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Tuesday (Day 10) - Spent close to 4 hours chatting to fellow forum members at Coffee Grinder Silom from 11am to 3pm. It opens early at 9am. The owners, who went out to the bars (Balcony, Tawan, Banana) the previous night, hardly had time to sleep. They were back only at 4am and they had to start baking at 7.30am. Nice gay friendly place to hang out and the three local male staff are also yummy eye candy. Throughout my 4 hours in the cafe, I observed different types of customers from curious tourists to local office workers who dropped by after lunch. On the topic of lunch, I made observation that some of the male massage shops in Soi 6 opened at 11am and one fellow forum member explained that there were local customers who go for massages during their lunch break! I went back to hotel for afternoon nap. Met fellow forum member at 9pm for dinner at Circus at Soi 4 before we entered Jupiter. Given front row left aisle seats. About 25 Jupiter guys. Not as many customers tonight but there was one big spending trio of Chinese tourists consisting two ladies and a guy at VIP sofa table. After the show and 3rd model walk, the singers came on and the VIP customers really went wild. They were hopping up and down half drunk surrounded by Jupiter guys. They started dishing out 100 baht tips to models, mamasans, waiters and singers. The other table with bottle service was Yours Truly here. We had six Jupiter guys with us and while our table was not as wild and crazy as big tip VIPs, we had an equally fun time. Fellow forum member who was with me did the @vinapu tuck many many many times. At 12.30am, we left, happy and with memories of another unforgettable night.

If I wanted someone who looks like a female, I'd go to the girlie bars on Walking Street. Thankfully, I don't.

Another new massage shop has opened on Inthamara 25 off Sutthisan Winitchai rd. Saengchan Spa is associated with One Spa which opened a few months ago. https://lin.ee/U8JoiP5

The term "ladyboy" has a huge variety of meanings in Thailand, some of which are pejorative. My boyfriend's cousin, who worked in Pattaya, has moved through various representations of the term since I first met him seventeen years ago. In 2006, he was an attractive and highly-popular go go boy, a twink, very much a bottom, in Boyztown. As time went on, his demeanour and mode of speech (according to P) became more feminine and later included khatoey argot. As time wore on, he sometimes dressed as a woman, wore female jewelry and wore his hair as a female. By about 2018, at least when he met with P and me , he had reverted to masculine dress, perhaps in deference to us (and perhaps the other diners in the restaurant!) though I was told that his speech was still that of a khatoey. On the last few occasions we met, he was back where he started, dressing as a male, if eccentrically. And now retired from the Pattaya scene in his forties, he's a gay Thai farmer. P is delighted with this latest transformation. He felt that his cousin's transition to ladyboy had placed a barrier between them. He's still a handsome guy, I have to admit. And neither P ( who has known him since they were children) nor I can explain any of this, though his relatively successful career on the stage in shows perhaps contributed to his journey.

you may even see few of them on Grindr. Definitely they are offable, speaking from experience although some on some days may be available only after bar closes

Yes most are happy to be approached. Just be direct and ask.

if he knew or sensed that you are not in Thailand he could give you any price knowing that no deal will come out of it anyways. To answer original question, yes few times I paid 4000 even 5000 ST but it was always for hunks I was lusting for and what's most important did not regret overpaying and short time was not that short, 2-3 hrs rather than one. Africans are rarity in Thailand so they may think they command premium

A strange thread title, I agree, but one that is I believe quite apt. A few days ago Italy's Silvio Berlusconi died. A media mogul with an outside personality whose businesses had made billions (€s or $s makes little difference) and who owned one of the country's top soccer teams, was attracted to right-wing politics. In 1994 he was elected to the first of his four separate terms as Italy's Prime Minister. Despite many scandals with young women (some being hookers and at least one alleged to be underage), continuing to own and run 90% of national television broadcasting whilst in power, alleged links to the mafia, a plethora of legal actions against him and his companies which saw him convicted several times for abuse of office, false accounting and bribery of judges - with the outcome in at least six occasions being politically altered to "no conviction", and a host of other scandals, he was always able to keep the public on his side. He was very much a model for Trumpism. Like Trump he liked to give his critics nicknames. Britain's Economist magazine was one of his sternest critics. Berlusconi called it The Ecommunist. The magazine was also taken to court. No doubt Trump watched and noted what was happening in Italy. Another avid viewer must unquestionably have been Britain's now disgraced Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Having lied to parliament years after he had lied massively to the British public when he led the campaign to get the country out of the European Union (an act that has seen the UK economy with the highest rate of inflation in Europe since the oil crises of the 1970s and the country's economy suffering badly through loss of jobs with the transport, farming and hospitality sectors particularly badly hit, stalled investment spending and a host of new export and travel regulations infuriating many), he had to resign as Prime Minister last year and has in recent days been forced to resign as a Member of Parliament. His ruling Conservative Party is about to go to war over whether he will be permitted ever to stand again for election as a Member of Parliament. He did not set himself up as a model. But Berlusconi certainly started the rot now eating away at US and UK politics.

