2005 Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Sperto]

"Been there, done that"?

Widen your horizons! It might come like a shock to some of you, but Brazil is more than Copacabana, Rio or São Paulo. A huge country with so much to discover and so many bundas to be conquered.

If Rio gets boring there are so many other options, Nordeste, Amazonas etc...
New surroundings, cheaper, different food, nicer beaches and different girls with nicer attitude.

Even though I travelled through all the Brazilian states I still feel that there are more to discover and experience in Brazil. The more off the beaten track the more fun I usually get. I never felt "been there, done that". The case would be different if I limited my playground to Copacabana. Meia Pataca, Help, Balcony and termas ain't that exciting.

[Comgo]

ET, I posted about the joke of an exchange rate Help is now giving last week. I wanted to address something else that I've been noticing a lot on this board. A lot of people are talking about getting girls for TLN for 150R or even 200R from Help. For the people who haven't been here or haven't been here in a while, these are almost certainly not attractive girls at least not to me. I saw which girls can be pulled for that amount and I wouldn't do most of them for free unless I was drugged, drunk, and blindfolded. I actually speak Portuguese and can pass for Brazilian for moments. I bargain like it's a duty and unlike the people that can't speak this language well, I make jokes and can be witty. I'm saying these things for the people who are going to say I don't bargain well or the girls don't like me, etc. I've also confirmed that what I'm saying is right when I see a lot of the photos in the photo gallery. Don't plan on pulling any attractive girls for 150-200R for TLN nowadays.

[Gladiator]

if you do have your heart set on Brasil, I would recommend checking out some of the smaller cities in the Northeast, much better value than Rio, even with the current crappy 2.16 exchange rate.

Ezinho,

By smaller cities in the NE, do you mean Fortaleza and Recife or are there any other even smaller, low profile cities that you would recommend?

[Exec Talent]

Forgot to mention that the exchange rate at Help was 2.20. Since I got 2.25 at the local cambio and some quick checking indicated that that was the going rate, there is no reason to exchange at Help. L'uomo was 2.30. Given the poor selection at Help and the exchange rate, little reason to go unless you like the music and cigarette smoke.

[Ezinho]

R60 entrance. (reduced to R50 if you take 1 girl, reduced to R30 if you do 2 girls, R0 if you do 3 girls)
R60 room 40 minutes.
R130 girl for 40 minutes.

Could these new price increases possibly have anything to do with over-tipping? I remember the last time I was at L'uomo in June I actually met a guy from the States who kept 10's and 20's in his robe pocket so that he could "tip" the girls that he took to the cabine, tried to talk him out of it but he didn't want to hear it. (if you're reading this, you know who you are, tall skinny guy from NYC!) Not saying thats why, just throwing out something to think about. Even if you support tipping, an upscale terma is probably the last place where it needs to be done...

And for the guys saying they will skip Brasil and move on to other locations, I think that's a good idea, but if you do have your heart set on Brasil, I would recommend checking out some of the smaller cities in the Northeast, much better value than Rio, even with the current crappy 2.16 exchange rate. Who thinks it will hit 2.10 by the end of the month? Looking much more likely now...

[Exec Talent]

The super suite is now R$300 and the regular suite (1 hour) is R$270.

I like the extra room in the super suite and it is the only way to go if you have duplas or a festa but really dislike that it is by the main door to the cabines.

[Full Throttle]

Nevermind. Just had to RTFB.

[Bubba Boy]

R60 entrance. (reduced to R50 if you take 1 girl, reduced to R30 if you do 2 girls, R0 if you do 3 girls)
R60 room 40 minutes.
R130 girl for 40 minutes.

I am leaving Rio after almost 3 months in Brasil in a couple of days, a couple of friends left last night, it is always sad to leave...........

I have been keeping notes and intend to update the bubba report (now 75 pages- was 25 or so) around Xmas, mais ou menos.

[Exec Talent]

Was at Help tonight and it was about as bad as I have seen it. Maybe 5 girls worth taking out and they did not last long. Since I wasn't interested, I have no idea about the price. The better looking girls were actually outside of Help. I did inquire and R$150-200 for everything was the going rate.

L'uomo prices have increased but if you see three girls (or the same one three times like I did) the entrance fee is 0. Doesn't seem to be as many guys (this could be preseason lull) and they don't seem to be staying as long. My girl and I had the relax room pretty much to ourselves the entire night.

