numazu

Day 8.0: That Time I Watched Someone Feed a Statue Ask my BF or parents and they’ll tell you that I am a huge morning person. I get up earlier than most of the people I know, and I luxuriate in the quiet of the morning, meditating about what to do for the day, before anyone else cuts through the silence and disrupts my day. I like sipping my coffee, reading a book or some news, and just be alone with my thoughts the minutes I get to just be with myself and the morning. But after just having an amazing (and lucky) time with my tall knight in shining motorbike the night before, I find myself struggling to wake up to the alarm. I went to bed last night at 1 AM, and now it is 3:15 AM, and I have to be up for my next tour stop. No matter how much of a morning person I am, having only two hours of sleep can’t be good for anyone. I force myself to get off the bed and walk around the room a bit to get the blood flowing to my limbs. I go to the bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth, and brush my hair a little bit to look presentable. I put on some pants, because I am about to visit a religious site, so I have got to show reverence somehow. I look at the temperature on my iPhone and decide that I should also bring a sweater. At 3:45 AM my hotel phone rings. It is Kaung, telling me that he is at the lobby waiting for me and to take my time if I am not ready yet. I take my phone and wallet and head down. Kaung was talking to the receptionist, and then sees me and escorts me to the car. Only one of the drivers made it this morning. While in the car, Kaung asks me if I had a good night sleep. I told him no, I didn’t get to sleep much. I ask Kaung what this tour was about. I am going into this tour cold, not knowing what it was or what we were going to do. This tour was SiamRoad Ya’s idea, and he talked about this with Kaung. I had no idea what was going to happen, but it was sold to me as something to see at least once in my life. We drive for 15 minutes to our destination, the Mahamuni Buddha temple. Kaung tells me what he knows about what was about to happen. Myanmar is obviously a fairly religiously devout country, and it has a lot of ceremonies that celebrate this faith. But what we were about to go to was a special event for a lot of people in Myanmar, and locals gather from all over mostly Northern and Central Myanmar to pay homage to this Buddha. It was the Buddha Teeth Brushing and Face Washing Ceremony, and as weird as that sounds, it was actually a fairly popular event. We get closer to the temple and the driver tells Kaung something. Kaung tells me that we will be getting off here. As we walk over to the temple I was glad that I was wearing my sweater because it was kind of chilly. I see the temple from the distance: We get close to the entrance and see that there were already quite a lot of people waiting to get in: The revelers were probably 99.5% Burmese, with some sprinkling of farang tourists. Almost everyone was in nice and colorful local wear. I felt out of place with my tacky track pants and bright red sweater. Almost everyone was carrying some sort of tribute in his or her arms: On the side, various vendors were selling tributes mainly consisting of food: At 4:25 AM the gates were opened and people walk through the corridors, respectful, but with purpose. We pass by some shops that are closed at the moment: We get to the main hall and people crowd in between the center arches: Kaung tells me that most people wanted a good view of the front of the Buddha under the center arches of the temple, but there are views at the sides as well, which was a good enough view if one was not particular with which vantage point they see Buddha from. Since the center arches were getting really crowded, I suggested we head over to the one of the side gates. We get to the left gate and see that there were only a few people there. Kaung and I stand close to it while people around us gather: Pretty soon one of the staff opens the gate. You can see the Buddha through the gate: I decide to sit down cross-legged, like the rest of the locals, to be appropriate: While we waited for the ceremony to start, I observe and admire the people gathering around me. Everyone was Burmese, wearing colorful clothing, and praying while they were sitting. Some were young (some good looking boys were around), some were old (a lot of grandmothers in the mix), but it was clear that most came from the far-flung Northern states, judging from their different style clothing from what I’ve seen in Yangon or Bagan. It is obvious that this place brings the whole country together in religious worship, and I am a mere spectator. Soon the helper monks were installing a platform and stairs for the senior monk to use to have better access to the Buddha: The formal ritual began with the senior monk getting up to