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Travel fund is quite healthy but I would rather save as much of that for the fun times to come after I get there, fares should come back closer to normal by the time I go back. From Australia we still need a valid reason to travel overseas, unfortunately 2 weeks of sex with some smoking hot Thai guys is not reason enough for our government 😉

Thanks for the article reader...the magnificent Santiagodc had a discussion of this in his report on Manila which I will copy and paste here...I don't think he'll mind. 😄 Santiagodc Members 51 Author Posted February 16 (edited) Floridarob, There is truth to what you say. I found my pots of gold as well. You raise an interesting note about the circumcisions. I should say something about them for those that might make a first visit to the Philippines. There are a myriad of medical AND cultural techniques for how circumcisions are done today. The Philippines is an example of where the type of circumcision you have can tell you a great deal about where a person comes from and in what social class he comes from. It used to be the case that most circumcisions were done there when a boy was a bit older (8-14). You can read about it at this wiki article on that Pinoy tradition known as tuli. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuli_(rite) When I did my first clinical rotation through pediatrics in Boston many moons ago, I remember seeing the after effects of a Pinoy circumcision for the first time. It looked as though that boy’s penis had been placed through a meat grinder and then surgically repaired. I was horrified, but my attending was Pinoy and enlightened me on this tradition for the first time… and, what I was seeing WAS a badly done “tuli”. This was a result of a inexperienced practitioner in some rural area that had cared little for a proper cut of the foreskin or the treatment of the wound afterwards. This young patient would have a badly scarred penis for the rest of his life. Fast forward to ten years ago when I was asked to assist at a Tuli in a rural region north of Cebu City. When I arrived, I noted that there were already 5 tuli practitioners there and none had any medical training. They generally practiced the Albularyo method and used a piece of sharpened wood (thankfully, government clinics now use sterilized equipment and now generally use medical practitioners). After getting over the horror of the event, I talked with one practitioner at the end of the day who lamented that twenty years prior he would have had over 100 tuli’s to perform just by himself in this day-long event. That day, however, he had only 6 boys present for the circumcisions. It is the case that most urban or the middle/upper class pinoys now choose to have their son’s circumcision done by a medical doctor in hospital after birth. Some still arrange for the circumcision to be done later when a boy is older, but again by medical doctors. These circumcisions generally (although not always) remove the entire foreskin. What forms is what we in the West might call a normal circumcision scar. Thus, if you are with a Pinoy man for sex and his erect penis looks like a normal western scar, then that often tells you something about his family’s income level or the region he came from. For those in Pinoy rural (or “province”) areas and the lower class, they generally wait for the summer tuli events sponsored by the government where the dorsal slit is the normal method. This is where a single cut is made on the foreskin, but the foreskin is not actually removed. As a result, the skin sorta bunches together below the glans. Over the years, this skin can become slightly darker in color. As a result of all this, pinoys traditionally have a penis whose skin looks quite different from most other asians or most other western circumcisions… it is a mark of manhood. This is why pinoys often refer to this as a cultural circumcision rather than a medical circumcision. Aside from the ethical issues of circumcision, there is another aspect I had not encountered until a few years ago. I had met a young man via grindr at my hotel. We were kissing and his sucking was exemplary. I then started to pull down his underwear and he stopped me suddenly. He then said, incredibly apologetically, that he was uncut. I was like… OK, I like uncut dicks on sexy boys as well. After the sex, he then proceeds to apologize to me again for being uncut. The shame this boy was expressing was so sad… AND… part of the culture where boys that do NOT have their tuli, are often shammed in school and amongst friends. They are not true Phillipino men unless they have their tuli. In fact, there is a word in Tagalog... “supot” that means “an uncircumcised male and denotes weakness, inferiority and even lack of hygiene”. They will never even list on Grindr or Planetromeo that they are uncut lest it lessen their prospects. I participated at that one tuli and will never do so again. Ironically, the program was actually sponsored by a local Protestant Church during what pinoys know as the “Circumcision Season”. Just google “tuli” and look at the pain on those boys faces, but the smiles of their family, friends, and the practitioners. You can also look at pinoy men on Pornhub to see the varying types of pinoy circumcision results.

