I've had the pleasure of traveling to what many consider some of the 'holy grails' in travel on this forum the past two and a half years. Perhaps no locations on the forum are discussed with more frequency than Eastern Europe, South East Asia, and Brazil. For the purposes of this comparative post, I'm going to be focusing a lens on Bucharest, Bangkok, and Rio de Janeiro. I have spent time in other parts of Eastern Europe, and we'll refer to Eastern Europe as Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Romania, and Montenegro, but I've spent by far the most time in Bucharest. Additionally, I've spent time throughout various parts of Thailand and Malaysia, but the majority in Bangkok. Lastly, the only destination I've spent time in Brazil is Rio de Janeiro.
The types of experiences I've had deserve some sort of disclaimer so you know how I've generated my data and where exactly I'm coming from, as I feel my experiences in each of these places was largely dictated by my setup, research and budget. Lastly, these experiences are exclusively my own. I have no interest in contributing to hype about locations that other members may have shared previously on this board. We all come from different backgrounds and have different expectations, so I feel a repetition of what a consensus may be about a location is ultimately a waste of time.
That said, I encourage you to challenge me on my opinions, but please I'd prefer if the the keyboard cowboys stay out of the conversation. I've noticed in recent months that guys who have not gotten off their asses and done things with their life are taking authoritative tones towards other member's travel experiences. There are well-respected members on this board whom I've either spoken to extensively, or met along my travels who can vouch for who I am, and the information that I'm about to share.
I look forward to a healthy discussion about these three places, and I encourage a fledgling traveler to give any one of these destinations a chance, as they've all been immensely rewarding for me in one way or another.
Accessibility (How easy is it to get to):
I'm referring to the Eastern US when I say this:
Rio: 8/10
Bucharest: 5/10
Bangkok: 2/10
There are plenty of direct flights heading into Rio. Even from the West Coast of the US, you're looking at a 4 hour time difference. From continental Europe, you're looking at a 4 hour time difference as well. A day or two isn't wasted dealing with jet lag.
Bucharest is almost guaranteed to have a connecting flight, even from the Western European mainland, thus adding unnecessary hours and frustration to your destination. OTP, the Bucharest airport is a custerfuck of taxi drivers who are more than happy to rip you off. On a side-note, the Bucharest taxi drivers are as scrupulous as they come. I once had a cabbie rip the meter out of the socket and proceed to tell me my ride would be 50 Euros. I subsequently pulled my pants down and told him I'd shit in his cab if he didn't cut the nonsense. Knowing I was staying deep in a mazy apartment complex, when we arrived I threw 5 leis at the fucker and took off running knowing he wouldn't catch me.
Bangkok, is about as much of a hassle as it gets to get over there, regardless of coming from anywhere in the US or Europe.
Weather:
Rio: 8/10
Bucharest: 6/10
Bangkok: 3/10
Rio gets hot in the summer, but the beach solves many of these problems. Wintertime in Rio is generally perfect weather with sunny days and perfect nighttime weather.
Bucharest is quite nice in the summertime, but can be unforgiving in the wintertime.
Unless you like excessive heat, taking outdoor monsoon showers, and swimming in humidity, then Bangkok isn't for you.
Quality of Food:
Bangkok: 9/10
Bucharest: 4/10
Rio: 4/10
Food to me is a key part of any travel experience. I learn as much about a culture through food, as I do from any other cultural observations I make. In my opinion, it's one of the leading reasons why NYC is, and will always be the greatest city in the world.
Bangkok might be my favorite culinary destination in the world after New York and Lyon. It's outrageously cheap with flavors that explode off your mouth. The food is varied in both taste and price. You can get killer curries made by the woman on the corner for $2, then walk up the block and have mango juice and a whole fish cooked in a bevy of herbs and spices for another $4-5. You can also splurge at Nahm, a Michelin starred restaurant, the only one in Thailand, and have a mind blowing Thai tasting menu for $60-70 including a drink. I was so full by the end of it, that I had to send dishes back that were coming out because I literally couldn't fit anything else in my stomach.
Bucharest's food is decent and contains a wide range of culinary influences at good prices, provided you know where to go. I'm typing this sans internet, but there is a rather famous restaurant in the old city that serves excellent traditional Romanian food. I generally ate well in Bucharest because I spent my time there who is very connected in the restaurant and social scene in Bucharest. If you're there for a short period without someone in the know, I would imagine the cuisine to be rather mediocre. Forgive me for not naming place in Bucharest because I'd just hop in my friend's car and we'd just show up. I didn't have a notepad or pen to take notes.
