PeterRS

Still on the subject of the World Cup, where is the man who succeeded the corrupt Blatter, Blatter being an individual who started his career selling women's underwear and who has encouraged women players to wear much sexier, skimpy shorts to attract more spectators? Giovanni Infantino was thought to be a nameless bureaucrat who would clean up the game. A lawyer by training, he has consistently stayed in the background when it came to Qatar's not following FIFA rules. He did nothing to help the tens of thousands of migrant workers who worked for slave wages and many of whom died building all the new soccer stadia required to host the World Cup. He has said nothing about compensation for those who died. He has said amost nothing about gay visitors. He has banned players from using armbands promoting equality of the sexes by threatening those who did so with virtual bans from playing in the tournament. This is a man in the pocket of the Qataris.(In his 20s he could speak Arabic!) At his one press conference on the eve of the tournament, he gave a 50 minute monologue about there being nothing to accuse the Qataris about. Instead he claimed Europe should spend the next 3,000 years apologisiing for all the wrongs it did to other peoples on the planet over the orevious 3,000 years. Clearly FIFA has yet another idiot in charge. Whether he is corrupt or not, remains to be seen. Given the corruption rife throughout FIFA, I suspect @Olddaddy will soon place a bet that Infantino will be up on some criminal charge sooner rather than later.

What you describe was very common in Japan in the decades following WWII when communal bathing was virtually the norm. With its vast economic gains, most homes soon had private bathing facilities. There are still communal bathing facilities but they are relatively few nowadays. Hot springs in Japan, Korea and Taiwan are very different. You shower and thoroughly cleanse yourself before getting into one of the pools. These will have varying temperatures from extremely hot to freezing cold. Most guys seem to favour the moderately hot and cool pools. But once you have got used to the extremely hot pool, it's almost as though you fail to feel the heat and instead get a pleasant muscle massage.

None is exclusively gay - and definitely not the one at the expensive hotel. Occasionally you will stil see a father with a couple of his kids at Huang Tzu. It's rare in my experience, but I have seen it. And let me stress again, these are not saunas, even though most have a small lit sauna and a steam room. If you stay after midnight, there may be a bit of action in the steam room. But your problem then is getting back to the city. The subway closes just before midnight and getting a taxi is far from easy. There is a telephone line to a taxi company at the front desk (where no one speaks English!) but good luck trying to find anyone on the line to speak English. You will then have a long trek up a steep hill to the main road and unless you are prepared to wait a very long time for a night bus, you'll have a walk downhill about 2kms before you come to built up areas which might have roaming taxis. Your best hope is to chat with a guy who got there by motorbike and who will give you a lift back down the hill. Alternatively, walk across the bridge to Chuang Tang, make them think you have been at their Spring and ask them to call a taxi. They do understand a little English and I used them to call cabs in the old days when I patronised that Spring. That Spring across the llttle bridge used to be the one which gays patronised. When the ownership changed about 8 years ago, gays became much less welcome. Then there was one nearer the main road named Huang Ding (the one you refer to, I assume) which seemed totally gay oriented. There was always action in the steam room and in a darkish area in the level below. For about 3 years it would be packed. Then it was closed by the authorities because it had consistently taken no notice of warnings about the poor quality of the water. Much to the disappoitnment of the gay community, it never reopened. Gay guys then migrated to Huang Tzu nearer the bottom of the hill. Yes, I do like the crowd there. I reckon about 90% of the clientele is gay - most in their 20s/30s and in good physical shape. Many will go in groups but there will still be lots of guys on their own. Unsually chatting is not difficult as most will speak at least some English. I have several times set up meets for another day.