the platform and covering the Buddha with a gold cloth: The monk then takes an urn of cooked rice and “feeds” the Buddha. Of course the Buddha did not open its mouth and began chewing. Instead, the monk, in a rubbing motion, slathered the rice around the mouth and let the rice fall to the floor. Then the face washing begins, with the monk wetting the face of the Buddha with water, and then washes the face with a cloth. The action is repeated, with a rhythmic and coordinated action: The motion of the senior monk’s arms was very soothing to follow. The gold from the Buddha, the reflection and detail coming from the individual intricate designs in the walls and ceiling of the temple, the calm and gentle chants from the monks, everything made me oddly contemplative. I look around me and see the people hanging on every chant, every gesture of the monk’s arms, bowing and praying and meditating. This means a lot to them. I think about my own reasons for coming here. Was I here to just observe a ceremony as a tourist, reducing this sacred event to just a simple tourist trap? Actually, this meant much more to me than just a run-of-the-mill stop. It was probably because I only had 2 hours of sleep, or because I was exhausted after my earthly exertions with a local boy last night, or maybe because I was about to leave this county I have grown to love. Whatever the reason was, I started to cry. I was openly weeping in front of strangers, a world away from me, not by current proximity, but by life circumstance. This did not have any religious meaning for me, and yet a feeling of reverence and bliss washed over me, like nothing I have ever felt before. This ceremony did not mean anything to me, and yet it felt like this was what I was looking for all my life. And this was a microcosm of everything I have experienced these past few days. I did not have any desire to go to Myanmar before this trip, and yet coming here felt like I needed this visit more than anything. I did not need another boyfriend, but getting to know BurBoy more has shown me what having one can, and should, feel like. I could not do anything else but surrender to the moment, the feeling. I did not think about past failures or future worries. This was happening now, and it was what I needed. I gather myself. I try to not look at Kaung. I sit for another 10 minutes and wipe away the tears before telling him that we can leave. We pass by the central arches and see there were a lot of people still watching the ceremony: We go outside and admired the architecture. There were two boys wearing matching sweaters: As we exit, we pass by some shops that are now open, anticipating the crowds that will leave after the ceremony. Lots of nice looking breakfast food: We head back to the hotel. I tell Kaung I will try to get some sleep, and to pick me up at 10 AM so we can head over to the airport at a reasonable time. I get to sleep right away. What an emotional couple of hours, days, week. So my last few hours in Myanmar, including a nasty surprise, next…

Day 7.9: The Best Things in Life are Free I was eager to satisfy my massage curiosity this trip. It already started with my outcall massage experience with Tao, which was very satisfying. So now, finding myself alone in Mandalay, I had the chance to check out one of the two massage parlors in the city. The two in the city are reviewed in this link: https://www.travelgayasia.com/mandalay-gay-massage-spas/. Seems like Paradise had slightly better reviews, and since it was closer to my hotel, I thought I’d give it a try. I have been checking out Grindr while resting for a little bit before heading out for the massage, and there was some very promising conversation with the boys on the gay app. I was very close to meeting with 3 boys that I had some steamy conversations with. One in particular caught my attention: a 28-year-old Burmese guy, tall for Burmese at 6 feet, and had perfect English, at least in what he was typing. He said he was having coffee in a nearby café close to my hotel, and he said he could drop by if I wanted. I was very tempted, but now was for massage. It was close to 9 by the time I got out of my hotel. Google maps said that the spa was a 15-minute walk from the hotel. I pass by this sign, probably the best use of a Burmese pun I’ve ever heard while in Myanmar (Mingalaba is welcome in Burmese). It right up there with "Hello Deli" and "Sawadee Crab Shack": I walked the deserted side roads of Mandalay. I was careful to avoid the main thoroughfares so I don’t get mowed down by motorists at night. I was in shorts and a t-shirt, even if it was slightly cool tonight. It was the perfect weather to just walk and experience the city at night. It was a quiet night, and reliably so: it was Myanmar after all. After some death-defying crossing of the street action on my part, I get to a residential