The food in Rio just didn't impress me. Their pizzas that are served at nearly any botequim,(informal bar/restaurant) were generally laughable for a native New Yorker. Most food seemed to be either fried, overly salted or sometimes both. My saving grace in Rio was the juice bars that served an amazing variety of fresh juice, and a place called Delirio Tropical which served heaping plates of healthy, mainly vegetarian food at very affordable prices. I tried out the Churrascuria,(all you can eat Brazilian meat restaurant) and was disgusted with overcooked beef cuts and pounds of salt poured on the meat. There were some very upscale restaurants located in Ipanema and Leblon that I did not try, but my motivation to try them was minimal when looking at the prices being similar to dozens of restaurants in NYC that I know for a fact serve world class food.
Beauty of Women:
Bucharest: 9/10
Rio: 8/10
Bangkok: 5/10
Disclaimer: I'm not big into the Asian look.
If you were to do a cross section of the 100 most beautiful girls I saw on my travels from these three places, it would look like this:
50 of them would be from Bucharest.
45 of them would be from Rio.
5 of them would be from Bangkok
Girls in Bucharest range from cute, to jaw-dropping, mouth on the floor with drool coming out beautiful. Their eyes and facial structure are as close to perfection as I've ever seen. Thin, yet curvy in the right places, and beautiful skin tone.
Brazilian girls, while not as universally gorgeous as their Romanian goddess counterparts, are curvy and exude an unmatched sexuality. They were put on earth to be man's desire and their mannerisms are sexual in every way. It's something I can't put into words unless you go there.
Thai girls are petite little spinners, but I found their naked bodies to be a letdown. Their nipples were often puffy and oddly colored, and their vaginas weren't the perfect shade of pink that men were put on earth to devour. There were some stunners, but all too often I would go about my day without my jaw falling to the floor.
Ease of Approaching During the Day:
Rio 7/10
Bangkok 6/10
Bucharest 4/10
I did a significantly more day approaches in Rio for reasons I'll spell out below. Beach culture in Rio is very conducive to chatting up the person next to you. The creepiness factor of dropping a chair on the beach and talking to the beautiful girl in a thong is harmless in her mind and is a great way to make friends or find out what to do at night. Once you get over the anxiety of approaching a pair of 8's laying around in their underwear, it's a wonderful day game city.
I didn't approach much in the day in Bangkok because I didn't feel much need to. I put up a few good pictures on ThaiFriendly, left my phone number on my profile and let girls message me all day. It worked better than I could have ever imagined. As a result, I did whatever it was I wanted to all day, knowing something would get set up for later in the day or evening. Note: I do have a look that many Thai girls would go for, so self assess before employing this strategy. I did some day game during my daily travels, but Thai girls are just so boring to converse with. More on that later.
Once again, in Bucharest day game wasn't all that necessary for me. My connection in Bucharest is bar none the the strongest player I've ever seen in action and is a titan of the Bucharest social scene. There simply was no need for day game when we were hitting up the best tables in the best clubs in Bucharest. I haven't been there in a year and a half now, but clubs I remember walking in like royalty were LeGaga, Gaia, Player, and Fratelli. We were surrounded by Russian, Moldovan and Romanian models who upon our arrival who flocked to our table. I have pictures if you're hamster is running wild with doubt about my experiences in Bucharest. I've shown some of these pictures to other members who can vouch for this as well.
Ease of Approaching During the Night:
Bangkok: 9/10
Rio: 7/10
Bucharest: 5/10
With the right look, and in my opinion tall, white, and muscular is the right look, approaching is comically easy in Bangkok. A few members had noted a scene like Route 66 at RCA as a scene of the past, but with the right game, the world's your oyster in Bangkok. Show up early to get a good 'table' in the middle of the dance floor at Route 66, order bottle service of Johnny Gold for a comical cost of $80 and go absolutely nuts. Grab girls and pour shots down their throat. Make friends with their beta orbiters by feeding them a couple of drinks and you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want. The guys will love you, the girls are fighting over you, and you go home happy.
