How Safe is Rio

[Ryan]

I'm in the first stages of planning a vacation, and I want to go to Rio. When I mention it to friends and family, they all have warned me about high crime levels. At this point, I will be traveling with a couple old friends, but we all know that we will be going our separate ways in the evenings and for other excursions. I know many of you have traveled to Rio and enjoyed the nightlife. If this topic has been discussed, sorry. Just give me a SEARCH word, and I'll try and find the discussion. Wanna' do the horizontal mambo with a Brazilian.

[+ Lucky]

In the advanced search you can insert the word "crime" and choose to search this forum. You will then find many comments on this issue.

[trilingual]

Hon, read the "Staying Safe South of the U.S.A." posting, above. If you still have questions afterwards, ask away!

[noviceny]

Ryan,

 

I wish I saw this part of the site before I went to Brazil. I had a great time and no problems, but the advice that is under the South of the Border part is incredible.

 

I was approached in bars by men and women, and propositioned. At first I just thought people were nice and talking to me (which some of them were...friendly country), but some starting quoting prices !!! I can get away (when I have a tan) of being Spanish but I definitely looked like a tourist...

 

If youve traveled abroad before, much of that common sense applies. The thing about Brazil and foreign travel in general, is that sometimes you dont notice or cant tell when an area is dangerous.

 

I know that you will have a crazy fun time there. Read trilinguals posts and research your trip...some times the planning and anticipation can be just as fun as the trip (well almost).

[noviceny]

PS My family and friends told me the same thing about the safety issues...they also said the same shit when I went to Asia. Common sense and not getting to wasted (along with safer sex...cant stress this enough...Brazil has the highest HIV rate in S. America) will go a long way.

[noviceny]

PPS You are gonna have so much fucken fun bro !!!!!

[pierrot]

I'm not the original poster, but am also considering a trip to Brazil. I read the excellent posting you suggested, but I do have a further question about hiring escorts. The post about "Staying Safe South of the Border" is clear about not having sex with underage guys, but what about adults? It says that prostitution is generally legal in South America as long as you negotiate the deal directly with the escort and there's no middleman. But, confusingly, it also suggests that using an escort agency might be safer since the agencies check the escorts I.D. cards.

So what is the best way to find a bonafide adult man to hire? (Or for free, for that matter, but I assume a gringo in his fifties, like me, is expected to pay for a handsome partner.) What's the deal with saunas? There seem to be some that are "escort" saunas and others that aren't. So which are the safest and best way to get a quality, honest guy?

In other words, how do I go about finding good, safe, legal sex in Brazil?

[Guest Tomcal_]

...>>What's the deal with saunas? There seem to be some that are "escort" saunas and others that aren't. So which are the safest and best way to get a quality, honest guy? In other words, how do I go about finding good, safe, legal sex in Brazil?<<<

 

I can't believe you are actually asking this question! There has only been literally Hundreds of threads on this board about the saunas/Sex in Rio/Sao Paulo....As Tri and Axiom have said repeatedly...READ the Archives! Start about Oct./Nov 2001 and read forward...literally everything you could want to know is there.

[Guest dreynsol]

Welcome back, meu amigo!

[trilingual]

To clarify just a bit:

 

Adult prostitution is legal in Brazil (and virtually everywhere else in Latin America, as far as I know). In Brazil and some other places benefitting or promoting prostitution as a third party is illegal, but to put it mildly, this is a crime that is EXTREMELY low in the priorities of the police. Arrests and prosecutions are rare. When legal action occurs, it's almost always because of complaints by neighbors or as a way of prosecuting brothel owners who have minors working for them (it's easier to prove general profiteering from prostitution than knowingly prostituting minors). The odds of being involved with the police in Brazil when the issue is adult male prostitution are almost zero.

 

However, if you want to be strictly legal, then go to the saunas, hire escorts from the bulletin board websites like Olimpos or Chantily (where the website isn't an agency, you contact and deal directly with the escort) or hire a guy at a bar like Corujinha (provided someone trustworthy has vouched for him). As long as your business dealings are directly with an escort 18 or over, you are not breaking the law in Brazil. This is why we strongly recommend using agencies, going to the saunas, or hiring escorts from the bulletin board websites. All of them check the IDs of the guys working there or advertising through them in order to avoid this kind of legal trouble.

 

Sex in Brazil with someone under 18 is a recipe for HUGE trouble. It's an issue constantly on the front pages, there's a big, ongoing government campaign against juvenile and child prostitution, and people are arrested for it. Don't find out for yourself what life is like in a Brazilian prison by taking such a risk.

