Guys, a lot has been written about Rio and I doubt I can cover any new ground here but I am offering this hoping it may help someone traveling on their first or second trip to Rio. Not much of a blow by blow of my sexual exploits to report here so MitchC might as well zip up and quit reading.

Many guys arrange for a pickup from the airport. This is convenient and will cost 50 Reis ($R) which reflects the cost of driving to the airport to pick you up and returning you to Copacabana or Ipanema.

Transportation from the airport should cost between $R25 to 35 depending upon traffic. Here is how to do it: Ignore all the fellows inside the terminal offering taxi services. Walk straight past them and continue to ignore all the fellows offering their services outside. Look left and right for YELLOW taxis. Remember, yellow only. The white taxis charge higher rates. When you get to the yellow taxi, tell them you want the meter, point to it if necessary. Also, do not let them charge you extra for luggage.

If you are staying in Copacabana, it may be helpful to have your address written down for them to see as very few of these drivers will speak English. If you are staying at the Rio Rioss, Debret, or an apartment near Help just tell the Taxi "Help Disco". If the Taxi driver does not understand "Help" try saying "Helpi" and repeat "Copacabana". They will understand-everyone knows where Help is.

1. Taxis: Taxi cabs are plentiful in Rio. As mentioned above, stick to the Yellow taxis. The only exception would be the white and green vans which drive up and down Avenida Atlantica. If you happen to be lucky enough to have one stop while you are hailing a cab, then by all means jump in because they will charge you only 1 Real assuming you can be dropped off on Avenida Atlantica near your destination.

My experience in Rio is that most Taxi drivers are honest. Unfortunately some of them are not the brightest of the population. So between the nitwits and the scam artists it will be a good idea if you have an address and better yet a map of your intended location (Help Disco is an exception). I will provide you the addresses of my favorite termas below. Write them down, as well as the phone number. If you carry a cell phone you can always dial the terma and hand the phone to the driver. On more than one occasion I have taken calls from Hombres who were being driven in circles by taxi drivers asking me to explain directions to the driver. This brings me to the next topic.

2. Metro: The Metro in Rio is easy. No reason to be intimidated. Line 1 runs from the beaches in Copacabana north to the city center, then turns west via the main railway station to Estácio where it connects to line 2. I see no reason to be concerned with line 2 so we will concentrate on line 1. If you are headed downtown in the afternoon or returning from downtown I recommend the metro as it will save a lot of time and grief. Traffic in downtown Rio can be brutal.

Prices for one way, or Unitario are R$1.47 and roundtrip or Duplo R$2.94. When you enter the Metro take the steps down and you will see ticket counters to purchase tickets. Once you have your ticket simply walk through the turnstile by inserting your ticket and going through. If you have a one way ticket the turnstile will keep your ticket. For roundtrip your ticket will be returned.

The southern end of the metro in Copacabana is called "Cardeal Arcoverde". You can ask the Taxi to take you to "Metro Arcoverde" and he should deposit you at the steps. Simply purchase a 1-way or roundtrip ticket. Because Arcoverde is the end of the line you will only have one option in terms of direction, but please note you want to go north or "Zona Norte" (from any other station there will be another option for "Zona Sul" which is the direction to take when returning).

Please note there is currently construction underway to build another metro stop south of Arcoverde. The new stop will be called "Siqueira Campos" and is conveniently located next door to the shopping center where Luomo does business. Once this stop is complete it will be the last stop of Line 1.

From Copacabana take the metro north to downtown. For convenient access to Termas 65 and 44 exit the metro at "Uruguaiana". When you exit the subway you will have to walk through another turnstile. Do not insert your ticket (even though there is a place to do so) or else the turnstile will keep it and you have lost your return fare. (I learned this the hard way). The Uruguaiana exit is under a square which is home to a flea market. You will be given the option of exiting towards several streets. Exit to "Uruguaiana". When you enter the flea market above make sure you have your wallet and valuables secured.

Exit the metro and you should see Uruguaiana running perpendicular to you. Take a right to the end of the square and take a left onto "Rua Buenos Aires" which runs perpendicular to Uruguaiana at the end of the square. Walk straight ahead on Rua Buenos Aires for several blocks and you will head straight to Terma 4x4. You will know you are there when you see the sign for the "Whiskeria".

To return south from 4 x 4, exit the terma, turn right on Rua Buenos Aires and walk several blocks to the square. Enter the metro, take the line south or "Zona Sul" and get off at the end of the line.

Having a cell phone in Rio is an excellent idea. It keeps you in touch with the ladies you will meet, as well as all the fellow hombres you will meet while in town. Additionally, they are inexpensive and offer excellent reception to the states.