The only pickup line you'll ever need in Rio is, “Do you speak English?” If she does and she says she does, it means she likes you. Spit decent game and you'll be kissing soon enough. If she says she doesn't, eject and move on. It means she doesn't actually speak English, or she does but she isn't interested in you. Samba clubs such as Rio Scenarium are absolutely worth the visit. The vibe, decor and cultural experience are unmatched with any bar I've been to in my life, though I found it a bit tougher to pick up there. Girls go in groups to celebrate their culture, and while there is a dance floor with top 40 music upstairs, I found pulling to be difficult because girls usually go in larger groups.
Bucharest, once again is harder for me to comment on in terms of night approaching. I didn't have to seek out women as they were the ones flocking to my VIP table. I would say that some command of Romanian or Russian would go a long way, as it did cost me a bang with what would have been the most beautiful girl I'd ever kissed in my life. I can't really comment on approaching at one of these clubs as a 'common' person, or approaching at one of the bars located in the old city however. Perhaps someone could provide a bit more insight into that. My routine more or less focused on the girl knowing I was a close friend of my friend who dominates the Bucharest social scene, and how I live in New York, to which her general response was 'New York is my dream.' After that, I'd pour her a drink, lightly banter on the couch, then dance with her a bit.
Quality of Nightlife:
Bangkok: 10/10
Rio: 6/10
Bucharest: 6/10
I loved Bangkok's nightlife. It was rocking everywhere every night of the week til any hour you wanted it to. It's pretty easy to go off the rocker and find a girl for a ONS provided you put the effort in. Nightlife is in pretty much any neighborhood, at any price point and anything can happen. I loved heading out on a Sunday night knowing there was some wild adventure in store. Even on a low-key night, make sure to hit the Skybar at the Banyan Tree Hotel for iconic views over Bangkok and top class drinks and décor. There were also ample beer gardens, or places with live music. Truly something for everyone ever night of the week.
Rio has good nightlife provided you are willing to burn a hole through your wallet AND you know where to go. Unless you have a plugged in social network, it's hard to find the coolest parties in Rio, and you'll likely end up at a place with an abundance of gringos. A gringo filled bar isn't necessarily a bad thing because Brazilian girls do go to them, and if they go to them, they are interested in gringos. No matter how suited up, or pretentious you find yourself, dress down one night and hit up the Lapa street party on Friday for a real taste of Rio. You belong in a corpse if you can't let your hair down, throw on a t-shirt and chat up strangers on the street while grooving to samba. Be warned, girls either love or hate Lapa street party Fridays. Talk to the wrong girl about how much you loved it, and she may think you're 'lower class'. That said, there were plenty of well off girls I met on the streets of Lapa who love the energy. Rio is excessively casual. I can't stress that enough. I'd rarely see people wear suits for business, let alone for going out drinking.
I found Bucharest's top end clubs to be really high quality. Throwing on a suit and ballin' out can have a really positive effect and will attract girls. During the week, many of these clubs will have 'theme night', so be on the lookout for that. I'd find penetrating this type of social scene a bit tough without the proper connections before hitting the ground. Facebook game, which I discussed a bit in the 'Kiev 2013' thread works very well in Bucharest. I would think most people here on a short stint will likely spend their time in the old city where you'll find more Western style pubs and bars. Don't fret however, the women there are still plenty attractive.
Femininity
Bucharest 9/10
Rio 8/10
Bangkok 8/10
Most girls in these countries take pride in being women. There is nothing more they enjoy more than being sexy, feminine women.
Bucharest, as has been repeated time and again takes the cake. They love to do womanly things. In fact, I'm fairly certain that if a girl from Bucharest was sick and just had to walk around the corner to get cough medicine, she'd still put makeup and heels on.
Carioca feminism exudes itself on the beach and after date one with a girl. Girls love looking good on the beach. Also, if you make it through a casual, low stakes date one with a Carioca, you better believe they're breaking out the heels and all the stops to be beautiful women. I found that quite a few can't cook, which is a big disappointment, but there are many, many qualities that make Carioca girls quite feminine.
Girls in Bangkok love their heels and cute outfits as well, but there a little bit off when it comes to being sexy and feminine. They don't move with the same vibrancy that Romanian or Brazilian girls do, and seem a bit awkward at times in showing affection and their feminine nature.
