PNP in Rio

[BrazilFan]

I am looking forward to my stay in Rio next week. Anyone has had experience with "PNP" in Rio.

What I have red so far was only very negative. Any advice is greatly apprecited.

[catnip]

A friend of mine maxed out on crystal down there, lost all of his stuff (including his job here when he didn't come back when he was supposed to), and had to have family and friends (that were still talking to him) buy him a plane ticket home. He went straight into rehab, but is still pretty marginal. So, I think I'd consider PnP in Rio risky and not recommendable.

[trilingual]

If you can't enjoy a trip to Brazil without doing drugs, DON'T COME HERE! Drugs like PNP are illegal here, and contrary to the "anything goes" image Brazil has abroad the drug laws are enforced and people have been arrested in stings at gay venues. Not long ago one of the more personable sauna boys was arrested at Cine Ideal (a popular dance venue) selling ecstasy to a "lesbian" who turned out to be an undercover narcotics officer. He was detained and it was weeks before his friends could put together enough money to pay a lawyer who was able to spring him. Foreigners get arrested, too, and the local press loves to make examples of them when that happens. You must not have read much in this forum, or you would know what I'm going to say next: You do NOT, under any circumstances, want to be become acquainted with the Brazilian criminal justice system as a defendant, especially in a situation involving drugs and/or sex with people under 18. Brazilian prisons are not country clubs. Arrested people don't have the same rights they have in the U.S. The police can be dangerous and vicious. Anyone who comes here, speaking little or no Portuguese and unfamiliar with the customs and culture, who gets involved in buying or consuming drugs in Brazil deserves everything that happens to them if they get caught. They've been repeatedly warned! This includes you, now.

 

Frankly, if being surrounded on the dance floor by some of the most gorgeous and available men on earth isn't enough of a high for someone, chemical enhancement isn't going to make the experience any better or more fun. All it's going to do is put them at high risk for an enormous range of bad things to happen to them. It'll make the trip unforgettable, all right, but for all of the wrong reasons. :-(

[buttnovice]

NO! NO! NO!

Don't even consider it. . . . are you STUPID???

 

get my point?

 

Remember you have virtually no protection under American laws while in Brasil. From all of my understanding, foreigners, especially Americans are treated like Brasilians in manners regarding drugs, theft, contraband and the like.

 

Do you really want to subject yourself to the Brasilian court system, prisons and military police?

 

Be a gracious and respectful visitor to a most beautiful country with wonderful and warm people. Live the life of an honorable carioca and you will have a great visit.

 

For me the most intoxicating "vice" other than brasilieros is good caiparinha at a sidewalk cafe overlooking the beach, with an order of frittas. Paradise, outside of the bedroom.

 

BN

[BrazilFan]

Guyz...Thank you...Point Taken!

I appreciate your comments.

[trilingual]

Good! The point in coming to Brazil is to have a fabulous time, not a nightmare! We do our best here to make sure M4Mers understand the possible pitfalls. I'm glad you understand.

 

To clarify a point in the previous posting: Foreigners are NOT covered AT ALL by their home country's laws once they leave its boundaries (except on the home country's planes or ships in international airspace or waters). Once you're in another country, you are subject to their laws, not yours. Whatever rights or obligations the citizens of that country have, you have. However, they may be very different from what most English-speakers are used to. The criminal justice system in most other countries operates under different principles and arrested people do not necessarily have the rights they would in an English-speaking country. In addition, in some countries (like Brazil) there are a lot of corrupt police, and they're able to get away with crimes because they're virtually immune from scrutiny, accountability or prosecution. (That's changing in Brazil, but nowhere near enough.) If you are unfortunate enough to run afoul of the law in another country, you may be in deep, deep shit! (In some countries, including some popular Southeast Asian destinations, the penalty for drug use/dealing is death!) In many countries police brutality and even torture are commonplace. Your consulate can visit you in jail and be sure you're being treated in accordance with local laws, but they CANNOT get you out of jail just because you're a foreigner from the "first world." Your consulate can also help you find a local criminal defense lawyer (but won't pay for one) and help you contact friends/relatives back home who can send you money to help pay for your expenses. In many countries, unless you have local outside contacts to bring you meals, clothing, bedding, etc. you'll be living in a crowded but barren cell, sleeping on bare concrete and eating slop. If you don't speak the local language you'll be easy prey for the experienced criminals you'll find yourself living with. Is everyone getting the picture? If you aren't, rent a copy of "Midnight Express" and watch it. It takes place in Turkey, but it could just as easily by Brazil or Indonesia.

