Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Azn Safado]

does anyone know anywhere in Copa that may be showing Thanksgiving football today? The people at BALCONY said they will, but I am just wondering if anyone may be able to verify that, or know of another spot.

By the way, BA 85 yesterday, the 4th floor was closed, is that common?

Chris H

I believe the JW Marriott will. When I was here in September and wanted to watch Monday Night Football, I called their bar and they said they were going to show it. I ended up going to Shenanigan's in Ipanema instead.

You can also try Mud Bug, which is a sports bar.
http://www.mudbug.com.br/

[Rio Bob]

does anyone know anywhere in Copa that may be showing Thanksgiving football today? The people at BALCONY said they will, but I am just wondering if anyone may be able to verify that, or know of another spot.

By the way, BA 85 yesterday, the 4th floor was closed, is that common?

Chris H

The Marriott usually has th games on in their lobby bar. Shennigans and Lord Jim in Ipanema.

[Hughdad]

does anyone know anywhere in Copa that may be showing Thanksgiving football today? The people at BALCONY said they will, but I am just wondering if anyone may be able to verify that, or know of another spot.

By the way, BA 85 yesterday, the 4th floor was closed, is that common?

Chris H

Shenanigans

Mud Bug

TV room at Monte Carlo termas? (I watched NFL playoff game there in January with my tongue down the throats and my hand in the laps of a few young hotties.)

[Chris H]

does anyone know anywhere in Copa that may be showing Thanksgiving football today? The people at BALCONY said they will, but I am just wondering if anyone may be able to verify that, or know of another spot.

By the way, BA 85 yesterday, the 4th floor was closed, is that common?

Chris H

[Eros74]

Azn Safado thanks again, I forgot often the prices, but you do not.

So one hour after 5pm with some drinks can be too much close to 115 euro/300 reais right now and so far as the basic salary is more or less 400 reais in Rio, it is like 1 hour with pro in Europe would cost 1000 euro.....

[Azn Safado]

I'm overreacting a bit with the title of this post. However, it is worth mentioning since I did go to 4x4 today.

The good - place was rockin' as usual with many beauties. The bad - the inflation portion. I chose a 40-minute session today and it was after 5 pm. I was expecting to pay R180 + R40 entry. I was charged R240. Surprise, surprise. 4x4 just increased their prices yet again.

I was just here in September and it was:
Before 5p
R180 - 40 min session
R200 - 1 hr
After 5p
R220 - 40 min session
R240 - 1 hr session

Today it is:
Before 5p
R200 - 40 min session
R220 - 1 hr
After 5p
R240 - 40 min session
R260 - 1 hr session

A little bit over a year ago the price was R160 and R180 as the base price for room + girl. It has increased R40 since. 4x4 is slowly creeping up into Copa Terma prices. The 40-minute session after 5p is almost there price-wise. In fact, it is the same price as Luomo if you were to get to Luomo before 7p. The one advantage the place still has is the sheer number of girls - quality by quantity. Also, the 1 hour rate is still very good compared to what they charge for 1 hour at the Copa Termas. Nevertheless, every time I go to 4x4 it seems like the price keeps jumping up. I'm afraid to say that in the not too distant future...it may sadly fall off my radar.

I've been here all of 4 days and just noticed today that my apartment is 100 feet behind Centaurus. What a waste. Too bad I will probably never even set foot in there, but I digress.

[Eros74]

....
12 months on from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and Beijing City is still a SHADOW of it's former past...

That's exactly what I was afraid when Rio got the Olimpic games !

Thanks for sharing Billy.

[Bad Boy Billy]

Guys - IMHO - there is some element of truth or correctness (if that is a word) in many of your posts regarding the run up to the Olympics.

I witnessed what happened in China last Olympics - and indeed Beijing in particular has not been - and may well never be the same again.

YES - I know that is China - this is Brazil - many differences - apples aint oranges.

BUT - no matter which country in the world we talk about - the Government of the day in that country will stop at NOTHING - and I mean NOTHING - if they believe undertaking ANY actions will result in their country being viewed in a better light - in a more positive manner - as a more desirable location on the world stage as a result of their actions.

YES it could be argued that the Brazilian Government 'bribed their way to selection' - but every country that is granted the Olympics does the same.

The chest beating that accompanies the Olympics is deafening.