part of the city where Paradise Spa was. There was a group of guys drinking right across the street from the spa. How many men have they seen enter this place to take advantage of the services? I go in a two-story residential house. There wasn’t anyone at the front desk. I go in and wake up about 4 boys relaxing in the couches inside. They call on the receptionist and he appears and receives me at the front desk. He invited me to sit down on a nice looking couch and he offered me some water to drink. I thanked him and got shown a menu of services they offered. It ranged from 30 minutes of straight-up massage (9000 kyat = $6.50), to more involved specialty massages starting at 15,000 kyat ($11) for an hour. I chose what looked like a combination 30 minute scrub and an hour massage at 18,000 kyat ($13). It wasn’t a lot of money so I just chose one that looked good. I was then shown an iPad with photos of the boys. There was only about 8 boys shown, and there was 2 that were attractive to me. I chose the one that looked the most Burmese, since I was in Burma. He gets called and then goes up to me and he escorts me upstairs where the massage rooms are. We go in a somewhat run-down but large room with a dingy bed in the center, and a pillow at the head of the bed with a faded pillowcase. He asked, in horrible English, if I showered already. I said I did, so he went into the in-room bathroom and showered. When he finished he was in a towel. Nice body, not too worked out but fit. He had classic Burmese looks, but he did not smile, and was all business-like. He asked me to strip and lie on the bed. I did and positioned my head on the pillow. He started with the scrub treatment, which was pretty pleasant, and I felt the exfoliation work. He did this for about 15 minutes and then he said he was done. He asked me to shower away the exfoliating beads and to prepare for the main massage. I get in the bathroom to shower. No hot water, the water heater didn’t work, so I shivered through the process. I tried my best to get all the beads out. Emerging from the bathroom naked under the towel, the boy goes to me and used another towel to get all the beads out that were stuck in hard to reach places. He invites me to go back to the bed to continue the massage. I was expecting the lights to dim but he didn’t, and the harsh fluorescent lights were still on during the massage. The massage oil was applied, and what follows was a decent massage. I relaxed a bit, dozing off in some parts, slobbering on the pillow. I immediately thought, yikes how many guys have slobbered on this pillow. Gross! I try to put it out of my mind. He asks me to turn around. I see his nice body, and the penis hiding in the skimpy briefs he was wearing. It was nice visuals, and the massage was decent, but he kept the briefs on. When it was time for the sensual part, it was… not inspiring. He did not take off his briefs. He started chuck-wowing me, but the harsh lighting, the gross bed, and the disinterested masseuse was not doing it for me. So it took him a while to get me off. I did, eventually, almost regrettably. This was not a sexy massage, more just the boy going through the motions. I dart to the bathroom to clean up the oil and cum. I emerge and start putting on clothes. I reach for my money and gave the masseuse 18,000 kyat, which was the same as the cost of the massage itself. I went down the stairs and got out of there. I spent an hour and half there getting a decent massage, and not so decent ending. Maybe I had too high expectations. Maybe I should’ve picked the other cute guy who was actually smiling in his photo. From the look of the other boys there, it seemed that there were very cute boys there. If I were here longer I would try the other boys, just because it was dirt-cheap. I get back to my hotel slightly regretting going to the spa. In lower spirits, I fire up Grindr, and see more messages from new boys and boys I have talked to earlier tonight. I waste some time typing away. And then I notice that cute 6-foot Burmese guy said hi again. He asked where I went, why I was offline for a while. I told him I had some dinner, but now was back in my hotel room. We talk for a while. He was interested on what I thought about Myanmar, and was glad I liked Yangon and Bagan. Our talk turned into flirting soon after that. And then it went to the subject of what we were both into. We had the same likes: we loved kissing, passionate body contact, rimming and topping. Pretty soon we were exchanging steamy photos. He had a nice body, and had an even nicer uncut cock. I got hard, even if I just came half an hour ago. He asked me again: “Can you meet now?” I took a chance and said “Sure, can you come to my hotel?” I gave him my location using the Grindr location thing. He said he will be there in 10 minutes. I tidy up my hotel room in