited Rogers, Point and 117. Three visits to 117 and Point and one visit to Rogers. Point and Rogers had very few boys or clients...117 was by far the busiest, though I understand that Estacao also was pretty active. There were several M4Mers present this week and a couple said that this was their best trip yet...no overly aggressive boys or problems with billings at the saunas. I was particularly interested in Rogers, which was my favorite before it closed. A group of us went very early in the evening. We liked the facilities, but at the early hour, there wasnt much activity. The few guys that were there were typically good looking..comparable to the guys at the other saunas.

 

I returned to Hotel Atlantico after trying the Rio Palace. They seemed delighted to have me back...but the facilities are the same as always. As others have noted, the visitation policy is far more accomodating, but the hotel is not nearly as modern as the Rio Palace.

 

We didnt notice any security problems...in fact the police were very visible on this trip...perhaps as a result of some of the problems that tourists have recently experienced.

 

The weather was beautiful....sunny and warm during the day...cool at night. I'm just sorry the trip was so short. Looking forward to a much longer one in November

[buckguy]

I also just got back from a rather too-short stay in Rio. Things really didn't seem that much different from when I was there last year at this time. The reception at Point varied depending on who was there and whether or not I was with an M4M regular. I assume that means that they got the message, sort of. Point seemed to have more guys on Thursday rather than on the weekend. 117 wasn't as busy early as I remembered, but it picked up as the evening wore on. Estacio was hit or miss on my short visits--that's how I remembered it from last year. There was a big concert on the beach which brought drunks and police. There also seemed to be more street kids even on non-concert nights, but nothing that really concerned me. I live in a "gentrifying" area of a city with a high crime rate, so I can adapt. OTOH, I had spent 3 weeks in the Amazon before coming to Rio and would have expected the contrast to be greater (i.e., I whad been away from any real security concerns and the biggest threat was from mosquito-borne disease). It wasn't so great for some other people----a couple M4Mers and I met a Canadian woman who had been pushed to the ground and robbed on the beach at Ipanema (so much for Copacbana's neighbor being "safer"). I think you just have to watch yourself in Rio and it's not going to be exactly the same on every trip....

 

I enjoyed meeting the M4Mers who included trilingual, Gulliver and several less visible guys from the board. It's interesting how you can find yourself with things in common with relative strangers (beyond the obvious, of course) and find the guys so welcoming. Coming off my rather un-libidinous (?sp) Amazon trip, I started out with a tomcal-sized appetite, but surprised myself by spending a lot of time with just one guy--who had been my first of the trip (but not the last). I'm hoping it will be less than a year before the next visit.