1. Pao de Acucar aka "Sugarloaf". This is the "rock" that appears to be in the bay that juts up out of nowhere. You take 2 trams to get up to the top. Great place to go to watch the sun set & the the city of Rio light up in the early evening. It is easy to get here on the bus - just get the Urca bus & it will drop you off at the base of the lower tram.

2. Cocovado. This is the statue of Christ that you will see constantly as you drive around Rio.

3. Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens). Lots of beautiful plants/trees etc. Go here in the afternoon then stop off at Termas Solarium.

4.Parque Nacional da Tijuca. This is the largest natural urban reserve in the world. This is located about 10miles north of downtown. Amazing selection of trees etc. The beaches in Barra are also the nicest in the great Rio area. So do the Park & then the beach.

There also is a termas called Venus Prateado in Barra. Here is the link -http://members.tripod.com/palomario/

Here is the address -
Rua Dr. Crespo, 17 - Recreio
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Tel: (21) 490 2383 e 9605 4937

Youngtom,
Í've been to most of the termas but I've never heard of this one in Barra before. Do you have any first hand information on it?

I haven't been yet. I'm planning on going my next trip. I had a friend who went & he had a great time. He said that they had a pool & BBQ. It looks like their website will be back up on the 20th of June. It has a map, photos of the place, and photos of the girls.

Stayawayjoe - Have you ever heard of Paradisio in Barra before? I've heard good stories about that termas but I can't figure out where it is.

I have heard of a Paradise house in Barra but I have never been there. I found their website at tie at www.hotmidia.com.br/paradise/
Looks like another place I'll have to check out.

I made it to Paradise. It is located in the middle of nowhere. The layout of the place was great - pool, bbq grill, surrounded by massive hills. Quality of chicas was a bit low though.

I took the bus up to Barra da Tijuca. The beach is extremely scenic up there. Well worth the trip.

The only tourist spot I made it to was Copacabana beach 1/2 a block from my hotel room.
Oh well maybe next time.

I guess this could qualify as sightseeing. There are 2 big malls in Rio.

The first is Rio Sul. I think that the neighborhood is Botafoco (sp). It is easy to find. If you are staying in Copacabana, you get on Prince Isabella heading away from the praia (beach) then go thru the tunnel. Immediately after going thru the tunnel, the mall is on the right. It might be closed on Sundays (it definitely is closed at 11:30am on sundays).

The other big mall is Barra Shopping. It is located up in Barra. This is about 30 minutes or so west of Rio.

Both malls have tons of stores.

Lots of good looking women as well.

At night near Help, there are also merchants selling T-Shirts 3 for 10R, wood arts and kitchen stuff, cheap jewelry.
Don't buy T-Shirts during the day by the beach as they ask for 10R.
They seem to always have Brazilian team soccer shirt but I bought my team soccer shirt for less than $30 in sports store, here in TJ or SD it is $65.
Also at the store, pick a nice garota to help you as she gets her commission that way, easy way to help her out.
If you are too lazy to go to Rio Sul like I was, walk along Copacabana as it has plenty of stores and small shopping malls.

Yes: It is really the space between the two roads that constitute Ave. Atlantica. More like a street night market of Temple St. Kowloon,HKG

Here is some info on Zona Norte. Sounds like a interesting field trip.

NYTimes --- March 3, 2002

THE CITY'S SOUL LIES BEYOND THE TUNNEL

By Larry Rohter
[Larry Rohter is the Rio bureau chief of The Times.]

Rio de Janeiro was the first city I visited outside the United States, almost 30 years ago, and from the start it has seemed to me to be not one city but two. First, there are the beaches and the landmarks known from postcards, movies and songs: Copacabana, Ipanema and Sugar Loaf -- the official, acclaimed Rio visible from the foot of the giant statue of Christ atop Corcovado Mountain.

