Travel Advice

The travel section over at my forum has been pretty active lately. Here’s a few of the active topics:

• How many times did you get laid in Rio?
• India - chance of getting laid?
• Studying abroad in London
• Project Medellin and Medellin
• Safety / Protection in South America

A few guys have already met in person because of the forum.

Rio Nightlife Guide

Before I came to Rio, a carioca (Rio native) told me that there is only one club in Rio that she can tolerate. I brushed aside her comment, but turns out the nightlife in Rio is not that great. There aren’t that many clubs represented for a city population of 8 million, and the ones that exist can be mediocre or empty. I must admit that it’s possible I didn’t explore well enough.

That said, here’s a run down of the clubs I visited.

Rio Scenarium
Rua do Lavradio 20, Lapa

This is a good club if you want to get an idea of what Brazilian samba is about. The music is great but the age of the crowd ranges from early twenties to late sixties. Still, some of the older women look good and it’s fun to watch them vibrate their ass while samba dancing.

00
Av Padre leonel Franca 240, Gavea

I walked in on a Thursday night and my first thought was, “Jesus christ what a fucking sausage fest!” It wasn’t obvious at first, but I came on semi-gay night. The few girls there were all done up in expensive cocktail dresses and not very approachable.

The venue itself is very nice, with a dim outdoor lounge and medium-sized dancefloor inside. The music was spun by a competent DJ and the service was friendly, but I wouldn’t come here unless I was in a big group. Thursday and Saturday seem to be gay nights. Drinks are tasty but pricey.

Baronneti
Rua Barão da Torre 354, Ipanema

Just like most clubs, the scene depends on the night. For Baroneti I went on a Thursday night. There was quite a few young but cute girls (if you don’t mind braces), but they seemed to be more concerned with hanging with their friends than hooking up.

I find the bigger the groups of girls, the less concerned they are with meeting a guy for the night. Not saying it’s impossible, but it’s harder. Ideally you want girls to be hanging in pairs or triplets. Otherwise a cockblock is possible.

The bouncers here played favorites with the velvet rope and the cover was a whopping $20+ if you weren’t on the guestlist. It was during Carnival so I’m guessing it’s cheaper during the off season.

Emporio
Rua Maria Quiteria 37, Ipanema

I hate this place because it’s a drunk gringo favorite with very few Brazilian girls. If you like to see Australian guys spit sloppy game, then come here.

Shennanigans
Rua Viconde de Piraja 112, Ipanema

Another gringo bar, but with more Brazilian girls who are open to meeting gringo guys. Not an obvious drunk fest like Emporio.

The girls here can be hit or miss, but the relaxed atmophere of the bar and the fair prices make this a solid hangout. This is a must visit for a gringo man who misses beer and traditional bar food.

Lord Jim
Rua Paul Redfern 63

This is the smaller version of Shennanigans that has less people but a more fun atmosphere. If you can’t pick up at Shennanigans then it will be much harder to do so here. If you’re lucky it will be crowded and they’ll open the upstairs bar. There’s live music on certain days.

Casa Da Matriz
Rua Henrique de Novais 107, Botofoga

This club is in Botofoga, a working class section of town that has girls not as used to the sight of Western gringos.

The club has two main dancefloors, one with Brazilian music and the other with more of an international sound. There are gringos but tons more Brazilians, and the house party vibe of the place makes it fun to hit on girls.

I have very good luck meeting girls here, and recommend this club to all my friends going to Rio. It’s a winner.

Lapa Street Party (Weekends)

This is the party of choice for cariocas who don’t have a lot of money (i.e. you won’t find rich people here). Cans of Skol beer and sausage snacks are sold cheap from street vendors. The attractiveness of girls hanging out on the street is very low so it will be in your best interests to find a bar or club nearby to dip into. Gringos get more attention here than other places, not just from girls but thieves as well.

Praca Santos Dumont
Gavea

This is a square in a nice part of town that has two popular sit-down bars. Lot of people flow into the streets giving it a Lapa without the fear of muggings. Girls are prettier and not as sloppy.

Help
Av. Atlântica 3432, Copacabana

No write-up of Rio’s nightclub scene is complete with mention of Help, an old 70’s-era club that helps gringo men meet Brazilian prostitutes. The cover is a little steep ($15), but you’ll finds gorgeous, half-naked Brazilian girls willing to sell their body for a modest price. Drinks aren’t expensive.

From what I observed, discussion of price is not the first thing you discuss. Have small talk with a girl you are interested in first, feel her out, then ease into it.

There is no point in coming here at the beginning of your trip. Try your hand at the places listed above first, and if you strike out and are still horny then Help will be able to help.

In conclusion, the best night spots in Rio are not obvious, but with some patience you will stumble on a place that has a decent number of girls to hit on.

Because there is no guarantee you will get something at night, definitely take advantage of the girls you see in the daytime, whether on the beach or in the juice bars. Don’t be shy to talk to them because chances are they will love practicing their English on a gringo. It’s better to go out at night with a date you set up from the day then head to a club alone that could be empty.