 

MORAL OF THIS THREAD: Once you're abroad you are a guest in another country. All countries have legal systems and police, and foreigners are obligated to comply with local laws. Even where corruption is rampant and policing lax, the law can still be enforced. As a foreigner you will stand out, so any illegal activity on your part will be more noticeable than when practiced by a local. Stay within the law when you travel abroad. The things that are illegal in most countries you're likely to visit are generally the same things that would be illegal at home. If you behave the way a law-abiding citizen in your home country would, you're not likely to run into any problems when you're abroad. Of course, there are some differences: in many countries, including Brazil, prostitution isn't illegal in and of itself, so a commercial sex encounter between adults is perfectly OK as long as you pay the sex worker directly. (In many countries where prostitution is legal it's NOT legal to benefit or profit from prostitution as a third party, so being a pimp or madam, or a brothel owner, can still be against the law.) With very few exceptions (like marijuana or hashish at a licensed cafe in the Netherlands) drug use and trafficking are illegal just about everywhere and in many countries the penalties are draconian, so avoid drug use abroad.

[buttnovice]

Simply said. . . this dude (TriLingual) rocks!!! Thanks for your objective and wise words! You area treasuere, and I'm sure the Mighty Hoo looks down and smiles upon you.

[Guest dreynsol]

Not to beat you over the head any further, but please take Tri's and others posts seriously.

 

And don't even think about taking your party favors with you to Brazil with the heightened security since 9/11.

 

There is absolutely no need to enhance your sexual libido when you're surrounded by the most beautiful men on God's green planet! :-)

 

Realistically, I have met some Brazilian garotos that enjoy pot to reinforce their 'tranquilo' lifestyle. Roaming around Lapa on a Friday night will include the aroma of marijuana. But as Tri said, it's not worth the risk of being an international incident and being made an example of. x(

 

I will agree with the posters that if you need extra stimulants to achieve your sexual nirvana -- please stay at home. Brazil is totally about natural stimulants and they have an abundance of them! :-)

 

Tchau

- Drey

[trilingual]

If you're boogy-ing all night at one of Rio's dance venues and find your energy flagging, you can order all the Red Bull you want to give you a boost! And that other popular and legal drug, alcohol, is in plentiful supply. Just remember, though, that if you get absolutely shit-faced you're opening yourself up to the same kinds of trouble that other drug use will get you into: being robbed, being drugged and robbed, being mugged, getting beaten up, or worse. In Latin countries, especially, being drunk and out-of-control is considered shameful, disgusting and a sign of weakness, and there will be little sympathy if anything bad happens to you while you're drunk. So try to control your drinking while here; once you're pleasantly buzzed do like the locals do: switch to sodas, fruit juice, mineral water or coffee, almost all of which are available at virtually every bar from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego!

[sf traveler]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I'd like to recount something that happened to me on my last trip to Brazil. I was driving out to Barra for dinner with a Brazilian friend--OK sauna boy--and we got stopped by the police because his car is white with tinted windows and they suspect that cars like that are used by drug trafickers. No probable cause, in other words. They made us get out of the car and did everything but a strip search before letting us go. If I had had a joint in my wallet, they definitely would have found it. They were actually rather polite, but of course they didn't find anything. And I was really really glad they didn't. On the positive side, though, they did complement my Portugese! SF Traveler

[marc anthony]

>

>Frankly, if being surrounded on the dance floor by some of the

>most gorgeous and available men on earth isn't enough of a

>high for someone, chemical enhancement isn't going to make the

>experience any better or more fun.

