This is only my second mongering trip. Below are some new things I learned as well as some interesting tidbits.


1) Learning to use the Metro – This is really easy!! Relying solely on Taxis each day ran about R$15 each way depending on where I was going and how many termas I hit. I spent as much as R$100 on some days because I was going to so many places. The Metro was the best option especially when it came time to go to 4x4. The traffic at 3:30pm is horrible! One day it took me 45 minutes to get there. Once I found the Metro it only took 15 minutes and cost R$2.60 for a one way trip.

a. Go to www.metrorio.com.br and familiarize yourself with the maps. The Metro only goes one of two ways: Zona Sul or Zona Norte.
b. Get to the station and you’ll notice people on line purchase the fare. You can ask for:

i. Unico – one way which costs $R2.60
ii. Cartao Pre-Pago – prepaid card for R$10.
1. Once you have used all your credits you will have to recharge the card. Minimum is $R5. Go up to the teller give them your card and money and they will know what to do. You can even say “Recarga, por favor.”

c. If going to Termas 4x4, stop at Uruguaina. Get off and ask anyone to point you in the direction of Rua Buenos Aires.

d. If going to Termas Luomo, stop at Siqueira Campos. Get off and walk to 143. The rest is easy to figure out if you have already been there.

e. If going to Termas Centaurus, stop at Cantagalo. Get off and walk towards Rua Francisco Sa and turn right. Termas Centaurus will be on a side street called Rua Canning, 44 about three to four blocks down. If your not comfortable, I suggest taking a cab to familiarize yourself so you can walk on future trips.

f. If going to Termas Solarium, there’s a few options:

i. For those that are brave, stop at Urca and get onto a bus that takes you to Jardim Botanico. From there walk or take a taxi.
ii. Stop at Cantagalo and take a taxi there. It won’t be too expensive.


2) Session at 4x4 for 1 hour – the price difference is only R$20 reais between a 40 minute cabine (R$180) vs. one hours in an upgrades suite (R$200). That is less than US$10; you get a better room, and more time with the girl.


3) High volume of Brasilian Men at Termas – I started noticing this immediately at Luomo, Centaurus, and Solairum since there was not as many as my last trip. Several girls told me that the month of December is when all companies pay out bonuses. Despite their reputation the girls told me that they do session.


4) Exchange Rates for those who bring cash – I averaged a R$0.24 cent difference between the actual exchange rate as quoted on www.xe.com and the cambios. Most cambios were worse! The two best options:

a. Convencional – The place is located on Rua Xavia da Silveira which is a side street off of Avenida Atlantica. Its about one-eighth of a mile north of Avenida Atlantica. This place is not open on the weekends.
b. Don and Ken at Amerioca – They have a contact that they can take you to or will come to their shop with the money. This is a special favor and if you opt for this BE SURE to compensate Don and Ken for setting it up because they will be going out of their way to help you.
c. For those that arrive in Sao Paulo connecting to Rio – I found several Cambios located in the airport that gave the same rate as the above two options. This was verified in person as well as before I arrived as a have Brasilian friends living in Sao Paolo that did the leg work.


5) Scouting – If you have at least one person to go with to the termas, send one person in first to check out the talent while everyone waits in the reception. At least you can save a couple of people from having to pay the entrance if there is a lack of talent.


6) Texas Hold’em – For those that like to gamble and poker is your game, this place has nightly Hold’em tournaments as well as cash games. The buy-in for the tournament can range from R$30 to R$150 and sometimes will include a meal. There are English speaking dealers as well as the occasional English speaking player who will lend a hand. All the rules are the same as the US. I witnessed a guy playing the tournament who also brought his laptop to watch TV with headphones plugged into his ears. It’s a fifteen minute taxi ride from Copacabana in a town called Catete which is next to Flamengo. Address is:

a. Rua do Catete, 180 / 182, Catete, RJ
b. Upon arriving you will see glass doors with a coat of arms emblem on them. Looking inside you will see a gentleman dressed in a suit.
c. Bring your passport or copy and money to play.
d. The place is also a bingo and pool hall.
e. They close at 2am on weekends and 1am on weekdays. If there is a poker tournament and its still not complete, this part of the club remains open.
f. Go upstairs. This is where you’ll find the poker tables.


7) Things I learned about Centaurus –

a. Aggressive Management - Several times I spotted the management going up to girls and pointing out certain guys sitting by themselves and telling the girl to go to him. When I became the guy being pointed out, it became a joke since I said I wanted to take the manager (female) upstairs. Other occasions I witnessed management telling girls to push sessioning or leave a guy with whom they’ve already sessioned to pursue another client. The one manager that all the girls seem to hate is named Lea (pronounced like Princess Lea). She is an older, short in stature lady with brownish-kinda red hair and she wears classes. She also bats for the other team.

b. The Owners – Despite some other trip reports that I read this place is not owned by the mob or anything. It is owned by a husband and wife duo. The wife used to be a GDP and all the girls know it to be true. She appears from time to time and you’ll know its here when you see a middle aged short dark haired brunette that is not smiling. I never saw her smile once the entire trip. The husband is an older man with white hair and would be described as “muito tranquilo.” I would describe him as an uncle type figure.

c. Owner’s Schedule – Aside from being closed on Sunday they only day they don’t come in on is Monday. If you are there Monday, you will notice that the girls are not as aggressive due to absence of the owners. If the owners are there, management will push the girls to work.