Personally I doubt it - just as I doubt the original "rumour" as printed in Thaiger. The World Cup is huge in Ecuador. That their national players could be bribed seems utterly far fetched. Like all "secret' arrangements, it would have come out and the players lives would certainly have been in danger. Not that Qatar has been immune from bribery on a massive scale in respect of the World Cup. There is no doubt that political and financial interests seriously affected the bidding process. Qatar would never have been awarded the tournament without a great deal of cash changing hands. FIFA itself was then a den of corruption - and may still be, although to a lesser extent now that Sheik Blatter is out of the picture. If not, how was it that many involved in FIFA itself and the bidding committee in particular ended up under criminal indictments in various countries or even in jail? Why FIFA departed from usual practice by awarding two tournaments in 2010 - 2018 and 2022 - instead of just 2018 started the rotten smell of corruption. That the first should be be in Russia was less controversial than the second to Qatar, a state with few stadiums, far from enough hotels, a tiny population for a World Cup and strict anti-alcohol and anti-gay laws. Encouraging the development of mass soccer in a host country has always been FIFA's stated priority. Hence the USA got the Cup in 1994 and it was split between Japan and South Korea in 2002. Since 2010, the world has learned some of the extent of Qatar's massive efforts to get the tournament when it should never, if only as a result of its tiny size, have even been considered.

I returned from my Taipei trip last night. Frankly, to anyone worried about covid testing and quarantine - forget it. The whole trip was a breeze. I took China Airlines. We had to wear masks on the flight other than when eating the meal. No preflight checks at all. On arrival, every passenger was given a box of 4 self-test covid kits. You are supposed to test yourself in your hotel on arrival and then every two days. If your test is negative, you just throw the test kit away in the enclosed plastic bag. No need to report to anyone. You do get a note with your kit with the number fo call if you test positive. I never did and so just threw it away. Throughout the country, it is mandatory to wear masks other then when eating, drinking, attending a sauna or hot spring. I never saw anyone without a mask on public transport or in the malls or when walking on the streets. From the accents I heard, there were a lot of European tourists. I went to two hot springs, the gay one and one more upmarket one in a top hotel. Only saw one guy wear a mask there - and he looked pretty stupid. For anyone wanting to get to the hot spring frequented mosrly by gay guys, the name card for the taxi is posted above. Since there are about 10 hot springs close together and the taxi will drop you about 100 meters away, you can spot Huang Tzu with this sign at the entrance. Price remains NT$250 and you need two NT$10 cooins for the locker. The Red House was busy at the week-ends. One bar had a party with this enticing sign at the entrance - For my last Saturday, there was heavy rain and with most of the bars being outdoors albeit with canvas roofs there were not many customers around. If the weather is fine, the eye candy can be spectacular! Prices for the mid to lower end hotels seem to be slightly less than 3 years ago. I had no trouble bringing guests to the rooms I had in two different hotels, but then I did not have anyone stay overight. I cannot imagine it being a problem other than in the very top end establishments.

Wherever the constituency, you lost - dare I say again? Gamblling is a mug's game. The bookies and the House always win. That's how they stay i business and make pretty good profits.

Neither! I have views on several topics including this one.

Another disgrace and another perversion of justice due to family wealth. He joins the Red Bull heir murderer and I am sure many others.

With respect, that's a dumb comment. I suppose you haven't noticed the disastrous times the hotel industry in much of the world have faced over nearly 3 years now. I have a friend who has been lucky to remain employed in Thailand but on a much reduced salary. He despairs that so many of his friends lost their jobs as hotels either shut or tried to stay open with very few visitors. I also have a friend in Vietnam who lost his great job at a Six Senses Resort for two years and worked on his parents farm. I'll happily pay a little bit more to help keep them and other staff in work and hotels back into profit. I frankly doubt if anyone is remotely concerned if @BiggusDikkus stays at a Bill Heineke or any other hotel again. Another silly comment given what the world has gone through over three years. No one has to stay at any Bill Heineke Hotel - or any hotel that has surcharges. There are so many of them around. If you think you're going to be left with a bad taste in your mouth, don't stay! It's perfectly simple. I wonder if @dscrtsldnbi and @BiggusDikkus take a similar view of the surcharges which have piled up and will continue to pile up in the airline industry as it tries to recoup its massive losses. Given their views, I suppose they will just decide not to travel. Then of course they won't have to stay in any hotels! 🤣🤣

Not sure if it's been said already but avoid the Montien. It used to be very unfriendly with joiners to the extent of not permitting them. It's been a long time since the Tawana Hotel on Suriwong was a Holiday Inn. In those days there was a desk at the lifts checking on those no registered as guests. You could still take a boy up to your room but if not actually registered by name they charged a fee. I am sure others have stayed there since and will know the present policy.