One monger I know of was arrested due to some unfortunate circumstances (not entirely his own fault). The police did not take his cell phone from him. He was able to put in a call to Don of Riotrips and Don was able to get an attorney and get him out of jail hours (perhaps days) sooner than if he had not had the phone.

My experience has been with phones serviced by ATL. Don provides these phones to all his clients. To receive calls is free (even from the US). Calls you make are charged against the phone's account which is essentially a debit account. The account is prepaid using cards available at corner magazine stands. Simply ask the attendant for a telephone card ATL (spelled phonetically "telefon cartown ah-ta-ele"). They offer cards in various denominations from 15 Reis up. You simply rub off the silver strip on the back of the card; dial *99 on your phone, when you hear a message press "2"; then enter the numbers under the silver strip. This will pre-pay your phone for the amount of the card.

To hear your remaining minutes dial *99, then at the message press "1". However, be prepared to be told in Portuguese how much time you have remaining.

Where do you get a cell pone? Many of the guides in Rio and folks who rent apartments offer cell phones. Additionally, they are available for rent from some of the internet service cafes such as "Fone Rio".

Currently the best exchange rates are available at ATMs. The exact rate you get I believe to be dependant upon the currency exchange rates that YOUR bank was given at the last close of the currency markets. I surmise this because even on weekends and holidays I have gotten a different rate than friends of mine who exchanged money within 1 minute of me. Many of the readers of this guide may know more about the currency exchange rates than I so I welcome comments.

There are two ATMS located at the Blockbuster Video store located on the corner of Avenida Copacabana and Rua Figueiredo Magalhaes. These machines offer excellent rates, almost always work and there are security guards inside.

Other banks have ATMs that will work for you as well. Banco Brasil has some. However, they often will have multiple ATM machines and only 1 or 2 will have the "Cirrus" or "Star" symbols making them compatible with your US bank.

Bringing cash to Rio will put you at a slight disadvantage because the Cambios and banks are not offering very good rates at this time. For example, in Early October, 2002 the ATM was giving 3.75 and the Cambios offered 3.10.

1. Monte Carlo (MC)

Open 3:00 pm till 2:00 am Monday through Friday, Saturday 3:00 pm until midnight. Closed Sundays.

MC is located at R. Hilario de Gouveia, 19, Copacabana - Rio. Tel 2255-4489. It is just one block off of Avenida Atlantica.

Like every terma I have visited, when you enter they take your name and give you a key with a number attached to a rubber arm band. You then go change into a robe and sandals (I wear my own sandals especially at this terma as there are stairs I find difficult to navigate in the terma issue sandals). All of your purchases are kept track of via the number on your armband and you settle your bill when you leave.

MC is a favorite of many mongers and is in my top 3 list. It has around 20 to 30 attendants, most of them pretty. There are usually a few bottom heavy garotas in the boite but believe it or not they get a lot of attention from the Brazilian men. They have very good talent at MC and the management is very nice. One of the managers spent 10 years or more in Ft. Lauderdale and barely has an accent.

This is one of my favorites because there are always a good selection of hot garotas I consider "doable". The showers are hot. The bar area is not usually too crowded with men, and the prices are reasonable. I usually get in and out for under $R200 (bar tab, room charge, entrance fee and girl charge).

If you go to MC, Deborah is the "rock star" in this place. I highly recommend a session with her. Go early, or have Don tell her a friend is coming to see her or else you will find yourself in a long line. See Deborah's photo below.

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2. Termas Aeroporto http://www.termasaeroporto.com.br

This Terma is open from Monday through Friday noon till midnight. This is a downtown terma and like the others is only open Monday through Friday. (They cater to Brazilian businessmen and businessmen are only downtown during the week).

Aeroporto is located at Avenida Beira Mar and Avenida Presidente Antonio Carlos. Telephone 2220-6267. This Terma is downtown so you can tell the driver, Termas Aeroporto, Centro, (and repeat the above named streets).

I went in once to this terma and hated it. MitchC and I were asked to prepay the entrance fee. Afterwards we changed clothes and were greeted in the boite by nothing but fat girls. None were "doable" and Mitch and I got the hell out of there after 15 minutes. I must hand it to Mitch though-he tried to make the best of it and even engaged in DFK with the best looking girl (a "5" on my scale) before leaving.

I have to add there are many guys I know that claim this to be a good terma. I may have been there on a bad night-or all the good ones may have been in cabines. I do not know. I am told this is the FIRST TERMA in Rio. So even if you decide not to visit, you should make it a point of walking past one day and kissing the building. Thank god for Aeroporto or we may not have any Termas.

3. Terma 65 http://www.termas65.com.br

This downtown Terma is open at 2:00 pm till midnight Monday through Friday.

