Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive 01	50		2003/07/19, 12:11 am

Thanks BS.

I am starting to get a deep hunger for Porto Alegre ninfeta blondes. I may venture down there after a tour of the North and Northeast and check out the city.

In generaly, is Porto Alegre a nice place to live, despite the fact that it's not next to the beach? How far away is the beach anyhow?

And how does it compare (lifestyle, women, attitude of the people) to Santa Catarina? Floripa looks nice, but the population is so small there (300,000 or so), it sounds like it could get boring.

Bomboa:

As always, it all depends what you like in life. Personally, I think POA is a GREAT place to live, but I'm very biased, since I've spent many years living there. However, the city IS consitently rated as the best major city in Brazil to live in (then again, Minneapolis/St Paul or some such place always wins it in the U.S., so these surveys are somewhat suspect).

Anyway, things I like about POA (in no particular order):

It's on a huge river/lake, plenty of opportunity for watersports, especially sailing (stop thinking perverted thoughts). Since I love to sail, there you go. And it has river beaches, although you have to go far into the southern parts of town to get a beach that's safe to swim (pollution and currents elsewhere).

It's an hour's drive to most any outdoor activity (except snowy ones) you want - the beach, the mountains, canyons, country ranches, lakes, sportfishing, etc. Even a nudist "town" near Taquara, if that's your thing. As for the ocean beaches, the closest one, Pinhal, is an hour, but it's pretty boring. The closest "popular" beach is an hour and a half - Tramandai. A note about Rio Grande do Sul beaches - physically, they're all the same.. flat, long, straight, with some dunes behind them. Good surf, but absolutely nothing to distinguish one from the other. The only differences are man-made - some have upscale houses and fun hang-out bars, etc (Tramandai, Atlantida, Capao) and the rest have either nothing at all (anything south of Pinhal) or have some small vacation houses. So you go to a particular beach depending on what crowd you want to hang out with, or where you bought a house. Anyway, it's NOTHING like Rio, way more quiet, and forget it in the winter. With one exeption - Torres, where there are some cliffs that jut out into the sea. Due to the cliffs, there are some parks,etc around them and more upscale apartments, houses, bars - it's where the rich Porto Alegreans go (and the cutest girls, although Tramandai/Atlantida/Capao are good too). Torres is 2 1/2 to 3 hours from POA. However, like a lot of Porto Alegreans, I skip Rio Grande beaches altogether and head to Santa Catarina - Laguna is about 5 hours away, Garopaba 6, Floripa 7, may all be less now that they've improved the roads. In my single days, I'd just take the overnight bus.

Enough about where you can get AWAY from POA, here's what I like about POA itself. The best way to describe it is that it's a huge small town - it has a small town, "say hi to your neighbor" feel without being provincial or too quiet. There are plays, ballet, rock concerts, all the "culture" you want, but people still gather on street corners to drink chimarrao and talk bullshit with their friends. It has plenty of parks, which people use as their extended living room.. it has good malls, and a real downtown... you can still go out for a beer at your corner bar at 1AM without (too much) danger... it has an entire circuit of cool nightspots, you can go club-crawling untill dawn any night of the week... great restuarants, cheap food... easy to make friends, I have various "circles" of friends in POA, but my favorite is based around my motorcycle mechanic - we get togeher and have churrascos in his garage with about 10 other guys over a cut-in-half oil barrel that he fires up with his air compressor... as for mongering, it's about the same as going to strip clubs here in the States, when "the guys" know they have a little extra $$ and can get away from their wives, off we go! Sauna Guiaba is the old favorite and apparently is as good as ever.... the over-all "feel" of the town is very Mediterrenean - Granada, Toulon, Livorno are all about the same size, climate, and lifestyle as Porto Alegre.