I met Boy George there once but I asked him to pay me.

Berlusconi at least made impression of being fun loving which Trump does not , at least not on me

It's your Trademark....

From Pattaya Mail Get ready Pattaya for not one but two major parades in a single day which is sure to draw thousands of participants and visitors…but also traffic headaches. The day in question will be June 24th, 2023, in which both the International PRIDE Parade and Pattaya Festival Parade will run down Pattaya Beach Road. First up will be the International PRIDE Parade featuring thousands of people celebrating diversity, equality, and inclusivity. This will take place starting from Central Marina and march down Second Road to the Dolphin Roundabout and then down Pattaya Beach to Central Mall. Road closures will start around 3 and the parade is expected to finish around 6. Next up will be the Pattaya Festival, a special night time parade celebrating all things Pattaya with plenty of colors, neon, and lights. This parade was a major hit in 2022. It will start from 6PM at Terminal 21 and march to Central Mall taking a similar route to the first parade.

From Thai Enquirer By Lynn Sasinpong You would be forgiven for thinking that pride month is all about LGBTQI+ being loud. Or even, that “gay love being thrown at our faces.” It is not a strange conclusion to arrive at, with the extravagant pride parade this month, with companies–even Thai Enquirer–adding rainbows to its logos, and with all the marketing gimmicks and rainbow decorations all over the streets, it is not a strange conclusion to arrive at. In Thailand, it is loud. Thailand has always been a hotspot for LGBTQI+ tourism: transgender entertainment, such as beauty pageants and cabaret, is very popular. Sex reassignment in Thailand is popular. Even Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has pledged for the international World Pride event to be held in Bangkok by 2028. These acts are great for fostering visibility, acceptance, and support for the LGBTQI+ community. But overblown or not, they are besides the point. Because pride is not always about being loud, donning rainbow paint, and marching on the streets. Pride month is about love. And sometimes, love is quiet. It is about allowing two men or two women to walk on the streets holding hands. Or it is about allowing a transgender woman to finally undergo safe surgery to finally become who she is. In Thailand, it is about allowing a homosexual couple to enjoy the same perfect union as heterosexual couples have always been able to do. In other countries, it is about two people to share private, intimate moments without the threat of death or imprisonment. Pride, really, lies in those simple and quiet moments of love–love for another, and love for each other regardless of who they are. Pride month is about equality. Pride month is being proud of a society that allows all its people, regardless of gender, to live and love equally. A society that prides itself on respect of the rights of individuals, including especially those who belong in the LGBTQI+ community. And finally, pride month is the struggle for identity. In America, it started out as a protest–a riot. In an early morning of the summer of 1969, the people in Greenwich Village fought back against the police while the latter tried to raid the Stonewall Inn gay bar. Since then, the protests grew and grew. And today, it celebrates the history of how far the journey towards LGBTQI+ acceptance has come, and commemorates the struggles along the way. Continues at https://www.thaienquirer.com/49965/pride-month-is-not-just-celebration-but-protest-as-well/

Trump took a little of the worst from all notable dictators and weaved his own brand. I very much want to believe that you’re right but the US lurches from one election to another and there’s really no cool down period. Far right figures will always find an audience in the era of the 24-hour news cycle. Even if Trump fades or disappears, you have DeSantis et al waiting impatiently in the wings.

Has been written about here extensively. It is still open and you meet the boys at Bliss Suite hotel in Centro.