Good luck. I am envious but at the same time grateful; a few gay tourists putting their feet in the water and then telling me that it's warm and safe enough to swim in will persuade me to book a trip...in January.

I am surprisingly unaware of any friends or family who have died, though I know people who have been gravely ill and recovered or lost family themselves. Luckily my closest friends were all just as eager to get the vaccine as I was. Maybe that's why I can post jokes, I'm glad people seem to take them in the way they are intended, dark/morose/gallows humor but it also reflects how infuriating it can be to argue with anti-vax types, which I've gotten to do in person too many times. One dipshit felt the need to yell from his car at a line of people at Starbucks about masks and CO2... I yelled back something about surgeons wearing them through 8-hour operations but it was pointless... and there is a part that welcomes how targeted the current wave is in America but knows that it affects far more than the profoundly stupid.

Eisenhower's warning about the rise of military/industrial complex comes to mind. Important sometimes to realise the context and why he included this in this farewell speech (the use of bold face is mine). "A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction... "This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. "We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."

I said it 127 times here but only 11 this year so I say it again in defense of straights. They know they need to try harder and almost universally they do. As a bonus they tend to be more straightforward with limitations they may have. like : "you sleep with me ? " Ok, I fuck you but you no fuck me" , "in the evening, but what about morning ? "ha, ha , ha , lets go"

PART ONE: My work had taken me to Manila for a four week stay last January and again this past December. This is a compilation report of my own personal experiences. HOTEL: Makati was certainly the place of choice for straight titty bars and female prostitutes, but it seemed from the gay guides that Malate was the place of choice for gays. After checking out the various web site gay guides, I decided to stay in a cheap business hotel across from Robinson’s Mall. My gay work colleague decided to stay in an Airbnb but quickly moved out because the place had security guards either registering your guests or not allowing you to have guests unless you provided the guest’s driver’s license 24 hours ahead of the visit. In fact, I am absolutely sure that the Philippines must employ 90% of their citizens to work as security guards… they are in those same white crisply starched shirts as you will see in front of every business. The cheap hotel I stayed in offered breakfast and I chose it precisely because of location and not comfort. It also had no security other than the bell hop. At the Mall across the road was the famous gay meeting place of: Starbucks! I had thought Malate was filled with gay bars, but I was mistaken. However, like Makati it IS filled with karaoke bars and women strippers at the bars and massage parlors. GRINDR AND PLANET ROMEO: I was getting over 20 messages an hour from my profile when I opened it on these apps. I laid out what I was clearly looking for in sex, as well as noting that I would be happy to help with donation for a young student’s debt (so as to bypass the app restrictions). I quickly learned how deceiving the profiles of guys can be. You will note that the profiles usually say something like “not a trace” or “manly” to reference being masculine and “tropa” for group action. Two types of guys started messaging me: FIRST TYPE--Most of the profiles that contact you will show “masahe” (or some similar way of writing massage) or “not for fun” or “available” or “hagod” to describe the massage they can provide. They will usually just message you with a set price list. This list is for the massage only. The “ES” or “extra service” is something extra you pay for. As was reported on another review, the guys do NOT like to say how much the ES is, if they would offer it, or even what it would be if they offered it. I decided to try a massage for my first afternoon and the guy came to my hotel. The price he quoted was 1,000 pesos ($20.00 USD) for the massage. He also happened to be the one guy that said on messaging that he would offer ES but would only talk about what the ES was when we were in person. I had to meet him outside the hotel and we walked in together to my room. Well, he showed up and he clearly was much older than the Grindr profile photo. In fact, he was wearing so much makeup to make himself look younger that it was just weird. When we got to room, he proceeded to the bathroom and then disrobed to his underwear. He had me lie down on the bed nude with a towel over my ass. He then proceeded to do a fairly decent massage. He then asked me if I wanted ES. I asked what he had to offer. He then said 1,000 more for a hand job, 1,500 for a blow job, or 2,000 to fuck him. I just couldn’t get past the 40 year old in make-up that had used photos of when he was 20. So, I declined and we parted ways. I learned a lot from my first mistake. Thereafter, I always asked to video chat with the guy to see what he looked and acted like before we met. It quickly became clear that a large majority of guys were using photos of themselves when they were much much younger. I also made it clear thereafter on my profile that I did not want a massage, but sex only. Further, I wanted a great kisser with the use of the tongue. Interestingly, I learned a new phrase I had not heard of before: Side Fun! This was their way of saying you can kiss, cuddle, and suck each other, but not engage in anal sex. So, I became very explicit during my first meeting a guy by saying I wanted side fun, a great kisser with the tongue, mutual sucking, and both cumming. If a guy came to my place and would not kiss once I got inside the room, then I asked him to leave and gave him a little money for travel. They never got angry as the culture is not one that likes confrontation. I finally became very clear with them… if you lie about what you offer then I will not pay you at all. I should also mention that HUNQS on Planet Romeo had guys offering sex for 2,000-5,000 pesos, but the very same guys in regular profiles texted to offer their time for 1,000. I finally settled on some regularly guys that came to my hotel every other day for sex. It started as “side fun” but they quickly started offering more for the same price since I was a regular. Because I could trust them for a good experience, I also gave them tips and other items over time. SECOND TYPE: You will have tons of messages from 18–25-year-old guys that look very young. Simply put, they are looking for a sugar daddy. They are very very specific (to the point of getting angry) that they are NOT there as “money boys” but are looking for just friendship and relationship with an older man. Make no mistake in your mind, it is not as if the entire young male population of Manila has been genetically bred to like old gay men. As you befriend them, they will start to ask for travel money, then other small “gifts”, and then BIG gifts. Suddenly their mother or grandmother is in the hospital needing care, or their laptop just broke, or etc. The story is the same for many of them. The positive of meeting these guys? I had some of the most passionate and incredible sex of my life with these young sexy men. They were simply amazing and incredibly kind. Most were straight or bi needing money, with the others being gay and needing money (usually for school). The negative? They are ready to marry you after one sexual encounter, they are clingy, they don’t want you to have sex with anyone else, and they expect their daddy to treat them (their son) appropriately. The sad part is that I had heard so many stories from these guys about older western gay men who started a relationship with them and then just dropped and ghosted them after a few weeks. It was heartbreaking to hear them say, “You’re not going to leave me too, are you?” In turn, this also hardened some of these younger guys (knowing the old men might drop them so quickly) to start asking for things early on in the encounters. So, make clear your expectations up front with them. When you write that you are a white foreigner on your profile you will be inundated with messages of guys wanting you to be their daddy. PART TWO TO FOLLOW…