But just off to the left of that vantage point, hidden in plain view, is another, very different city, known to local people as alem do tunel (''beyond the tunnel''), referring to the Reboucas Tunnel that slices through Corcovado and divides Rio into southern and northern zones. It is there, in largely ignored neighborhoods like Vila Isabel and Tijuca, that I think the essence of Rio's character, its true soul, can be found.

I have nothing against the Zona Sul, mind you. I've lived in Ipanema and Leblon. And a year ago, my wife, Clotilde, and I moved to a house in S-o Conrado with a tantalizing view of the ocean. But there is an expression in Portuguese to describe anything done for show or to make a good impression: e coisa para ingles ver -- it's something for the English to see.'' Too often the Zona Sul seems such a place, full as it is of Brazilians determined to let you know that they are attuned to the current intellectual or fashion trend in London, New York, Paris or Milan.

Beyond the tunnel these things aren't important. Since the residents of the Zona Norte don't see foreigners much, they aren't preoccupied with making the right impression. As a result, they appear more comfortable in their own skins, and it's easier to catch them acting like Cariocas: cordial, gregarious, impulsive and jocular, their emotions close to the surface.

There are dozens of neighborhoods beyond the tunnel, but the one I have always liked the most is Vila Isabel, almost the archetype of a traditional district. I lived there when I first moved to Rio in 1977, and a daily stroll up Rua 28 de Setembro, the lively main street, quickly became part of my routine, and my introduction to life in Brazil.

The country was living under a military dictatorship then, and the military police barracks, one of the most notorious detention centers for political prisoners, was less than a mile away, on Rua Bar-o de Mesquita. But in Vila Isabel I came to realize how talented Cariocas could be in creating a private life independent of the grim political situation.

Then, as now, the neighborhood's most popular hangout was the Petisco da Vila bar and restaurant, a place to have a cold drink on a hot day and listen to the sambas of Martinho da Vila, the area's favorite son. All up and down Rua 28 de Setembro, there are other botequims serving freshly squeezed fruit juices or joltingly strong cafezinhos in tiny porcelain cups. In those refuges and out on the sidewalks, inlaid with stone patterns in the form of sheet music, the talk was of samba and soccer. My wife, who was brought up in nearby Tijuca, has relatives who still live in the neighborhood, and it is reassuring, after all these years, to visit them and see how little things have changed.

Farther north, just across the railroad tracks of the Central do Brasil railroad line, lies S-o Cristov-o, another kind of enclave at odds with Rio's sophisticated image. Since the 1950's, this has been the place where migrants from the poverty-stricken Brazilian northeast gather on Sundays to sell and trade tools and medicines, or to dance to forro, the loud, accordion-driven music of their native region, under stifling canvas awnings.

The presence of country folk notwithstanding, S-o Cristov-o is a neighborhood with a marked Portuguese influence, and a wonderful restaurant called the Adeg-o Portugues, serving many variations of codfish. Here, too, is the home stadium of the champion Vasco da Gama soccer team, adorned with blue-and-white Portuguese tiles and offering the chance to attend a game in a more intimate setting than that of nearby Maracan-, the largest soccer stadium in the world.

I like the Zona Norte also for its many plazas, the model of which is Praca Saens Pena in Tijuca, the last stop on the main subway line. The half-dozen movie theaters that used to be the main attraction have vanished in recent years, driven out of business by glitzy multiplexes in the Barra da Tijuca. But couples still come here to court, and you can still buy coconut candy, churros or corn on the cob from vendors, or have your portrait taken by an itinerant photographer using a bulky, old-fashioned camera on a tripod.

One of the most pleasant features of life in Rio is the feira livre, mobile street markets that offer fruits and vegetables with such exotic, mellifluous names as maracuja, chuchu, gilo and abobora, as well as the best pineapples in the world, or so my wife swears. On the edges are stands selling the medicinal plants and potions used in macumba, the Brazilian cousin to Caribbean voodoo and Santeria.

In the Zona Sul, the lady of the house usually sends her maid or cook to the market. But beyond the tunnel, the housewife herself is more likely to be buying, and you can listen to the flirtatious banter between vendor and client as they haggle. Many of the purveyors are Portuguese immigrants whose clipped, almost guttural accent contrasts sharply with the liquid, melodious speech of the Cariocas.

