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For me, it's a question of how much my time is worth. When I was working, I used DOS and Windows computers but we had technicians to do the upgrades and data migration. At home, I used Macs. When it was time for a new computer, I plugged in a cable, answered three questions in the Migration Assistant, and waited a couple of hours to see everything transferred exactly where it belonged. Last time, I got it to pull a backup from my Time Capsule. These days, even without much dollar value on my time, I just don't want to spend it figuring out why something doesn't work, hanging on the phone with tech support, or downloading software drivers. I have a friend who would sometimes spend days setting up a new Windows computer for her or her husband. It seemed she never gave a second thought to other things she could be doing. Don't get me wrong. Apple isn't perfect. My previous laptop, a 2013 MacBook Pro, had connectors for every conceivable peripheral device, an SD slot, and a built-in drive to read and write CD's and DVD's. This 2017 version has four "lightning ports" and needs a separate adapter to hook up anything besides my iPhone. On the plus side, this is the first computer I've had that responds instantly. The spinning beachball is a thing of the past and the extra time in my day is much appreciated.

A couple of years ago a new Director of Immigration decided that those retired in Thailand would have to cough up more cash for renewal of their annual retirement visa. Retirement in this case means anyone 50 or over. Prior to the change, there were two cash requirements for renewal. The first was to have a pension of a minimum of 65,000 baht remitted monthly with some sort of proof from an Embassy that you had this level of income, or you parked 800,000 baht into a savings account for three months prior to the renewal date. Thereafter you spent it but had to top the account back up to 800,000 before the next renewal. The main change affected the lump sum payment. The new arrangement was that you have to have 800.000 baht in the account for 2 months prior to renewal. This must then stay in the account unspent for a full 3 months after renewal. Thereafter the absolute minimum unspent balance had to be 400,000 baht for the next 7 months. The result of the new arrangement was that you had to keep those minima in the account or your visa would not be renewed. And I am not sure if you stood any chance of accessing those funds unless you left the country or died! If this has changed, I hope someone will correct me. It was claimed that this new ridiculous lump sum arrangement was to get rid of those who scammed the system by using crook agents and crook Immigration officers. Another claim was that it was to force retirees to make use of the Thailand Elite card. Originally brought in about 20 years ago with the aim of making it easier for regular - and rich - visitors to come to Thailand, it has now been expanded and has become popular with quite a number of those wishing to retire here. I insert the website below. There are various types of membership, but the ones that may be of most interest to potential retirees are likely to be the 5 year and 20 year visas. The cost of the 5 year one has recently gone up by 20% to 600,000 baht. But the 20 year one has been reduced to just 1 million baht. These are fees and so there is no money back. But for those fees you get a number of additional services like easy 90-day reporting and easy annual renewal (yes, that is still required of Elite holders). You also do not need to keep any minimum amount in bank accounts. I know a couple of people who recently upped their 5 year Elite visa to 20 years by paying the extra 500,000 baht (they had purchased their original cards a year ago when the price was 500,000 baht - the extension cost for more recent members is 400,000 baht). They find the service excellent. If the 800,000/400,000 baht arrangement has not in fact changed, and I was thinking of retiring here, I would certainly look much more closely at the Elite Card. https://www.thailandelite.com

That contradicts recent information that I have read. Perhaps you can, but it is quite unlikely. Nonetheless, I don't take chances. Here's a test one can take after vaccination to decide what is safe: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/30/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-risks.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

I agree keeping a year's living expenses is not at all unreasonable. But keeping 800,000/400,000 in an account each year that you cannot touch for any reason and therefore seemingly until you die is surely a totally different matter.

I think MAC is overall the best operating system, I look forward to upgrading to an Apple processor MacBook myself.

I thought this video looked familiar, so I sent the video to a few Cariocan friends, and they all confirmed that this is an old video from an incident on Ipanema Beach 7-9 years ago. It did not occur this weekend, and it was not about the quarantine / shut down. Thry all confirmed that the beaches in Rio (including Ipanema and Copa) are empty, other than a few people working out on the jungle gyms at the edges of the sidewalks. Here is a longer version of that exact video, posted at YouTube 7 years ago.