From Anthem Press A Longitudinal Study of Young, Rural, Same-Sex-Attracted Men Coming of Age By Jan W. de Lind van Wijngaarden Anthem Studies in Sexuality, Gender and Culture This book presents the very first analysis of male homosexuality in modern rural Thailand that is based on sociological/anthropological research directly with 25 young same-sex attracted men. It explores changes in the way men view and describe their sexuality over time by interviewing them three times over a period of around 18 months. The men are followed during an important transition in their lives: the end of their high school years and the end (in most cases) of their life as a child with parents or extended family at a rural home. Nearly all decided to move to a city to continue their education or to find work. Some also had stints with sex work in one of Thailand’s well-known centers for prostitution. For nearly all men, this transition brought them into contact with new ideas about gender and sexuality, and many experienced an abrupt increase in their opportunities to have sex, leading to a readjustment of their moral universes. The young men in the study were still in the process of figuring out who they were/wanted to be, and many contradictions emerged in their narratives over the period of data collection. These contradictions, and the way they were resolved, presented an opportunity to critically explore the way the social structures in which these young men operate influence the way they think and explain their own sexual/gendered selves, and how changes in these social structures affect their sense of self. A number of explanatory ‘lenses’ are used in the different book chapters that zoom in on different structuring/explanatory frameworks for making sense of gender and sexuality in Thai cultural contexts, as used and applied by the study participants. The first is Buddhism. Buddhist beliefs and traditional ideas about karma, fate, hierarchy, family, masculinity and femininity played important roles in the young men’s childhood understandings about homosexuality and same-sex relations– especially in terms of their cause and morality. The second lens for understanding male homosexuality in Thailand is gender, where men are divided into feminine-oriented bottoms and masculine-oriented tops. A third lens is modernity/the desire to develop and grow, closely linked to Thailand’s globalizing economy and the increasing role of the Internet and social media. The Internet functioned as an important ‘playground’, a platform for trying-out different presentations of the self via Facebook and chat applications – and in many men this resulted in a rejection of their previous self-presentation as effeminate, which they gradually started to associate with being backwards, rural and ‘traditional’. The fourth lens is related to economy. Many of the young men in the study searched for romantic relationships based on complementarity and were looking for boyfriends who had something they did not have—money, a better position in society, or ‘wisdom’/the ability to guide. Most of the more effeminate men saw their sexuality as valuable, and several of the study participants described in this book – especially those coming from poor families – engaged in sex work and used their youth and beauty to find a wealthy long-term partner, in the hope of lifting their families out of poverty, towards a more prosperous future. The fifth lens is nationalism, or more specifically the concept of ‘being a good Thai’; gradually the young men learned that the Thai sense of self and the importance of performing one’s role as a ‘good’ son in public can be used as a strategy to cover-up private behaviors and desires. The sixth and final lens is family. Being ‘good’, respecting elders and elder siblings, financially supporting (grand-)parents, having good manners, meaning ‘acting appropriately in time and space’, gave the young men a way to retain the respect and support of elders and seniors, and determined how they dealt with (non-)disclosure of their sexuality to their families and others and explained their ability and desire to remain part of the mainstream of society. In the final chapter, a discussion about three critical concerns pertaining the health and wellbeing of same-sex attracted Thai men are discussed in the light of this proposed model: the ongoing HIV epidemic, mental health and LGBTI rights. Overall, this book presents significant new insights about the Thai sex/gender system, particularly on how it is affected by processes of globalization and the ascent of the Internet and mobile phones as tools for dating and romance. https://anthempress.com/sociology/books/male-homosexuality-in-21st-century-thailand-pdf