Downsides? Well, about the same as any other Brazilian city - besides the crime (on average more than the States) and the usual Brazilian chaos (nowhere near a bad as Sampa or Rio, but more than the average gringo is used to), the main problem is as usual that it's hard to "get away" or be anonymous. What I mean is that even though the city is huge, the "virtual villages" are not. If you are a guy (like me for instance) that likes sailing, jazz, and good food, chances are that you are going to have a certain circle of jazz-loving, sailing, fat friends. Any time you go sailing, clubbing, or out to restaurant, you're going to run into one of them who's going to invite you to their table, do a couple of rounds of drinks, etc. . Mighty fun and friendly the first 20 times, but after a while... Hope this makes sense. Porto Alegreans are very friendly, and it IS a huge city, but sometimes the "small townishness" can get on your nerves. And if you are married, having an affair can REALLY get interesting! I've had any number of close friends inexplicably act like I was a ghost when I ran into them untill I realized that they were NOT with their wives/noivas/namoradas... fortunately, among guys there's a code of "you don't see me today, I don't see you tomorrow", but the women will out you! Speaking of women, yes there are some real beauties in POA, especially at the 3 universities (UFRGS, PUC, ULBRA). And let's not forget the 'burbs.... AS I've written before, Sao Leopoldo (UNISINOS university) is the place to go...

Oh! another BIG downside, there's only ONE cigar store in POA with a real humidor. ONE! It's a frigging crime. Fortunately, they have a good selection of Cubans... and it's owned by a cigar fanatic LADY. ;)

OK, enough rambling, you caught me in a nostalgic mood. Answering your last question, exactly, Floripa is way too tiny, and it's dead in the winter (except for the college girls at UFSC, of course). And I have to throw in a caveat to all these statements - I haven't LIVED in Brazil (as opposed to visiting) in over 10 years. Everything has grown. My friends in POA tell me that it's no longer so that you run into the same people everywhere, there are way too many places to go nowadays, but it's still very friendly (guys I just met during my business trip last month were wanting to go hit Gruta Azul with me, if that's any indication of friendliness - of course, they were kind of vague about who would be paying the bills). Floripa must have grown too in the past 10 years. And apartments are cheap enough, nothing stops you from having one in POA and one in Rio! ;-)

Enjoy,

BS

BS,
I love it when you ramble.. I learn about brazil from a perspective that no else on the board provides. So ramble on !
I could use some of your wisdom.. Would it be alright to inbox you?

Abandonado:

Always happy to spread the bullshit ;-)

Sure, inbox is fine.

BS

Wow, great post BS. And a nudist town to boot. I don't think any gaucho would want to see me naked though.

I would love an apartment in PA. But I also want one in Floripa, Niteroi, Sao Luis, and Belem as well. Will have to remember to buy a lotto ticket next month.

Would you say Gauchas are 'sexually' more flirtatious and open than Mineiras are? I have spent a bit of time in Belo, so I have a better feel for them than I do women from RS.

Personally, I think the girls in BH are pretty cold, so what do I know? Gauchas are flirtatious and open, but you don't get that "OmiGod, a gringo, he must have money, time to take my panties off" reaction you get north of Rio. That's both bad and good, of course... you won't always wow them with just your wallet (although you'll find plenty of "tramps" if you look), but if you've got game, they're happy to play - it's still Brazil, after all! I think my record, from first meeting a girl to bedding her (non-pro, sober, gaucha, 19 years old, just to set the record straight) was 3 hours - but I had hair back then. ;-) Still, second date is about average, by then most girls either "put up or shut up" so to speak....

As for nudism, there's an "official" nudist bech about an hour north of Floripa - Praia do Pinho. It actually has a (clothed) police officer to make sure you take your clothes off! But if you've ever been to a nude beach, once the novelty wears off, it's no big deal, lotta naked women (not many good-looking ones) but no fucking allowed....

Lastly, a lot of the interactions in Brazil - regardless of wether you are in POA or BH or whever, have more to do with social class than anything else. If you stroll into your local small shop and start chatting up the salesgirls, who are making about $150 a month, your sure to get some bites. If nothing else, they appreciate getting wined and dined a little and know what's expected in return (hate to be so blunt about sexual relations, but this ain't no feminazi board, so I won't be PC). But walk into one of the high-end malls and try to chat up the little-daddy's girl rich bitches... good luck! No different from the USA or Europe really, but just way more upfront and "out in the open." And that's the same all over Brazil, just that there are less rich-bitches (patricinhas) in, lets say, Fortaleza than POA or Sampa. The only problem with the lower-class girls is that way too many of them have caught religion - Evangelical Christianity (evangelicas in portuguese). Did I ever tell you about the evangelica garota de programa I once had a session with? Fucked me then tried to convert me!!! What a crazy world....