He is all over the free gay porn sites. No need to pay. And I agree. Some of his regulars are very cute. I liked one named Tyler Wu who also appears on the free sites although he has his own paid ones. Until he got what I believe is called a Prince Albert - a ring at the tip of his cock. That's such a put down for me. Went right off him!

Ghastly thought! Not of seeing the boys again - of seeing my body in the vdos!

I asumed you were talking only about Taipei. I have been to Kaohsiung several times but it was always to spend time with a good friend. Never been to any of the gay places there. I am been twice on business to Taichung and hear it is pretty active but I just had no time to find out. Maybe this trip!!

Had it been a few years later it might have been Cocktail Boyz 1 by Nicky Stewart. Sorry don't know any others from earlier. Crystal Boys is the famous book about growing up gay in 1970s Taipei. A fascinating book and a look back into what life was like in the bad old days! It has been made into a TV series.

From what I read and what my friends tell me, there are now no restrictions in hotels. And I believe - and will confirm on my return - that your self tests are only to be reported if you test positive. As for Hi-Man sauna, in all my many years of visiting Taipei and learning about Taipei gay saunas (about 28 years!) I have never heard of Hi-Man. Are you sure you are not referring to Hans Men Sauna? If you are, then avoid it. It's easy to get to as it is just 100 meters or so from The Red House. Travelgay informs us that it "has nice clean facilities". Nothing could be further from the truth! It's old and run down. If you go to the TV relaxing room (the TV only shows regular TV channels), I hate to think what bugs are lurking in the duvets! The clientele tends to be 40ish and above with only occasional younger guys and students from the relatively near university. Very hit and miss - and more usually miss!

I hope you realise that paticular journey is crashingly boring! A very good friend who adores trains and train journeys did it. Said it was a total waste of time and money. I've travelled around Europe by train and enjoyed amost all the trips. I've also treated myself to two non-European extravagant train trips. First was the two day Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver across the Rockies to Banff. The Gold Leaf service with Panorama cars up top and dining underneath was magnificent. Meals were delicious and beautifully served. Passengers don't stay overnight on board. Instead we were put up in a hotel in Kamloops. Sometimes you never believe your luck. I put on an app the fact that I'd be in Kamloops for one night. Extraordinary! One young Chinese gay guy who lived there saw it and came over for dinner and afters. On my visit to Peru three years later I treated myself on the journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu by taking the Hiram Bingham train. This is more or less the equivalent of the Orient Express or the one that plies between Singapore and Bangkok - although much shorter. Fantastic experience! It leaves later than the other trains. Mimosas served before embarkation. Full a la carte breakfast in the dining car. Snacks in the open car at the back. Also last train to leave in the late afternoon, preceded by a proper afternoon tea at the hotel by the entrance to the site. Four course a la carte dinner with wines and then a jazz band playing in the back car. Extravagant? Sure - but one of the little luxuries that help make life exciting! I found Cusco one of the most fascinating cities I have visited. I'm sure most of us know the city's flag is the rainbow flag. The sense of history is stunning. Now I wish I'd spent more than 3 nights there. Were I to return, I'd love to explore more of the other valleys near Cusco.

I am going on Friday for 17 days. There is no longer any quarantine and very few restrictions. The only covid related issue seems to be a need to self test for the first 7 days. I don't even think these need to be reported uness you test positive. Some mask wearing also seems necessary. But I'll give a longer reply once I return near the end of the month. The weather is certainly colder. Not often rainy, but when the winter monsoon blows from the north you'll need sweaters and a jacket. On the other hand, there can also be very pleasant sunny days. Just be prepared for that cold, though. Great days for relaxing in a hot spring alongside so many cute Taiwanese guys! Best months are usually October and November, although October this year was particularly and unusually rainy.

