Mongering economics in Rio
This post is less about mongering but about economics.
Over the last 5 years prices in Brasil went up between 5 - 10 % per year.
A couple of years ago I paid 120 Real for a hotel at Copa, today I pay 200 real for the same three-star hotel.
A Caipirinha was 4 Real, now it is 7,- etc. etc.
In general all the cost of living went up approx. 50% over the last 5 years in Brasil, the minimum salary went up also to 510 Real/month from around 230 Real.
To make things worse, the external value of the Real went from 3.20 Real/USD to 1.85 Real/USD. That means that the real prices valued in USD went up far over 100 %.
The garotas have to pay Brasilian prices and we mongers look at them and convert everything in USD or € for the services they offer.
I was recently at Balcony, at several casas in centro and at some clubs at Praca Maua.
There are hardly any foreign mongers in Rio at present time (ok - the weather is shitty) - the girls have to live of the local mongers, and they obviously survive.
With the recent oil-exploration boom business is doing well and a lot of money is flowing into Brasil. The local Johns are spending the money with both hands when they come off the oil-rigs. Nevertheless, hotels are empty, restaurants and all the tourist-traps are empty, there are almost no GDP standing at the side of the Av. Atlantica when you drive it down in the evening.
On Friday evening I was again at Balcony and discovered that I did not have enough Real with me but still had 100 Euros. I went to the cashier to change them into Real - she gave me 212 Real (at a Dolleiro I would have got 240 Real). You see how Brasilians are only interested in short-term gains. The girls sitting there looked like dogs but quoted you for ST 200 Real. I was asking them if they dream of if they have smoked some stuff.
Here are some recommendations for some non-mongering activities:
Hotel: The Sheraton at Av. Niemeyer is charging at present time 288 Real for an excellent room with breakfast.
Restaurants/entertainment:
Baby-Beef at Barra charges for Churrasco 34 Real - it is the same quality as the overpriced Porcao (85 Real)
Feira do Sao Christovao : it is a place with around 100 bars/restaurants and 2 stages with live-music from Friday to Sunday. Prices are still moderate there. A decent meal is 30 - 40 Real, a beer is 5 real and a Caiprinha is 5 - 6 real.
If you happen to travel outside of Rio, I would like to recommend the area around Rio de Oystras/Buzios. Do not go directly to Buzios, the Pousadas there are too expensive but a few miles away you get a decent room in a 3-star pousada for around 140 Real.
Now to some mongering:
I have used for years the services of Scort Show/Karla Models or the services of the Casas in Centro as I have some restrictions when I am in Rio.
Scort Show/Karla Models is charging now 120 Real + Taxi (around 20 BR) for 2 hours.
40 Graus is around 150 incl. all "ancilliary" expensens.
The casas in Centro have also increased their prices from 100/1h to around 120 BR.
In general I have the impression that the quality of the GDP went considerably down. The girls are overweight, not anymore sophisticated but favela-sluts. You can not have a conversation with them as they have non education at all.
At present time there are a lot of plans for the up-comming World-Champion-ship in 2014. They want to construct, extend and improve airports, public transport and stadiums. Until now they have not even awarded contracts to construction-companies. It will be a disaster.
The only thing they are doing at present time is repressing the mongering-tourism. That does not cost any government - money, the local police and thugs do it and exploit the girls and casas a little bit more. Where Help was - there is only a fence since 6 and nothing is done!
The question remains if Brasil is still a mongering destination. In my opinion - NO!!!
What you get here in Rio you get somewhere else in Latin America for a lot less and with less dangers. Yesterday a 11 year old boy got shot and killed in school by a stray rifle-bullet from a fire-fight police had with some gangsters in a favel. Last year a monger-brother got killed at the veranda of Balcony as well by a stray bullet.
I like Brasil and I had very good times here for many years. These good times will not come back and I honestly recommend that my brothers go to greener pastures in Central America.
Carlos Primeros
Domestic Inflation, Mongering Destination no more
[QUOTE=Carlos Primeros]This post is less about mongering but about economics.
Over the last 5 years prices in Brasil went up between 5 - 10 % per year.
A couple of years ago I paid 120 Real for a hotel at Copa, today I pay 200 real for the same three-star hotel.
A Caipirinha was 4 Real, now it is 7,- etc. etc.
In general all the cost of living went up approx. 50% over the last 5 years in Brasil, the minimum salary went up also to 510 Real/month from around 230 Real.
Carlos Primeros[/QUOTE]
My greatest concern for Brazil, which I have voiced several times in the Real Thread, is domestic inflation. Although the minimum wage is now R$510 a month with the price of food, housing, etc. spiraling out of control how can the average working person afford to live?
As for Rio no longer being a mongering destination, I know guys who used to come to Rio 3-4 times a year and are now coming once. They also used to do two hour long sessions in the termas but now have cut that back to one forty minute one if they session at all. As Carlos points out, it is all about the combination of domestic Brazil inflation with a strong Real.
I still contend that Help gave both the girls and the guys the illusion that they were on a date. Balcony does not offer that illusion. The girls are prostitutes pure and simple and some of them did not like the feel of that and have left the business. In the old days many of the termas girls would never go to Help because it was beneath them. They liked the fact that guys came to the termas to see them and also the safety.