 

In the biggest cities (including Rio and São Paulo) gay saunas are clearly differentiated between those that have escorts and those that don't. You will rarely, if ever, find clients having sex with other clients at the saunas with escorts. In smaller cities, or even in the bigger cities in the Northeast, the situation is mixed. Most saunas will have some working guys, but there are also clients interested in meeting other clients for non-commercial sex. Very often in such places the working boys wear a different colored towel, or wear their keys on a chain around their necks, as a sign that they expect payment.

 

It's not uncommon in Brazil for attractive, hunky younger guys to be attracted to older, more mature guys (even those not necessarily in the best of shape). So feel free to try the saunas without escorts, or go to bars/clubs that cater to mixed aged crowds to find non-commercial sex. (For example, La Cueva in Rio, or Caneca de Prata, Lord Byron, or Bailão in SP). In Rio and SP there are a few saunas (like 64 in Rio and Termas for Friends in SP) that the out-of-shape older guy can skip. But you can try the other saunas, where you're likely to find someone of interest. In other Brazilian cities, almost all the non-escort saunas attract mixed age crowds. Because this is a site about male escorts most of the information here is about places to meet them. But that doesn't mean this is all the Brazilian gay scene has to offer, by a very long shot!!!

 

You can also check out the Brazil section on Gaydar (http://www.gaydar.co.uk). In the late evening (22:00 to 24:00 Brazilian time) there can be more than 500 guys cruising on-line, and some of them are hot younger men interested in meeting more mature partners. Just ask Tomcal! Or me -- I met my 26-year-old boyfriend on Gaydar!!!

[johnnysneakers]

One of Trilingual's points of advice about always having your hotel guests register is valid and may be a requirement of your hotel. In my experience in Rio it was mandatory when I brought a guest back, but the hotel also charged me for this so beaware your bill may go up! Still the cost was worth the security it provided.

 

Also if going to BA, "our man in BA" or his friend George are still there to help with translation, negotiations, and phoning guys for you.

 

It would be great if we also had "our man in Rio" type service.

[trilingual]

We do have such help in Rio. If you're a client of Carlo's for other matters like hotels, tours, etc., he can help you make contacts with guys (not on a full-time basis; Carlo's a busy guy).

 

Eduardo, who has been reviewed and much-discussed here will work with you full or part-time to squire you around, introduce you to guys, make phone calls for you, etc. There are other possibilities, too, but this should make it clear that you don't have to be "on your own" in Rio. Help is always available (for an appropriate consideration, of course).

[alankay]

A key element to safety in any major city is to keep a low profile and not venture into areas, after dark especially, that you are unfamiliar with. One way to keep a low profile is to wear simple clothes (tee shirt and shorts or jeans) and avoid wearing or carrying anything of much value. In Rio I wear an inexpensive watch that I would not miss if it was taken and I carry a camera in a plastic grocery bag. When I checked out Sauna 73 I first went there during the day and then took a cab to the club at night (it is definitely in a bad area). Sauna 117 is just a block from metro Gloria. I would recommend first timers make a daytime run and use the metro only if you feel comfortable--otherwise take a cab. To find Pointe 202, Estacao and Rogers you need only walk from the Hotel Atlantico and I am sure the reception staff would be able to assist you. I would also recommend that you not carry a wallet. Take enough cash for the night and one credit card (MC or Visa). I carry a copy of my passport ID page and one of the hotel ID cards (which you should receive at check-in). I place these in a small notebook that easily fits into a front pocket. I would also suggest you keep a copy of all of your important documents and credit cards in the hotel and keep all the originals in the safe. I have never had a problem with this system and I look forward to my fifth visit to Rio in March!

[buckguy]

Alankay,

 

Your suggestions are well taken and I do much the same in terms of documents, avoiding a wallet, etc.

 

There has been some concern about Gloria in the past, but it seems to be more a matter of perception as I don't recall anyone ever having a bad experience in that area. I think going the 1st time in daylight makes sense more from a "getting your bearings" perspective. The guys start coming to 117 earlier (5:30/6:00) than is true in the places near the Atlantico, anyway. Gloria has a number of backpacker places and at least one old-line first class hotel. The backpacker types I've spoken to haven't had any problems and they are usually more adventurous than most of us. Gloria, around the Metro and 117, strikes me as a solid blue collarish, middle income area, with lots of pedestrian traffic and people shopping, snacking, etc. The folks in the metro station and on the metro also strike me as pretty average looking Cariocas doing respectable things. The guys seem to start leaving around 8:30ish, so I haven't been around there much after 9:00, but it still stikes me as an okay area then.