General Info

[QUOTE=Sangue Bon]On my recent trip to Rio I did a few pass by's of Ho beach and the talent was very light. Last time I remember that area having any crowds was 2004 or 2005. There seemed to be more touts than customers, one of the touts told me that more girls should be showing up in a half hour as they sleep late, it was already 2 PM. He wanted me to rent a chair and have a beer and wait for them. [/QUOTE]I was wondering if they still had touts around there. If he expected you to believe the gdps would be out after 2:30 when the sun goes down at 5:00 then he should have tired to sell you some swamp land as well.
[QUOTE=Sangue Bon]I don't know how many of you have ever seen someone get rescued from drowning on Copacabana beach. It's quite an experience, what happens is the lifeguard on the beach spots the swimmer in trouble and instead of swimming out to rescue you they call a helicopter. The Helicopter hovers over the swimmer and a lifeguard jumps out of the helicopter into the water with the swimmer. The helicopter then drops a basket into the water and everybody gets into the basket and is moved to shore.[/QUOTE]There is a good reason for that. That water gets pretty damn rough and will not hesitate to pull you out to sea. I almost drowned in it myself a couple of years ago and I'm a first class swimmer and an advanced open water diver. Now whenever I see the signs up I don't go near it. It is no joke.

[QUOTE=Sangue Bon]...I don't know how many of you have ever seen someone get rescued from drowning on Copacabana beach. It's quite an experience, what happens is the lifeguard on the beach spots the swimmer in trouble and instead of swimming out to rescue you they call a helicopter. The Helicopter hovers over the swimmer and a lifeguard jumps out of the helicopter into the water with the swimmer. The helicopter then drops a basket into the water and everybody gets into the basket and is moved to shore. I captured this on my cheap little camera but it has limited capabilities and from the distance and height it doesn't do it justice...[/QUOTE]Thanks for the heads up. On one of my trips, I saw a helicopter flying over, but I could not determine what was going on.

-Helpmann :)

[QUOTE=Mr Enternational]I was wondering if they still had touts around there. If he expected you to believe the gdps would be out after 2:30 when the sun goes down at 5:00 then he should have tired to sell you some swamp land as well.
There is a good reason for that. That water gets pretty damn rough and will not hesitate to pull you out to sea. I almost drowned in it myself a couple of years ago and I'm a first class swimmer and an advanced open water diver. Now whenever I see the signs up I don't go near it. It is no joke.[/QUOTE]

Who on earth swims on Copacabana beach?

Didn't you know that all sewage from Copa, Ipanema and Leblon goes straight to the ocean. No treatment at all.

Actually a few months ago a researcher, brazilian, said in TV that all waters around Rio de Janeiro are so polluted that if Brazil would follow international standards it would be prohibited to swim anywhere near Rio.

Well, good luck. I'd go to dermatologist.

[QUOTE=Perkele]Who on earth swims on Copacabana beach?

Didn't you know that all sewage from Copa, Ipanema and Leblon goes straight to the ocean. No treatment at all.

Actually a few months ago a researcher, brazilian, said in TV that all waters around Rio de Janeiro are so polluted that if Brazil would follow international standards it would be prohibited to swim anywhere near Rio.

Well, good luck. I'd go to dermatologist.[/QUOTE]Actually, a dermatologist will tell you the sand in Rio is more polluted than the water. and, who on earth is sits in the sand on Copacabana beach?

[QUOTE=Mr Enternational]I was wondering if they still had touts around there. [/QUOTE]


Yeah, some of the old touts from 10 years ago are still there. I haven’t sat there in almost 10 years and they still remember my name.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXy4SihluRw[/url]

[QUOTE=Sangue Bon]A short video of the area: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWn6Jque0F4[/url][/QUOTE]
Nice videos.
What about ground zero? How does it goes with the construction of Museu da Imagem e do Som?

Any news about "the new Help" (Café del Mar)? Just a false alarm?

[QUOTE=Sperto]Any news about "the new Help" (Café del Mar)? Just a false alarm?[/QUOTE]Looks like a false alarm to me Sperto. I've been here for over a week and every time I've walked past it in the evenings (admitedly before 11 pm) it has been almost empty with a few well-dressed couples or groups. Certainly no single women dressed to advertise availability. The only action point on Alantica is Balcony.

[quote=golfinho]actually, a dermatologist will tell you the sand in rio is more polluted than the water. and, who on earth is sits in the sand on copacabana beach?[/quote]

it's true i read an article in o globo a few years back about how they tested the sand on the beach. it was filled with all sorts of bacteria mostly from dog [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord113][CodeWord113][/url] and whatever the polluted waters brought up.

i have a friend who used to walk along the water and take photos; he developed an infection that he can't get rid of for years, very serious.

not only is it polluted but it has a dangerous undertow. i have told this to non mongers and they ask then why do you go? i don't tell this to people anymore.