Increasingly, though, I find myself wondering how much longer that duality, which seems an essential part of Rio's character, can last. Most of the city's growth in recent years has been westward toward the Barra da Tijuca, a tendency that blurs the traditional distinction between north and south. The only consolation for someone like me is this: the more the city as a whole changes, the less pressure on my favorite old neighborhoods to change with it.

YT,
I read that last week myself. Good idea to post it. There's a lot more to Rio than we have been exposing ourselves to.

Athos - since your next trip is going to be for a full 2 weeks, are you going to try to squeeze in a trip to Sugarloaf between Help, termas, agency girls and Lido?

YT
Yes I will try to get a garota to go with me to Sugarloaf when I hit the wall so I can take some tourist pictures. I'll plan this on a weekend as I will probably target a terma garota.
My siblings keep asking me about pictures from Rio But I also promised my boss I will show him my best picture of a female garota style.

Athos- Why are you going to target a terma gal?

I found this to be funny this trip...On the first trip the terma girls were not easy to get outside...this trip I found them asking me especially 4x4 and Solarium...So you might be in luck with the slow season I am guessing...but they are the high volume girls...I thought you liked the low volume...

I did a lot of sightseeing off the path this time...quite interesting..also went to Barra shopping mall...wow that place in more expensive than USA.

You can always find termas girls to meet up with you outside of the termas. There are some things that help - learning to speak some Portuguese (Athos seems to be doing well in this department)& repeating with a girl. Of course, there are some termas girls that won't meet any guy outside of the termas.

Layne - what are some of the places that you went sightseeing?

Layne87
Good question, I am not the expert at long term session so this would be new territory for me. Kinda of a hassle for me just thinking about it.
I was thinking terma garotas work during the week so perfect for weekend fun then I could dump her as she has to go back to work while a Lido or Help garota would be looking for me every night.

Athos: The first time I went to Rio I thought I should see some of the outdoor sights one day. What I did was take a morning half day tour of Rio. A van took a few Americans and South Americans to Corcovado (Go on a clear day.), the Sambadrome (I thought Carnaval took place on the streets, and my jaw dropped when the guide explained what the Sambadrome was.), Maracana Stadium (Well, the outside of Maracana Stadium.), and went by but not into a flavela (Driving just about anywhere in Rio, you drive by a flavela.). If you wish, you can take the afternoon tour, which includes Sugarloaf, but I had some indoor sightseeing to do. I got dropped off at the hotel by noon or 1PM, washed up and hit my first termas for the day. You can take two weeks worth of pictures in one morning. The downside is that no garota is going to accompany you on this early morning trip.

The only thing that I've ever gotten any photos of in Rio are the samba parades - http://community.webshots.com/user/riotom

Nice pics. I'm telling people that I'm learning Portuguese because I want to go to Carnaval next year. I'm really enjoying the Sambas de Enredo 2002 cds.

I bought one DVD that was entitled Carnaval. The sales clerk raised an eyebrow when I bought it. I thought I was buying a DVD of the Carnaval parade. It's a DVD of what must be a hookers or porno Carnaval ball (aptly termed). It shows guys putting their fingers in and tongues in samba dancing women on the ballroom (another apt term) floor. It raised my eyebrows. What the brasileiros got away with, and what the brasileiras let the brasileiros do shocked even me. I don't even see this kind of stuff in a termas boite. The last fifth of the DVD was straight porn with some of the women dancers and guys in the Canaval ball screwing in the mens banheiro.

When I bought my Rio map at Barnes and Noble, the young gringa was impressed.