 

I am in the midst of my first visit to Brazil... and all I can say is AMEN to this.

 

Whether you are in a sauna, in a disco, or walking down Ipanema Beach... the eye candy is BREATHTAKING!

[sergebrazil]

I did see a few Americans with "vidrinhos" at the sauna. I dont know if that qualifies in this category though

 

serge

[trilingual]

If "vidrinhos" are poppers, they're in the same category as far as the Brazilian police are concerned. A couple of months ago my BF picked up an overseas acquaintance at his Ipanema hotel to go dancing downtown. They got in a cab and, on their way downtown, got stopped in a police "blitz" (roadblock), which are frequent in Rio, especially at night. The police searched them and found poppers on my BF's acquaintance. They arrested him, and threatened to turn him over to the Policia Federal for deportation, or at least to have his passport marked so he wouldn't be able to come back to Brazil. The guy is a flight steward, so not only would such a ban make it impossible to take further vacations in Brazil, it would also affect his ability to work, since he wouldn't be able to make Brazil flights for his company any longer. The guy speaks some Portuguese, so the cops gave him the "option" of going to the PF or going to an ATM to "pay his fine on the spot." Naturally, he chose option 2, but it cost him US$1000 (the maximum he could withdraw on his card). My BF is very anti-drug and had nothing on him, and he's Brazilian, so he got out of being framed by paying R$100. He got the fright of his life and, needless to say, came straight home instead of going dancing.

 

This cautionary tale should teach readers a number of things: Search and seizure laws in Brazil are NOT the same as in the U.S. and some other countries. Drug laws in Brazil are different than in the U.S. and Europe, and ignorance of the law is no excuse. The police in Brazil are NOT necessarily your friends. Drug abuse and trafficking are huge problems in Brazil, and the non-corrupt police DO enforce the laws. Law-breaking foreigners stand out like sore thumbs and can be targets for stricter enforcement, or extortion, or serious abuse. IF YOU CAN'T ENJOY BRAZIL WITHOUT CHEMICAL ASSISTANCE (OTHER THAN ALCOHOL), STAY HOME!!! A close encounter with the Brazilian police, of the arrested kind, is guaranteed to ruin your vacation.

[trilingual]

If "vidrinhos" are poppers, they're in the same category as far as the Brazilian police are concerned. A couple of months ago my BF picked up an overseas acquaintance at his Ipanema hotel to go dancing downtown. They got in a cab and, on their way downtown, got stopped in a police "blitz" (roadblock), which are frequent in Rio, especially at night. The police searched them and found poppers on my BF's acquaintance. They arrested him, and threatened to turn him over to the Policia Federal for deportation, or at least to have his passport marked so he wouldn't be able to come back to Brazil. The guy is a flight steward, so not only would such a ban make it impossible to take further vacations in Brazil, it would also affect his ability to work, since he wouldn't be able to make Brazil flights for his company any longer. The guy speaks some Portuguese, so the cops gave him the "option" of going to the PF or going to an ATM to "pay his fine on the spot." Naturally, he chose option 2, but it cost him US$1000 (the maximum he could withdraw on his card). My BF is very anti-drug and had nothing on him, and he's Brazilian, so he got out of being framed by paying R$100. He got the fright of his life and, needless to say, came straight home instead of going dancing.

 

This cautionary tale should teach readers a number of things: Search and seizure laws in Brazil are NOT the same as in the U.S. and some other countries. Drug laws in Brazil are different than in the U.S. and Europe, and ignorance of the law is no excuse. The police in Brazil are NOT necessarily your friends. Drug abuse and trafficking are huge problems in Brazil, and the non-corrupt police DO enforce the laws. Law-breaking foreigners stand out like sore thumbs and can be targets for stricter enforcement, or extortion, or serious abuse. IF YOU CAN'T ENJOY BRAZIL WITHOUT CHEMICAL ASSISTANCE (OTHER THAN ALCOHOL), STAY HOME!!! A close encounter with the Brazilian police, of the arrested kind, is guaranteed to ruin your vacation.