They are located at Rua do Rosario 65, Centro. Telephone 203-1338. This terma is tricky to find. If the Taxi driver does not know the address tell him "Rua Buenos Aires Centro". Once you get dropped off, start asking for "Rua do Rosario". For those of you familiar with Quatro por Quatro (4X4) here is how I find Terma 65. When I exit 4X4 I turn left. I take the first right, then the next left. This will put me on Rua do Rosario and the terma will be on your right hand side.

After hearing mixed reviews on this Terma I reluctantly agreed to meet another monger there one evening. I took the short walk from 4x4 which took less than 2 minutes. The two girls at the front desk spoke English and were very pleasant. After explaining their prices (in line with other Termas) I stepped into the next room with my locker key to change clothes.

Having sessioned at 4x4 only thirty minutes prior, I did not intend to session. My plan was to have a beer and look for my friend "AlwaysCarnival". I immediately noticed this Terma is small but has many floors. After changing I went up several flights of stairs, and even passed what looked like a small cafeteria with girls and some Brasilian men eating. When I arrived at the floor with the Boite I knew immediately because of the loud music. It was 7:00 pm and it was crowded shoulder to shoulder. There were probably 50 men and 50 women packed into the small boite. The bar is just inside the door so I stayed where I stood. There was a tall brunette that appealed to me by the bar so I handed her my key and asked her to order me a beer (I offered her something as well). She declined a drink but ordered mine. Within 15 minutes she was rubbing up against me and to my surprise I was ready for action. I gave her my key and we were up to the cabine for a 40 minute session.

After my session, I met AlwaysCarnival in the hallway making out with a petite brunette with big tits. He introduced us and explained he had just sessioned with her. Since we had both sessioned and the Boite was still crowded with men we decided to leave. Overall I rate Terma 65 as being very good. I saw a large selection of beautiful women. Probably 80% I considered "doable". The selection is not as good as 4x4, but it is a DIFFERENT selection. So for those of you who have seen 4x4 several times but never ventured over to Terma 65-I think it is worth a look.

4. Termas 4 X 4

Terma 4 X 4 (locally called "quatro por quatro) is open Monday through Friday from 2:00 pm until midnight. They are open only weekdays because they cater to the local businessmen. Consequently they become very crowded with men each evening by 6:00 pm.

Terma 4 X 4 is located at Rua Buenos Aires 44, Centro, Rio. Telephone 283-1009. To get to this Terma tell the taxi "Centro, Rua Buenos Aires". When walking up Rua Buenos Aires look for the blue and yellow sign for "Whiskeria". This is the bar next door to the entrance of 4 X 4. The Whiskeria sign will likely be your only way of identification. You can also take the metro. See my explanation under the metro section above for details but if you take the metro from Copacabana simply exit at "Uruguaiana" and walk several blocks down Rua Buenos Aires to the Whiskeria.

At 2:00 pm on weekdays there will be approximately 40 women working, 75% of them will be "doable". Early there will be very few men, mostly tourists. Women will continue to arrive and at 5:00 pm a second shift arrives. By 6:00 pm there will be over 100 women and believe me, it is overwhelming. My only thought when I am standing in 4 x 4 is that I am reminded of the old joke about how to eat a whale? One bite at a time. There is usually an equal mix of blondes and brunettes in this place. Simply make your selection, and if you do a session before 5:00 pm they will refund a portion of your entrance fee. The best deal here is the 'simple suite' for 1 hour at R$150.

Terma 4x4 is an absolute must see. When I am in Rio I go there EVERY weekday afternoon. I see new faces every time I go and believe you could go every day for perpetuity and never repeat with the same girl. On my last visit there were two identical new faces-twins. And yes, they do doubles together. Do not miss this place but go early and plan on getting out early as there will be wall to wall men after 6:00 pm. Should you decide to hang around, at 7:00 pm they have several strip shows which are very creative and entertaining (unless you want to be part of the show, slip to the back of the crowd because I have seen girls pull men out of the audience and stripped them naked).

If you like blondes, Rebecca is one of the "rock stars" there. She is a favorite of many gringos. She has a great attitude, is exquisitely beautiful, and is almost always there promptly at 2:00 pm.

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5. L'uomo

Luomo is open every day from 4:00 pm till midnight. Telephone 2549-4113. They are located on the second floor of the Shopping Center Copacabana which is at Rua Siqueira Campos 143. Many taxi drivers will not know about Luomo so tell them "Shopping, Rua Siqueira Campos E Rua Toneleiro". If they get you to the right place, take the escalator to the second floor. Luomo faces the street and has a neon sign over their door.