preparation for company. I tidy up myself a bit and didn’t have to shower since I just did it in the spa. After 12 minutes he said he was parked outside the hotel. I go down and meet him outside on the sidewalk. Lets call him TallBurGuy. He was still on his motorbike, and he disembarked, towering over me. He was cuter in person than he was in his photos, and he smiled and shook my hand. He tells me his name again, I had to ask him to repeat it. He had classic Burmese looks, maybe a little bit more Chinese than Burmese. I was ready to tear off his clothes right there. But right now, outside in the streets of Mandalay, we talked, and checked each other out. He spoke in perfect and clear English with a Burmese accent. It was clear there was a mutual attraction, and we were both eager to consummate this. We go to the hotel and I nonchalantly go to the elevator to get up to my room. But the receptionist stops TallBurGuy, saying some words in Burmese. They get into a conversation, and the he told me that the hotel did not accept outside guests to get up to the room. I talk to the receptionist about it, and she was firm in not letting TallBurGuy in. I used all my charm, and then all my logic, but could not get her to budge. TallBurGuy could not believe it. A second disappointment tonight! We go back out and talk about it. He said he could not believe this hotel. I told him I could understand why, probably because Myanmar was still conservative. He said it doesn’t matter. I was a paying customer, and he suspected I paid a lot of money to stay in the hotel. I told him how much I paid. He laughed and said I should get my money back. It was nice talking to him like this, but we were still eager to have sex with each other. TallBurGuy finally says “OK, I will take you to my house.” I asked if he was sure. He said yes. He lived with other people in this big house but had a room for himself. I don’t even think about it and just get on the motorbike with him. We speed through the streets of Mandalay. We get to a main intersection with traffic lights, and we speed though that. He was going fast, probably so horny and frustrated from being turned away at the hotel. We get to a residential area like where Paradise Spa was, and he parks next to a big house with high gates. There were no lights on that I can see, but it was 12 midnight so it was understandable. He leads me towards the back and then opens a gate, and then a few meters to a door. We go through a hallway and then he uses his keys to open the door to his room. I walk in a room with some furniture and a bed on the floor. I could see some clothes hung and folded by the side, and a desk with some papers and books on them. He plays with the lights till he was satisfied with the ambiance. He made it a little bit romantic and dim. We both take off all our clothes and we lie down and made out. He grew right away, and I can feel his respectable cock grow in my hand. This was way hot. He was a great kisser, very deep and lots of tongue. We touch, prod, and feel. I go down on his cock and put it in my mouth. The foreskin and the big cock head. I did this for a while before he put his attention on me. He licked my nipples, sucked on them with ferocity. He licked my neck and sucked and licked it for a while. We kissed, and then he went down and lifted up my legs to give me an amazing rim job. I cannot believe how good it felt. He went back up and kissed me, making me taste myself in his mouth. This was hot. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was passionate. We were both tops, but he teased me with his cock head. He put the tip in my hole. He whispered he wasn’t going in, just to tease me. He dry humped me for a while. Pretty soon we couldn’t take it anymore. He lay down and he manhandled me to put me on his chest, with him jacking himself off while I jacked off, sitting on his chest, with my cock slapping his chin. I came, and he quickly put my cock in his mouth, taking it all in. I then felt his some of his hot cum hit my back as he came. We both smile. He gets a towel and we towel off. We head back outside to talk. He was all smiling and chatty. I get back on his motorbike get a ride back to the hotel. It was 1 AM and the streets were deserted. He drove slowly, and we talked the whole way back. I got to know him more. He worked for an NGO, is college educated, and a Mandalay local. He loved his city, and could not think of anywhere else to live. I profess my love for his country, and tonight, my admiration of his passion. He asks if I went to Mandalay often. I regrettably say that I don’t. He tells me that if I find myself back here, to let him know so we can spend more time together. As we get back to the hotel, I put my arms around him. He saved the night. As if I needed more reason to love this country, here comes this tall drink of water to add to the many things I got to know and love about this wonderful place. I get off his bike and we both wave goodbye to each other. He speeds away out of my life. Tomorrow, the highlight of my Myanmar trip…