d. Girls with Children – All the girls that work there at the time of this writing, with the exception of one garota, have at least one child. I found this out from two girls that work there.

e. Security – There is more security than what you can easily observe upon entering. In the boate there are several hidden cameras. There security guards that you never see located in the Relax Room, on each floor of the cabines, as well as the reception.

f. Fines – Garotas are fined if they don’t show up to work. The week before Christmas the fine for a weekday no-show was R$300 and on Saturday it was R$500. The week of Christmas the fine for a weekday no-show went up to R$500.

g. Net pay to Girl – R$400 includes entrance, cabine, and 40 minutes with the girl. Broken down – R$120 for entrance (with R$20 tourist tax….you may or may not be able to talk them out of it depending on your level of Portuguese). Out of the R$280 left, the girl will get R$170.


8) Things I learned about Solarium

a. Americans have the biggest reputation at this place for trying to see (hire) girls outside of the club.
b. Half staff on the weekends – Half of the girls work Saturday and the other half work Sunday.


9) What we are like when we fuck? I talked to a lot of girls from different termas and this is the summation:

a. Brasilians – talk a lot during sex. “Filha da buta” “Carahlo” – Lots of dirty words being thrown around. Overall GDP’s don’t care too much for Brasilian men as many treat the girls like prostitutes.
b. Americans – don’t talk too much during sex except when cumming. Afterwards, they talk a lot.
c. Asian – don’t say a word during sex and usually cum quickly. The Chinese penis was agreed to be larger than the Japanese which was the smallest.
d. Fat Guys – Garotas seem to love fat guys because they cum quickly and it is less work for them. Garotas like less work.

(Message edited by tonyels on January 04, 2009)

Thanks for the Texas Hold'em info. I always wanted to know where I could find a game to relax in Rio during down time with the Garotas.

what if i were a fat japanese guy!? they would love me there wouldn't they?! where can i book a trip! (@_@) hehe

I truly can appreciate someone taking the time to write a trip report, but I don't like a bunch of misinformed crap a newbie might take as fact.

I have an inward responsibility to correct this:

1.) Metro. Most people who had never been to Rio would think you can just take the Metro everywhere to the termas. The FACT is most people are staying in Copa, Arpoador, Ipanema and Leblon. There is no metro that goes into Ipanema/Leblon and there is no reason anyone would want to take the Metro unless they are heading to Centro. The FACT is it is better to actually get off the Carioca station. Walking along Ave. Rio Branco is much safer than walking a few blocks of Rua Buenos Aires by getting off at Uruguiana. The Metro also stops running at Midnight, so if you late-owl at 4x4 don't waste your time walking over there because it will be closed.
Also, if you are a relatively newbie termas visitor negotiate with the taxi drive that you want the cab fare for free since he will earn a commission for taking you there that is more than the taxi fare. If there is 2 or more of you, it is no-brainer for the cab driver. I can't use this tactic anymore since I am a regular paying customer.

2.) 20R more at 4x4 does not get you an upgraded suite? It gets you the same exact cabine room for 20 more minutes. FACT. If you want a suite, there is a Top Suite or Super Suite option at 230 or 260R, but I know it is not 200R.

3.) Most Brasilians are paid 2 salary checks in the month of December. It is not really a bonus, it is just that the salary is divided into 13 installments with 12th/13th coming together in December. Also, there are many brasilians from other States who come to Rio for vacaction too in the month of December.

4.) The exchange is best at the ATM's and you will get within pretty near close to the actual exchange rate since banks have to give the interbank rate plus some percentage difference. To my knowledge, Don & Ken do not have some "special" cambio. They suggest Ben Bros. a jewelry store that sometimes might give a better cambio rate.

5.) Scouting -- You don't need a "Scout". You can ask any of the main termas you want to check out the termas before paying the entrance fee. I have never been refused this request. I think the only expeption was Centaurus but then I did not ask either. Don't just save your buddies money but save your own by simply saying you want to check out the girls.

6.) No comment on poker playing in Rio. Not sure why you would want to play fucking cards in Rio unless with strip-poker with hot garotas. (I imagine it is the same guys who want a good slice of New-York style pizza though)


7.) Centaurus girls do not make 170R per program. This just does not make any sense since that is not much more than at any termas. The breakdown is 100R entrance + 20R gringo tax + 80R cabine room + 200R garota fee = 400R. But, Centaurus can go fuck themselves in general. At least your observation of the Nazi-cunt-patrollady is dead-on.


8.) Solarium - I think I have seen 2 girls out of Solarium compared to about a dozen or so out of 4x4. I wonder how many of these GDP's would have their iPods, perfumes, and digital cameras if not for seeing Americans "out-side". Since the cabine rooms at Solarium are like fucking in the closet, I think Solarium should actually promote the girls for take-out anyway.

9.) I am an "American" and treat a prostitute like a prostitute because that is what she is and that is why I am there -- does that make me "Brasilian"?

Stereo-typing people is for simple-minded, uneducated people and that is exactly what these garotas are. To form an opininion of foreigners mixing with Brasilians, based on experiences with whores should not be something that you should take for fact. I am not really knocking your report, I just think it is full of mis-guided information. Information you gathered in 1 week's time and by associating with 20 year old girls with a 5th-grade education.