Like the two degenerates in the above photo, it is possible to lose track of time in Luomo and almost miss your flight. I think it is the most comfortable terma, it is open most every day of the year and has a selection of about 20 beautiful girls. Luomo has an excellent staff, and I always visit there on my last day in Rio. They will lock your suitcase in the back for you and you can leave directly from there to the airport. Additionally, Luomo has the best hot showers in Rio. Prices are inline with other of my favorite termas. The best deal here is the 40 minute cabine for R$150. The 1 hour sessions are done in suites and run R$200.

Luomo is my favorite terma. It is one of only a few options available on weekends. On Saturday evenings they offer a free buffet of Brasilian style food which is excellent. Periodically throughout the evening they offer a series of strip shows. One of the best performers is Camilla, who does a routine to the song "You can leave your hat on" that will leave your jaw on the floor. Do not miss this place.

1. Help Disco

Help is probably the most famous disco in Rio. It is a landmark in Copacabana. If you stay near help, use it as a point of reference for taxi drivers. Beginning each evening about 10:00 pm people will gather inside and outside of Help. I usually join other gringos for a beer at the Veranda outside of Help around this time. There will be many tables with girls of all shapes and sizes-young and not so young. I usually consider only 20% of these girls doable. Having said that, I have seen a few stunners. I have never picked up a girl from there but have sat with guys who did and was given a good report on their performance.

To enter Help disco there is a R$15 per person entrance fee before midnight, R$20 after midnight. As this deal suggests, Help doesn't get busy inside until after midnight. Inside on weekends you will find hundreds of women, probably 50% or greater I consider "doable". Beginning around 2:00 am you will see many familiar faces as a lot of the Terma girls go there after work to dance.

Inside there are several bars. However, you must buy voucher tickets to use at the bar for drinks. Buy only what you need because vouchers are good only that night. This is a practice that irritates me so I will move onto another subject.

Not every girl inside Help is looking to hook up for the night. However, 90% or more are. Unfortunately, some are picky about who they want to go with. I learned this by negotiating with several of the same girls for different guys who spoke no Portuguese and gotten very different results. Typically you should be able to get a girl to go home with you for between R$150 to R$300 depending upon what you are willing to pay. Negotiate in Reals, not dollars. However, on one occasion a girl insisted on $100 dollars. My gringo friend wanted her and was willing to pay it. As an afterthought I told her my friend didn't have dollars would she accept R$300 instead? She agreed. Saved him $20 bucks. A word of caution, I have heard of many scam artists being pulled out of this place so be careful. Hotels offer good security by taking down your guests information. They do this for your safety. If you are in an apartment, hide your valuables before you go out for the night. Carry only as much cash as you need and when you get home, lock the door from the inside and hide the key. This will lock her inside the apartment until you are ready for her to leave.

2. Lido Clubs

The area between Copacabana Palace and Av. Princesa Isabel is known as Lido. The most popular Lido clubs among gringos are Frank's, La Cicciolina, and Barbarela. Other popular locations are Pussycat, Don Juans and Baccara.

These clubs do not open until late and are busiest between the hours of 1:00 am and 4:00 am. Frank's has strip shows going on and offers live sex shows (girl/girl and girl/guy) beginning at 1:00 am. All the girls inside are looking to hook up for the rest of the evening. They typically charge R$150 to R$200 to go home with you.

Franks and Cicciolina make money selling drinks. Once you order a drink you are committed to a two drink minimum. So one beer or 2 beers will cost the same-R$20 (three beers R$30). To take a girl home you have to pay her two drink minimum as well (whether she drinks or not). If the girl orders something besides beer or soda prices may be double so expect to pay up to R$40 for the girl (they tend to like Red Bull with Red Label). If you drink beer, I recommend keeping your empties. These places have been known to take advantage of newbies. Visits to clubs like these are good examples of where having a guide really helps.

Barbarellas. I do not like the place. They make money selling drinks. However, they do not serve beer so you can only drink hard liquor and/or sodas. Their individual drink prices are at least twice what they are directly across the street at Franks and Cicciolina. But here is the worst part-the girls will try to charge over $100 dollars to go home with you. Trust me guys, Barbarellas is a rip off. The girls inside are the same girls that work across the street for R$150 to R$200. I went to Barbarellas several weeks ago and saw 3 girls inside that I had previously pulled out of LaCicciolina's and spent the night with for R$150. (On this past trip, while I was inside Barbarella's I drank 1 diet coke and my tab was R$60. Again-not recommended).

In the past year, I have traveled to Costa Rica over 6 times, Cuba once and Rio 4 times. Rio is the best I have experienced so far. I hope the information I have given here will be useful to some of you and help you enjoy Rio as much as I have. If there are any inaccuracies, I welcome the feedback. Thanks, and enjoy.

GCL

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