Wow, what an eventful trip. Had some bumps in the road from time to time, but the peaks were just amazing. I love Rio de Janeiro. Now onto my trip report.

Early preparation. I contact AT&T and ask for the unlock code for my phone. They email me the code and instructions with minimal problems. I also dug up my extra Reals from my previous trip, a great save $$$ by avoiding the rip-off cambios at the airport (it was $R1.35 at the airport, the best I saw from Ben Bros Jeweler was $R1.63 my whole trip.) I join Brazil Cupid www. brazilcupid.com and begin messaging with some ladies for 2 weeks before my trip to establish some regular chica contacts.

Flew from Chicago to Rio, cashed in 40,000 miles on American Airlines, paid $82 in taxes. This greatly helped my budget. American Airlines helped me a lot! First, I got an upgrade to my own row in first class from Chicago-O’Hare to Miami. Once I reached Miami, a ticket agent changed my routing so that I could go directly to Rio de Janeiro rather than stop over in Sao Paulo, I got my own row again (3 seats in coach). This is going great. Shortly before takeoff, a fight attendant asks if I would mind giving up my row for an aisle seat so she could move some unruly passengers. My reward, all I could drink, and she really made sure it was all I could drink. This is a great start to my trip.

Arrived in Rio, noticed greater security thru immigration, even for Brasilians. Next is customs, I get waived to the side for additional screening. No biggie, but they had all the people with laptops turn them on. Then they surfed through files, opening a few up. I had minimal worries (some work files that were for “official use only” that they didn’t open, but it was the first I heard of them searching laptops in Brasil. I eventually am allowed to proceed.

I step outside of the airport, catch the Riobus to Copacabana for $R6.50. Stop by Amerioca Tours and say hello to Don and Ken. I get a great apartment on Djalma Ulrich, a minute away from help for $70/nt for 10 nights. I also pick up a SIM card for Claro for my cell phone for ~$R20 that Don’s guy activates for me. For my last four days, I stayed in Copa Hostel http://www.copahostel.com.br/ a block away from my apartment, paid $R45 per night for a bed in a shared room, fine for a military guy like me

Termas. Luomo is always a dependable place. The exchange rate is usually pretty close to the going rate. Girls here are the most animated from the moment they open until closing time. They also had a special, Mon-Fri was 50% entrance before 7pm, regardless of whether you session or not. Ingrid is still awesome (http://www.sexyinbrasil.maregi.com.br/veiculo.php?id=102). My favorite though is Giselle, has toned up quite a bit and is always an amazing experience.

4x4 has the most women, as always. You cannot beat the free entrance if you session before 5. Quite some changeover from my last trip was great, I love fresh faces intermixed with some of my prior conquests. On my last day, there was a very-cute former Centarus girl that was working her first day at 4x4, I hope that I can session with her another time and once she is broken in to the 4x4 way of life.

Monte Carlo. One name says it all: Joyce (pronounced Joy-see). Very thin, seductive look. Total GFE in boite, total PSE in the room. She is a three-hole girl that wants you to inflict pain on her and also dishes it back. She had me pinch her nipples as hard as I could, and while she was on top, she bitch-slapped me. Yes, no lie. I am not a fan of being bitch-slapped, but for that moment it was hot! Sign up at their website for a free entrance on Tuesday and save $R60 entrance fee.

Cancun. There were very, very few good looking women in here. Also, they seem to be doing live bands after 7pm which didn’t seem to fit the atmosphere of a Terma. I don’t think that I would go back to Cancun unless I heard something great coming out of there.

Vila Mimosa. OK, I had to go. Everything you read about this place being a dump is true, loud, extremely dirty and I was the only non-brasilian around (or at least the most obvious.) However, I am OK with that. Took the metro to Sao Cristavao (I believe, for sure its the stop after Maracana) and then walked for about 5 minutes to Vila Mimosa. Found a cute blonde there, paid $R21 for 20 minutes. The place was actually quite clean, but the mattress was razor thin and the frame was cement, made for a bit of discomfort. Tried taking pictures here but she said she was married making extra money and didn’t want hubby to find out. I was cool with that, I figured that I got what I paid for!