Strippers are generally not the main theme in Colombian clubs. Places like Gigolo House and Garage (both Bogotá) are stripper bars where the boys will do a single dance at the end of their stage obligation fully erect. Most then walk the audience offering up a feel for tips. Not sure if that fits the bill for what you want. Many clubs and saunas in the larger cities will bring in a feature stripper to do a 20 -30 minute show during an event. Again, depending on the space, these shows can be completely vanilla or full audience interaction up to penetration -- just depends on the venue and what the stripper has actually been hired to do. So I would suggest just asking around at any of the local gay bars you hit up. Colombia has a LOT of private gay events that feature entertainment far wilder than what you find in the local bars. If you are up to it, you can apply to be a member of Angels Naked Party which runs a number of different events in Bogtotá y Medellín. Good luck with your search.

Monday (Day 9) - At famous forum member's suggestion/insistence, I visited Tawan. Before that, I met another fellow forum member who had just arrived in Bangkok. We had dinner, walked up and down Soi 4, said hi to Hotmale beer bar downstairs staff and ended up at Tawan for 10.30pm show which started at 10.45pm. About 20 customers including an Asian lady with her two Asian male friends. She was squeamish when the Tawan guys with big cocks went around customers for tips. But other customers were old timers, including owners of Coffee Grndr who were there showing a friend around. About 25 Tawan guys and it was a cramped affair because they are all so big sized and take up space! Two Tawan guys were actually playing chess on one of their phones. They finished their game when more customers came in for the show. I would not mind offing one of them just to play chess! Show started with 3 ladyboy diva lip synching performances then it was all Tawan guys all the way - big cocks, fuck show, SM show (curtain at stage opens up to reveal a wall showing SM tools and equipment!). Finale was 2 Tawan guys jerking off while a bucket was being passed around for tips. First Tawan guy to cum (and he really let out a spray!) took the bucket of tips. Runner up couldn't cum in the end but he still got some tips. Tawan guys remembered fellow forum member and me from jockstrap night last year. I got to know two of them better. One is half African and half Thai and speaks in a low sexy American accent while the other has a Tiktok account showing his gym routine! Both are classic bodybuilder types and my fellow forum member's favourite. 4 twinks by Tawan standard but I would describe them as average next door types going by the standard of other gogo bars. Fellow forum member knew that I had been eyeing twink with glasses and he asked twink to sit and keep me company for the rest of the night. Entry to Tawan is 500 baht payable at entrance. Drinks for guys is 400 baht.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do a trip report initially. I posted my experiences in various bars the past week in individual existing topics but upon reflection, I have decided to combine them so here goes. My last trip was last December and now I am here for 2 weeks in holiday. Unfortunately, I am staying with family so I only had the first two nights available to bring guys back to hotel room. Sunday (Day 1) - Arrived at airport at night and only reached hotel at midnight. Thank goodness for Screwboys which is open till late. Guys were in basketball singlets and shorts. I would rather see them in their previously infamous white briefs with blue stripes. About 15 guys on stage with the rest seated with customers. Party atmosphere with some of the guys dancing to the loud music. Saw a smooth charming twink but I hesitated and he ended up being called over to two German customers who sat next to me. We had some small talk and toasted drinks but inside me, I was cursing myself for not being quicker. Show started at 12.45am. Lots of ladyboy performances. Only 2 big cock shows and these were not done by Screwboys guys but by freelancers. They came into the bar before their performances, paraded their cocks, earned their tips and quickly moved off. Show ended at 1.30am and lo and behold, German customers paid up and left. I had expected them to take the twink off. I asked him over to my seat and five minutes later, we were in my hotel room. From Laos. Hardworking fella. After our session, he went to his next job which is at a karaoke bar. He says he only gets back to his room at 7am. Maybe I will ask him to bring me to his karaoke bar one of these nights. Drinks at 350 baht and off fee 500 baht. I tipped mamasan 100 baht and paid Laos twink 2000 baht for short time session. Monday (Day 2) - Full house at Jupiter. Mostly Asian customers. Ladies were all seated in front aisle rows. The Jupiter dancers really loved performing for them. In terms of show items, same as last year. No difference. Why change a winning formula after all? I arrived at 10.15pm at door and told waiter that I would be ordering a bottle of whisky. He led me to a table next to sound system. Not a sofa table but at least a private space and a splendid view of the locker and gym area where the Jupiter guys hang out before they go on stage. I took a look at drinks menu and ordered one bottle of Johnnie Walker. Mamasan remembered me. "Poppy (the singer) no work tonight. He work Wednesday night." "You come alone? Where your friends?" Mamasan called over Cambodian handsome model whom I met last December nd whom I had also contacted in advance. He was in red briefs - tonight's attire for first model walk on stage for Jupiter guys. "I have to do model walk 1030. After that, I come to you." No problem, I have all night. 