Enjoy!

BS




(Message edited by badseed on July 30, 2003)

Too bad Floripa is so small huh? Sounds like it could be a real paradise if you added about 500,000 more people to the place. No near-by metropolitan areas either from what I tell either.

However, I priced a ticket from PA to Floripa, roundtrip, at 270R. Less than $100 US...really good price.

Again, it ALL depends what you like - some people value peace and quiet. But yeah, POA-Floripa is a quick hop, the plane barely takes off before it has to land again, and flights are pretty frequent. My advice, if you really decide you want to settle down in the south, take a few weeks, rent a car and explore. Everything is relatively close together (unlike the north of Brazil). Among other things, I've gone on vacation simply with my old VW bug, my girlfriend at the time, a tent, and my pit-bull... hopping from beach to beach, setting up camp either between sand dunes or up in the woods near waterfalls, winding up in Floripa or Praia do Pinho after a week or two. You may want to use hotels instead of camping, but it's still a good way to get a feel for what's around (and you can always invite a GP that you like to come with you - I've done that too, just watch out for cheaply-made beds!). Drive from POA to Floripa and see what you like.

BS

BS... pretty much still spot on...

I'm opening an office in POA in a few weeks so I'll have some on-site reporting

I've added Porto Alegre to my trip too. Maybe I'll fall in love with a gaucha and never leave ;-)

I found a wonderful site with some excellent images of Porto Alegre:

http://www.portoimagem.com/frameindex.html

Hey Badseed,

I am wanting to buy some property ovber looking siveira in guadapaba. Do you know any realestate agents and lawyers around there. PLease excuse the spelling.

Overlooking SIlveira in Garopaba? Silveira is backed up by dunes, if I remember correctly, then a stretch of woods and a creek - the houses don't start till across the creek. But I haven't ben there since '91 or so, so things may have changed. Still, what beach are you thinking of?

Anyway, inbox me and I'll pass you the contact info fo me real estate guy, he's in POA, but shoul dbe able to handle Garopaba (if that's where you mean).
BS

I liked Porto Alegre, and checked out the local scene. Had a good looking 19 year old blonde from Carmen on the premises, which was good. Talk to carioca, who's a Cuban who speaks English and lived in Rio for 20 years. But CBJ seems to be the norm down here.

I stayed in the Rio Branco area, and spent 2 days walking around everywhere to get a feel for the city, including all the way to the Centro and back. Seemed fairly safe to me, the gauchos are friendly, and the food is good.

I also take back any comments I made about gauchas being cold. They are pretty nice, it's just that you have to work on them if you want to lay them. And of course, being a caucasian gringo here will score no points because there are tons of people here who look just like you. Heck, they may even make more money than you, as I saw plenty of BMWs and even a Ferrari (later found out it's the owner of the coca cola factory).

The upper middle class gauchos are also well-educated, as it's the only place where I met Brazilians who spoke English perfectly, with almost no accent, when I went barhopping one night with some friends. There are German and Italian cultural centers too, where kids learn these languages from a young age to preserve their culture. Kinda cool.

I, to my surprise, got lots of attention from the local girls. I managed to 'ficar' with one at a bar that's interesting because they only speak English there. No sex though, which lead to me heading for the boates and partaking at Carmen.

Overall, gauchas are overrated though. While you will always see the stunner types at the high-end malls and clubs (very stand-offish), the middle-tier gaucha to me looked...well...like a white girl from the Midwestern United States. Kinda pale, a bit overweight or chunky, but still, cute European features I guess.

Glad you enjoyed POA. And I agree with your sentiments about the "typical" gaucha.