[quote=sperto]nice videos.
what about ground zero? how does it goes with the construction of museu da imagem e do som?

any news about "the new help" (café del mar)? just a false alarm?[/quote]

i saw no activity going on at ground zero, looks like they just knocked help down and now have a big hole in the ground and nothing is going on.

i didn’t get a chance to check out café del mar but if it was supposed to be the new help than why was the girl telling me about it at dolce vita (you would think she would have been there). it’s probably just another place like balcony or dolce vita that the girls plan on visiting just to see if they can get a customer but not “the” replacement for help.

[QUOTE=Sangue Bon]Not only is it polluted but it has a dangerous undertow. I have told this to non mongers and they ask then why do you go? I don't tell this to people anymore.

I saw no activity going on at ground zero, looks like they just knocked Help down and now have a big hole in the ground and nothing is going on.[/QUOTE]Haven't gone in the copa water since 2004 since seeing trash and refuse and a sneaker in the wave spume. Course, it's what you can't see that's really bad. The untertow nothing compared to Ipanema or Barra.

Behind the temp fence and what's left of the old back wall at the former-Help site, there is no 'hole in the ground', just a detritus-strewn and concrete rubbled lot. Let's get some graffito up on that fence: it's going to be there for a while.

What is it with these garotas?

One minute they're fucking your brains out and sucking every drop from your scrotum.

Next, in the post-coital cuddle period, they're asking you what church you go to and then telling you off when you say you don't believe in all that crap. Naturally they are evangelical happy-clappies.

Then, they're shoving it back up their ass and screaming at you to go faster and to destroy their cu.

I have had several girls on this trip in Rio, behave like this..

All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD!!

[QUOTE=Puta Playa]There is no list for Copa. Search the Rio thread with keywords 'termas', 'club', 'clubbe', 'bar' or 'NS Copa' and you'll find plenty of venues to keep you entertained in the area. Massagems aren't the big thing in Copa. Copa is setup for guys who like to drink alot, pickup from bars, or get action in the back rooms of a bar.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Poucolouco]Try these: [url]http://www.amantesecia.com.br/[/url]
[url]http://www.copaterapias.com/v2.0/home.php[/url]
Copamassage [url]http://www.amantesecia.com.br/veragencia.php?agencia=250[/url][/QUOTE]

Playa, Here's a new one. They advertise opening in Nov but they are not open yet and no date is given. Like most new establishments in Rio, nothing ever happens on schedule. [url]http://www.edenspario.com.br/[/url]

[QUOTE=Poucolouco]Playa, Here's a new one. They advertise opening in Nov but they are not open yet and no date is given. Like most new establishments in Rio, nothing ever happens on schedule. [url]http://www.edenspario.com.br/[/url][/QUOTE]

It is very close to where I am staying, I'm here until the end of November so if it is open before then I will have a look.

Slutlover posted a link in the Manaus section to Manaus taxi fare calculator.

The site works for all of Brazil. I've tested it on several cities and it's very accurate.
[url]http://www.tarifadetaxi.com[/url]

Thanks, Slutlover.

[QUOTE=Sperto]The site works for all of Brazil. I've tested it on several cities and it's very accurate.[/QUOTE]
I was playing around some more with the taxi fare calculator. I found one city that gave an interesting result.
Salvador, airport to Mercado Modelo, the correct fare is R$ 49 according to the site. In reality the taxis at the airport have their "fixed price" of R$ 90. Bargaining might give you a price of R$ 75.

This shows that bahianos are ladrões. :D

I shouldn't complain as last time I only payed R$ 40 when taking a taxi leaving passengers at the airport.

There is also a bus that charges about R$ 6. However it takes ages to arrive to your destination.

[QUOTE=Sperto]
This shows that bahianos are ladrões. :D
[/QUOTE]

When I arrived in Rio last month, I arrived early and didn't sleep much on the plane. I was tired and lazy so I went up to the taxi booths to see how much it would cost to go to Copa. All of them told me 90 reais. I was no longer lazy, I continued walking and all the guys waiting in the lobby quoted me similar prices, some went down to 80 reais.

I was prepared to go to the departure level to catch a taxi bringing someone in but I looked outside on the arrival level and noticed 6 yellow taxis waiting in a queue. I went to the first one and asked if he uses the meter and he said yes. He had a brand new taxi and he asked me which way do I want to arrive Copa via Botofago or Lagoa?

I had never been asked this question before, so I said lets take the quickest route and he went via Botafogo. The taxi fare was 42 reais.

The funny thing is on my way back to the airport the taxi driver asked me the same question, I gave him the same answer and he went via Lagoa.

Through the years of course I have gone both ways but during high traffic times I always thought one way could be better than the other but during no traffic times does it matter and which is less mileage, anybody know?