The High and the Low

As is probably obvious from my report I am a big fan of the Rio termas. However, they are not the only options open to the Rio traveler. Some people are attracted to the more adventurous economy options and some prefer the more luxurious upper tier opportunities. Fortunately, Rio can easily accommodate both ends. Let’s begin with the bottom and work our way up.

VILLA MIMOSA: BARGAIN HUNTER’S DELIGHT

Villa Mimosa is a local, blue collar, red light district about a twenty-five minute cab ride from Copacabana. Mimosa is NOT a tourist spot and I would not recommend a trip without a local guide or at least a solid knowledge of Portuguese. The place looks more third world than any Rio spot outside a favella. It is made up of several blocks of small bars, which honeycomb back through the interiors. The bars are basic and the prices are cheap. The quality of the girls runs from the occasionally delectable to the unbelievably squalid. This place is too bright for color TV, and I was appalled more often than I was inspired. I did see some cute young things (some of them had to be underage), and I saw several who were quite doable. The arrangement of the place allows for two types of interactions…First, one can take a girl back to a small room in the back and conduct a twenty min session for 20R. Second, one can take a girl out for the evening for 50R. I think this is for all night but I am unclear how this money is split. This second option seems to be the choice with many tourist types who look for a diamond in the rough and take advantage of the bargain rates. If one is looking for new talent this plan has its merits. I tried the other option and had one of the few really bad experiences of any of my Rio trips. Bored and indifferent sex in a squalid room where I was afraid to remove my shoes is just not appealing to me. I only tried the one and I’m sure there are better to be had, but one was enough to send me back to the comforts of Copacabana. Here are a couple of pictures that I took rather secretly. The locals did not seem to like the camera and I didn’t want to make any enemies.



For the adventurous and the budget minded Villa Mimosa provides an opportunity for an intense dose of local color. However most travelers will probably be more comfortable with the entertainments in Copacabana. At the higher end of the spectrum of those entertainments lie the clubs of the Lido.

THE LIDO

The Lido refers to the area around Av. Princessa Isabella on the north end of Copacabana. This area is home to several famous clubs and some of Rio’s most beautiful women. Many people love Barbarella’s. Despite its wealth of beauties, I am not among them. I find the club to be an expensive hustle with bad service and worse attitudes. The girls here have a high opinion of themselves and act more like American girls than Brazilians. There are some stunning beauties here and it is worth a look if you do not mind paying a 50R entry fee. The club makes its money on overpriced drinks and they are not above padding the bill. This is not limited to Barbarella’s…all the clubs in this area will do it so, watch yourself. B’s however, is especially good at it. You can read about Barbarella’s abundantly in the posts of others so I will leave it at that.

There are several other clubs in this area which vary in their quality but the one with which I am most familiar is Frank’s. Frank’s is a much smaller club than Barbarella’s, but some of the women are comparable. The minimum drink charge is 30R and you can get two drinks for that if you do not order anything outrageous. If you find a girl you wish to take out it will cost you another 30R but you can also get her a few drinks for that price. Some of the girls you will find here are directly employed as dancers and some are just seeking your companionship for the evening. All of the girls here ask 200R, and I have paid this amount, but I have also arranged afternoon and evening appointments with the very same girls for 150R. Things are always open to negotiations. Frank’s provides a great chance to see the girls unclothed in advance and some of these girls are well worth seeing. In addition to the normal pole dancing there is a show beginning at 1:00 which includes some interesting theme dancing, a lesbian show, and a full sex show…choose you seats appropriately. There is no reason to visit any of these clubs before 11:00, but the crowds start to filter in about that time. I have had fairly good luck here and some of these girls are quite talented. One girl in particular is Fernanda. F has been featured in these pages before and she is exceptional. I refer to her as “the man-eater”. Her charms are not for the weak of heart.

Photos: Extravaganza 72 73 74 75 76 77

There are several girls here of this quality but I feel I must issue a warning about one. She goes by the name Katia and she is beautiful. She looks like Julia Stiles with better breasts and I am hard pressed to find a flaw in her body. However, she is a bit of a bitch and she is not above playing one customer off against another to run up the price. She played this game on me and I found it most unpleasant. My friend Dood did her and said she provided real sweetheart sex. These pictures are compliments of Dood. (They were taken in my bed so I feel justified in providing them.) She is also that rare Brazilian commodity…a natural blond.

