General Info

I was in there on Wednesday after the Giants game.

Remembering that I watched the show he did there on TV.

A lot of my travels have a lot to do with him in mind.

RIP.

[QUOTE=TheCane;2190136]For any of you mongers out there who were into him, toss one back for Anthony Bourdain tonight:

[URL]https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html[/URL]

I've been a fan of his for a very, very long time. I have no proof whatsoever that he was ever a monger, but his life was set up so perfectly well to be one! I first started watching his show on The Travel Channel when it was called "No Reservations". When he moved over to CNN with "Parts Unknown" and a much larger budget, I felt like the show lost some of its edge.

For "No Reservations", he would always lead in with the same line. I changed it to fit my mongering ways. "I travel, I eat, I drink, I fuck. And I write. And I'm hungry for more"! LOL! I would always think that for a monger "Parts Unknown" would be called "Hind Parts Unknown" HAHAHAHA!

But seriously though, he just seemed to be enjoying his life and doing what he was doing. You just never know what's going on with somebody. You think you got problems? Well, compared to somebody else. Here's you Tony! Here's to you!

TC.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2190327]Working girls were subtly seen on camera, but he never said anything or preached one way or another. You could count on him not to judge local cultures. Except when some Romanian officials tried to shake him down in order for him to shoot in the old town center. That Dracula theme episode was incidentally very bizarre and not characteristic of his aesthetic.[/QUOTE]This is the most bizarre scene I can recall from all of his travels. Check out how he checks out the Thai honey in his "dreams" hehehe:

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOIVI3U5B4Y[/URL]

[URL]https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x54lvbc[/URL]

[QUOTE=TheCane;2190401]This is the most bizarre scene I can recall from all of his travels. Check out how he checks out the Thai honey in his "dreams" hehehe:

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOIVI3U5B4Y[/URL][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Eszpresszo;2190292]I have not been to Argentina, myself. But, as someone who watches currency fluctuations, I had to wonder the same thing. I posted the same question over on the "Private" Argentina forum and I got a few very good and in-depth answers. I will summarize them for you. The simple answer was no, Argentina's high rate of inflation is debasing the currency but not creating any bargains. The exchange rate versus rate of inflation most advantageous to those who held USD circa 2001-2005. It was also pointed out that the current 8% rate of unemployment is quite low by historical standards. So, there is not a bevy of young women forced to sell their bodies for lack of employment opportunities, as we have seen in parts of Europe. The consensus was that the ARS would need to fall even more and the financial crisis would need to get more serious before chica prices fell into the bargain zone.

The good news is that Brazil appears to be having a currency crisis of their own. With my luck, it will be over before I make it there.[/QUOTE]Great reply, many thanks.

Argentina's inflation rate is somewhere around 37%.

The prices are not good for mongering or staying there.

You used to get laid for around US $25 up. Now the street girls are asking $100 and up.

Their President has closed all the brothels and most clubs.


[QUOTE=Rovnak;2190198]Usd now buys 25 ARG pesos. I have never been to BA. Anyone on this forum been there lately who can opine if the favorable exchange rate translates into a monger bonanza. Or have prices risen to offset the currency depreciation? Interested in opinions of those who are familiar with both Brazil and BA.[/QUOTE].

[URL]https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-latin-america-44433639[/URL]

Out of control in Rio.

[QUOTE=Rio Bob;2191195][URL]https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-latin-america-44433639[/URL]

Out of control in Rio.[/QUOTE]
The title of the article is not accurate. The bodies were not found at the foot of Rio's Sugar Loaf mountain. The bodies were found on the other side of the bay.

Bandits from Chapéu Mangueira and Babilônia were fighting as usual. Police got involved and nine bandits were killed. Seven of them were found in the water below Morro da Babilônia. These seven bandits were caught by Policía Choque, in the forest on the morro, who executed them and throw them down from the cliffs.

[QUOTE=Sperto;2191253]The title of the article is not accurate. The bodies were not found at the foot of Rio's Sugar Loaf mountain. The bodies were found on the other side of the bay.