Ambition/Intellect/Curiosity of the Women
Rio: 7/10
Bucharest: 5/10
Bangkok: 2/10
I found most middle/upper class Cariocas to be socially, and intellectually sharp. I was in Rio at the height of many of the protests, even being caught in the middle of a particularly violent protest, and was impressed with the eloquence and understanding most women had about the issues their country faced. They understood the history of their nation, had clear ideas about where they felt their country was going, and were deeply proud of their Brazilian culture. Many had traveled and made keen observations of the world. In a completely non-game aspect, I enjoyed many of my conversations with Brazilian girls.
Romanian girls that spoke English understood their place in the world, accepted it for what it was and understood the world in ways that surprised me at times. I suspect this has a lot to do with either living in Ceausescu's reign or being born shortly after it. Life in those conditions certainly force one to take a look at the world a bit critically. I enjoyed some of their conversations about Western culture and the differences in their country.
In Bangkok, I think I would have enjoyed talking to a hello kitty doll more than girls from Bangkok. No ambition, no intellect, no curiosity. I could never marry a Thai girl because I'd end up brain-dead.
Quality of Living(Could I Actually Move Here For An Extended Period of Time?)
Rio 9/10
Bangkok 5/10
Bucharest 4/10
There is so much to do in Rio. Surfing, samba, socializing, sports, fitness, culture, beauty. You name it, and there is something for everyone, every day of the week here. I feel exceptionally safe. I found it easy to get around here, and sans real estate I found day to day living rather cheap provided you knew where to find a deal. It's a place I could seriously see myself retiring to. I'm a beach bum at heart, and with perfect beach weather, and the beach being a religious experience for Cariocas, I fit right in.
The food in Bangkok is excellent. I'm sure I'd have multiple girlfriends, and getting around is easy. Nonetheless, I love New York and it's truly a journey to get back home if needed. Living is cheap, but the shithole aspect of the city wasn't for me and I feel like I'd turn into an uninspiring ex-pat that so many older men who move to Thailand turn into.
Bucharest is yin and yang. Once again, I don't know if there is the depth of culture I'm looking for to keep me thirsty for life. Winter's are a slog. Everyone tries to rip you off, and as sexually satisfying as the club scene was for me, I can't imagine suiting up with bottle service every Friday 20 years from now. There's nothing that truly draws me to the city unlike world class cities such as NYC, London, Paris, Rio, etc.
Final Standings:
Rio 72/100
Bangkok 59/100
Bucharest 58/100
Enjoy!
Shoot away gentleman, I'd love to hear you opinion!
The types of experiences I've had deserve some sort of disclaimer so you know how I've generated my data and where exactly I'm coming from, as I feel my experiences in each of these places was largely dictated by my setup, research and budget. Lastly, these experiences are exclusively my own. I have no interest in contributing to hype about locations that other members may have shared previously on this board. We all come from different backgrounds and have different expectations, so I feel a repetition of what a consensus may be about a location is ultimately a waste of time.
That said, I encourage you to challenge me on my opinions, but please I'd prefer if the the keyboard cowboys stay out of the conversation. I've noticed in recent months that guys who have not gotten off their asses and done things with their life are taking authoritative tones towards other member's travel experiences. There are well-respected members on this board whom I've either spoken to extensively, or met along my travels who can vouch for who I am, and the information that I'm about to share.
I look forward to a healthy discussion about these three places, and I encourage a fledgling traveler to give any one of these destinations a chance, as they've all been immensely rewarding for me in one way or another.
Accessibility (How easy is it to get to):
I'm referring to the Eastern US when I say this:
Rio: 8/10
Bucharest: 5/10
Bangkok: 2/10
There are plenty of direct flights heading into Rio. Even from the West Coast of the US, you're looking at a 4 hour time difference. From continental Europe, you're looking at a 4 hour time difference as well. A day or two isn't wasted dealing with jet lag.
Bucharest is almost guaranteed to have a connecting flight, even from the Western European mainland, thus adding unnecessary hours and frustration to your destination. OTP, the Bucharest airport is a custerfuck of taxi drivers who are more than happy to rip you off. On a side-note, the Bucharest taxi drivers are as scrupulous as they come. I once had a cabbie rip the meter out of the socket and proceed to tell me my ride would be 50 Euros. I subsequently pulled my pants down and told him I'd shit in his cab if he didn't cut the nonsense. Knowing I was staying deep in a mazy apartment complex, when we arrived I threw 5 leis at the fucker and took off running knowing he wouldn't catch me.