10.30pm - the first model walk started. Quite a number of Jupiter guys working today, easily at least 30. Most Mondays are quiet affairs. After the first model walk, the show started. Cambodian was with me, now fully dressed. We watched the show until 11.30pm after the second model walk where the Jupiter guys came out in white shorts only. One interesting thing happened. An Asian male and female couple in 30s had come in and they were seated at table next to me. I knew they were from China because they spoke to each other in Mandarin and they spoke to mamasan in English. They were looking for a guy for a threesome. Mamasan called over 8 Jupiter guys to the couple and the lady took some time to pick one tall fair skinned Jupiter guy. All this while, I was sniggering away. I looked at my guy and asked him if he had ever been in a 3some. Cambodian smiled shyly like a schoolboy and shook his head. He need not worry about me asking him for a 3some. I wanted him all to myself tonight. Still at least 2/3 of Johnnie Walker left. Shall go again another night this week and next week. Tuesday (Day 3) - I spent first half of evening at Hot Male beer bar downstairs. No lack of customers for the bars in Soi Gay Patpong. In fact many were casual tourists who went inside the bars for the shows. Hot Male beer bar downstairs remains best spot for people watching as they walk up and down the soi. And of course it's a great spot to perv at the shirtless Dreamboys guys on the balcony. Hot Male beer bar staff are as friendly and chatty as ever. Freshboys 10.30pm show was well attended - a group of farang tourists comprising one guy and three ladies, a gay Taiwan couple, a big spender with bottle service and two Freshboys guys (who have changed out of Freshboys white shorts) and a mamasan around him and an eclectic Asian group in their 40s/50s (5 men, 3 women). The lead guy was seated with the women and dispensing tips to performers on stage. The other men called down a Freshboys guy to sit with them. Later before second show, two farang ladies came in, with one of them using crutches as her leg was in a cast. She must have heard many good things about the show because she was willing to climb up the narrow stairs to the bar! As for Freshboys guys, mostly twinks and some twunks. Many familiar faces from last year. Mamasans and waiters also same, including one lanky handsome waiter with a number tag. Show was same as well. Mix of ladyboy lip synching, shower show and big cock show (4 of them). Drinks at 400 baht. Wednesday (Day 4) - I met some fellow forum members for dinner at G Bangkok. We had a great time chatting about our recent experiences. At the same time, we were ogling a hunky Banana Bar guy standing outside his bar with an umbrella (it was raining for a while). After dinner, we went to Jupiter. Longtime singer Poppy is back singing. He wasn't there on Monday and in fact, he doesn't sing every night at Jupiter nowadays. Only certain nights. I had reserved a sofa seat at the back for our entourage. Quiet night. Only 14 guys working tonight - fellow forum member actually meticulously counted them! In terms of customers, only half full compared to Monday night. Many ladies. There was in fact one group of ladies on 2nd floor looking down like fangirls and they remained there until the show ended. VIP table near the stairs was reserved for 2 very well dressed ladies. Midway during the show, they asked mamasan to arrange some guys to stand in a semicircle for them to choose. First time customers would only be able to choose them during the 3rd model walk when they finally wear number tags on their jeans. During the 1st and 2nd model walks, they were in briefs and shorts but no number tags so it was quite difficult to call them down to your seat unless you have mamasan next to you and you inform him. Cambodian handsome hunk whom I took back on Monday night was not working today. But I spotted a Laos guy who worked at Banana last December and whom I met. So surprised that he's working at Jupiter now. Happy that he haf cimbed the gogobar ladder. I wanted to get reacquainted with him. Unfortunately, another customer had arranged to off him in advance. I told mamasan that we would not be offing any guy tonight but I asked mamasan if it was possible to send over some guys to our table who could drink and he helpfully found some from those who had not been offed. We played card games where the loser had to drink half a shot of whisky. Some guys barely lasted a few shots while some guys could really drink and lasted all the way till we eventually ended at half past midnight. Thursday (Day 5) - Visited Dreamboys and out of 30 guys on stage, I would take half of them. Yes, many are old timers but they are keeping themselves in shape. Music was not that loud. I found music at Jupiter to be louder. 10.30pm show is more or less the same but opening coyote dancing is not done by professionals anymore. It's now in-house with 11 of the Dreamboys guys on stage dancing. Unfortunately, most can't dance. Kudos for effort. Rest of show was entertaining enough. Quick transition between performances. Just the right balance of drag queen diva lip synching and other performances including two big cock shows with sucking. There was a Magic Mike style dance where two hunks in police uniforms danced and e eventually stripped down. That was the highlight for me and it was comparable in standard to Jupiter and Moonlight. Macho guy in high heels dancing was there as well. Many customers and had to squeeze. Main difference is no ladies in crowd unlike Jupiter which had many lady customers. I have visited 3 out of 4 bars on Soi Patpong. Left Hotmale to visit on another night.