Help. Help doesn’t seem to have nearly the amount of women that it used to. It gets a little busy around 130am, but during the week I didn’t see any line or rush of women trying to get in before the 12am price increase. Fridays and Saturdays are packed. Also, a lot more Termas girls are freelancing there than I noticed from prior trips. My problem girl from last trip hung around outside, alone, at the restaurant next door but never entered. I admit that I relished in her current struggles. It’s amazing how many people I have heard from that had similar negative experiences but have never said anything. Good thing about trip reports, they share intel so that others do not make the same mistakes that I have.

Olympics. I will admit, it was great to see the USA beat Brasil for the Gold Medal in women’s soccer, men’s volleyball and sand volleyball. Me and 10 other guys in help chanting USA drew some attention, but the feeling of patriotism resonated and made me quite proud. The girls also looked on with disdain originally but within moments were dancing and chanting with us…they obviously kept their eyes on the prize…mission first!

Touristy Things to do. I went to Pao do Azucar (Sugar Loaf http://www.bondinho.com.br/ ). Took the bus, walked 3 minutes. Sugar Loaf is actually two mountains, you take a cable car between each. They gave me an amazing view of the city, better than the Jesus Statue which was mixed in the clouds. The cost to do Sugar Loaf is $R44. I also saw a great game at Maracana between Flamengo and Fluminense. One rude awakening at the game: Maracana is now a dry establishment. You can drink outside before you enter the stadium but inside the only drink available is nonalcoholic beer, WTF! Fluminense should have won, Flamengo tied the game in the final minute for a 2-2 tie. I also made it out to meet a couple of ladies from Brazil Cupid in Lapa. Lapa is really cool, with bars and discotecs spread throughout, all packed with gorgeous Cariocas. Next trip…spend more time in Lapa.

Brothers-in-arms. There were many people that I met this trip that were great to hang out with that I wish I was better with names. SafaDino and Travelboy are two real cool guys to talk about the scene with. Lvdocc provided me the most important advice of the trip for which I will always be greatful. Paul, my lunchtime partner and himself a Vietnam Vet, gave me some great perspective on the good old days! And this trip, I got to meet Catacony, and after meeting him, I don’t feel so bad about him flaming my old reports. I did get a good laugh when it was pointed out that he even complains about things that he says he likes…LOL.

Exit Flights. I cannot stress this enough, check your outgoing flights online as your return date arrives. I checked the day before and found out that American Airlines cancelled a leg of my return flight. I and 3 other guys were affected, and had it not been for me, they would not have known until arriving at the airport. To compensate, my flight was moved up a day, theirs was moved back a day. Check your flights!

A great trip comes to an end. I love Brasil, but it will definitely be a while before I get back just because of the cost of everything there. I will turn my attention to other places, but Brasil will always be in my mind.

Nice concise report...good job.

Can we expect photos?

I agree with Blazers !! how about some pics ?

but they had all the people with laptops turn them on. Then they surfed through files, opening a few up. I had minimal worries (some work files that were for “official use only” that they didn’t open, but it was the first I heard of them searching laptops in Brasil. I eventually am allowed to proceed.

I've never heard of this happening to anyone, so that sucks for you. I can't imagine that is a trend.

I've taken that REAL bus from the airport many times in the last year (so I've altered my opinion of it somewhat), but not when coming into the country with all of my things. If I just had a carry-on, I'd consider it though. It is a good value, but will take about an hour to get to Copa after going through Centro and stopping at Santos Dumont for about 5 minutes. I will say that many Brasilians do take this bus with their luggage, including pilots, etc, so I would consider it relatively safe. It's comfortable but they keep it ice cold inside.

Also, I don't know about chanting USA anywhere in public like that in Brasil. I was there last summer during the Pan AM games, and it's just not the kind of attention I think is positive in Rio.

Glad you had a good time though

Thanks for the report, and I myself don't care if there are pictures or not (I don't post them myself); they can cause more trouble than they are worth, particularly in Brasil where everything gets around and everyone knows everything.

The laptop searches were unusual and strange indeed. I wonder what they were looking for. Let's hope the Christian fundamentalists in the government are not going to target sex tourists entering Brasil the way the U.S. authorities are targeting us when we return to the U.S. Perhaps we are going to need to "sanitize" our computers going in both directions.

I have never seen laptop searches in Brasil... but customs is a MAJOR pain in the ass when it comes to wanting to collect taxes. Usually they'll pick up the first group of people with laptops in the x-ray machine before customs, then others in the secondary inspectations after the luggage is picked up.