Photos: Extravaganza 78 79 80 81 82

For those who do not mind a little playing hard to get this just might be your girl. I found her games tiresome but I can’t deny her appeal. I feel one hell of a grudge fuck coming on. I just hope she is still around when I get back. If not I can always find a girl who looks like her and do her instead. Got to love those choices in Rio. In fact, my difficulties with Katia left the door open for an even better replacement…also found in Frank’s. This girl seemed to be in the “not directly employed” category. That is, she did not dance, but I had little doubt as to her charms. She turned out to be very enthusiastic and athletic and I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent together. My only complaint was that she was very quiet. I must be spoiled, but if they’re not screaming I just don’t feel like I’ve done my job. I know this type of thing doesn’t bother most folks but, like I said, I’m spoiled.

At any rate here she is. I think you will agree that Katia did me a real favor.

Photos: Extravaganza 83 84 85 86

Frank’s is a relatively small club and the pool of talent is not particularly large, but there are some gems to found. It is necessary to make a decision fairly decisively since one cannot simply wait 40 min for a girl to get back like in a terma. If someone else snags your lovely you will probably have to forget her for the night and make another choice. However, despite their limitations, clubs like Frank’s are an enjoyable option for the 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM time slot. If you do not hook up here you will probably grab a cab and head back to the fashion parade in and around HELP. On the way you may be tempted by the scores of women lining Ave. Atlantica. I must admit to having been tempted here myself on earlier trips, and the quality of women of late seems to be going up. However, a word of warning is appropriate here. There is usually a reason these women work this venue and is usually not a good one. The girls who fail those frequent tests at the termas must go somewhere. Ditto for the large population of Brazilian transsexuals. Danger, disease, and disguise are far greater possibilities here than elsewhere, and, unless these things appeal to you, these women are probably better avoided. Safer alternatives abound…why chance it?

LOVE MOTELS

Since I am discussing the upper end alternatives I would like to add a word about the Brazilian Love Motels. These are not the sleezy XXX motels we sometimes run into in the states. In Brazil these are full service, luxury facilities specifically arranged for the couple who require a few hours of privacy and comfort. Discretion is the keyword (most suites have private garages in some places) and this makes them perfect for the business traveler who wants to keep his hobby activities private. The links section of this site contains numerous listings for such motels in Rio and I would direct your attention there. However I visited one of these facilities on my last trip to scout it for future activities and I was much impressed. Possibly the most luxurious of the Rio motels is VIPS. They have suites ranging from 60R to 450R for 8 hours. The Motel stand on a cliff overlooking the ocean and every suite has a balcony or terrace and a phenomenal view. The interiors are luxurious and well equipped. I sure know where I am going to shoot my next porno film. This would be a great place for that special blowout for those who like everything catered and all details attended to. Of course, the hotel does not supply the girls, but, in Rio, that is no problem. Either scout your own talent or get someone like Don to make some suggestions from his list of tried and true lovlies. Don was with me when we scouted VIPS, and he has a pretty good in with the management there. As I have said before, Don is no pimp, but hanging out with a steady stream of hobbyist has given him some intimate knowledge of who is good and reliable and who is not. Just to give you an idea of the quality of young ladies that Don keeps on his speed dial here is a picture of Danielle, as sweet and delightful a companion as anyone could wish for. I had seen another picture of her and asked Don if he knew her. He did and a phone call was all it took.

Photo: Extravaganza 87

Lest I forget, here are a couple of shots of VIPS.






Sorry about the cloudy day, but I think you get the idea. The largest suite we saw had 3 levels. Big screen TV, sauna and steam, a full dining room, two pools, terraces with waterfalls, mirrored beds, specialty sex chairs, and a workout room. It struck me as a great place for a party, and isn’t that the quintessence of Rio… one hell of a place for a party?