For more on Rio, check out my Rio city guide.

How To Increase Your Travel Motivation

There are a lot of guys who want to go somewhere but the days turn into months and they never bother to do more than basic research. Their motivation isn’t strong enough to make the plunge, even though the destination they are flirting with may offer the best time of their life. The way to increase this motivation involves the walls of your bedroom.

If you’ve traveled before and have taken pictures, select the pics that make you smile the most and get them printed at a large size. Place them on your wall in a high visible area. This serves as a “reminder” at what you could be missing.

The second option is to put up some travel posters. A good part of my travel motivation comes from having a world map on the wall next to my door. It reminds me of the world’s size and how I’m missing out by not hitting the road.

World Explorer Map Art Print

Two other posters I have:

Rio de Janeiro

Venezia

A third option is to use a travel themed calendar bought from your local bookstore.

The main idea is to be remind yourself every day that you need to make a plan, stick with it, and then buck up and buy those flight tickets.

For more ideas on places to go besides the guides here, check out the Travel section of my forum. Iceland has recently received very good reviews.

How To Speak To Girls In Basic Spanish

When you’re in another country it’s best to approach the girl English to immediately broadcast your gringo status. Another benefit of using English is that since it’s your native language you will hesitate less than if you had to approach in a new language you are unfamiliar with. Opening is half the battle so it’s important to make the first contact even if she doesn’t completely understand you.

If the girl doesn’t speak any English and you are not in a club then you will be in trouble, but otherwise you only need to add a few phrases to your dancing to take things to the next level. Remember that words, while helpful, are not necessary to hook up with a foreign chick who likes you for whatever reason. A little bit of alcohol won’t hurt.

I give the Spanish wording followed by an English equivalent.

1. Hi, how are you?
→ Hola, cómo estás ? (oh-la, co-mo es-tas)
OR
→ Hola, que tal? (oh-la, kay tal)

2. Are you from here?
→ ¿Eres de aquí? (eh-res day ah-key)

3. I’m from the United States
→ Soy de los Estados Unidos  (soy day los eh-sta-dos ooh-nee-dos)

4. You like gringos, yes?
→ ¿Te gusta gringos, sí? (tay goo-sta grin-gos, see)

5. Where can I find…
→ ¿Dónde puedo encontrar… ? (don-day pweh-doh)

6. I’m here on vacation
→ Estoy aquí de vacaciones (es-toy ah-key day ba-ca-sion-ayes)

7. You are nice
→ Tu estás simpatica (two es-tas sim-pot-uh-ka)

8. Do you want to have a drink with me some day?
→ ¿Quieres tomar algo conmigo un dia? (key-eh-res toe-mar al-go con-me-go oon dee-ah)

9. I want to see you again
→ Quiero verlo otra ves (key-eh-row bear-lo oh-tra base)

10. Where is the whore house?
→ ¿Dónde está la casa de puta? (don-day es-ta la ka-sa day poo-ta)

I didn’t put “What is your name?” in the list because it’s best to let the girl ask first as a way to gauge her interest.

For study I recommend you grab ten notecards and put English on one side with the other language on the other. Look at the English side first and see if you can say the Spanish translation with no mistakes. After one or two hours you should be ready.

If you want to take your Spanish to the next level, I recommend taking a look at a guide I wrote a while ago called Teach Yourself Spanish. If you find yourself in Brazil, rest assured that your crappy Spanish will easily be understood by the Brazilians, whose Portuguese is similar to Spanish.

So You’re Going To Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Previously:

I’ve received a lot of questions from guys going to Rio who want to have sex with a Brazilian girl. Keeping that in mind, here are some tips to achieve that goal:

1. Where to stay? The two main popular beaches are Ipanema and Copacabana. During the day Ipanema’s beach will be packed with beautiful people while Copa’s will be sparsely filled with families and random backpackers. During the night Ipanema’s expensive restaurants will be bustling with patrons while Copa’s shady streets will be more or less dead with the occasional vendor. Ipanema is rich and flashy while Copa is more rugged with a working class character.

If you are going for a short time, lodge in Ipanema, but if you are lucky enough to stay for more than a couple weeks then split your time up. Since most clubs won’t be within walking distance from wherever you stay, it’s hard to make a regretful choice. Personally I liked Copa more because it was gentler on my budget. I took a cheap bus when I wanted to go to Ipanema’s beach.