I first got to know Viet men at BBB Inn in 2014 just before the coup. I still talk to them occasionally now. I recall one of them, sat outside drinking beer I bought from next door, creating a line with a hook from rubbish nearby. In 45 seconds he had a rat caught on his hook swinging in the air. He let it go. Viet men know how to hunt.

If I haven't been kissed by a boy, there is 0% chance of me paying the bar fine. Taking home a boy who really doesn't want to be near you is a recipe for a shit experience. When I walk into a bar I have learned to read the room, and the boys. When I see farang call down a boy who was actively trying to hide from him, I always expect it will end up as a rant on one of these websites a few days after. Seriously, if you have no connection at all with a bar boy, just leave. Some boys just want to get boy drinks, good for them. Find the next one in the next bar.

Your thoughts are very much on Thai moneyboys these days Sydneyboy (sorry, Olddaddy). The cold of the antipodean winter getting you down?

When Berlusconi was asked if Trump is the Berlusconi of the United States, Berlusconi answered "the best thing about Trump is his good-looking wife"

Another reason we can be friends 😁

I am the same, although I can understand the hotel policy to deposit the ID for their guests safety I feel embarrassed for my companion threatening him like a potential criminal, also I had horrible stories of reception staff demanded money from the boy in order to give them back their ID . When I stayed at Silom I preferred hotels which can bypass the reception easley straight to the room.

no, you are not, your are right to point out that Thais guys are to be trusted the most. I'm not even 1/5 as cautious as you are but if I'd be bringing home other guys than SE Asians I'd more cautious than normally. On subject of Tarntawan I don't like to stay there for exactly the same reason you do like - I don't like all that holding ID procedure by the elevator. Once during day I had two members dropping over for drink and chat, both Asians or Asian looking and they were made to leave their ID's there as well. We had a laugh

I wish I understood some detail of the law in the US. I fail to understand why the various legal actions against Trump that have been talked about in some cases for years take such an inordinate amount of time to get anywhere near a law court. The attempt to manipulate the last election results in Georgia took place two and a half years ago. Yet despite the considerable evidence already made public, the case is dragging on and is still not ready to get to a court. Then there is the much older 2019 Deutsche Bank case where the Trmp Organisation allegedly failed to repy loans of $640 million +. I recall that Deutsche Bank was in a total internal mess at the time and that having stated it would not loan Trump any more cash, one of its departments did cough up a further $48 million - to help him pay off the $640 million! We also know that with appeal after appeal, whatever decision is come to in the case involving the documents found at Mar A Lago, a final outcome is not going to happen till after the 2024 Presidential election. With a Supreme Court packed with the likes of the dreadful sexual predator Clarence Thomas, that final verdict may itself be open to question!

I assume most are Caucasian clients, East Assians are not sharing the fetish for a sex with blacks. This explain why your Thai boyfriend was surprised that African MB are working in BKK , They are not popular among East Assians potential clients .

Some local Vietnamese believe that the attacks may have their roots in long-simmering hostilities among Cambodians dating back to Pol Pot regime. Such incidents are extremely rare in the country. The search for perpetrators was facilitated by a pre-attack video found on phone of one of first captured. From Vietnam Express Police officers apprehend a suspect (C) involved in deadly attacks on two commune people's committee offices in Dak Lak Province. Eighteen more people involved in the deadly attacks on two commune offices in Dak Lak Province were arrested on Monday and Tuesday, taking the number apprehended so far to 45. Ten of them were caught on Monday, six on Tuesday afternoon and two others turned themselves in. To An Xo, the spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, said Tuesday authorities are looking for the remaining suspects. But "there are no specific statistics" about the number of people wanted for the crimes, he added. On Sunday morning an unidentified group of people used guns to attack the Ea Tieu and Ea Ktur commune people's committee offices in Cu Kuin District in the Central Highlands province. Four police officers, two commune officials and three civilians were killed, and two police officers were injured. There has been no information about any attackers injured or killed. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and Deputy Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang on Monday visited and consoled the families of those killed.