From The Star PHNOM PENH, Aug 29 (Bernama): Cambodia has allowed its citizens to get a third Covid-19 booster shot to build "real herd immunity,” Anadolu Agency quoted the state-run news agency Agence Kampuchea Press. In a statement released by the government this week, Prime Minister Hun Sen said a third dose of vaccines will be offered to people aged 12 and above. "In order to rapidly build a ‘real herd immunity’ which is a key foundation to protect the people’s lives from Covid-19, particularly the Delta variant or other variants, as well as to get prepared for the plan to reopen all sectors and to live with Covid-19 in a new normal norm, the Royal Government decides to launch the Covid-19 booster shot policy to the general public aged 12 years old and above,” the statement said. The campaign will run until mid-2022, and is conducted on a voluntary and free-of-charge basis, it added. Nearly 8 million people out of the 10 million eligible have been fully vaccinated with the UK-produced Oxford-AstraZeneca, the US-donated Johnson & Johnson, or the Chinese-made Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines. The Southeast Asian country has a population of 16 million. The kingdom has also began vaccinating children between the ages of 12 and 17 earlier this month, and up to 2 million are expected to be inoculated by early November. https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2021/08/29/cambodia-now-allowing-citizens-to-get-covid-19-booster-shots

Although I applaud any legitimate means of reducing the spread of the virus, I have to wonder if most conventional mouthwashes don't also have a similar effect. From The Nation Mahidol University’s Faculty of Dentistry has patented a new mouthwash that reduces the spread of new coronavirus via patient’s saliva The new mouthwash was developed in research with Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine to find a formula that help reduces the spreading of Covid-19. “We use a safe amount of hydrogen peroxide as an anti-viral agent plus other ingredients that will not irritate the oral cavity,” said Dr Surakit Wisutthiwatthanakorn, director of Mahidol University’s Dentistry Hospital. Surakit added that the trial phase among patients at the Dentistry Hospital revealed that the mouthwash is capable of killing more than 99.9 per cent of new coronavirus in patients’ saliva. “For example, if a patient has 100,000 units of Covid-19 virus in their saliva, after using this mouthwash for one minute, only 41 units will still be alive,” he said. “Furthermore, the mouthwash is able to tackle mutated variants of the virus, as it eliminates the fat layer protecting the virus, rendering it incapable of multiplying.” https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005468

https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/does-mouthwash-kill-covid-19 A quick google came up with a list of studies, one of which is the above