Well, that pretty much covers the research I have been able to do up to this point. Strangely I feel that I have barely scratched the surface. I do know that the more I see of Rio the better I like it, and I have been taking steps to make it possible to spend more time there. On my last trip I closed on an apartment which has subsequently been renovated to make it as comfortable and convenient as possible. My thought was to design a place that would be perfect for men who, like me, enjoyed a safe and reasonable alternative to the hotels and barebones apartments usually available to tourists. A place where both we and the girls could relax. The key here is convenience. This place is a penthouse with a view of sugarloaf. It’s 1 ½ blocks from the beach, and it’s a ten min walk either to HELP or to two termas. I’m including some pictures and I would welcome some feedback. I know I can’t wait to get back to continue this fascinating research. Just think how many more girls will have turned 18 by the time I return.

Note: The apartment has just undergone some major renovation and the cosmetic stuff has not yet been completed. These pics are the earliest ones in a habitable state. When I get back down in the fall I will spruce it up a bit and do the finishing touches. If hope this crass commercialism doesn’t offend anyone, but I’m just trying to provide good digs for myself and those like me who love Rio.

Besides, I think all these pictures are worth a little pimping.




Happy Trails and good hunting,

The_Artist

Another great post.

Thanks much for the post - will you be my tourguide?

Will be in Rio at end of August and can't wait - still weighing options regarding hotel vs. apartment - i like the luxury side of things and would look forward to hearing about luxury type accomodations for a week that are garota friendly.

Thanks agian artist

The_Artist - another great report - thanks.

Just wanted to point out that one can take a quick stroll around all the Lido clubs to see if there is anything that catches one's eye. If you don't see anything to your liking then you don't have to pay the cover charge. You just need to ask the doorman if you can look around first.

Villa Mimosa clearly is the worst of Rio. I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to go there.

Help probably survives mostly on its great reputation from years long gone by. I'm not really a big fan of it either (alot of the girls in there have the worst attitudes that I've seen in Rio) but you were very hard on it. I'll usually end up in there one time per trip when nothing is happening late night. I totally agree that the Lido clubs are a better late night option.

Thanks again for the fine series of reports.

This was a great report series, almost felt like seeing a documentary on PBS...

Thanks for a nice report. Villa Mimosa is not all that bad, can be a lot of fun.

Let's try this again.

Crafter,
I would like nothing better than to be a tour guide in Rio. Oh would that i could. Unfortunately I won't be back down until Nov. or Dec.I doubt you really need a guide but, if you do, you could do a lot worse than my friend Don. He can be reached at riotrips@hotmail.com
Don has been mentioned many times on these pages and he is really excellent.

Youngtom,
Yeah I guess I was a little hard on HELP, but as I experience more and more of Rio, the charms of HELP suffer from the comparison. I just want to give as clear a review as possible so that travelers can know what they are getting into. I must admit that I give in to the allure of HELP from time to time myself, but it is hardly the sexual Mecca that it has been painted. Of course, to put it into perspective,for all its faults it is better than virtually any other spot in the world. Its just that Rio offers so many better options. No place spoils you like Rio.

Moondog,
Like I said.Some really good choices and you can't beat the price. Not really my cup of tea,but an interesting choice for those feeling adventurous.

Artist- that is the best picture I have seen of blue eyes...the apartment looks great..what is the monthly rent for your buddy layne

Moondog - she is very pretty but women like her can be found all over Rio/Brazil. I really don't think saving a few reais is worth venturing into the poverty of a favela. I always love your camera work Moondog. You staying at the Sheraton again?

Help truly is over-rated (compared to one's other options in Rio) as the_artist's great report illustrates. Great report.

I'm itching for a trip to Termas 65 followed by a short dash to 4x4.

Layne,
I'd love to give you great rate, but it's not really up to me at this point. I've turned it over to Donald and he has full discretion in the matter. Since you guys are friends maybe he will give you a good deal for a month (especially if you come during low season). If you are serious about it I would get to him before word gets out on it too much. I expect it will go pretty well once some people have seen it and reported on it, so, book early. When are you going to be down? I know your last trip got cancelled...it must be killing you.I won't be able to make it before Dec. (Heavy sigh)

Artist, how much did it cost you to buy your apartment? I am thinking about buying a place within the next year with a couple of buddies.