Athos- I did meet a sweetheart mulatta in 4x4 goes by Ro or bombom(perfect butt and skin). She loves to go out on weekends. Even tho she was a terma she was very sweet and I would have if not for my marriages to P and C on this trip. I am split over the long term session with these girls. There is definite good and bad. I might agree with you on a terma girl because I believe they are the best providers for sex. They just know most of the tricks it seems. But with that there is always a Help girl who can rock your boat also but hit or miss as always. I was referred to one on this last trip and caught her before going in and she was one of the all time best and often overlooked becasue she is a tall Mulatta. Speaking of which , I have not seen your GF from last years trip either time I was there. What happened to her?

YT- Camila took me to the places gringos do not go. Not really sight seeing per say but educational. She actually took me by the hillside area where I would never tread into. This place is not SAFE. The people in these places where ok friendly but I stand out in a crowd too much to blend in and caused too much of a topic of conversation to them. Funny thing I wanted to see the tourist things like sugarloaf and both C and P laughed at me.

Layne87
You mean Claudia from Help. I think she leaves in the countryside and works once in a while. She mentioned her home cost 20k over there.
I stopped communications as I was not interested in long term relationship.
The garota that I really liked was Kate from Rio Antigo but she may not work there anymore from previous reports but I do have her num in case it has not changed.
I am more into butterflying and staying detached is easier for me.

I believe the terma girls to be a little less mercenary in there dealings than indies outside the terma. Sorta like it's fun time for them as they know they'll get their jack when they go back to work.
I also like the added security of already knowing they're great and where they work.

I also wonder if the terma girls are any higher or less in milage? Very few terma girls make a career of it; besides, Low milage is not the Brazillian way

True low mileage is rare in Rio, but I talked with a terma girl at length and she states some nights she can do up to 6!! She would never go below 3-4...On the other side..I met 2 Help girls who averaged only 4 a month...Both had great bodies..one was only ok but the other was super nice girl...both rated about a 7 on face..Of course were they telling the truth???

View of sun rising over Atlantico from the hotel Debret.

Here is Corvovado. It is probably the best view of Rio.

Here is what Pao de Acucar aka "Sugarloaf" looks like from Corcovado

Photo of Copacabana & its beach with Sugarloaf in the far background

Pretty pictures. I didn't know any of you Rio experts did anything besides screw all day and night. Did you actually take these shots or did they come off of some vender?

I notice that the mountains seem to come right down into Rio. I would assume that there must be some really scenic places outside of the city. Probably some cute towns also for the folks with money or places for weekend getaways. Have you ever left Rio to see what the surrounding areas look like? I bet there would be GFE potential in maybe taking someone out of the termas or clubs for a day in the campo.

I've made it as far as Barra da Tijuca which has some gorgeous beaches (it is kinda of suburb of Rio for the rich (located maybe 10-15 miles from Rio)- since there aren't 10 million people living there, the beaches remain pristine). About 100 miles from Rio is Buzios which is a resort that has become world famous (due to its beautful beaches). Mention Buzios to any woman & she'll show up at your hotel packed & ready to go within a half hour. I'm hoping to spend 2-3 days with a termas girl in Buzios sometime in the near future. The beaches between Barra da Tijuca and Buzios are also supposed to be gorgeous but one probably needs to car to get there.

YT. Are you going to drive the car, or your lady friend? I think that I would not want to drive a car myself there because I do not understand the Brazilian legal system. If your frined can drive, that in my opinion would be the best.

Some of the Brazilian car rental agencies look like the prices are really reasonable. There is one called (or similar name) "Localiza" that look like you can get a small car the size of a Focus, or the small Brazilian Chey, the Pollo (or smilar name) for R$25, or R$30 / day. If you try to make a reservation through a US car agency like Herts, or Budget, the want an arm & a leg.

Good luck. IT will be interesting to hear about your car rental experience.

Me drive in Brazil? No way ( I agree with you regarding the Brazil legal system as well as the theft issue). Sounds like there are several great bus options to get from Rio to Buzios.

YT,
I am going to go to Buzios for a couple of days and would appreciate if you could give info on how the bus is and where you stayed..and any other details -thanks

Khunjbl - I haven't actually been yet but I did find some good information on Buzios. Check out the Brazil/Buzios thread. There is a good link there on buses as well as someother information.