If anyone really wants to go to Thailand under current and foreseeable circumstances, you might be interested in the following article: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guidelines for people planning to visit Thailand by The Nation August 30, 2021 The Public Health Ministry has come up with a guide for travellers planning to visit Thailand under the pilot reopening schemes like Phuket Sandbox, Samui Plus and Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension. To be eligible to travel under the programme, Thai returnees or foreigners must be: • 18 years old and above • Should have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines that have been approved by Thailand or the World Health Organisation at least 14 days before arrival Covid-19 vaccines approved in Thailand: • CoronaVac by Sinovac Biotech: 2 doses / 2-to-4-week interval • AstraZeneca or Covishield by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, SK Bioscience (South Korea), Siam Bioscience, and Serum Institute of India (Covishield): 2 doses / 4-to-12-week interval • Comirnaty by Pfizer and BioNTech: 2 doses / 3-week interval • Janssen or Janssen/Ad26.COV2.S by Johnson & Johnson: 1 dose • Moderna by Moderna: 2 doses / 4-week interval • Covilo by Sinopharm: 2 doses / 3-4-week interval • Sputnik V by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology: 2 doses/3-week interval Have you been fully vaccinated? According to the Public Health Ministry, travellers are considered fully vaccinated if they have received: • Second dose of two-dose vaccines like AstraZeneca or Pfizer no less than 14 days before travelling to Thailand. • Single-dose vaccines like Janssen no less than 14 days before travelling to Thailand • Second dose of mix-and-match vaccines like CoronaVac from Sinovac and AstraZeneca, no less than 14 days before travelling to Thailand. Apart from being fully vaccinated, travellers to Thailand should have all their advance arrangements in good order. These include a Certificate of Entry (COE) issued by a Thai embassy or consulate, a Covid-19 health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of US$100,000; confirmation of a SHA Plus hotel booking, and a medical certificate with a negative RT-PCR test result issued no more than 72 hours before departure. https://www.nationthailand.com/thai-destination/40005465

No one close to me had died of covid, but i know few people personally that had died. Of course if we expand to my friend's family, my cousin's families on the other side, work colleagues etc, those numbers add up. At least except for one person, all of my extended families than im in communication with, are taking their vaccines, and majority had their 2nd dose already. Regardless of this, i cant feel sympathy for those who not only decided for themselves that they are superior being and can ward off the virus without medical help, but also preach others to do the same. And these people are also the one selling those ivermectin, or cloves water, or whatever natural immunity and supplement that they claim able to keep covid away. If these people died from covid, i cant feel sad at all, simply because, if they had survived, they will then say whatever they claim is true, thus continue their mission to drag eveeyone else down with them

I agree. My concerns remain the very small sample study, the geographical spread of the respondents being limited to rural areas in the north east and the south, and the fact that the interviews were conducted almost 10 years ago. Since technological advances play a part in the study, these will certainly in part be outdated. I am certain the responses of the boys will be illuminating. I'll not be spending £80 on the book but hope someone may eventually post their views on it here.

Yearbook the series almost finished with last episode due coming week. Teary but not sentimental and actually tells about rare but real , not invented, problem some couple may face. Even frequent repetitions of scenes have their purpose and I found them not annoying. Box of Kleenexes and big towel ready for last part but short interview with actors playing main characters at end of episode 7 makes me feeling that it may not finish as bad as expected so far. Kleenexes can be used for something else after all

This has the flavour of a work-intensive unicorn search. Trainers in Brazil must have a Phys Ed Bachelor’s. It is hard for them to work as independents because most gyms come with their own staff and they are territorial; and often not male, gay, or attractive. I have gone to day-pass gyms with a fitness guy and the gym really scrutinizes whether your gym buddy is training you versus with you. They seem also perhaps to worry about liability if they do not thwart somebody assuming a training role without having been vetted. Why do they need to be qualified for you? Don’t you ever work out on your own? You could work out together as friends. Lots of physique guys escort. For Lagoa, if you are into the search required, you can cast the net online, eg Instagram, and ask hotties if they will be your paid guest at the little gym-room there. They may bite, or be curious. Or they may grasp your agenda and suggest a better venue because the sauna gym does absolutely suck … though it is so bad you might agree on exploring other amenities in private there. But don’t expect a fellow to explicitly declare being a homosexual trainer prostitute. You might get two out of three of those criteria met. Most hot gay trainers have boyfriends and do not escort. The trainers with girlfriends compartmentalize so it’s not non-monogamish.