Bangkok, is about as much of a hassle as it gets to get over there, regardless of coming from anywhere in the US or Europe.
Weather:
Rio: 8/10
Bucharest: 6/10
Bangkok: 3/10
Rio gets hot in the summer, but the beach solves many of these problems. Wintertime in Rio is generally perfect weather with sunny days and perfect nighttime weather.
Bucharest is quite nice in the summertime, but can be unforgiving in the wintertime.
Unless you like excessive heat, taking outdoor monsoon showers, and swimming in humidity, then Bangkok isn't for you.
Quality of Food:
Bangkok: 9/10
Bucharest: 4/10
Rio: 4/10
Food to me is a key part of any travel experience. I learn as much about a culture through food, as I do from any other cultural observations I make. In my opinion, it's one of the leading reasons why NYC is, and will always be the greatest city in the world.
Bangkok might be my favorite culinary destination in the world after New York and Lyon. It's outrageously cheap with flavors that explode off your mouth. The food is varied in both taste and price. You can get killer curries made by the woman on the corner for $2, then walk up the block and have mango juice and a whole fish cooked in a bevy of herbs and spices for another $4-5. You can also splurge at Nahm, a Michelin starred restaurant, the only one in Thailand, and have a mind blowing Thai tasting menu for $60-70 including a drink. I was so full by the end of it, that I had to send dishes back that were coming out because I literally couldn't fit anything else in my stomach.
Bucharest's food is decent and contains a wide range of culinary influences at good prices, provided you know where to go. I'm typing this sans internet, but there is a rather famous restaurant in the old city that serves excellent traditional Romanian food. I generally ate well in Bucharest because I spent my time there who is very connected in the restaurant and social scene in Bucharest. If you're there for a short period without someone in the know, I would imagine the cuisine to be rather mediocre. Forgive me for not naming place in Bucharest because I'd just hop in my friend's car and we'd just show up. I didn't have a notepad or pen to take notes.
The food in Rio just didn't impress me. Their pizzas that are served at nearly any botequim,(informal bar/restaurant) were generally laughable for a native New Yorker. Most food seemed to be either fried, overly salted or sometimes both. My saving grace in Rio was the juice bars that served an amazing variety of fresh juice, and a place called Delirio Tropical which served heaping plates of healthy, mainly vegetarian food at very affordable prices. I tried out the Churrascuria,(all you can eat Brazilian meat restaurant) and was disgusted with overcooked beef cuts and pounds of salt poured on the meat. There were some very upscale restaurants located in Ipanema and Leblon that I did not try, but my motivation to try them was minimal when looking at the prices being similar to dozens of restaurants in NYC that I know for a fact serve world class food.
Beauty of Women:
Bucharest: 9/10
Rio: 8/10
Bangkok: 5/10
Disclaimer: I'm not big into the Asian look.
If you were to do a cross section of the 100 most beautiful girls I saw on my travels from these three places, it would look like this:
50 of them would be from Bucharest.
45 of them would be from Rio.
5 of them would be from Bangkok
Girls in Bucharest range from cute, to jaw-dropping, mouth on the floor with drool coming out beautiful. Their eyes and facial structure are as close to perfection as I've ever seen. Thin, yet curvy in the right places, and beautiful skin tone.
Brazilian girls, while not as universally gorgeous as their Romanian goddess counterparts, are curvy and exude an unmatched sexuality. They were put on earth to be man's desire and their mannerisms are sexual in every way. It's something I can't put into words unless you go there.
Thai girls are petite little spinners, but I found their naked bodies to be a letdown. Their nipples were often puffy and oddly colored, and their vaginas weren't the perfect shade of pink that men were put on earth to devour. There were some stunners, but all too often I would go about my day without my jaw falling to the floor.
Ease of Approaching During the Day:
Rio 7/10
Bangkok 6/10
Bucharest 4/10
I did a significantly more day approaches in Rio for reasons I'll spell out below. Beach culture in Rio is very conducive to chatting up the person next to you. The creepiness factor of dropping a chair on the beach and talking to the beautiful girl in a thong is harmless in her mind and is a great way to make friends or find out what to do at night. Once you get over the anxiety of approaching a pair of 8's laying around in their underwear, it's a wonderful day game city.