[Guest ChgoBoy]

trilingual, thanks for having everyone's back on this topic. I think sometimes when we Americans travel abroad, believe we are protected under the laws that we live under, here in America. There is a terrific movie (which I cant recall at the moment) about two young girls who were set up, I believe in China with drugs. They were thrown into a prison that lacked any comfort, privacy or much food for that matter. Damn, I wish I could recall the name. I think it should be mandatory viewing, before travelling abroad as a reminder of what can result by being ignorant to local law or just being plain stupid.

[Guest ChgoBoy]

trilingual, thanks for having everyone's back on this topic. I think sometimes when we Americans travel abroad, believe we are protected under the laws that we live under, here in America. There is a terrific movie (which I cant recall at the moment) about two young girls who were set up, I believe in China with drugs. They were thrown into a prison that lacked any comfort, privacy or much food for that matter. Damn, I wish I could recall the name. I think it should be mandatory viewing, before travelling abroad as a reminder of what can result by being ignorant to local law or just being plain stupid.

[Steven_Draker]

>the cops gave him the "option" of going to

>the PF or going to an ATM to "pay his fine on the spot."

>Naturally, he chose option 2, but it cost him US$1000 (the

>maximum he could withdraw on his card)

 

>the non-corrupt police DO enforce the laws.

 

Dear Trilingual,

Could you explain those two conflicting thoughts.

I've never heard about a US$1000 fine in Brazil but I know something about corruption.

 

Thank you.

 

Steven Draker ~

[Guest dreynsol]

Hey Tri,

 

After reading your post, I’ll think twice about even carrying aspirin with me.

 

I would assume that being in the company of some of the boyz that enjoy pot would be equally as dangerous, even though it is quasi-legal in some parts of the US.

 

Thanks as always, :-)

 

- Drey

[trilingual]

In answer to Steven, the "fine" was actually a bribe. There is no "fine on the spot" system in Brazil, it's just a euphemism for a bribe. Rather than take his chances with the police, and possibly ending up in big trouble with his airline employer, the victim chose to pay the "fine" which was the maximum amount he could withdraw on his ATM card. The crooked cops know how much gringos are good for and what they can get with their ATM cards; they'e not exactly inexperienced at shaking down tourists dumb enough to get caught with a prohibited substance on them! The poor guy is lucky they didn't coerce him to make one maximum withdrawal and then wait until after midnight to make another maximum withdrawal once it was a new day!!!

 

Most cops in Brazil aren't corrupt, but there are enough bad apples to cause major problems. In this case, even though these cops may not ordinarily have been corrupt, a glittering opportunity presented itself that was hard to resist, when you consider that most ordinary Brazilian military police are doing well to make R$1200/mo. This little faux pas by the victim gave them a chance to make more than double their monthly salary in one night! And, in fact, they WERE doing the victim an expensive favor. After all, he WAS carrying an illegal substance, and if they had taken him to the police station and started the usual process he'd have been held in jail for a while and ultimately banned from re-entering Brazil, both of which would have jeopardized his job. So all in all, he got off fairly lightly, and will probably never take such a chance in the future!!!

 

As for pot, the same risk applies. Marijuana ("maconha" in Portuguese) is NOT legal, and NOT tolerated in Brazil, even though it's pretty widely used. If you're stopped in the company of someone who turns out not to be clean and the cops don't offer you a cheap (like R$100) way out of this embarassment, INSIST (in English, not in Portuguese -- don't let on that you understand Portuguese even if you do) on being taken to the tourist police station (DEAT) in Leblon, where there are officers who speak English and who are less likely to be on the take. Just keep saying over and over that you had no idea your companion was carrying anything illegal, and don't write or sign anything unless you know exactly what it says (or get a lawyer who can tell you).

 

And once again: the ONLY legal drugs in Brazil are alcohol and nicotine. OK?