Rooms are small, at least the ones I've seen. They don't seem to have a problem with visitors, so if that and proximity to Lagoa is important, then that might be a tradeoff you have to deal with. I wouldn't wait to book something, SP has been BUSY and hotel rates have increased, alot and sell out, frequently

I've seen Brasilians in BKK asking for a lot... I've been with a few African guys in Thailand over the years and paid whatever the going rate was...1000 in Pattaya and 1200-1500 in BKK.

I use Rogaine and Propecia , I can speak of the USA at least....Rogaine (Minoxidil) liquid isn't too expensive $50usd for 3 months supply and the brand Rogaine is better than the Costco or other brands out there in my experience. Correct, it works on the crown and does regrow hair. Propecia (finestirade) stops the hair loss at the front, doesn't regrow. Insurance doesn't cover that 1mg tablet but will cover Proscar which is 5mg and you cut it into quarters. They both have side effects that you need to consider....for me it's been a much lesser volume of ejaculate. I've read that if you stop taking the finestirade , you will still have the reduced cum and will lose whatever hair you saved while taking it, so have to consider the tradeoff. I look at pics of me 10 yrs ago and of today, my hair hasn't changed, whereas if I took nothing, I'm sure I'd be bald.

AfaIk, "la niña" leads to more rain in SE Asia, "el niño" to less rain. This year is an "el niño" year, so it fits to the prediction above.

Was asked that only once by an especially cute guy on Soi Tarntawan years ago. Still regret not trying to negotiate a better price but passed on opportunity. Can still see his face and remember exactly where he was standing.

First-of-its-kind erectile dysfunction gel gets FDA’s OK for over-the-counter marketing, company says | CNN

I second that , there's nothing like Angkor ruins and I'm of opinion everybody should make an effort to visit it at least once

he is a stunner, rest assured

Nice boys in Pattaya I do like Winner boys but rare to find a "man " type

I personally don't tip just for sitting with me and having drink on me but always do tip when get more touchy feely- not necessarily in nether regions even. My reasoning is if I do to them something out of ordinary like hand holding or embracing they should be compensated for me invading their personal space. More personal invasion results in bigger tips.

Friday (Day 6) - Dinner at G Bangkok with fellow forum member followed by visit to Banana Bar. Surprise find at show - a Russian aerial dancer! (I Googled the term because I know I can't call him a pole dancer!) He did acrobatics using a long rope suspended from ceiling. And he had a fit body to ogle at! Very entertaining and it was another innovative way to bring in the tourist crowds. There was also one solo dance number where the professional dancer danced to K-Pop music, which is the latest in-thing. I could see the logic of including such performances to draw in tourist crowd. When a group of tourists (and they are mostly ladies) come into a bar, that's 4 to 5 drinks straightaway. The rest of the show consisted of ladyboy diva lip synching, some dancing and shower and big cock show. I saw a Laos guy I knew and asked him to sit with me during the show. Bought him a drink (300 baht) and also tipped him afterwards. If only I could take him back to hotel room, I would have done so! After leaving Banana, fellow forum member and I went to Foodland Patpong where we met his regular (and very handsome) guy. Reminded me of my ex-boyfriend who has gone back to Vietnam permanently. Overall an enjoyable night. Drinks at Banana are 380 baht.