I've been to both Buzios and Barra da Tijuca. I liked both and there should be good info on the thread YT mentioned. I have found out that there are buses (mini vans most likely) that do go to Buzios and should not cost more than 300R round trip for both! Buzios is very pretty and has a lot of different beaches there.

I liked Barra da Tijuca. It is as described by YT and is a great place to go if you don't feel like a 2-3 hr trip to Buzios. You can get a beach front hotel for $180R or less if your negotiating skills are good. (Hotel Praia Linda is a good hotel with a good Cafe a Manha)

I would suggest that you have your favorita (that you trust) do all the calling and negotioating. She should be able to get very good discounts. (Mine did and still does). This also holds true for hotels in Copa\Ipanema. Also don't forget to either negotiate a half day rate if your flight leaves late at night

It's also starting to get a bit nippy for beachin it. (Barra da Tijuca has more "non beach" activities that Buzios)

yeah but that damn mall is more expensive than any in the US...cool theater and game place tho...

Not that I'm a big shopper (I mostly girl watch in the malls) but my experience on the malls is that prices depend on whether the item was imported or not. If it is imported, then prices can be very high. It is is made locally then prices are cheap/reasonable.

I must have bought every thing imported then...

I only buy choppe and food. My favorita has bought clothes twice....on 5 trips to the mall! I keep her ass in line! haha

There is a Chopperia (sp?) across from the Harley Shop in New York (I forget if it's called NYC Shop or NYC Mall) that has a good vareity of "fruit Caprainias (sp?).

The eye candy is great at Barra Shopping and New York. I always get accused of "Baba Babying" it when we go. I don't mind though, as the make up sex is pretty fun!

another Kelly Key fan I see

Pao de Acucar aka "Sugarloaf"



Nitrol as seen from Pao de Acucar



Corcovado from the scenic view



Ipanema Beach

Youngtom.. I actually can see photographic evidence that you made it out of the thermas, at least long enough to take these pictures..
way to go Youngtom..

A guy has gotta do something before going to the termas. If any of you guys need to know where to buy some photos so the wife or someone state side thinks that you really went on vacation then let me know. For $50, I can help you out. Just kidding, lots of great stuff to see in Rio. Sugarloaf & Corcovado are easy to get to & must visit stops for all; I try to hit them both on every visit.

Take care Kenn.

YT,

Good shots-I went to both Sugarloaf and Corcovado too and they were great. I took about 100 "legit" photos for the family and friends. There's a lot of other stuff to do, but I never had time-too busy obsessing on what Terma to go to. Maybe next time.....

HC1

Termas don't open until early afternoon. Plenty of time to check out Rio. It is a beautiful place.

Here a shot of Alto da Boa Vista (from the Barra da Tijuca angle). You can hike up it& the view is fantastic.

On my first Rio trip I'm embarrassed to admit that I never hit any of the major tourist sites. My only sightseeing were the termas and Help and time wasn't even an excuse. I was there for two weeks!

This time I'm going to try hit the tourist scene ie museums, sugarloaf, corcovado maybe a soccer game. My question what is the best way to do this? Should I take one of those all day tours you see advertise in all the travel agents window? How about a favela tour. Has anyone ever gone?

On a cloudy day, head to the mall as currently great eye candy with xmas shopping and good economy plus you get to see gdps either shopping too or possibly with 70 year clients.
On sun, if you have plenty of time ánd some game, head to shenanigans in ipanema to practice your portuguese or try to pick up some local cuties in the 6 to 7 range in looks.

is shenanigans the pub across from the park where the hippie fair is? and how about other nights of the week...are the local cuties to be found there on other nights as well? I arrive Monday afternoon!

You should be there for St. Pattys day.....It was packed.

riofan
yeah shenanigans is facing a praca which has feiras, it's right on visconde de piraja, copa side. Entrance is small but if you look up easy to see as it has big balcony.
Waitresses are not bad looking and speak english. Food is not bad and expensive.