Bandits from Chapu Mangueira and Babilnia were fighting as usual. Police got involved and nine bandits were killed. Seven of them were found in the water below Morro da Babilnia. These seven bandits were caught by Polica Choque, in the forest on the morro, who executed them and throw them down from the cliffs.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the update.

[QUOTE=Sperto;2191253]The title of the article is not accurate. The bodies were not found at the foot of Rio's Sugar Loaf mountain. The bodies were found on the other side of the bay.

Bandits from Chapu Mangueira and Babilnia were fighting as usual. Police got involved and nine bandits were killed. Seven of them were found in the water below Morro da Babilnia. These seven bandits were caught by Polica Choque, in the forest on the morro, who executed them and throw them down from the cliffs.[/QUOTE]

Morro da Babilonia seems pretty damn close to Pão de Açúcar. With all due respect, Niteroi is the other side of the bay.

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2192327]Morro da Babilonia seems pretty damn close to Po de Acar. With all due respect, Niteroi is the other side of the bay.[/QUOTE]Wyatt,

I like you. I really do. Have since well before the Gunfight at the okay Corral.

However, questioning Sperto on Rio geography is ill advised. It would be like taking on the Clantons without your six-shooter.

I have spent some time in Babilonia as has Sperto, have walked all over Urca, been high up in the forests over Botafogo and even stayed with a young lady in Niteroi and I wouldn't ever dream of questioning Sperto.

Maybe it is time to give it a little rest.

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2192327]Morro da Babilonia seems pretty damn close to Po de Acar. With all due respect, Niteroi is the other side of the bay.[/QUOTE]
Between Pão de Açúcar and Morro da Babilônia there is a beach called Praia Vermelha. English isn't my first language but I would call the water area, between the two morros, bay. Anybody with some knowledge of the Urca area should have no problem understanding what I wrote.

WyattEarp, you seems to always enjoying criticizing my posts. You could easily just put me on the ignore list, or do like me and just scroll by quickly whan I see certain posters.

[QUOTE=Sperto;2192376]Between Pão de Açúcar and Morro da Babilonia there is a beach called Praia Vermelha. English isn't my first language but I would call the water area, between the two morros, bay. Anybody with some knowledge of the Urca area should have no problem understanding what I wrote.

WyattEarp, you seems to always enjoying criticizing my posts. You could easily just put me on the ignore list, or do like me and just scroll by quickly whan I see certain posters.[/QUOTE]My apologies. On the contrary, I have tremendous respect for your posts and your knowledge of Brazil and the local scene.

To a foreigner flying 5000 miles away, we might call Morro the Babilonia and Pão de Açúcar close enough for a sensational headline by a journalist. You and others might be offended by the association of the shooting with a local landmark. And rightly so.

I might call the body of water in front of Praia Vermelha a cove. Perhaps the Portuguese word enseada applies. Anyway, I find it's hard to describe these type of small indents in the coastline. This was really not my point, but rather the general proximity of the two mountains.

[QUOTE=TheCane;2190401]This is the most bizarre scene I can recall from all of his travels. Check out how he checks out the Thai honey in his "dreams" hehehe:

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOIVI3U5B4Y[/URL][/QUOTE]I believe those are Thai Lady Boys so I hope he wasn't tempted to get out of the tuk-tuk.

OK, cove not bay.

I've been down at the waterfront on the Morro da Babilônia side a couple of times. The Pão de Açúcar did IMO seem quite far away to call it "foot of Rio's Sugar Loaf mountain" or as WE called it "pretty damn close".
The reason for my correcting the article is that would be a big difference if the bodies were of people killed on one of Rio's major tourist attractions or on a morro dominated by bandits from two fractions.

[QUOTE=Sperto;2192512]OK, cove not bay.

I've been down at the waterfront on the Morro da Babilnia side a couple of times. The Po de Acar did IMO seem quite far away to call it "foot of Rio's Sugar Loaf mountain" or as WE called it "pretty damn close".
The reason for my correcting the article is that would be a big difference if the bodies were of people killed on one of Rio's major tourist attractions or on a morro dominated by bandits from two fractions.[/QUOTE]Wow those are different and great shots, you use that 300 mm lens you have for these shots?