PART ONE: I have stayed in Athens over twenty times this past decade. These are my thoughts from both immediate pre-Covid and Covid visits last year: LOCATION TO STAY: This will depend on your plans for Athens. My first trip to Athens was with a tourist group many moons ago. I then transitioned to high end hotels as my work took me there regularly. Finally, over the past four years I have been trying various Airbnb apartments. I tried various locations, but have settled on a general area. I am not going to write where I stay now because I do not want competition for the place!!! I will just say that if sex is to be an important part of your stay in Athens, then apartments located between Omonia Square and north to Victoria Square can be ideal locations. Similarly, you can actually stay anywhere if you are near one of the metro/subway/tube lines. APPS: Grindr and PlanetRomeo (Hunqs) are very active. Just adjust your profile to express your desires and men will be messaging you. I also used Google translate for Greek in my profile to outline my hopes as well, since I always want to partake of the local Greek delights!!! Their prices ranged from 50-150 euro’s, with most settling from 75-100 euro’s. This is where your location near a tube station can be very important. You will also find that if you schedule your stay when it overlaps the end of a month when rent and payments are due for the boys, then you will have far more delights to sample from the apps. PARKS: I visited all the sites listed online but found these three to be regularly active. 1- Temple of Zeus and the National Garden (Zappeion): Much has been made on some sites about the danger of finding guys around these locations. Simply go during the daylight hours to familiarize yourself with the paths, so once you are there at night it will be less confusing. Now, there ARE some times where it is clear there are some dangerous drug addicts. What you find mostly are gays for free sex and maybe 3-5 young men for paid sex. The problem here is finding a location that is private, as you can be doing the deed and 10 men will suddenly appear to watch and/or participate. I found more of the paid guys to be located west near the Lord Byron statue and immediately north. In general, over the years I have found less and less paid sex guys here at all and almost always just gay for gay sex. 2-Pedion Park: While there is some gay-for-gay free sex here, it is almost entirely paid sex. Again, before you venture too much you need to go there during the day and walk the area. I would suggest you start from the big main entrance at Mavrommateon and Alexandras. If you attempt the entrance further north on Mavrommateo then you will be right in the middle of the drug encampment area. If you have never seen one of those, then walk near it ONLY once you are in the park so you can gaze on it from afar. Now the paid sex I found starts at the open circle area east of the Pedion tou Areaos. The entire park east of the Statue of Athena and this open Pedion circle area will be filled with guys walking to locate sex. I plop myself on one of the many benches that line that main walkway going east (see blue area on map). From there I just sit and watch to see who is and who is not available for sex. A guy will give you the eye, he can sit with you, and then you can negotiate. Remember that this is actually a family park with lots of dog walkers and kids. But, you will easily know that those old men walking in the side paths are there for one purpose only. I did see two instances of violence… one was an old gay man had been looking at his phone. He put the phone in his pocket but a young man approached him and BAMM hit him with his fist. He then reached into the old man’s pocket, got the phone, and took it. The second instance was an old man carrying a backpack. One guy approached to talk with the man to distract him, whilst a second guy came from behind and ripped the backpack off and ran. So, be cautious and aware. The price for sex here ranged from 25-50 euro and was generally done in one of the private areas of the park. I scouted out discreet locations my first day there so I knew where to go, but the boys will know places as well. These guys are ones that will let you suck them or they will fuck you. I visited in the afternoons and early evenings and have had good luck. I once visited late night right before the park closed, but security and police cars were checking out the area at that point. 3-Victoria Park: This small park is like a middle eastern sex buffet in the evening. Most of the guys come to hang out with their friends. However, there will be large portion that are available for take away sex. I usually sit myself at one of the benches and drink some water whilst watching the guys walk by. Within 10 minutes I will find someone to take back to my nearby Airbnb. It is very easy to see who is available. On my last visit, I saw a group of three young Syrian men who kept smiling at me. I chatted with them via gestures, offered to take each one separately to my Airbnb for a blow job, and then negotiated a price (25 euro each, plus a pack of cigarettes for each). Once I got each one alone, I was able to also see what else they might do. One agreed to fuck and passionately kiss. I then arranged for him as a regular even as his two other friends never knew. Most of the guys in the park are there late afternoon and evenings. PART TWO follows…

Probably not a suprise to anyone! I love this guy! When it comes on anywhere (and I mean anywhere) I stand up and ride a pony around the room. Depending on the situation, it can be funny, annoying, or sad. I always find it funny though.