To illustrate the point, you may laugh, but I've always been amazed at Giselle Bundchen's popularity as a model... she's just a typical upstate german gaucha ("potato-nose", as I call them) who hasn't had kids yet (at which point she'll get nice and chubby). What's the big deal?!? Yeah she's cute, but I have a dozen cousins who look just like her (OK, maybe not as hard-bodied, but they can't afford personal trainers). Anyway, serioulsy, except for the "superstar" makeup and the chiseled body (both of which are products of money), Bundchen is pretty average "good-looking" white girl - "cute European features" as you wrote.

And yes, the stunners know that they are and are "holding out" for the guy in the Ferrari - same as Europe or USA or anywhere else. Yeah, I'm a cynic, but once you take away the flowers and romance and high-class mannerisms, it's all about economics (all about the benjamins) wherever you go. Besides wich, as a gringo just visiting town, you actually have a lot going AGAINST you. Any "good" girl who dates you is worreid about being seen by others as a "gold-digger", that's she' sonly in it for the money, etc.

Ficar is a pain in the ass - "going steady" with another name. But usually three dates is the norm - either you "get some" after the 2nd (maybe 3rd) date or move on... but don't expect anything beforehand. And if you are only in town for a few days, you're SOL. Nevertheless, if you know where to look and can speak at least some portuguese (to supplemet your English), there is plenty of non-pro action in POA. Hell, last time I went (June), I had a date lined up before I got off the plane (my seat was next to a "cute little European" ... and the guy on her other side was gay, so easy fishing). Suggestions for good "hunting grounds" - shopgirls as always, anywhere near PUC university (forget about UFRGS girls), Sao Leopoldo bars (up the road 30 minutes), Bom Fim bars at night (next to downtown), and may as well try your luck on "Calcada da Fama" at night in Moinhos... it's POA's most upscale district, but there are enough "wannabe" girls in the midst of the REAL rich girls to keep you busy. In general, make friends with some single guys and they'll lead you to the girls (especially if you pay for a round or two of drinks)... gauchos aren't selfish! ;-)

BS

(Message edited by badseed on October 30, 2003)

I liked Moinhos, and enjoyed the city's European flavor. For example, I thought it was charming seeing young gauchas escorting their old moms or grandmas down the street by hand as they took their afternoon walks.

I have no doubt POA is a fine city to live in based on my time there, although it's not exactly perfect for me. Interestingly enough, Veja ranked it as the top city in Brazil where men and women cheat on their partners. You know the average gaucha is not that great looking, because men would stop and stare at the bunda of a decent looking girl; the very same decent looking girl would not draw a glance from most Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro for example. It's just a different genetic mix down there for the most part.

The Bom Fim bars are GREAT. A nice change of pace from the mostly pretentious crowd that seems to hang at Dado Bier. Lots of wanna-be patricinhas at this place, as BS mentioned.

BTW,

I re-read the posts on this topic and saw Athos' remark about how it took him 20 minutes to spot a looker in POA.

I totally agree with this statement, and I have eagle eyes + gatinha radar.

I spent about 6-7 hours a day walking around everywhere from shopping malls to the Mercado Publico. It was hard to spot a looker.

In the Centro, the quality was piss poor. Better in the shopping malls, but certainly not girls even expecting to get "picked up." It's like the U.S. more than the Nordeste.

It's much better in the boates, but kind of hit or miss with the patricinha crowd.

Porto Allegre, is a great place to visit for about 3 days only. Make sure you arrive Thursday and leave Sunday. The best place to visit for non-pro action was Carman's. Most of the local girls go there to earn a little spending money. Carman speak English and most of the girls speak a little Spanish. Prices were RS$200 and carman had about 10 to 15 rooms up stairs and all the taxi know where carman's place is, it is a must to Visit lot of good looking girls. The place does not get going until about 10pm. I stay at the Holiday Inn, Guess friendly for about US$8.

.

(Message edited by sekr60 on July 11, 2005)

Tampaman, Carmen's is strictly P4P!

All of the garotas are pro's or semi-pro's, is what you are thinking, right?