I’ve recently been shocked no make that horrified when watching some of the YouTube Videos from Pattaya. There still seem to be people going about their business around the Sois but looking at all the closed down businesses and to let signs is really saddens me that the Pattaya I have loved for the last 30 years is disappearing. I live in that hope things will one day improve and the lovely Thai people who are suffering now can find some solace. I have bought tickets for Manchester Pride 2021 (my home city) it will be the first event for more that 18 months that I have attended where social distancing isn’t enforced. I must admit that whilst I am excited I am also frightened and feel extremely nervous. I have had many incredible times at Manchester pride over the years so I will just go with flow and try to have fun. Best wishes to everyone in the group.

Alitalia has been in its death throes for many years and its demise is hardly a surprise. The Italian government tried to keep it alive without success. I believe Delta and Easyjet had expressed interest in taking it over a few years ago. But the talks came to nothing. I only once did a long haul on Alitalia and a few inter-Europe flights. For my money it served the best coffee in the air, but not much else! Reminds me a little of the Belgian airline SABENA which went bankrupt in 2001. Its acronym amongst frequent travellers was Such A Bloody Experience, Never Again!

what about all those temples, palaces and blue waters of Chao Praya river not to mention ruins of soi Twilight ?

This time last year I began looking at my usual winter 3 month trip to Pattaya and it looked as if there was no chance. Not because everything was shut, but because the Thai border was firmly closed. I usually get there in November. However about October Thailand announced ‘O’ visas would be issued for 90 day stays, so it was Game On. There then followed weeks of paperwork and I eventually got to Thailand mid December and did my solitary. I stayed for 4 months. Most of the time everything operated normally. A good trip. So, here we are again a year later...Since last year the Thai border has always been open and I can go any time I want, with the same amount of paperwork, but actually simpler quarantine by going to a Sandbox. Good. However the BIG difference at the moment is all entertainment is closed. So in answer to the threads question, “Forthcoming holidays 2021/2”, I see absolutely see no problem travelling again in November from the UK to Thailand, providing I do the quarantine. No big deal if I stay for 3/4 months. What I’m not prepared to do is travel there and find everything is closed. So it will be a last minute decision nearer the time depending on what’s open.