This is not a news story as it first appeared last November. But it was highlighted today in a CNN website article. It was just a private kiss in an elevator in October 2019. The two men worked for state owned China Southern Airlines, China's largest, based in Guangzhou. One was a handsome 29 year old flight attendant who had worked for the airline for five years, Chai Cheng. The other was an unnamed pilot. Somehow that kiss found its way onto social media and went viral. Soon Chai was referred to as the China Southern cabin boy. Although homosexuality is not illegal in China, the current President Xi has been tightening up on homosexuality in recent years. By all accounts Chai had been a model employee receiving several quick promotions. As he points out, quite a number of flight attendants are gay but they do everything possible to hide this from co-workers. Now that he has been outed, they go to even greater lengths to appear straight. Initially his bosses told him just to keep quiet about the incident and put him on unpaid leave. Then in April last year he was informed his contract would not be renewed "for obvious reasons". In August Chai decided to sue China Southern for the six months salary he was denied. Although the case is not about discrimination, should Chai win it it is likely that a discrimination case will follow. Although Chai was fired, the pilot was not. This was because airlines invest a great deal of money training pilots. No doubt China Southern did not want to waste that investment. The case was heard in Court last November and the verdict is awaited. How the Court interprets the law is keenly awaited for a 2008 national law prohibits discrimination based on gender. It appears this has not yet been tested in any court. Since the incident, Chai has become an unlikely hero and activist for the LGBT community. Chai in an undated photo provided by him to CNN Chai and his lawyer in a photo released by the LGBT Rights Advocacy China https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/26/china/china-southern-flight-attendant-trial-lgbtq-intl-dst-hnk/index.html

A figure who did not fail to provoke controversy. A death too soon and too painful for anyone to have to endure. He will be missed by all and mourned by many.

Yes, veryhotjake! But now you have them!

Thanks for the corrections @anddy. There is one other item re the medical insurance requirements that are increasingly being demanded for some retirement visas/permissions to stay. This is the 40,000 baht requirement for outpatient treatment. This to me is absolutely nuts! Almost all insurance policies for those 50 and above have deductibles. If your policy has a deductible of 50,000 baht, what is the point of 40,000 baht for outpatient treatment when it can never be claimed due to the deductible.