Excellent report. That Danielle is a gorgeous piece of I think I saw another pix of her's in the recent past uploaded here.

Artist,

Very nice place you have there. Are you renting it out? How big is it?

BluesTraveller

Youngtom,

I agree. CC from XTN and another guy took me there one night just to see it, and she latched on to me tight, and stayed for two days. Who was I to complain?

I won't be back until later in the year, but will probably be staying at the Sheraton, just down the street from the VIPs hotel.

Thanks for the vote of confidence on the photos. They are a lot of fun.

Artist:

thanks for the contact info on Don and no worries about going solo - will probably go solo on the trip but would be fun to hang out with a vet to guide my virgin trip to the promised land ;)

Moondog: does the Sheraton definetely allow the girls into your room if you pay for double occupancy - looking into this hotel as it is much nicer.

Crafter

Crafter,

No problem with the girls in the Sheraton, just register them at the front desk, no charge. They will not allow two girls as guests at the same time.

BT ,Crafter, Thumper,
Thanks for the interest. It's nice to know somebody is out there reading the stuff I send out. For specifics on renting the apartment contact Don at riotrips@hotmail.com The apartment is about 1000 sq. ft. with a terrace looking out on the Copacabana skyline.(There is a view of sugarloaf.) It is a penthouse so the ceiling are high and airy. There are two BRs but it can sleep as many as six. (As many as three hobbyists and guests with reasonable privacy.)

Crafter, Be careful with the hotels. The better the hotel the less likely they will be to allow guests. I was visiting a friend of mine staying at the Sheraton and they made it very difficult for me to get to the room. Not very guest friendly...and they are twenty min cab ride from the action. rio is a great walking town and I have found the center of the action to be a much more enjoyable experience.

Back to the apartment...No more than a ten min. walk from HELP, L'Uamo, or Monte Carlo.1 1/2 blocks from the beach. The great thing about a penthouse terrace is the ability to have sex under the stars with privacy.I can't help it...I'm in love with my apartment.

I can vouch the the apartment is great.

I stayed there from May 30 - June 10.

Not only is it everything described, the girls LOVE IT!! :-)

Just tell them "tenho cobertura" and they'll leave a snail trail.

Dood

Artist- I will call and chat with Don about the apt...I am going to make a trial run at partial retirement for one month,,,in September...You only live once..I just hope I do not get tired of Rio and the other place I will visit after one month...Will also be going down for a long weekend pretty soon in the next few weeks....

Dood- When is your arrival back in Rio?

Layne87,

I have already made my plane tickets and will be there from June 28 - July 8. If you are down at that time, let's hook up.

Artist,

When I'm down I would love to check out the pad.

BluesTraveller

Artist: They did not allow you in Sheraton ?? OK, I've not stayed in Sheraton,Rio, but it would be really upsetting for them to challenge very one who walks in their lobby no ?

Moondog: That's hellova picture ou uploaded delicious

She was a lot of fun, still get emails from her as well.

Bluestraveller- Working on dates ...The 4th is booked except for Artist's apt and they are going to let me know soon I hope...let ya know if it works out on those dates..

Citydude,
I didn't say they wouldn't let me in at all...just that they gave me a hard time. I had to show an ID and the desk made my friend come down to the lobby to collect me. Really made me feel like an undesireable. Obviously I am a big fan of apartments in Rio but this is at least partially due to the high handed treatment from some of the better hotels. Talk about a walk of shame. In the Sheraton one must run the gauntlet of the concierge, the taxi girl, the bellmen and various desk clerks... not to mention the snotty tourists. All for the priveledge of overpaying for a hotel room. AND...the girls don't like it.What is the point? The only reason i went there was to see my ex-wife for dinner before heading out to the termas.(A cheap thrill, but I enjoyed it.)

Layne,
Have you been having trouble getting in touch with Don and Rhonda? Let me know if this problem persists.

