Fortaleza

Rio Nut,

I think the girl that Silent hooked up with fits the definition of a Garota de Programma as I knew it to be 20 years ago in Fortaleza (and other parts of Brasil). Back then, the program girls would hang out in the same bars and restaurants as the pro's, but where the pro's would set a price for their services up front, before going off to do the deed (they preferred STR, but would negotiate for TLN), the program girls would rarely, if ever discuss money - they preferred a LTR where the guy would basically take care of them as long as they were together. The GDP, was essentially a "girlfriend for hire", but her payment was usually in material goods rather than cash. Many of the GDP's would actually get upset if you gave them cash. They would happily accept gifts (pair of shoes, clothes, etc), they would accompany you to dinner, clubs, etc. But, if you tried to pay them off with cash, they would act hurt and say something to the affect of "outro programma" or "I'm on another program". If you wanted to give them cash, you had to say it was so she could pay for the taxi home (then she'd take the bus and pocket the rest), or tell her to buy herself a present. Somewhere through the years, the definition of a GDP seems to have shifted to include any woman who has sex for money, whether she's as described above, or strictly professional or semi-pro.

Most of the GDP's I knew, way back when, were from Fortaleza or villages in the surrounding area. They would work as pro's in Belem or Manaus for 2 or 3 months per year, save up enough money to live on in Fortaleza for the rest of the year, while living the life of a GDP in hopes of snagging a husband. They would typically do this for a few years before they became jaded and headed south to Rio or Sao Paolo, where they would become a full fledged/ full time professional in the Major Leagues of Prostitution - life as a GDP in Fortaleza was essentially considered the Prostitution Minor Leagues.

CW

Silent,

That is a very good analysis you did of Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro/Sao Paulo. There are many gringos who are not as astute as you, so I have to commend you on your sharp observations of Brazilian life.

Yes, life in the Nordeste, and particularly Fortaleza (which due to its tourism and European flights has become very cosmopolitan) is strikingly different than Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. The people are simpler, life is slower, prices are cheaper (if they are not, then you are probably getting ripped off!), and the women are more..."naive"...although you must still stay on your toes. While a woman from Rio may see you as a customer or even worse, a "mark", a girl from Fortaleza is more likely to see you as a "shining knight."

So as a previous poster said, the total package of Fortaleza does really provide a very positive experience. Where else can you eat crab and beer all day long, enjoy the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, and have beautiful 18 year old morena beauty suck your dick (BBBJ) on demand and replace her with another one every day if you wish?

I will be heading to Forteleza the last week of November. I'll be there two weeks. I will stay at the Sunflower-hotel. I have not read of any reports about atm machines. Are they available? Also, can anyone recommend a guide or is one necessary?

Thanks BigEl and Dutchie 525!

I will take your advice and maximize my Fortaleza Trip. I met a girl from Latineuro who lives there so if the monger scene is slow, I'll have her.

Thanks again!

Adultj,

There are ATMs in the banks and some brazilian banks do service US or foreign accounts, but at a surcharge. If you don't have an account with HSBC, I suggest you get a checking account with a Master Debit card. They have an enormous number of bank branches in Brazil and the ATM withdrawl is at market rates with out a surcharge.

The Sunflower is nice, but they charge a fee for each garota you bring back to the room. A few blocks down is the Continental which also has a pool and they don't charge for the girl (as of 2002).

Good luck

Garotoz

I spent a few months in and around Fortaleza recently and I'll been following along with this discussion. Now that my account has been upgraded and I can post, here is my two cents:

The good points:

1.) Absolutely gorgeous weather. If you go in "dry season" (May-November) this place has absolutely the best weather of anywhere I've ever been in the world. 80-85F degrees every day, cooling sea breeze, not humid, and no clouds or rain. In two months there, it was only cloudy for about 30 minutes. The sun is strong enough to get a nice tan but not so bad to be a risk of burning every day.

2.) Beautiful beaches in Ceará, outside of Fortaleza. MILES of pristine, untouched beaches. The sand and the water aren't as nice as the Caribbean, but these beaches completely natural and gorgeous. It almost looks wrong how undeveloped they are.

3.) It's cheap. If you think Rio is affordable, go here.

4.) Adventure/extreme sports. Good place for any sort of surfing, wind or kite surfing, trekking, 4x4, paragliding, etc.

5.) The beachwalk in Fortaleza is nice. Praia Meireles/Iracema has a beachwalk that I feel is every bit as nice as Rio's, with the kiosks, bars, and people working out.


The bad points:

1.) The people are damn ugly. In my personal opinion, I did not see an attractive looking native in my two months there. While many claim that beauty a subjective personal preference and YMMV, I believe that there are certain characteristics of beauty that are the same in every culture (symmetry, youth, health, fertility, fitness, status, etc.) and these folks just do not have them. Additionally, the locals of The Northeast seem to be quite discriminated against by other Brazilians for being stupid, slow, and lazy. I also heard a great deal about how ugly their accent is, which I cannot appreciate myself. I can only imagine that going to Fortaleza is like going to back-water Arkansas for someone from NYC or LA.