I just bought the Elite and got the visa sticker earlier this month. I opted for the 20 year/1mln Baht version, which is the best value for money, or rather the cheapest per annum cost at 50,000 Baht equivalent. This version does not come with all the extra Elite perks like free limo service to the airport18 or 24 times a year. That's completely useless to me as I travel often, but by FAR not that often. Plus a simple taxi does it for me. It's clearly for the really frequent travelers such as business people. Anyway, the main reason for me to buy is was indeed convenience and peace of mind. I was sick and tired of the annual hassle of the retirement extension. Also the minimum bank balance issue as described by @PeterRS played some role. Plus the idiotic health insurance now (since last year) required for some (not all!!) retirement visas. Get this: if my ORIGINAL visa to enter Thailand several years back was a Non-OA then I need the insurance, if it was a Non-O (or others, I believe, like tourist visa) then not. The annual extension is the EXACT same process with the EXACT same requirements (mainly being 50+ and that money in the bank), so why the hell does the very old visa, long since expired, determine the insurance requirement? Makes ZERO sense, and is a classic example of TiT. Who knows what other idiotic rules they may come up in the future. Some more detail and info on that annoying health insurance: it needs to have 400k Baht for inpatient coverage. That's a rather small amount. I have no use for that and would never ever be able to use it as my own health insurance covers everything. Now get this: depending on the company and your age that insurance policy costs in the range of 40-60k Baht a year (for my age of mid 50s, more for older)!! Luckily, last year I found ONE company offering policies with deductibles of 100k and 200k, the latter of which I bought at an acceptabe rate of 6k. Not too bad comapred to all the others. Well I know for a fact this is still happening at Immi Pattaya. Don't want to be overly anal, but I always find it important to use the correct terminology with these things. The 5 and 20 year versions are indeed memberships, but NOT visas. Even the 20 year membership only gives you a 5 year visa sticker. However the 20y membership of course confers the right to receive an new 5 year visa after expiration of the previous one. this could be a bit misleading to people not familiar with the Elite visa. An annual renewal (of the visa) is NOT required for the Elite holders, as the visa itself is a year one (see above). on each entry into Thailand Elite holders get a 1 year stamp from the date of arrival. Now IF you stay a consecutive year in Thailand, then that 1 year permission to stay will need to be extended. If you leave the contry at least once a year, no such extension is ever necessary, as a new 1 year stamp will be issued upon each arrival. This is different from the retirement visa where upon arrival you get a stamp until the fixed date that is your extension date. That extension MUST be done once every year with the requirements described here. (side note: the retirement visa is actually not really a visa but rather a retirememt permission to stay; that retireement extension by itself does NOT confer the right to enter Thailand under the same conditions, and leaving will make you lose that status - UNLESS yhou have a re-entry permit (separate stamp) which then upon arrival cofers the same status. ) So bottom line is, for people who normally travel internationally at least once per year, no extension is ever required for Elite holders. 90 day reporting of course still applies (unless one travels frequently enough to never reach 90 consecutive days, as I used to pre-covid).

I am very amused!

A company I consult for has put up a facebook page full of funny pro vaccination memes https://www.facebook.com/vaxmath I thought you guys might enjoy it.

well of course they would I'm not getting fucked by anyone not vaccinated.

From what I hear from others, the site seems to go down with some regularity. TIT (this is Thailand for newcomers to the board!)

I thought they were rioting over the change in name to Ipabema!

Peter's thoughts were well written and shows more empathy than our world has seen for a time. Glad to see it

God luck, Chai!