PART THREE: THEATRES: I could never get a definitive answer from the internet if the sex theatres were still open. Most said they were closed or no longer operating. If you look at them from the outside, you might think the same. I found three that were open and operating with NONE having air conditioning. It was like being back in a Times Square movie theatre from the 1970’s. The first two are located in that place in Manila where you can buy anything illegal that you want… right next to the Recto train stop! The largest place was Dilson Theatre located at 1608 Recto Ave, Quiapo. When you walk in, there will be trash around the entrance and the escalator will be broken. You pay for the 100 pesos ticket there on your right at the entrance. Then you go up the non-working escalator to a reception area where you will see about 15-20 young men standing around. As you go into the theatre, trust me when I say that about 15-20 young men inside there will suddenly start coming towards you. They will ALL say hello and start touching your dick even as you are only in the back section. They will ask you, “Would you like service?” I just say “Maybe later”. Get your bearing and find a seat where you can scope out the place. Guys will continue to come to you to offer their service. Now, this lower section is the section where you usually pay for the young men to give you a blow-job. Some will also engage in some passionate kissing as well if you ask. I actually had a number of my threesomes here with one guy kissing me while the other was giving me a blow-job. They would switch back and forth and it was amazing. Obviously, I had learned to keep my money safe since I was told by a gay older man that the guys would go through your pockets whilst giving the service. You should know that theatre is hot, reeks of smoke, and the guys are insistent. You can then go up one level to the upper section via the stairs in the reception area. From there in that massive section, you will have the free no-pay sex amongst gays with a few young hustlers standing around to offer as well. You need only show an interest in any young man, tell him what you want, and then tell him “500 pesos?” If it is just a blow job or kissing then that price is the norm. If you want something more like anal sex, then you will need to go offsite because there is no place to do it there (including even in the worst bathrooms I have ever seen there). There are many cheap hour hotels around this area. I went to look at one by myself to see what it was like. Let me just say the beds had bed bugs and there were roaches everywhere in the room. Chance it if you want, as the guys will know where an hour hotel is nearby. The second theatre has no name (that I know of) but is further east down Recto about 100 feet past Dilson on the same south side of the road. It has two levels but is much much smaller. I was told it is filled with young men that have been kicked out of Dilson. I ventured in and was quickly grabbed by a very young guy that look to be on drugs. So, I decided to just exit for the day but came back a few more times. Most of these boys are from the Tondo section of Manila which is very poor. Same price, same services. I also tried the Baclaran Cinema as listed on the net, but it was boarded up and closed. There was another theatre further east towards Quezon City that was of a similar size to Dilson, but the name and location escape me at the moment. I went once but it was simply so far out to try again. ROBINSON’S MALL AND STARBUCKS: If you enable your Grindr while in Robinson’s Mall, the profiles will all show 5 feet away and every young guy will be messaging you to find a daddy. I met many a young man at the entrance by the escalators. We would chat, I would ask if he would like sex for 1,000 pesos at my hotel 1 minute away, and WHAM… off we went for an hour or more of fun. It was as if I was at Robinson’s “young horny male buffet” instead of a mall. As for Starbucks, well… this place is well known to gays in Manila. It has an outdoor section with tables, an indoor internal section with tables next to the cash register, and another outdoor section that juts out into the interior of Robinson’s Mass. The past time is to get a coffee, sit at that indoor mall section and watch people come and go. Female prostitutes are in front of the two small vendors next to Starbucks so you can watch them. Then, you can also meet your sex prospects here by having them visit you at your table. I would tell the young man, “I am an old man, sitting at Starbucks in blue jeans, a white shirt, tennis shoes, and having a coffee. If you want to chat after you see me and maybe do something more for a little cash, then text me you are interested, tell me how you are dressed so I can see you, then introduce yourself to me”. If he looked like his photo, then we might have action. If he did not or seemed just weird, then I’d hand him 200 pesos for the conversation and simply say I’m too tired for sex right now. Starbucks is also a great public place to meet a guy if you are concerned with first bringing him back to your hotel. SEX: I am a 6 foot overweight 61 year old white man. Pinoys are very short and I clearly stand out in the crowd as a giant among the hobbits. Just know that many can even be less than 5 foot tall. It took a little adjustment to having sex with such smaller guys. Likewise, their dicks are also on the small side as you will see from Grindr where guys are considered massive when they advertise their 6 inch tools and tall at 5 ft 10. The young guys that sucked were simply overjoyed at sucking my average size dick and calling it massive. If you are into feet, which is not my thing, these short guys also have the most massively wide feet that I have ever seen. Most seemed to prefer the side fun, but others were the usual of active and passive. I did have to bring my own condoms (and lube) since the pinoy dick sizes (and the condoms at the pharmacy I checked) were usually very small by my western standards. If you are passive or want to try being passive, then a young short pinoy stud with his sexy body and smaller cock may be the perfect choice for you to start with. PRICE: 500 pesos ($11 USD) in the theatre (75 pesos ($1.56 USD) for an entrance ticket); 1,000 ($20 USD) plus travel for app/parlor/Robinson guys to your hotel (excluding massage); up to 5,000 pesos ($104 USD) for HUNQS or “A list” masseurs (excluding massage) LANGUAGE: Filipino (Tagalog) and English. You will do fine with just English as it clearly shows you are a sexy foreigner!!! SUMMATION: I typically worked in the early morning, arranged for a B list parlor guy or Robinson guy to come to my hotel at 1:00 pm, then got a young man from one of the apps for 3:00 pm, then visited one of the theatres between 4-6 pm, then had supper and sex with an app guy or Robinson’s Mall guy from 7-9, and then did work for the next day. I usually averaged 5-6 guys a day. I went to the massage parlors on my first trip, but had no desire to go to them again for my last trip since I had so many other options including bringing the guys to me. I also travelled to Cebu and Davao City which offered pretty much the same items with the same prices. In all the cities I used Grindr, Planet Romeo, Twitter, and Facebook.