The change of landscape that accompanied the run up to the Olympics in Beijing was devastating. ALL known hooker hangouts were closed for some period of time - most never EVER recovered to their former glory - some indeed harbored NO working girls at all after they re-opened. Pricing DEFINITELY increased - and has stayed at those levels post Olympics - both pricing being requested by freelancers and at the Saunas / Massage Centres.

12 months on from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and Beijing City is still a SHADOW of it's former past. Rio MAY or MAY NOT suffer the same result. But be rest assured - as the politicians see this once in a lifetime opportunity to stamp their 'mark' on what may well be the biggest event in Brazilian history - NOTHING - NOTHING will be protected - NOTHING will be beyond touch - NOTHING should surprise you in it's breadth and scope of change.

Guys I am not trying to be an alarmist here - I have seen it once - damn it hurts - and whilst I can only get to Rio once or twice a year I am damn sure I do not want to see it again.

[Eros74]

El Austriaco, the only pity about you is that you post very seldom, but when you post you always write something it worth to be read.

Thanks and take care.

[El Austriaco]

ET do you mean the owner of terma is considering a pimp even if the girls can stay at home just paying a fee ?

The feeling is terma is not involved in pimping and that girls are independent.

I'll address this issue even though the question was not directed at me. Hope you don't mind, ET.

A while ago, back in 2004, I wrote a few posts regarding the legal situation of prostitution in Brazil, including the one below:

http://www.internationalsexguide.inf...&postcount=362

To sum things up:

1) First and foremost, prostitution is legal in Brazil for both providers and customers. In other words, everyone above a certain age (18), both women and men, are free to do as they please with their OWN body, including renting it out, and whoever agrees to rent it from them for monetary compensation is certainly not doing anything illegal.

2) What is illegal in Brazil is benefitting from the prostitution of OTHERS, inducing OTHERS to prostitute themselves, facilitating prostitution of OTHERS, and taking advantage of the prostitution of OTHERS, as established in the Brazilian Penal Code (http://www.cejamericas.org/doc/legis...pen_brasil.pdf).

Now, what does this mean in the context of P4P in Rio de Janeiro:

1) Help: technically operates as a run-of-the-mill disco, nothing else. It does not participate in the profits of the girls working there, and it doesn't maintain or rent out on-site facilities for provider/client to consummate their business deal. The girls who go there are not employees of Help or associated with them in any manner, they are freelancers. Therefore, Help can hardly be considered "a prostitution house or a place aimed at meetings for a libidinous purpose", as defined by Brazilian Penal Code, Article 229.

2) Termas: Technically speaking (and I know, this is really a stretch of the imagination), one could possibly say that a terma is just like a spa, and they only profit through drinks and the rental of rooms (without regard as what's happening there, and without taking a cut of the girls fees). IMHO, that was the reason that, a while ago, termas would insist on cash payment for the girls services, so as not to leave any paper trail of actual sexual deals going on on their premises and therefore, not come under the definition of Brazilian Penal Code Article 230 ("Taking advantage of the prostitution of a third party, participating directly in its profits"). At the same time, as far as I understand it, the girls are employees; at the very least, there is some contractual relationship between the terma owner and the girls (otherwise, why would there be a "fee" for not showing up at work???). In any case, even to non-lawyers like myself, it appears to be clearly covered by Brazilian Penal Code, Article 229 and, therefore, technically illegal.

I agree with ET: for a termas to operate, some people need to be paid to look the other way, a lot of people, including people in very influential positions. This also matches what every single foreigner that had the brilliant idea of trying to open in terma in Rio has been told, including by some foreigners that did it themselves: forget about it unless you are really really well connected, because in Brazil, the law only applies to those that don't have connections, whereas those in power pretty much can do whatever they want... regardless of what the law says.

So, in my assessment: Help seems to be quite legal (although I am sure that, given the size of the operation and the money involved, bribes will be flowing there, too, just to keep the ship sailing smoothly), the Termas are quite illegal. Not that that matters, because their existence is determined by the reality, not the legality of things in Brazil. And all the other businesses (love motels, normal hotels that allow overnight visitors, cab drivers, etc.) that at least indirectly benefit from P4P can always say that they don't "maintain a place aimed at meetings for a libidinous purpose" (Art. 229) and that they don't "taking advantage of the prostitution of a third party by participating DIRECTLY in its profits.

Welcome to Brazil.

EA

[Hughdad]

Hughdad, congratulation for your work and for become an expert in such a little time just doing homeworks reading the forum and be clever and smart.

Actually you show some alternative to the copa termas and the idea to stay in a hotel in centro makes you save money too.