I was conflicted on whether to continue with this thread in the midst of the worsening COVID outlook in Brazil. Not even able to pursue a competent response to the pandemic has been deadly to the country, and as I left Brazil a few days ago, I saw that even Rio de Janeiro, which was fairly resistant to any kind of lockdown since things reopened in mid-2020, having to shut down till April 4th. A report, if you are interested: And I felt particularly guilty because as I see the USA kicking ass in terms of vaccination against the virus, I get message after message from friends and boys back in Brazil, ranging from slight irritation because of the lockdowns and the lack of parties, to desperation because the saunas are closed and therefore their main source of income is cut off. I am scheduled to go back in the latter half of April, and I have no idea if the COVID situation would be any better by then. I do hope so. But I guess that is the point, is all I can do is hope right now. And by continuing on with this thread, I feel that I am continuing that hope for myself, and maybe for others that are waiting patiently to go back as well, and who are not as willing to take the risks I have taken since August of last year. If my risk-taking seems too much for you, maybe read this thread after everything is back to normal, as we all hope it would, eventually. Pre Christmas days – The Ghost of Rio Past I have now spent the last 3 Christmases and the New Years in South America, and this year 2020, even with the pandemic still very much a thing, was no different. And can you blame me? Exchanging the cold weather and the bulkier clothes, for a much hotter, more festive, and much more naked atmosphere is a no brainer. And Christmas means family to a most Brazilians, and I was not going to pass up an invitation by an ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas dinner with his sister and her family. In my previous trip earlier in December, I was contacted by an ex who happened to be in SP too. This ex has the special distinction of being my very first boyfriend who lived in Brazil. We dated for six months, and in that time, being my formative months in my Brazil trips, I’ve probably learned the most about Brazil, and Brazilians, from him. There are many advantages of dating a Brazilian - the giant cock, the insatiable appetite for sex, the patented zest for life, but with that come some faults – the famous temper, the fire within that burns you at both ends, the obsessiveness. The relationship ended because the endless fights just became untenable for both of us. But he was a good guy, and has a good heart, and when he reached out almost two years after we ended, I was eager to reconnect. I’ve talked about him, Diego, here and here. He was a Garoto de Programa when I met him. He was one of those Brazilians who had an interesting racial mix that was fairly common in Brazil, and who unfairly got most of the best parts of each race – fair skin that tanned easily, light green eyes that called attention, a desire for physical activity that resulted in a perpetually fit body, and a cock that would only have descended from his… ahem… darker-skinned ancestors. The one fault, which is not really a fault, but one he hates, is his curly hair. He gets his hair straightened with blonde highlights, almost weekly when he was working as a boy. But now, having quit the GP life for a year, he has let go of this conceit, tho he maintains his hair close cropped, which suits him. He said he had to quit the GP life. The money was good, but also deadly. He earned a lot so he spent a lot – most of the time on girls and drugs and booze. The fast life caught to him eventually, health-wise, so he had to quit the whole GP life altogether. He lives now with his family, helping out with the family business. Little money, but comes with little problems, and less stress. He insisted on picking me up at the airport as I arrived in Rio, which he has never done before. As I exited the arrivals area, there he was, smiling from ear to ear. He met me halfway, and kissed me squarely in the lips, in front of everyone. When I first dated him, he was pretty clear that no one was to know publicly that we were together. He said at the beginning of our relationship that one of the advantages of dating me was I could pass as his friend in public because we didn’t look too far in age. That both flattered me (I look young!) and horrified me (he is ashamed to be seen as gay!), but I was willing to overlook that. But here he was, practically humping my leg, as we make our way to the Uber level in Galeao airport. This was indeed a change. But I made him aware that I had a boyfriend already (see thread), and also I fully intended to go to the saunas while I was in Rio, but told him that he could keep me company and could stay with me as long as I was in Rio. He said he didn’t mind going to the saunas with me, and actually would relish seeing friends from his past life there. Upon