[Comgo]

Feel free to go anywhere you like. There is no need for your complains on this forum. Brazil will be just fine without you.

You're right! We should never write complaints about anything here. This forum should only be for praises! You are so wise!

[Sperto]

... I can go to much nicer places with much better food, atmosphere, people, etc. than this third world country for less. The GDP's are no different: not very attractive, not well groomed, bad/fake attitudes, and asking for way too much as well.

Feel free to go anywhere you like. There is no need for your complains on this forum. Brazil will be just fine without you.

[Wandering Fool]

Big Boss and Elmo. Coincidentally the illusion and excitement of Rio began to wear off for me by the 4th trip (my last) which was last Feb for Carnival. I'm sure in your case the horrible exchange rate was also sobering -it was only down to 2.7 when I was there last.

I rapidly did 3 more trips after my first -each around 10 days and all within an 8 month period. The Bunda Flash totally blinded me, it was like I had discovered nirvana on earth. By the 4th trip I began to see reality and the newness and excitement wore off a bit and some of the bullshit became revealed. The "Old Hat" feeling began to creep in for me.

I've taken a break since that last trip to recharge the batteries and hopefully let things turn over a bit -different girls etc. I don't know that I will ever have get the high of that inital Bunda Flash when I was naive and it was all so new and exciting. The possiblities were limitless, the future looked bright, I saw myself living a the life of Marlon Brando in Apocolypse Now retreating from society into the jungle with a bunch of termas girls. But that's a story for another time.

Suffice to say, maybe you just need a break?

[Elmo]

Having also recently come back from another trip to Brazil, I agree with many of Big Boss Man's comments. With the Real at 2.2, my money sure did not go nearly as far as it did when the exchange rate was at 3.5 or even 2.9. Add in the price increases at thermas and GDPs also raising their rates - and this trip was a lot more expensive than past trips. I ended up trying to economize - did significantly fewer gals, but negotiated for more time and more shots on goal with each one than I have in the past. This was the first trip that I had cash flow problems -in relying on ATMs and running up against my daily withdrawal limit.

But the main thing I also noted was the "been there, done that" feeling that Big Boss Man mentioned. The garotas may have changed but the thermas and Help seemed to have remained the same and the drill was the same old drill (well, at least Centaurus added some neon lights to the bar area since the last time I was there). There was not the sense of discovery I have encountered in past trips there.

Still had a great time. And I was very pleased with the talent level I encountered - although it was more expensive than in the past.

[Comgo]

Apparently, no one has been to L'uomo lately or bothered posting that they've now raised their prices. It's 200R for 40 minutes up from 170R and now 50R or 60R for entry (I've forgotten which it is at this moment) up from 40R. I don't know which is more funny, the currency being so strong or the prices being raised so much. Marius on the seafood side is 115R now not including the 18R dessert buffet or drinks or service fee/tip. Rio is a joke now in terms of prices if you ask me. I can go to much nicer places with much better food, atmosphere, people, etc. than this third world country for less. The GDP's are no different: not very attractive, not well groomed, bad/fake attitudes, and asking for way too much as well.

[Howman]

This is my first report. I have been reading this forum for most of the year and the information that is provided is first rate including non P4P. I am definately a newbie at this. The only other experience was on a previous trip to Brazil in 2003 when a friendly American explained how thing worked in Brazil and the mindset of the women who do this for a living. The women as well as the sights brought me back to Brazil for a short 9 day trip, first 3 days in Rio, 4 days in Salvador and then the final 2 days in Rio. I have traveled extensively and I find Brazil to be the most facinating place in terms of how different it is from home in Chicago. Since ISG has provided a lot of the information I used on this trip, I am sharing some information of my own.

Yes, things are more expensive in Brazil these days. This shouldn't stop you. Prices are still much lower than what you would pay just about anywhere else. Food, lodging and esp. taxi's are still affordable (make sure you ask for the meter ALWAYS). The key is getting a low airfare. Delta just started flying to Rio from Atlanta in November. $520 r/t w/ taxes and fees, I had to go back!

If you don't speak Portuguese, do yourself a favor and purchase the Plimsuer BRAZILLIAN Portuguese CD's for $15. I probably used the 100 or so Portuguese words about 10,000 times. A little Spanish also helps.