Let me please ask you, living in centro, how do you kill the time during the day? Do not you miss the fact to not have the beach and the ocean at walking distance?

I actually am involved in a business project that is based in offices in Centro. So many days I attend meetings there. The Metro ride from Carioca station in Centro to Copa is only 20 minutes or so. And trains run frequently. So the beach is always close. I usually go for long morning walks there. Think of it this way, many guys staying in Copa are reverse commuting regularly to Centro to hit 4x4, the Centro casas, Lapa, etc. The more I stay in Centro, the more I like it. Out of the touristist areas. My R$ goes a lot further in Centro and there is some real talent to be found for sure. But I need to keep studying Porto for sure.

[Riofan6]

The "terma girls" I've talked to have told me they get 100% of the money the client pays the house as the "girl fee. " I. E., if the quoted fee for the girl is R$160, then the girl gets the full R$160. The house makes it's money by "renting" the room, providing cleaning service, selling beverages and, in some cases food, etc., I. E. By providing ancillary services. The house does NOT make one centavo from the girl and as such is not "Pimping. " Now, the girl does voluntarily pay a fee to the house after she's paid, but she gets things in return, medical exams, security, etc. It's a fine line between "pimping" and not but I think it does exist.

[Hughdad]

To me. What Christopherd, Sperto and Sprite123 (and others) have been saying in recent posts is spot on.

I am now staying in Brazil 4 to 5 months a year with plans to be here nearly full-time in a few years. I am starting some business ventures here and I own a small home in a nice size MG city (after a Brazilian friend could not repay a loan I made to him a few years back.) It has become a convenient home base for me in Brazil without any expenses. I have a Brazilian lady friend (just a friend that I met through my Brazilian friend that I lent $ to) that lives in the home full-time and takes care of things there for me. She has studied English hard over the past 18 months and because of this she now is assuming some personal business assistant roles for me (booking travel, setting up meetings and conference calls, expense reports, driving me around in the VW Fox I bought for the house). Good for her as I am able to pay her and she can work from home. It was birthday on Saturday and I had a big party for her in the garage of our home (which is huge for a smaller house and can fit 4 cars as it runs under the house). She and her friends decorated, and rented plastic tables, chairs and a big cooler full of Skol big bottles. I decided to cook all day (baked ziti, eggplant parm, sausage and peppers, pasta with ham and chicken and veggies, lots of bread.) Inexpensive, but filling food that everyone got a real kick out of. Beats the same old salgadenos (sp?!) they are so used to eating at parties. Got a big coconut and strawberry cake from the local bakery. The whole party only cost about R$400. Had about 60 friends and relatives of hers attend. Played tons of my rock and roll CDs, mixed with Brazilian music. We went to 4 am.

It is proving to be the best R$400 I spent. I met tons of local ladies, made a bunch of new potential friends, got invites to drinks and dinner, even got a marriage proposal (in jest.) Actually going out Friday with some folks I met. I found some ladies interested in the fact that I was bringing a different experience to them. A different type of party, different food, different music, I look and dress different, different sense of humor.

My Porto is still very limited. And very few people here speak English (a total of 6 at the party could speak any English). But we managed.

To me. Trying to date a non-pro Brazilian women is very similar to most anywhere in the world. Like you guys are saying: you need the confidence (women love a confident man), cleverness and a good sense of humor (they like a funny, happy, upbeat man. Especially here), a command of the native language (absolutely essential as otherwise you will be in perpetual small talk state), common sense (there are definately women that will play you. Like anywhere), and. Let's face it. Looks (you don't need to be the best looking guy in the world but stay in shape and keep your grooming up.)

I am interested in seeing what comes of these introductions. But, I have no illusions. I need to really learn Porto.

[Eros74]

Hughdad, congratulation for your work and for become an expert in such a little time just doing homeworks reading the forum and be clever and smart.

Actually you show some alternative to the copa termas and the idea to stay in a hotel in centro makes you save money too.

Let me please ask you, living in centro, how do you kill the time during the day ? Do not you miss the fact to not have the beach and the ocean at walking distance ?

ET do you mean the owner of terma is considering a pimp even if the girls can stay at home just paying a fee ?

The feeling is terma is not involved in pimping and that girls are independent.

[Exec Talent]

seriously ? i really thought they are legal, so then it is prostitution illegal in brazil or/and termas itself ?

being a prostitute is legal, pimping is not. for a termas to exist people have to be paid to look the other way. when they fall behind on their payments is when you hear about places being raided because of **** girls.