arrival at the AirBNB at Copacabana, since he was Brazilian, it was physically impossible for him to keep his shirt on. The sight of him shirtless of course was too much to bear for me. So with the shirt came the pants as well. He takes off my own clothing too, and it took all my strength to go to the bathroom to take a shower first (I was after all coming from a long flight from the USA, so I had to clean up). He joined me there to start the fun. What came next well… let’s just say we made up for lost time. A shower, then lunch at one of the nearby restaurants, we of course went to the beach afterwards. Not even 2 hours in Rio and I already had sex, eaten feijoada, and had my caipirinha in Copacabana beach. Welcome to Brazil: Diego and I got to catch up further at the beach. And after the beach, it was almost 6 PM. So my usual afternoon nap after a flight did not happen. So I just downed a couple cans of Red Bull to get through the evening. Diego and I discussed what sauna we should go. Diego recommended going to Lion’s tonight, since he said Friday nights were Lion’s best night. I told him I was not particularly fond of that sauna, but since I had a week of freedom in Rio, I guess I can try to go there. There was a nice crowd inside when we got there. Thank goodness. Lots of customers with lots of drinks, and some boys milling about as well. Looks like the holiday crowd has descended upon Rio. This was definitely a change from motnhs ago, when the Rio saunas were dead. The boys that Lions attracts usually are too boy-next-door for me, but I could see tonight that there were some promising boys that I could see going out with. Diego was still holding his own too, as it was obvious the regular clients and some boys knew him. He was saying hi to some clients and boys in the premises, as well as the staff at Lions. As the night, and the booze, got on, he had some pretty juicy gossip about the staff, boys, and even some clients present, to share with me, which made the evening more enjoyable. And he assured me that I could just call on any boy I wanted and he would just remain where he was, waiting for me to finish. The show started, and it was pretty elaborate. There was a total of 4 strippers tonight, and 6 drag queens, which to me felt like a big production. In between the 3rd and 4th drag queens, I noticed a nice young-looking moreno walk past us. He was trying to get my attention, of course, and I took the bait and called him over to sit with us. His body was to die for. Nice tone arms, 8 ack abs, nice chest, and the cutest smile. Big plump ass. Smooth all over. He was 23 (the magic age), and was very generous with his body to just show me what he was about. He guided my hand under the towel to get a feel of his cock. “Sou versatile” he says the magic words. I was sold. I tell Diego I will be right back. At Lion’s, while the downstairs stage and bar area are renovated, the upstairs suites were not, and were kind of run down. It will do the job, however. The boy gets me the suite keys and some condoms and lube. We entered the suite, and the boy excuses himself and asks if he could shower and get clean. I could not argue with that. I lay down on the bed to wait. A few minutes later, he was ready, emerging from the bathroom naked, smelling amazing, and hard. He takes my clothes off and immediately sits on my groin to start of. He leans down to kiss me, deeply. This boy knows what he is doing. When it comes to these programas, I can be game for anything. Sometimes I am game for worshiping a muscle god, sometimes I like getting serviced and let the boy earn his programa money. But the sweet spot for me is a boy who was equal parts into getting you into him, as he is getting into you. He sucked me, I sucked him. He rimmed me and I rimmed him. When it came to the main course, I opted to top him, but he called the shots, riding me and calling the shots and making the thrusts. I was so turned on that I came while he was thursting on me up and down, a rarity for me. “Leite?” he asks. Of course, I answer. He gets off my dick, feeds his still hard cock on my mouth, pulls out, and then jacks off. 30 seconds later he shoves his dick back into my mouth and comes inside. Wowza. He kisses me afterwards, our kiss was a mix of saliva and some of his cum that I did not swallow. He takes the condom from my cock and disposes of it, and cuddles with me in the bed. We exchange some pleasantries and get to know each other, and we exchange numbers as well. 200 reais. After a shower to de-whore myself, I was back in Diego’s arms. He playfully puts his hand on my crotch and asks me if the boy was good. I kiss him and told him he was good. We enjoy the rest of the evening watching the show and having more beers. We get home and after laying down with Diego in bed, I immediately fall asleep. I was exhausted. I wake up in the middle of the night, with a naked Diego snoring next to me. This was going to be a good trip. Next, 117, 202, and more Lions.