I didn't approach much in the day in Bangkok because I didn't feel much need to. I put up a few good pictures on ThaiFriendly, left my phone number on my profile and let girls message me all day. It worked better than I could have ever imagined. As a result, I did whatever it was I wanted to all day, knowing something would get set up for later in the day or evening. Note: I do have a look that many Thai girls would go for, so self assess before employing this strategy. I did some day game during my daily travels, but Thai girls are just so boring to converse with. More on that later.
Once again, in Bucharest day game wasn't all that necessary for me. My connection in Bucharest is bar none the the strongest player I've ever seen in action and is a titan of the Bucharest social scene. There simply was no need for day game when we were hitting up the best tables in the best clubs in Bucharest. I haven't been there in a year and a half now, but clubs I remember walking in like royalty were LeGaga, Gaia, Player, and Fratelli. We were surrounded by Russian, Moldovan and Romanian models who upon our arrival who flocked to our table. I have pictures if you're hamster is running wild with doubt about my experiences in Bucharest. I've shown some of these pictures to other members who can vouch for this as well.
Ease of Approaching During the Night:
Bangkok: 9/10
Rio: 7/10
Bucharest: 5/10
With the right look, and in my opinion tall, white, and muscular is the right look, approaching is comically easy in Bangkok. A few members had noted a scene like Route 66 at RCA as a scene of the past, but with the right game, the world's your oyster in Bangkok. Show up early to get a good 'table' in the middle of the dance floor at Route 66, order bottle service of Johnny Gold for a comical cost of $80 and go absolutely nuts. Grab girls and pour shots down their throat. Make friends with their beta orbiters by feeding them a couple of drinks and you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want. The guys will love you, the girls are fighting over you, and you go home happy.
The only pickup line you'll ever need in Rio is, “Do you speak English?” If she does and she says she does, it means she likes you. Spit decent game and you'll be kissing soon enough. If she says she doesn't, eject and move on. It means she doesn't actually speak English, or she does but she isn't interested in you. Samba clubs such as Rio Scenarium are absolutely worth the visit. The vibe, decor and cultural experience are unmatched with any bar I've been to in my life, though I found it a bit tougher to pick up there. Girls go in groups to celebrate their culture, and while there is a dance floor with top 40 music upstairs, I found pulling to be difficult because girls usually go in larger groups.
Bucharest, once again is harder for me to comment on in terms of night approaching. I didn't have to seek out women as they were the ones flocking to my VIP table. I would say that some command of Romanian or Russian would go a long way, as it did cost me a bang with what would have been the most beautiful girl I'd ever kissed in my life. I can't really comment on approaching at one of these clubs as a 'common' person, or approaching at one of the bars located in the old city however. Perhaps someone could provide a bit more insight into that. My routine more or less focused on the girl knowing I was a close friend of my friend who dominates the Bucharest social scene, and how I live in New York, to which her general response was 'New York is my dream.' After that, I'd pour her a drink, lightly banter on the couch, then dance with her a bit.
Quality of Nightlife:
Bangkok: 10/10
Rio: 6/10
Bucharest: 6/10
I loved Bangkok's nightlife. It was rocking everywhere every night of the week til any hour you wanted it to. It's pretty easy to go off the rocker and find a girl for a ONS provided you put the effort in. Nightlife is in pretty much any neighborhood, at any price point and anything can happen. I loved heading out on a Sunday night knowing there was some wild adventure in store. Even on a low-key night, make sure to hit the Skybar at the Banyan Tree Hotel for iconic views over Bangkok and top class drinks and décor. There were also ample beer gardens, or places with live music. Truly something for everyone ever night of the week.
Rio has good nightlife provided you are willing to burn a hole through your wallet AND you know where to go. Unless you have a plugged in social network, it's hard to find the coolest parties in Rio, and you'll likely end up at a place with an abundance of gringos. A gringo filled bar isn't necessarily a bad thing because Brazilian girls do go to them, and if they go to them, they are interested in gringos. No matter how suited up, or pretentious you find yourself, dress down one night and hit up the Lapa street party on Friday for a real taste of Rio. You belong in a corpse if you can't let your hair down, throw on a t-shirt and chat up strangers on the street while grooving to samba. Be warned, girls either love or hate Lapa street party Fridays. Talk to the wrong girl about how much you loved it, and she may think you're 'lower class'. That said, there were plenty of well off girls I met on the streets of Lapa who love the energy. Rio is excessively casual. I can't stress that enough. I'd rarely see people wear suits for business, let alone for going out drinking.