From the BBC Once a poor fishing town, Torremolinos became an unlikely LGBTQ+ haven in the midst of a fascist regime. The walkway outside Mariquita Copas, a hole-in-the-wall bar in Torremolinos' main "gaybourhood", La Nogalera, glowed blue. The makeshift drinking terrace I was sitting at was surrounded by palm-filled squares in the heart of southern Spain's Costa del Sol, a few blocks up from the Mediterranean. As I sipped a beer on my first night in town, I surveyed the scene: pedestrians holding shopping bags had stopped to chat; a man and woman sat entwined on a bench; and gay locals clinked cocktail glasses. In the midst of it all was a bearded drag artist, outlandishly tall in knee-length platform boots, leather cap and skin-tight camouflage bodysuit. This, I soon realised, was just another night in Torremolinos. Of course, it wasn't always this way. Until now, I'd been blissfully ignorant of Torremolinos' important role in Spain's LGBTQ+ history. But, as I was about to learn, not only did the country's first gay-friendly bar open here back in 1962, it was also where Spain's gay rights movement began – rather violently. Why Torremolinos? Let's start, as we Brits like to, with the weather. Originally a poor fishing village, Torremolinos' sub-tropical climate – among the warmest in Spain – was key in its metamorphosis into a resort during the 1950s. With Francisco Franco's fascist government keen to encourage hotel construction to kickstart Spain's war-decimated economy, by 1959 the town boasted the country's first five-star hotel (Hotel Pez Espada). Celebrities followed, from Brigitte Bardot, Greta Garbo and Pablo Picasso to Grace Jones, Frank Sinatra and John Lennon – a golden era commemorated in the town's Ruta del Murales street-art trail, which was unveiled in 2022. Aided by the rise of charter flights in the late 1950s, the increasingly cosmopolitan and liberal town began attracting artists, musicians, writers and queer visitors, too. Despite the fact that homosexuality was still considered a crime under Franco's regime, in 1962, a British gay couple opened Tony's Bar on the narrow L-shaped alleyway Pasaje Begoña. "Although Tony's cannot be defined as a 'gay bar' as we understand it today, it was a place where the owners were gay and allowed the clientele freedom," said Jorge M Pérez, the president of Pasaje Begoña Association, which was founded in 2018 with the aim of "recovering the memory of this emblematic place and rescuing this forgotten chapter in the history of Spain". Tony's was an instant smash and over the next few years, it inspired a slew of other establishments catering to the gay community. What was once a sleepy fishing community soon transformed into a queer hub known for its inclusivity and hedonism. There was, for example, the often-raided La Sirena (nicknamed "The Sissy Bar"); Bar Tabarín, the first to host nude shows; Pourquoi Pas, the town's first lesbian club (still operating as an LGBTQ+ bar); and jazz venue The Blue Note, owned by the Dutch lesbian singer Pia Beck. Continues at https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230605-torremolinos-where-spains-gay-rights-movement-began

Too many inappropriate pictures kept getting in. The moderators didn't seem to stand a chance. They had the same problem that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others have. People are always trying to push the limits.

I have never used the commercial bars but have friends who have. They all tell me the system and the service works very well and they have usually had a great time. These boys seem to know exactly how to please you. But one suggested that when making appointments it sometimes helps to give the bar an indication of your age/fitness level (i.e. are you very overweight?) I think the boys have a duty to go with customers whoever they are, but a slim 20 yo may find it difficult being with a very overweight 70 yo! Just a thought.

You mean something like this?

Let me start by saying how much I really enjoy @macaroni21's posts and longer comments on the shamlessmack site. I still have copies of his guide to masseur types and the ground plan he posted years ago about his ideal Bangkok go-go bar. if only someone could have taken him up on his suggestion! As for Bali, I agree with his comments about Ubud. I now find it much overrated but then my memories go much further back, although not nearly as far as @Marc in Calif. My first trip there was in 1981 when I stayed in the Campuan Hotel just over the bridge at the end of town on the way to Sayan. It was merely a large wooden building which incorporaed the admin offices and an open dining room. Each accommodation was a simple hut on the hillside with gauze for windows and buckets with holes in the base for showers. The hope was you could raise the bucket high enough to get some water before it emptied! Yet I loved that hotel and its wonderfully friendly staff. There was a western style bar nearer the bridge and just over it Murni's Cafe with superb honey drenched yoghurt with fruit! I returned 10 times over the next five years. Wandering through the rice paddies you could make out the sound of gamelin playing in several villages. There was virtually no sex but it was the culture of the island that totally gripped me. Yet it was starting to become clear that more and more tourists were visiting. So I stopped going. The charms of Bangkok had won me over some years earlier and so I concentrated my future visits in Thailand. I did return in with my bf in 2005 as he was desperate to see Bali. I was reluctant but gave in. I found the island almost overrun and the peace I had enjoyed two decades earlier had all but disappeared - even in Ubud. But then that is just how tourism works. I was saddened by that visit, but remain thrilled at my meories of earlier times.