Here's the thread I started last time I was in TPE on Mudan Spa On another trip prior to that I had visited a place in a little alley near city hall that I don't recall the name of.

100% agree , I watched that clip and actually for quite a while I was wondering whether it was really Babe or somebody just similar

I don't know, man. The uncertainty, the guilt, and the ever-changing logistics and regulations would get to me if the virus doesn't. I just read an article about the frightening government facilities one might be sent to for quarantine in some countries. I had thought that, in the worst case scenario, I'd hole up in my hotel, but it appears hotels do not want to be known to have such a person and will expel you to the government places. And by guilt, I mean how would I feel morally superior to a Bolsonaro or a mask-burning Q-head deplorable again? Or maybe that's not a bad thing.

Got my 2nd shot of Pfizer about a week ago. No issues after 1st or 2nd shot, just a little discomfort in the arm - similar to the flu shot. New York Presbyterian's site runs very smooth - in and out in 30 minutes for both shots. Thumbs up!

Thanks for that memory....particularly the salt-water pool!

depression cured thanks to colors above

And it's a lovely time of year because many trees and plants begin to blossom. These were taken on a short walk near my apartment this morning.

I don't come here for pictures

PART THREE: OMNIA SQUARE (red outline area on map below): This place is brimming with Middle Eastern young men for sex. This is a place you either love or hate (as our other reviews here have shown)!!!! The whole square is very seedy, but the area for sex is the northwestern part of Omonia. This is the part in front of and surrounding the Hondos department store. The Syrian, Iranian, and Iraqis are usually sitting/standing at the top of the tube escalator that empties in front of the juice bar Gregores (red circle). The escalator that empties in front of Hondos (and the elevator area) usually has the Greeks and eastern Europeans (red circle). As you face Hondos, the side pedestrian street on the left side is filled with Afgans and Pakistanis. The same can be found on the right side of Hondos on the side walk. It is also the case that if you cross the street to your east you will find several outdoor cafes. One of them, whose name escapes me, you will find has old gay men sitting with their young male companions. I usually frequent the outdoor café/restaurant right in front of Hondos where I can sit and watch the boys on offer (dotted red on map). When I arrive at Omonia I usually take a complete walk around the Hondos center and then spend a few minutes seeing what is available by standing at the top of one of the two escalators. Now there is a nearby police station, so do not be so stupid as to do business in public. As to where you can go for sex, that is rather easy. All the boys will know that there are three possible sex hotels from which to choose. One is one block to the west (the one I prefer), there is one next to the Kosmopolit cinema, and then one more one block east of that. So, for those not familiar… once you negotiate what you want with the boy and how much to pay, you then proceed to the hotel. Just tells the boys to show you the hotel. You will probably pass a number of female prostitutes along the way who also use these hotels. Once you get to the hotel, you approach the clerk and hand over 5-10 euros depending on which hotel you go to. No id is required. I do this with one swift motion as I hand the 5 euro with my right hand whilst my feet continue to move to the elevator with the boy. It is usually the second floor if you choose the hotel west of Omonia, but that changes over time. The boy will know the floor. Once you get off the elevator, you will be in a hallway with about 10 rooms. There will probably be one or two couples (gay and straight with prostitutes) waiting ahead of you for a room. Once a room is clean, the maid will motion for you and you enter the room. It has a bed with one fitted sheet on top, tv with porn, a bathroom, two towels, and usually a condom. You have between 30-40 minutes until the maid will bang on your door. Most of the Syrians were especially phenomenal kissers and fuckers. Often they would also ask if I would fuck them as well. Interestingly to me, the Afgans always liked to get fucked and kiss. My usual deal was 25 euro for the boy and 5 euro for the room. I have found it safe 99.9% of the time and only had one problem. I once got a boy back to the room and he stripped. I then looked and noticed he had a small discharge from his penis even before it got hard. It was clear he had gonorrhea or chlamydia , so I used google translate to tell him how to get some medical care. A friend of mine DID have one problem when a guy could not get hard to fuck him, so he paid the guy only 10. The guy went ballistic and would not allow my friend to leave until he paid more. My friend then started yelling for the maid who started banging on the door. The boy had to relent and my friend left. I never had problems and had some amazing repeat business with these boys. Most of these boys ALSO show up a few hours later at Victoria Park where they are also available for more sex. TYPICAL DAY: I would begin the morning with work. Around 11:30 am I would take a nice walk to Omonia Square to see if there was a young male appetizer I might enjoy. I would walk completely around Hondos Center and then stand for a while at the top of the two escalators. I would always find someone. After going to the nearby hotel for sex, I would return and settle down at one of the cafes for lunch…usually the one right in front of the Hondos Center. During my time I would regularly make eye contact with another young man and invite him over for lunch. After lunch he and I would go to the sex hotel for some fun. I would then walk back to my place to freshen up and take an afternoon nap. Afterwards, I would walk over to Pedion Park for an afternoon to sample one of the guys there. Then, I would walk back to Omonia for some theatre action where I would always find one or two guys to my liking. After some sex, I would leave and have a coffee and enjoy one of those amazing Greek rice curd desserts they have. I would then return to the theater for one more round. After this I would walk up to Omonia Square and see what was on offer. I would always take at least one guy to the sex hotel for some fun, sometimes two. Afterwards, I would make my way to Victoria Park. They have some nice caffes with outdoor seating right off the top of the tube escalator that are perfect for eating dinner and watching boys. If I did not catch the eye of anyone special, then I would check Grindr or PlanetRomeo to see what was on offer. As was almost always the case, I would find someone in Victoria Park to take back to my place for a late-night snack. I would generally repeat this pattern, but add the two bars especially on Friday/Saturday nights when new guys would appear. For those not yet familiar with these areas, then simply use the street view of google maps and you can see pretty much everything that I noted above. Good luck and be sure to report back on your visits!