PART TWO: BARS: Google “Boy Bars” and “Manila” to see a number of reports about what is one of the most confusing bar situations to me. Most of the strictly gays bars had closed down in Malate, but the remaining ones are scattered across several sections of Manila. That was a bit frustrating as I had thought I was staying in the gay section known as Malate. I visited a few of the gay bars (two remaining in Malate) and they were underwhelming… just your standard gay bar or dance floor with gays… BUT, the Pinoy version MUST MUST have karaoke (their national sport, it seems). Two had dancers, but no nudity and no touching. The “Boy Bars” that you will find are especially strange. These are another type of bar where virtually all the guys are sexy straight pinoys who will dance in front of you. If you like them, then you pay them to come down and sit to talk with you. Mind you, you are not touching or engaging in sex, but you are just paying them to talk with you. One guy said he would come back with me after hours and his price was 8,000 pesos “to have sex with a sexy straight guy”. I tried two nights of this and ditched it because I realized I could have been having wild passionate sex with 3-4 equally gorgeous guys from the apps for the amount I spent on one hour of talking with some partially clothed straight guy at the boy bar. If that is your thing, then good for you. Google and learn. MASSAGE PLACES: Manila is simply filled with over 20 massage parlors for men to get massages from other men. About half are legit massages where they will NOT offer sex or extra services, while the others are full blown places for massage and sex. These places open and close regularly. There are two ways that I found to tell the difference: FIRST, go on twitter or facebook and search for Manila and massage. Start to follow the parlors where they usually post photos of their massagers and you will see that 1-some make it very clear they are completely legit, 2-some have sexy boys and are very coy about what they offer, and then 3-some are very explicit that ES is offered. You can come to their place or the boys will come to your hotel. Further, they will text you their price range (usually 1,000-4,000) without the price of the ES which is usually 1,000-2,000 pesos and THAT is decided on by the boy. Secondly, start to follow the Manila Massage review profiles on Twitter and Facebook. There are some great reviewers of these parlors that are found on twitter. These reviewers will write in Filipino, but you can use the translate feature to see what they wrote. They will let you know whether the massager offered the ES. Keep in mind that THESE massage parlors are the upscale kind with social media, websites you can google, uniforms, etc. These “A list” parlors are not the same as the “B list parlors”. These “B list” parlors (where the guys always offer ES) do not advertise other than maybe a sign outside their establishment or on Grindr/Planet Romeo. I found six such places around my hotel by Robinson’s Mall. You find them by looking around for their signs and just walking in to ask what they offer. You can also find them by moving your location feature on Grindr around the city. You will see a profile of a guy offering massages and saying he has his own place (which usually means he is operating out of a B list parlor). He usually has one or two other profiles as well. If you come to their place which is usually quite sparse, the price for the massage is usually around 500-700 pesos. ES will be another 1,000-1,500. Going to these places is like being in a surreal movie. You go in, the guy leads you to a darkened room with music that is divided by curtains with a table in each section for a massage. You disrobe and then lie down naked with a towel over your ass. After the massage the guy will talk about ES. It was quite weird having sex on the table whilst another three guys were getting massages and having sex right next to me in the same room divided only by curtains. After those experiences, I decided to pick the guy from the parlor (or the profile on Grindr) and arrange a later visit at my hotel for privacy. To see an example of these “B List” parlors, use your Grindr explorer and center it around the cross streets of Remedios Street and Leon Guinto Street. There are four parlors there only 30 seconds apart from each other. You can see the profiles of the guys on Grindr, and then you can even see the locations in google maps. PART THREE TO FOLLOW…

The number of general covid threads seems to have been reduced to @JKane's amusing one featuring Covid Dark Humor and those speculating when Thailand will open up to tourism again. But covid is still killing far too many people and inevitably some of us are affected as friends die. One friend aged 67 and an expert in his field (not medicine!) and therefore a frequent traveller much of each year went with his partner to spend a week at their holiday house in Greece in late-July. He then had to be in north Italy for a series of business meetings while his partner returned to London. A few days later my friend returned to get vaccinated, having stupidly missed an earlier slot. He was soon in hospital and on a ventilator. Two weeks ago he died. I first met him 45 years ago. Sadly this is not an unusual tale. How many of us have known one or more who have died of this dreadful pandemic?