Please take it from me that at 51 you have tons of time to find one or more relationships. I have had two serious long-term relationships since i was that age. Naturally people define long term differently. In my case I put the minimum time down as 5 years. Others will certainly be considerably longer. I have friends who just celebrated 50 years together and others 35 years. Neither started with sex. The former started through a work engagement; the latter through a friend's introduction. I see no reason why a search for a partner and short term sexcapades cannot co-exist until a partner is found. I just happen to believe that short term sex is highly unlikely - though not impossible - to result in a long-term partnership. Since you crave companionship. is it not much more likely that you will find it nearer your own home? A long distance relationship, as I have written elswhere, can be fraught with difficulties and fears. My only other suggestion is that companionship means being with your partner very regularly. It also requires a considerable amount of give and take, and the older one gets and the more set in ones ways, the more difficult that can sometimes become.

I have occasionally looked at the Blowing Wind Travel forum. I have never had a massage in Taipei but it is from that site I see that afters are basically HJs only. I have not seen any report about full service following the massage. Also most of the masseurs will not speak more than a few words of English.

I fear it would now be very boring. I visit Taipei primarily to meet my friends, eat Taiwanese food which I love, go regularly to hot springs which I find a wonderful experience, and do a bit of sightseeing around Taipei. We often go to the Red House for drinks and to watch the eye candy before or after dinner. But I no longer visits gay bars. I was only once in Commander D when a friend took me. It was fun but pretty dark. That's not to say I don't enjoy hook ups. Here I find the apps the most productive. Over the years I have met many guys, some several times over several visits. I can think of only 2 times when a money boy has contacted me. All the others just want to meet a westerner for sex with no cash involved - even transport money. Having a hotel close to a subway station is useful. I am no spring chicken and hardly the best looker, but I once had 4 encounters in just one day. That was never my intention. I had set up two meetings - one in the early afternoon and one in the early evening. Then after breakfast one guy texted saying he really wanted to meet and would be passing by my hotel around 11:00 am as his office was nearby. He seemed desperate to meet up. So I said OK and he was great. After my afternoon tryst, I was relaxing - very necessary! - before the early eveing encounter. Browsing through the apps I saw a gorgeous art student. We chatted a little and I hoped to set up a meeting the next day. But he then asked, as I was near the University, could he come over around 9:00 pm? I slept well that night!

Huang Ding was great for those seeking sex. It closed a few years ago having violated several laws over water quality. Most younger gays now go to a hot spring further down the hill named Huang Tzu. Entrance pre-covid was NT$250 (US7.80). If that has changed, I'll update on my return at the end of the month. My Taipei friends tell me it's almost the only one that attracts mostly gays. Bear in mind that it is not gay as such and there are signs (only in Chinese) warning against any hanky panky in the steam room. Hot springs are often family affairs and I have seen fathers bring their young kids to Huang Tzu. The springs are fantastic for relaxing and seeing a host of totally naked young guys who have no hang ups about covering their dicks. I have found many are quite friendly and will happily chat with you if - as most seem to do - they speak some English. In all the times I have visited, I have seen at most 3 foreigners there whereas when it's busy at the weekends there can be 100 Taiwan guys. It's unlikely the taxi will take you all the way down. It will probably stop at a car park but it will only be about 80 meters down the hill on your left. 5 large pools, a small sauna, larger steam room. If you have been there before, you can take a bus up the hill for about 4 kms. If not, then don't even risk it as you will have no idea when to get off. It's quite dark up there. You then have to walk quite a way down the hill to the hot spring area. Best to take the subway Red Line to Shipai station, exit on the right in the direction the train is going and you will find a taxi rank just there. There are almost always taxis unless it is pissing with rain. Show him this card and he will take you up there. Fare will be around NT$150 (US$4.70). Remember that you will need 2xNT$10 coins for the locker and its key. You will also need to bring a smallish towel to dry yourself in the changing room before you leave. And a bottle of water is almost essential as you soon feel a bit dehydrated in the springs. Make sure that is outside your locker before you close it!! Leaving the hot spring you will have to walk up a very steep hill to the main road. There is a phone at reception for patrons to call a taxi. But as the instructions are in Chinese and it's unlikely the person answering the call will speak English, I have always just walked. But it's a tough slog! Or waited and hoped to get a taxi which will have delivered someone to the hot springs area.