Artist: Ah ! You know lately I've become shameless. When you start hustling an upgrade right from check-in through to last minute with gate-agent, and do it for a few years -- This walk of shame is thing

Artist...not too bad...Rhonda has helped him answer emails a bit faster...I think they have me in your apartment for the week of the 4th( I have planned 6/29-7/7)...We are working on the month of september..will chat with them live when I get there....

gentlemen,
just got back from rio........(sorry, the tears of sadness are welling up in my eyes). don and rhonda were both wonderful, and made my second trip to this wonderful city that much more enjoyable. artist, i had a chance to see your apt....great score!!!! i believe you got an excellent deal, compared with the other apts that i was shown. it was crazy to be there during the world cup......during game, help stops all the music and garotas go nuts at every pass of the ball. then at halftime, music starts up and all the girls are on the dance floor shakin their bundas in that infamous brasilian way. because of slow season, there were not as many visiting girls from other cities, but more than enough to service the amount of hombres in town. it seems to always be a buyers market. even went to the bedroon one night with rhonda, who is very popular with the management as well as most of the men in brasil. as it has been noted before, don is one hell of a therma guide, knows many of the girls and will point you in the right direction. man can he smoke cigars!!!! he is having a party on 4th of july at the vips hotel, and should not be missed by those who can go. never got to see danielle,who was missing in action, or camilla who was in germany, but did meet taisa from 4x4, and bia from luomo. wonderful ladies!!!! 5 days was not enough. 5 months is probably about right. artist, thanks for all the reports. rio is still a mans paradise.

Artist,

Great reports. From what I can see, your aparment looks nice. How are the bathroom and the kitchen?

Crafter,

I'll be in Rio at the end of August also. What sites are you thinking of visiting?

Sonnyp,
Thanks for the info in your post. If I read you correctly Bia is back at L'Uamo. When last I heard she was missing from Club 65 where she had been working. If she is back at the beach it will be good news indeed.

Saint,
The kitchen and bath are pretty basic. I bought a new stand up fridge for the kitchen and Installed a new water heating system for the bath (I hate those gas water heaters you have to light all the time.)I intend to have more work done when I am down in Dec. but I had to priorotize while I was there. Still, it kicks the hell out of most other apartments I have seen in Rio. Thanks for the kind words. Hope to see you in paradise some time.

artist,
bia is indeed at l'oumo now. don introduced me on my last evening in rio. she is loads of fun. i never saw her at the beach, but then i was only there for 5 days. (1 day of beach time) i will send any friends headin to rio, for a stay at your apt, if it is vacant. hope to meet up some day soon in our favorite city.

Confirmed...Bia is back at luomo...

Sonnyp,

Thanks for the update. By "at the beach" I meant working on Copacabana rather that in Centro with its attendent long cab or metro ride. It's so much easier to patronize a club within walking distance than to take the journey through the tunnel and fight the traffic. Not that 4x4 and Club 65 aren't worth it ,but its always nice to know that quality like Bia is just around the corner.

Layne,

The grapevine has it that you are in the penthouse (the Safado Palace as I like to call it).
I hope things are going well and I would welcome your suggestions.Enjoy yourself you lucky dog.

Artist--will hit you offline when I get back to US...this place is great...working on Don for sept trip to stay again in your place....

Layne, you need more ´Help´.

Canon-with bluestraveler and dood here...nope believe me these guys have it covered...we got out of a taxi at 4x4 the other day and blues was half way down the street before I even got out of the taxi...he was literally speed walking trying to beat me into the club so he could get to my big time favorite girl here...he sure enough beats me into club but other hombre took earlier taxi than us and sat there with big shit-eating grin on his face with my girl...I laughed most of the evening...there is someone always one step ahead of ya here...

bluestraveler makes up for it the last night as he knew I was staying away from her on purpose...hopefully learning my lessons more with each trip....

layne 87,
would love to hear what dons party was like on the 4th. he was setting it up when i was there 2 weeks ago. the vips hotel looked like some sort of cool 80's scarface fantasy crib. do they rent out those rooms for 8 or 12 hrs? did the one for the party have multiple bedrooms? and was there any privacy for the rooms? did danielle ever re-appear? she vanished when i was in town, and never had the pleasure of meeting her.

Sonnyp-yes VIP was awesome...party was only ok as most would guess if you call 50 girls only 10 will show up...several good ones did show to save the day..