I found Bucharest's top end clubs to be really high quality. Throwing on a suit and ballin' out can have a really positive effect and will attract girls. During the week, many of these clubs will have 'theme night', so be on the lookout for that. I'd find penetrating this type of social scene a bit tough without the proper connections before hitting the ground. Facebook game, which I discussed a bit in the 'Kiev 2013' thread works very well in Bucharest. I would think most people here on a short stint will likely spend their time in the old city where you'll find more Western style pubs and bars. Don't fret however, the women there are still plenty attractive.
Femininity
Bucharest 9/10
Rio 8/10
Bangkok 8/10
Most girls in these countries take pride in being women. There is nothing more they enjoy more than being sexy, feminine women.
Bucharest, as has been repeated time and again takes the cake. They love to do womanly things. In fact, I'm fairly certain that if a girl from Bucharest was sick and just had to walk around the corner to get cough medicine, she'd still put makeup and heels on.
Carioca feminism exudes itself on the beach and after date one with a girl. Girls love looking good on the beach. Also, if you make it through a casual, low stakes date one with a Carioca, you better believe they're breaking out the heels and all the stops to be beautiful women. I found that quite a few can't cook, which is a big disappointment, but there are many, many qualities that make Carioca girls quite feminine.
Girls in Bangkok love their heels and cute outfits as well, but there a little bit off when it comes to being sexy and feminine. They don't move with the same vibrancy that Romanian or Brazilian girls do, and seem a bit awkward at times in showing affection and their feminine nature.
Ambition/Intellect/Curiosity of the Women
Rio: 7/10
Bucharest: 5/10
Bangkok: 2/10
I found most middle/upper class Cariocas to be socially, and intellectually sharp. I was in Rio at the height of many of the protests, even being caught in the middle of a particularly violent protest, and was impressed with the eloquence and understanding most women had about the issues their country faced. They understood the history of their nation, had clear ideas about where they felt their country was going, and were deeply proud of their Brazilian culture. Many had traveled and made keen observations of the world. In a completely non-game aspect, I enjoyed many of my conversations with Brazilian girls.
Romanian girls that spoke English understood their place in the world, accepted it for what it was and understood the world in ways that surprised me at times. I suspect this has a lot to do with either living in Ceausescu's reign or being born shortly after it. Life in those conditions certainly force one to take a look at the world a bit critically. I enjoyed some of their conversations about Western culture and the differences in their country.
In Bangkok, I think I would have enjoyed talking to a hello kitty doll more than girls from Bangkok. No ambition, no intellect, no curiosity. I could never marry a Thai girl because I'd end up brain-dead.
Quality of Living(Could I Actually Move Here For An Extended Period of Time?)
Rio 9/10
Bangkok 5/10
Bucharest 4/10
There is so much to do in Rio. Surfing, samba, socializing, sports, fitness, culture, beauty. You name it, and there is something for everyone, every day of the week here. I feel exceptionally safe. I found it easy to get around here, and sans real estate I found day to day living rather cheap provided you knew where to find a deal. It's a place I could seriously see myself retiring to. I'm a beach bum at heart, and with perfect beach weather, and the beach being a religious experience for Cariocas, I fit right in.
The food in Bangkok is excellent. I'm sure I'd have multiple girlfriends, and getting around is easy. Nonetheless, I love New York and it's truly a journey to get back home if needed. Living is cheap, but the shithole aspect of the city wasn't for me and I feel like I'd turn into an uninspiring ex-pat that so many older men who move to Thailand turn into.
Bucharest is yin and yang. Once again, I don't know if there is the depth of culture I'm looking for to keep me thirsty for life. Winter's are a slog. Everyone tries to rip you off, and as sexually satisfying as the club scene was for me, I can't imagine suiting up with bottle service every Friday 20 years from now. There's nothing that truly draws me to the city unlike world class cities such as NYC, London, Paris, Rio, etc.
Final Standings:
Rio 72/100
Bangkok 59/100
Bucharest 58/100
Enjoy!
Shoot away gentleman, I'd love to hear you opinion!