In customs, you have to prove that you took this computer out of Brasil and are returning with it, to avoid it being a taxable item. Many Brasilians of course say that it is their laptop and take it out of the box after purchasing it in the US. Well, customs makes you turn on the computer and you need to prove to them that it is not new. You better have a receipt, if they decide to tax you - they will enter in the internet and determine the price for you! if you purchased it at sale price, i.e. $200 off, and you do not have a receipt to prove it you will be shit of luck!

I have been hassled a few times (I used to bring 2 or 3 each trip), and had to pay taxes once. There are many tricks that Brasilians play to avoid taxes(which I will not share for my own self interest), but customs is not stupid either!

I am seller on mercardolivre (the Brasil version of e-bay), so each trip is a cat and mouse game with customs for me :-)

One more thing - withdraw money via ATM from HSBC. That is the absolute best rate you will get. They give you the true exchange rate from the previous day. Last Thursday the dollar closed at 1.82, which is the rate I got from the ATM the next day!

Citibank gives you a lower exchange rate - so avoid them!

If you open up an account with capitalone, you can even avoid the currency conversion fee (which typically is about 2%. Transfers into the account can all be done online, from your main bank account.

Today the dollar is hovering around 1.80

When I entered Brazil this time, there was something new. There is now an X ray machine to scan carry on luggage BEFORE you go through immigration. It definitely slowed things down and made the line longer. Not sure what they are scanning for at that point.

They are scanning for customs.....laptops, etc....

Joyce is very hot indeed. In my recent report I had to choose between her and Lilo. I loved Lilo but Joyce is the one that got away. Glad to hear details of your session. Did she allow pics? It wouldn't have mattered cause I dropped my camera while snapping Beatrice and I wouldn't have had it for Miss J.

I can live with the no pics, but it is only an informative report and not an entertaining one.

Who'd you do at 4x4?

Mexidan, great bar by bar report with good details of travel! thank you! as for the checking the laptop thing, if they find explicit pictures, do they make you delete them?

Yes, you have to delete them. Remember guys, if you're ever caught with illegal porn on your notebook, just tell the guy at Customs to delete it and all will be good.

the x-ray machine is more for Brasileros trying to get through customs without paying duties.

Recently, I had to go through customs in Argentina with two laptops owing to a failure to transfer all my needed files to a new laptop before leaving the U.S. To my surprise, the agents (who usually look like they are asleep and too bothered to even look at the x-ray monitor) caught that I had two computers and asked me about them. I was able to explain without problems, but this incident is consistent with the idea the x-ray machines (in both Argentina and Brasil) are largely to catch undeclared electronics (and for those who do not know, the import duties on electronics are horrendous in both countries, thereby leading to smuggling of electronics into both).

As to Catocony's comment about illegal porn and customs, I must say a thing or two. His comment must be interpreted in light of the rumor Catocony changes into women's clothing during weekends and works the john/hooker entrapment circuit for his local police department (yes folks, what an image, and I accept your thanks for bringing it to you). Given his history as an entrapper, I would be on guard about taking his word on this sort of issue.

Hey, I'm just bringing up a potential problem and what to do if it becomes a reality. I figure it could work, just like when you were in high school and college and the cops made you dump your beer cups out instead of tagging you for underage possession/drunk in public. Twoweekslate seems to have the idea, though by his post his main concern could be just losing porn, not the possession part.

Personally, I think it's a sign of the end of the world - or at least another Republican administration - that you would have to delete the porn on your notebook when entering the country. I'm against illegal porn but strangely enough, am against deleting it if The Man tells you to.

At least McCain helped invent internet upload sites when he was Chairman of the Commerce Department, the solution of last resort. So don't blame the Republicans for everything.

The turnover at the termas seem to me particularly high on my recent trip - around the same time at Mexidan's. I tried to session with Joyce (Monte Carlo) 2 days after Mexidan recommended her and another girl told me that she left for Portugal to work.

Two other girls that I had my eye on and one that I wanted to repeat were also MIA at Monte Carlo that next week. Of course you can't trust what another GDP tells you but other girls told me that the girls I was looking for were travelling to see their European sugar daddies! I can appreciate recommendations by other mongers but don't get your hopes up on finding a specific girl.

One Friday, I found a stunner at the cheapie Centro place called Aquarius but she was occupied with a local. I sessioned with another girl. Went back on Tuesday to try to find the stunner and the girl that I sessioned with told me that she only worked that one day! The stunner wasn't making enough money so she moved on to greener pastures but I couldn't find out where!