Indeed; Carmen's in completely professional P4P. No non-pros or semi-pros to be found there.

sauna scene sucks big time in POA. Tried guaiba, awful selection and expensive. Owner owns Oasis so did not try it. Karadanche has right concept but stunners are at the mall not working at K on festa night. Escort scene is good, called amanda and a 7 shows up at my door, playboy oct 05, not bad. Nigth scene, had bad memories of gruta azul, so sticked to Carmen, more details in Carmen thread. Overall I am getting tired of gaucha attitude but ok stop for those who like the gaucha look.

If you dont mind a 45 min taxi trek, there is a boate called Kalibu 4000 in Novo Hamburgo but it´s hit and miss, they recruit playboy material garotas supposedly once in a while. 1 garota at guaiba mentioned this is the best talent in this part of the world but not as consistent as Carmen.

I am in POA now and am quite amazed at the number of cheap venues: street action, casas, and low-end clubs. I especially like the olive-skinned raven-haired mestiza types, and there´s lots of them here. Wish I had the time and energy to sample them all.

With BwanaDik comment about Karadanche being good on last thu of the month, i was there first thu of the month, then I am giving thumbs up to POA for a short stint 3 to 4 nights. Very expensive but Brasil seems to be expensive everywhere these days. But look for gauchas, paranesas and catarinesas.

The low-end casas in Centro can be lots of fun. There are several "4-floors-of-whores" types of places in a small area in Centro, with sessions available on-site for between 50-100 reais. You have to look awhile to find a looker in these places, but most of the girls aim to please.

If you want stunners, the best options are the escort agencies, especially BRTops and Golden Amanda. Next in line would be Carmen's.

Have fun, Bendejo. If you're in town on Sunday, be sure to go to Redenção Park (actually named Parque Farroupilha) for the "brique." Everybody in town comes to stroll through the park, buy arts, crafts and antiques, drink their chimarrão, and ogle the beautiful women.

After reading Bwana's report on Porto Allegre I am thinking about making a 3-4 day side trip in Jan 06.

What does a round trip ticket from Rio to Porto Allegre cost? What times does the flights arrive and leave Porto Allegre? How long is the flight time? What days are the best for a whoring side trip? Wed, Thur, Fri?

Should I book my hotel and flights here in the States or thru a travel agency in Rio.

Also any ideals after average 70-80 usd hotel, plane and whoring (1 pop a day at major clubs) would costs for 3 nights? 1500-2000 reals?

Thanks

The cheapest way to fly from Rio to POA (and really, in Brasil in general) is on Gol. You can book flights on their website or through any agency once in Brasil. As far as airport options, when I went I flew Varig/Tam from the domestic downtown airport in Rio to the big domestic airport in Sampa, then connected down. It was about 3 hours, with the connection. Direct nonstop flights from GIG to POA are about an hour and 15 minutes or so. Note - some of the direct flights do a quick a stop in Santa Catarina or Curatiba, at least when I was booking flights earlier this year they did.

I didn't get a chance to monger at all in POA as i was there for work (and had the GF with me), but one thing that needs to be repeated - POA is very cheap in regards to food, drink and taxis. A good meal is around R$15 there, and the taxis seemed to be a solid 40% cheaper than an equivelent ride in Rio.

One other point that has been made but needs to be emphasized: Portuguese language skills are way more important in POA than in Rio. The scene in Rio is a blend of locals and tourists, but in POA it is a purely local scene. Tourists in the clubs and saunas are pretty unusual, and things are just not as "English-friendly" (no price lists in English, etc.) and far fewer English speakers are to be found.

Thought I'd resurrect the general discussion thread here. I've just started to live in Porto Alegre for a year and while I don't know the scene or my Portuguese very well, that should change rapidly as I settle in. Drop me a message if you're in town. Tchau!

Hey Broman "good luck" to you down there buddy. I hear they have a lot of blondes so I might visit someday. Enjoy the life amigo! - Hemp

Boa sorte, Broman. As gaúchas são as melhores garotas no Brasil.

Hemp, there are a lot of blondes. You'd love it.

Bwana, finally going to try to get out to Sauna Karadanche this afternoon/evening for the festa, but the weather has been bad. May wait it out and hit Carmen's instead. We'll see.

Broman,

The big festa is the final Thur. of the month. Go on the 25th! They have a special themed festa that looks like fun.

Bwana