The first part of my trip, I stayed in a beautiful B & B in Santa Theresa, a fascinating area which is in the hills above Lapa. I went to Lapa several times during my last trip to Brazil and it was easily the highlight of that trip. This is THE place where Cariocas go to party. Many visitors never go there because they hear it's dangerous. Friday and Saturday are the nights to go. There are dozens of clubs including the city's best Samba clubs but the real party is out in the streets. Someone will drive up a late model Corrola w/ a subwoofer for a backseat, midgets will be walking around the crowd selling Red Bull and Johnnie Walker, and everyone is blazing up. There seems to be a tolerance for pot in Lapa. The street vendors who sell pipes and such also sell the ingredients. Be aware that if the police catch you w/ the smallest amount, you're in deep shit and Gringoes are easy targets. Most people I saw, purchased a small amount and consumed it on the spot. The area is crowded and pickpockets are abound. I got caught under the Arches de Lapa during a very heavy downpour w/ a ton of people. When the rain cleared, I noticed my travel wallet was gone w/ about $20 Reals in it and nothing else. The rest of my cash was in my money belt. As long as you stay where the people are, the worst thing that can happen is being pickpocketed. Otherwise, by all means, make sure you visit Lapa during any trip for a truly unique experience.

I also visited VM. After reading on ISG that the better looking garotas see over 20 people a day, I had no intention of hooking up. As someone who occasionally slows down to see a terrible car accident, I still had to see VM myself. By luck, I picked a great taxi driver who knew just where to go. VM is like visiting Hell's Zoo where you can fuck the animals. I was surprised how many hot garotas there were but I swear they had horns and a tail! I bought the taxi driver a couple of beers and he introduced me to his friends down there. All in all, an experience I'll never forget!

Not far from Help is a newish bar/restaurant/nightclub called The Office. This is one of the few places I found that does a great job of courting tourists as well as locals depending on what night of the week it is. I went there several times during the trip. It is also one of the few places to watch American Football. (Another is the Marriott which has to have the most expensive bar in Rio. $14 Reals for a crappy caiparinia?) I was fortunate enough to have talked to the Aussie owner, John. By now, he has opened a huge new addition that will feature Samba bands. It's a great room! He has kept prices low so locals as well as tourists will come. He says he'll allow some "quality" GDPs in but does not want to allow the place to become like Help. (Btw, rumors abound about Help's closure.) John was nice enough to introduce me to the most gourgeous woman I've ever met. I had no idea she was working! She said she is a student in the Rio suburbs and spends the weekends at The Office dancing and meeting folks just like me! The Office Rocks!

I made a few visits to Help. It's like Mr. Peabody set the Wayback machine to 1984 w/ garotas. If they were only playing Dead or Alive.... In general, I looked for a garota that was happy, smiling and appeared "up for it". A lot of the girls looked like they were just working and waiting to make eye contact w/ you. I know that what these girls make at Help is significantly more than what they would be making anywhere else at 20 years old, so there are definately some who take a lot of pride in what they do. I had one garota brag that she came to Help every night for the last 2 years!

There was no way I was going to bring a girl back to my B & B in Santa Theresa so one night I stay in the girl's apartment (a filty mistake) and another, I had the girl recommend a sex hotel. I real enjoyed the Praia Lido Hotel. For $150R I got a spotless room w/ more mirrors than a funhouse. Their website doesn't say it's a sex hotel but I guess the plastic covered matress is a give away. We had a bunch of drinks sent the room which were cheap. I totally recommend this hotel!

In each case, I spent $150R for a night w/ a girl from Help. Each asked $200R and didn't counter when I said $150R. I am not a slob and dressed nice, bought drinks, and was somewhat of a gentleman. It's not worth it for me emotionally to have a girl walk away feeling or acting like she was shorted. I can afford it. Also, each girl walked away w/ a something from the US, a bag of candy, a coffee mug, a CD, even my White Sox World Series t-shirt!

The last 2 nights of the trip, I stayed at the Luxor Copacabana, which someone recommended on this site. I verified that rooms were available earlier in the day but didn't reserve my room until I walked in later that night from Salvador. I got a significant discount vs. their website or the agent on the phone earlier in the day. This is a trick I've learned from years of traveling. The oceanfront room was great and had a gigantic shower. Perfect! Also, totally girl friendly and they even call when they leave to see if you are OK. The Luxor is first rate!

Salvador was also fantastic but in a completely different way. I'll save that for another post.