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"Central Escalator (HK island) - remembering reading so much about this sauna before heading to HK the first time. It was supposed to be the place where the young rice queens of HK would hang out. However, got pretty disappointed when I visited. It's quite small and it was almost all elder guys, both Westerns and locals. " Rice queens are not young Asians. The older ones wanting Asians are. So to speak.

When you go a sauna in CO you are there to have (free) sex with other guests, i.e. your odds will be much better if you are young, fit, handsome or well endowed. The entrance fee is quite low (15-25 mil pesos?) so you could just go there to hang out, have a beer and enjoying the ambience/setting without the expectation of having sex (admittedly, I can't recall having non-paid sex in Colombian sauna, but I'm also quite reserved and picky + not the type of guy I described above). If you are there to get a hj, bj, fingered (and even more) and close your eyes/doesn't care about the type of guy servicing you, you will have good time. As stated above there will often be 1 or 2 masseurs available on site for massage and fun; you can spot these guys often wearing T-shirts and doing cleaning/maintenance work in the sauna or hanging around the reception when no customers for massage. Often they will approach you soliciting their services if they see that you are interested in them. Or just ask at the reception about the guys available/on call for massage. In my experience a massage and sex is 120-150 mil pesos (1 hour or slightly less). A "massage only" session is much cheaper, 50-60 mil pesos. It may be slightly more expensive in Bgta, Medellin and Cartagena.

Farrow is my cup of tea, as I indicated above. And I agree with you that his work on Weinstein was fantastic. Kudos to him. When I was referring to nuanced, I was referring to the Amanpour interview about the racism of Trump supporters. And I stand by what I said in that quote. While I completely agree with Farrow's work on the Jan. 6th nuts, which is why I posted it, it's a mixed bag. As is the whole debate about MAGA racism. I like Farrow's nuance because he is not painting with broad strokes and stereotypes. Regardless, Team MAGA has clearly circled the wagons. So now, unless you have proof that they actually lynched a Black man, the reaction is, "No. YOU are the racist. Democrats are the racists." Weinstein is actually an interesting contrast. Farrow had so much on him, and worked on it long enough, that even though Harvey tried to defend himself, like Trump does, he failed. I wish it were that easy to make this stuff stick with Trump. But, as we're seeing, with the Bragg indictment it has clearly rallied a lot of Republicans around him. Bragg's indictment probably won't help him in the general election, if he's nominated. And hopefully it will hurt him. But we don't know that for sure yet. Same with that. Again, I agree with both you guys. Thankfully, as that poll I posted said, about 57 % or so of Americans agree that an indicted Trump should not be President. But I'll repeat the other side of the same coin: an even bigger majority do see the Bragg indictment as political, not legal. So there's a lot of people in the middle somewhere between "throw Trump in jail" and "this is a political witch hunt." I'm glad Democrats, starting with Biden, are staying quiet. It seems pretty clear from polls that the people in the middle, many of whom do think Bragg is on a witch hunt, are making distinctions between different Trump indictments for different alleged crimes. My strong hunch is they care more about big lies about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6th attacks on the Capitol than they do about whether Trump has a love child, and paid people to cover it up. My hope is they all end up being nails in his coffin. Some ((like Jan. 6th) bigger and more fatal, others (like the doorman) smaller and not effective in and of themselves. But still helpful to put Trump to bed, finally. Or in jail, ideally. 😊 Again, just so it is completely clear, I myself like the doorman article, and am glad you posted it. I think Farrow does awesome work. And I added that other interview with him as another example.

Cartagena only if you like sticky hot weather in a city. Beaches are not too nice and you need to commute (boat, car) somewhere for a nice beach. Old city is nice. Friend of mine says Hilton Cartagena has own ok beach, no vendors getting on your nerves, he likes spending time there. If we exclude romantic affairs, I liked mostly central areas like Pereira, Salento, Cocoa valley (excellent hiking), Guatape, Santa Rosa de Cabal thermal waters. I will try next time Tayrona Park, Cali and some parks not too far from Bogota. Pereira Salamander Sauna was interesting, mostly rather empty, but always few hot guys ready for action. I saw one young and very attractive massage guy but I was ready for that day. I was never bored in Bogota and it has many cool places just to hang around, lots of students. Medellin is surprisingly touristic and only place where I saw something like a crime - kids stealing something/running away and police chasing them, it was 3am Sunday morning in a center which was filled with semidrunk tourists (me included)😀. But its true - the weather and the scenery is beautiful.