2. Hostel, hotel, or apartment? If you have the money stay in an apartment. Many hotels are cracking down on bringing back late-night guests, and you’ll be disappointed to find out your expensive hotel won’t let you bring a girl back when she’s begging for sex at 3am in the morning. Here are some sites for apartment rentals:

• VRBO
• Flat Hunters
• Blame It On Rio Travel
• Rio Apartment Rental

If you stay at a hostel, all you need is a piece of paper in your jean pocket with the address of an hourly hotel (there’s one in my Rio guide). If you meet a girl who wants your sex, simply show a cab driver the address and take her to the hotel. Since hourly hotels are common in Rio and the practice of going to one is ingrained in the culture, a girl won’t think of it as cheesy or low-class. Hostel links:

• Mango Tree - clean Ipanema hostel in prime spot
• Hostel World
• Hostelz.com

3. How much to bring? Brazil’s currency, the real (pronounced hey-ow, believe it or not), is getting quite strong thanks to the weakening dollar. I wouldn’t plan on spending less than $100 a day to sight-see, eat occasionally at decent restaurants, go out drinking at clubs, sleep in a hostel, and buy souvenirs at markets instead of boutiques. Spending can get really out of hand if you don’t watch it, moreso than other South American countries. Yet if you tell a Brazilian that their country is twice as expensive as their neighbor Argentina, they will counter that their life is twice as good. Touché.

4. What to study? After you study what I write about Brazilian girls on my blog, pick up a copy of How To Be A Carioca, a fun book that exposes you to the culture and also acts as a phrase book and dictionary to teach you slang words that will amuse the locals.

If you’re going to stay for a while and have money to blow, get Rio For Partiers. It’s an alternative, expensive guide book that is a more current and edgy version of How To Be A Carioca that zeroes in on the nightlife. It’s a pretty short read but the information is helpful.

The last book I recommend is my book Bang (duh). The Western game I teach translates very well for the many Brazilian girls who speak English (you will notice English schools on every other block). I wish I could say the same for Argentine girls.

5. How to mentally prepare? They key to success and happiness in Rio is approaching during the daytime on the beach and on the street. Girls will be very receptive if you open with an angle asking for some sort of help like directions or the best place to get açaí. Then you can easily transition to normal game after that by asking if she’s going out later.

The reason approaching during the daytime is so important is that Rio’s nightlife is surprisingly not very good. For a population of it’s size there is a limited amount of nightclubs and bars, unlike a city like Buenos Aires which has a club for every 20 people. You can’t sit on your ass all day and then say you’ll do something at night because you may not be able to find a good selection of girls at night. Catch them during the day and be a man about it and strike up conversation. In Ipanema the place to be during the day is by Posto 9 next to the tall coconut tree. You can’t miss it.

6. What if you fail? When all else falls and you can’t get laid to save your life and it’s your last night in Rio, head on over to Help nightclub in Copa (any self-respecting taxi driver knows where it is), pay the $20 or so cover charge to get in and bask in a sea of beautiful Brazilian prostitutes. I’m afraid I cannot give you an estimate since I did not indulge in their services. I also hear there are happy ending massage parlors but I did not notice them while I was there. Good luck!

Clarification On The Hook Up Ratings

I got an email from a gentleman questioning how I could put Cuzco, Peru at the top of my hookup list since the girls there are “ugly.”

Attractiveness was not a factor I used in making the list because it’s just too subjective. What I think is attractive may not be what you think, and vice versa. I went solely with the ability to hook up which is all you’re going to care about after a few drinks anyway.

Cuzco got a 5 out of 5 rating, the only city to do so, but there is some hope from Colombia. Here’s an email I got recently:

Roosh, I just returned from just one weekend in colombia. i have traveled extensively in brasil, and i agree on your take on brazilian girls it was right on and in line with what i experienced. Colombia is a different story. I found the colombian girls to be much more attractive and much more friendly. They are truly interested in meeting and being with a gringo. I hung around upper income girls and they spoke english but have never been to the usa. Colombian girls are not as likely to jump into bed with you right away like the brazilian girls.. the colombian girls are more traditional. the lower income girls are im sure alot easier. The colombians love to dance and they want to stay out all night and dance. Unlike the brazilians if a colombian girl says she will meet u at 10:00am she will be there. In short i think to bed a good pretty colombian girl it takes a little romance and a little time but they are worth it.

I’ve heard elsewhere that Colombia combines the beauty of Argentine girls with that warm sensuality of Brazilian girls.

My 3 Favorite Cities In South America

Four months ago I sat down and thought about the three best South American cities out of the 30+ I’ve been to. Number one is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil…

The secret has been out for over fifty years. Yes, Rio has a very serious crime problem and the police won’t go into many areas without armored vehicles and full SWAT protection, but if you’re a guy looking for a sex vacation and you don’t like Asian girls there is no other city in South America that touches your high odds of getting ass here. Pussy doesn’t fall from the sky, as you might be thinking, but the native girls actually like gringos. Even the native guys like gringos. Go out every night, don’t be a wallflower, and you will get to experience what I plan on experiencing again in the future.

If that hasn’t sold you, how about the a gorgeous backdrop and beach weather nearly year round? Sure the water isn’t sparkling blue, but you’ll be busy on the Ipanema sand angling to get in with the girls in ridiculous bikinis laying next to you.

To read about the other two cities I liked, check out the post here.