That is very kind, thank you. Would that were so. Sadly words are mere words and if someone really does not want to hear them, nothing will change their behaviour. An addict is an addict. Equally sadly most will not accept this is so. Almost all, I am told, believe they can control their addiction when in fact it is the addiction that controls them. The death last night of 34 year old rapper Aaron Carter is just another example. He was such a cute singer/actor in his late teens/20s but he had been treated several times for a variety of addictions. His family had begged him to change and he always promised he would. But his demons would not allow it. Some of us will remember Andy Gibb, the wonderfully cute singing sensation brother of the Bee Gees. Although he died in 1988 aged 30 of a heart infection, we know this was a result of years of drug and alcohol abuse. Again, the demons felt nothing for the moral support. I understand your thoughts and there have been times I have agreed with you. I have alternated between period of being in love and being the butterfly. I loved both, even though breakups from someone you truly love can be so hard. The important point is that sex is not love. It is more like a momentary high. But sex not an either/or. Not sure of your age, but I have found that age changed my views more in favour of having someone in my life.

I'm a regular visitor to Taipei, usually 4 times a year pre-covid. Back next week for 16 days. For sauna, @hojacat is 100% correct. The only one worth visiting is Soi13in. Unlike @fedssocr, I find travelgayasia frequently disappointing and often inaccurate. For Soi13in it states it used to be called Rainbow. That's just not true. There was never a sauna in that location before. Rainbow was certainly a large sauna but the Taiwan guys who went there had an 'attitude' and foreigners were not always welcomed by other patrons. It was in a very different part of the city much closer to The Red House and closed several years ago. I believe the owners then opened Soi13in but the two are like chalk and cheese. Many twinks and many bottoms there. Take your own condoms and lube. There are other smaller saunas but frankly you could spend hours looking for them. For one night, just go to Soi13in. The easiest way to get there is the subway to Shuanglian on the Red Line (direction Tamshui), turn north-east out of the station and walk to the main road. Take the underpass, keep walking straight ahead and you will soon see it on your left as when you come to a left fork in the road. Never had a massage but I read on other forums that happy endings are not always possible and often are restricted to HJs. Best to check espeically if you want full service. The Red House is rather like gay central but forget about there being clubs there. It is almost entirely cafes, bars and restaurants. Great for eye candy especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. Easy to get to by subway - exit 1 at Ximen station. There are no gogos similar to those you will find in Thailand. There is one leather bar not far from The Red House called Commander D. Basically a leather fetish bar it is not to be confused with Commander Bar which is on the upper level at The Red House. Commander is basically just a bar. Commander D is located in a small basement in a residential area. Leather is not essential. It has special theme evenings which will often see a degree of nudity from the patrons. It also has a small stage and a dark room. But that is totally dark and so make sure you have no valuables on you if you enter. Getting around is easy IF you know where you are going. The subway is extensive and cheap. Taiwan gay guys are some of the loveliest and friendliest in Asia. But please be polite. Remember too that many gay guys go out with friends rather than solo and so in the bars it is sometimes less easy to find guys looking to meet up with a westerner. That's where the apps come are more useful. Change your photo and profile to taipei a few days before you arrive. Also remember that Blued is very popular in Taiwan. Money boys are not usual on the apps. Mostly it is younger Taiwan guys looking to spend time with westerners. MBs will usually tell you very soon after you start chatting. If you offer money to a non MB, it's possible this will might be regarded as an insult.