PART TWO: BARS: Test Me and Sammi’s both have middle eastern hustlers for sex. You can find their addresses online. Most of the guys that come to the gay bars for paid sex also come to Victoria Park. As a result, what might cost you 75-150 euro as take away from a bar will be 30-50 euro at the park. It is worth a visit, though, just to support these businesses that cater to us gays. THEATRES/BOOK STORES: There are three theatres and four books stores that I visited where you can find their addresses yourself online. They rarely have guys available for paid sex, but mostly for free sex with other gays. When they did have hustlers, but their number usually ranged from none to 2 or 3. The Athinaikon is the one most often listed, but I usually considered it a waste of my time because men rarely went there to find the paid sex. This is because everyone in Athens knows where to go for the paid sex in a theatre: Kosmopolit Cinema (Marikas Kotopouli). The theatre is located right next to and north of the Hotel Cosmopolit, which is itself just one block north of Omonia Square. It is the red X on the map. When you walk in, be sure to keep your ticket as you can re-enter one more time. I regularly had sex, went for a coffee, and then returned for some more sex. You will see guys in the park area in front of the hotel and theatre who are very eager for your take-away business as well. The guys will come and go into the theatre every few minutes. Once you get into the theatre, you will be hounded by guys in the back standing area even before you can have a seat. Find a seat and let your eyes get adjusted to the darkness. When you are ready, then its time to venture into the balcony or basement for the adventure. I would start with the balcony which can be accessed by the stairs to the left or right as you came into the entrance. That upper balcony area is where the young men will show their dicks and offer themselves. They will sit along the long side balcony aisles, as well as the main balcony. This is where you can negotiate to give them a blow job. However, the funky sex occurs in the basement. You should know… next to the theatres in the Philippines, I found this theatre to be one of the dirtiest and seediest places I have ever had sex. It is not, as they say, for the faint of heart! Thus, I loved it just because of the adventure! The basement area is accessed by steps on your right as you entered the main theatre section. It is a narrow set of steps that takes you down to this small open area where all the guys are smoking (and I mean LOTS of smoking!). They will check you out as you come down the steps and will quickly want to offer their services. Just walk around there to get your feel for the place. It has four bathroom stalls for blow job areas, a back area where it shows gay sex on a very small tv and has but six seats, a dark area off of that, and then two rooms where you can have more active sex. I usually sit myself down in one of those seats and start watching the movie and boys who are all now standing around trying to get my attention. If I like a guy, I then usually motion him to go with me into one of the two rooms where we can talk. The rooms have locks on them. I then negotiate for sex and compensation. I have seen/heard threesomes, twosomes, spanking, heavy pounding of anal sex, kissing, etc. come from those two rooms as I watch the gay porn. The only problem I have found is that guys will usually fake cumming (unless you say you only give a blow job) and say they will kiss with tongue and suddenly they will NOT once you start the sex. Those two rooms are the only real place there to have sex beyond a blow job. I should mention the rooms are nasty and rarely get cleaned. I would say there are three groups of guys at this place: Class A guys that are straight, immaculate, showered, would never take drugs, never smoke, and sexy as fuck. They come only to get one client for money so they can go out with their girlfriend later. They will let you suck them and they will fuck you. Class B guys are the ones who come for one or two clients and like to eat afterwards at a café. They are looking for long-term sugar daddies and usually operate in a pair with their friend. They will let you suck them, they will fuck you, and many kiss very well. Class Z guys are the drug addicts and you will see them also outside the theatre where they will typically turn 5-10 clients in a day for sex. They will do anything and everything if the price is right. Interestingly, most of the guys IN the theatre are from Bosnia, Romania, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Prices here ranged from 25-50 euros depending on the deed negotiated, but they did have to pay for their ticket so I always footed another 5-10 euros to cover that. I met several of the class A guys that I later brought back to my place for extended sessions. PART THREE follows…

Yes, I'll not do the Sinovac. But, they believe that the vaccines will start to roll into private hospitals here soon (for a nice price). I'm willing to pay. But, the gov't did not do a good job at ordering these in advance and thus the long wait. That said, under 80 deaths in the country and they did a good job at controlling things until Jan. Now, a bit of a scare but still, I feel quiet safe here.