2.) The mongering scene is not impressive. There are no termas in Fortaleza. There are only two sites worth checking out: "Betty" or Pousada Aconxego is a 45 minute cab ride out of town. It is decent because they don't let girls from Ceará work there. It's a mix of girls from Bahia, Rio, The South, and a few other states. The other, Whisky Club, is a take-out bar in Fortaleza that also has a mix of out-of-state girls. In either, you're likely to find something to keep you happy for a few days, but this place is no Rio. In my opinion, the often mentioned square of clubs (Kapital, Afrika, etc.) in the heart of the tourist section of town is not even worth going to. It is probably the most awful display of mongering I've ever seen in the world. The only thing more shocking than the lack of quality in the local girls is the horde of young, good-looking, and stylish Italian and Dutch mongers that flock here for some unknown reason. Only go mongering in these clubs if you're the type of guy likely to be pleased with the bottom 20% of Help!

Khoofoo, you are a damn right, I have the same oppinion about Fortaleza like you. It´s a good place to spend holiday, but the locals are ugly like hell. The people are in average very small, girls have a beer belly instead of a backside, the head is right on the shoulder, without a neck and something similar like a waist is unknown there.

Khoofoo,

You wrote down with incredible accuracy my opinions of many trips down there.

The things about young Italians and Dutchmen are the same I wrote some times ago in this same thread.

Glad not to be the only one.

Sometimes I felt sad when I saw some early 20's guys with the ugliest *****s available in the Kapital or around Iracema.

It's cheap, that's true. But nothing more.

PS: A good friend of mine living there since 1994 died in an attempted robbery in avenida Abolicao some weeks ago. His name was Maurizio (short, blonde hair, tanned face italian), and he rented apts and changed money down there. For those who remember him. He was a good unlucky guy. R.I.P.

Hi,

I will be heading to Forta the first 3 weeks of November. It is my second trip this year. Any other dudes who want to drink a beer in that period, just let me know.

I don't understand the repeated dismissing of Fortaleza. It's got one of the best sex scenes in Brasil. I've been there twice (a week each time), and on any given night you've got about 500 girls to choose from, all in the 100R range. Motels abound, drinks are cheap, weed, all-nighters, funky music flip-flops and menage a trois for 150R. WTF? No crime to speak of, no taxis to take, etc.

I think it's the best small-town scene in Brasil. It compares to Rio and S.P. w/o all the b.s. Really. Read my earlier reports. I think I stretched about 20 girls there over the period of a week. All very cute, too -- and I have high standards (e.g. I wouldn't do most of the women posted on the "photos" board -- but that's just me).
JW

JWadd,

Maybe they're trying to scare people off so they can have it all to theirself.

My old stomping grounds (Fortaleza) are definitely at the top of my list of foreign destinations to visit whenever I get my business sorted out so I can start travelling again. I haven't been there since sometime before they built the McDonalds and Pirata's was a brand new club.

CW

Guys,

I have to step down from what I said much earlier about Fortaleza. (been there in febr. 2003 for 3 weeks)

Sure purely as a sex scene it's heaven...cheap...many women...beach...parties etc.etc...God I truly loved it.

But IF you realy are looking for quality women and dito looks you are at the WRONG place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you realy want to see (and fuck!)pretty girls go at least down to Rio,SP or at least to Recife.

Not to mention Colombia,Venezuela,Peru or Dom. Republic..!!

Johan


PS:that doesn't mean I am bashing Fortaleza! Far from it. But for me it was ONCE and never again.

Johan007,

I haven't been to Brasil for 15 years for a multitude of reasons I won't go into here. Just have a lot of fond memories. I know things have changed immensely in that time, but way back when, I preferred Fortaleza over Rio due to the more relaxed atmosphere - Rio was just too big for me, too many people trying to rip you off, etc. Fortaleza however, while it is also quite large, always seemed like a small town to me. Besides, many of the girls on Copacabana got their start picking up guys at the Biera Mar barraccas in Fortaleza. I used to drink at Mabs when passing through Rio (Used to have at least a 12 hour layover in Rio when flying in from the USA, headed for Fortaleza) - at least half of the girls that hung out around there were from Fortaleza - only difference was they were a bit more jaded and they charged 3 or 4 times as much because "this is Rio".

I've never been to Peru or the Dominican Republic, but I would say that my one trip to Cartagena Colombia, while loads of fun, was less enjoyable than Fortaleza - lack of familiarity? I lived in Fortaleza for almost two years, only spent a week in Cartagena. Same goes for Venezuela (spent two weeks - two different one week trips - in La Guaira, with a few trips up the hill to Caracas), lots of fun, but not as relaxing as Fortaleza.

CW

More than once I wrote about this issue. Fortaleza was the only place I went in Brazil, and perhaps this is stupid, but if I return to Brazil , I will go to Forta again.

I liked many things, I felt safe, I even travelled in the local buses, when I rented a car, things were ok also, I just had to pass with the red light at night!

Things were definitly cheap, the food, the lodging (an apartment), and of course the highest price for a girl was 100r, and I really think i could have payed less (this was 1 year ago), I just was not in a mood to argue and the price seemed reasonable.

It was a really nice time, but, I have to be honest, the quality of the girls was really lower than my expectations, so i felt compelled to write again, and agree with people like johan 007.

Perhaps one day I will go to Rio see what is good quality.

So, if you are wondering about where to go in Brazil you just have balance all issues (prices, girls quality, safety), and make up your decision.

Hi friends!

If someone could help me it would be highly appreciated. I'm looking for an apartment to rent in Fortaleza during December.

Anyone can recommend an agency or a website or have a phone number?

I can pay no more then 70 reais anight!?

Thanks you all.

Have a great time!