Individuals dying as a result of drugs, crashing their motorcys after driving drunk and too fast, even by suicide is very difficult for others to control. Even those who see the signs of alcohol, drug, gambling and other addictions find it all but impossible to help. The individual has to want help - and in too many cases deep down they don't. For most, there is some deep rooted mental issue. Thankfully, for those who do want treatment, there are many more facilities now than there used to be. At university, I knew a beautiful felllow student. Her beauty was almost luminous. She was very slim and none of us were aware at the time that she suffered from bulimia. She never talked about it. Given that this was many decades ago, few actually knew much about it, not even the medical profession. She obviously was aware there was something wrong with her. Whether she did anything to obtain treatment, none of us ever found out. Had she done so, it is highly unlikely she would have been offered any sensible and practical advice. One day, she threw herself in front of a lorry in the middle of the city. She survived and was sent to a hospital for the mentally ill. For whatever reason, she was placed in a ward on the second floor. A few weeks after being admitted, she threw herself out of the window. This time she succeeded in her desire to die. The lorry driver, a man in his early 50s with a wife and family, was less lucky. He suffered a heart attack after knocking the girl down. He died a few days later.

I lost two lovers as a result of AIDS. I had been madly in love with the first, a Japanese, and we had talked about living together. But because we were then living almost 1,800 miles apart, even though we were meeting almost every month and took holidays together, I suppose it was inevitable that he would meet someone else. In my early 30s, I could not understand how any young Japanese (he was 25) could possibly leave me for a man more than double his age - he was 52(!) I did learn later he wanted stability and eventually to start a business. His new partner gave him both. He did write to me to say what had happened and how sorry he was that he had hurt me. At the time it was no consolation. Although it took me many months to get over the anger and to a certain extent the betrayal I felt, I eventually realised it was as much my fault. It was the early 1980s was I still quite new to Asia and certainly to Japan. A few years later he called me and asked if we could meet again. He wanted my help re part of his little business. We had a joyful reunion dinner and became good friends. FIve years after we had split up, when having tea he told me he had been feeling well. He and his bf were leaving for a long summer in London when he would seek treatment if he did not get better. Two months later, I got a call from his partner whom I had never even spoken to before. My first lover had died of AIDS. I flew over for the funeral. Looking back, it seems odd that I had no worries about being infected. Perhaps I was in denial with HIV/AIDS being a death sentence. We had never used condoms, but then when we were together we knew very little about HIV. Thereafter I always used them. In the early 1990s I met a tall Thai student in, of all places, Babylon. Having had part of his education in Australia, he spoke fluent English with a slight Ozzie accent. Over the next year or so we were to meet frequently, each time becoming more besotted with each other. I even seriously thought of moving to Bangkok just to be with him. But he wanted to leave Bangkok as he felt too confined here after the freedom he'd enjoyed in Sydney. He was desperate to live with me in Hong Kong. I knew - and told him many times - that he and we would face many obstacles there, far more than in Thailand. He could not continue his studies, without an HK ID card he would be unable to find a decent job - and so on. But he was adamant. Stupidly I gave in. Although we did lots of things together and I loved having him live with me, it was obvious he was beginning to regret his decision. Just before Christmas we went to Australia for 10 days as I had a couple of days business. With frequent absences from our hotel, I knew he'd been meeting old friends and perhaps returning to some of his old gay haunts. After quite a bitter argument one evening, he told me he would not come back to Hong Kong. He planned to stay with an old flame in Sydney. And that is what he did. This time I realised I had made the wrong decision and for months I regretted it. What I should have been aware of was that the freedom he had enjoyed before I met him in Babylon had included quite a bit of unprotected sex. After he became sick, he returned to his Kanchanaburi home where died of AIDS two years later. But again i did not get myself tested. Finally on a trip to Phuket with friends, I went to a clinic and after three days learned I was negative. Yet despite all the bad feelings, I was later to put these totally behind me and as @Mavica pointed out earlier, just remember all the wonderful times we had enjoyed. Despite the sorrow at relationships coming to an abrupt end and of young lives being cut far too short, I am surprised that these memories do not fade.