It's really a first world problem. I don't think I am risking much having two boyfriends like this. One is conveniently on the other side of the world and the other is here with me. I know someday my relationship with BurBoy will end, the how or why is the mystery, and it has me on pins and needles. This is life in general, and the uncertainty is what makes it worth living. Thank goodness life is not boring, yet. You guys are right, these interesting events happen in any stage of life. I conveniently blame it on mid-life to excuse my behavior. But really, this is who I am and I will probably continue doing this for the rest of my life. The Myanmar and Cambodian tourism boards should give me my cut for inspiring people to check out their countries. Though I'm pretty sure they'd think twice when they see all the boy smut I write. If you do decide to go, write up a trip report here! In general I think that the majority of people who write reviews were motivated to express their negative views of the place. I always regard these rankings with a grain of salt. Like you, I look at the actual individual reviews instead of the overall score and ranking. Having a lot of reviews in general is a good sign, it means it is a high trafficked place and it is a known entity. The rankings are useless, I agree, but it does give more buzz to the places that are highly ranked. They even proudly put a TripAdvisor "Certificate of Excellence" sticker, or something, in their storefront, because this carries some weight with a lot of tourists. At the end of the day, these rankings depend on the person. Much like people having different tastes in a boy bar: if I see a negative review here about a bar, it doesn't mean I'll have the same negative experience as that other guy. I do take it into consideration, but I am also eager in trying it out for myself and forming my own opinion. And vinapu, I will write about your Chicken and Cashew Nuts in a later post, since you have high regard for it.

Day 7.7: Some Touring and a Massage It’s one thing to climb up 777 steps to see a monastery. It’s another to do it barefoot most of the way. As with the temples, I appreciated the extra dimension touring barefoot gives me. I was ready to do more but I knew we had a long drive ahead of us. Looking at Google Maps, it looks like we are going the long way back because of where Mt. Popa was in relation to Bagan and Mandalay: We get on some rural roads on our way to Mandalay. There were three times where we stopped to give tribute to these toll points. I offer to give money but Kaung said it is part of the cost of the car we rented. I doze off for a little bit and get woken up by the winding roads. Kaung asks me if I was hungry. I tell him I was a little bit. The cardio I got from walking up and down those stairs did give me an appetite. Our halfway point was a village called Myingyan, and it had some nice storefronts and the usual selection of pagodas and religious imagery. Kaung asks me what I wanted to eat. I said anything that had rice dishes. He picks a Chinese Restaurant called “Cool Connection”, and at close to 2 PM, the place was empty: Kaung explains to me that this place turns into a fairly popular bar at night, but at day time it is just a regular restaurant. We order, and I was craving some rice and some soft shell crab: Kaung and I share the rice and he orders some chicken. The dishes included some nice chicken broth with vegetables. The drivers, having their own lunch allowance, looked for other choices in town, but came back to the restaurant and they ordered their own food. We all order Myanmar Beer, probably not a good choice of drink for the drivers, but I felt like splurging a little bit. We all finish and I pay for everyone’s food, not even thinking about it ($11 for everything). Kaung informs me that he will deduct from my payment the cost of the food for the drivers. They receive an allowance so it would be unfair to me if I paid for their food. I said “OK” but in my head I am thinking that I didn’t care if I get reimbursed my $5.50 or not. There was still some two hours left in the drive, and I dozed off again as we made our way to Mandalay. I told Kaung that I wanted to get in alittle bit of shopping before retiring for the night. Nothing big, just some nice souvenirs for friends and family. He said that we can check our some of the shops at U Bein bridge, before we make our visit to the famed bridge. I doze off some more. I wake up and I find that we are in bigger roads now, a sign that we were close to Mandalay. Kaung and the two drivers discuss a bit on where to exit to check out the shops and the bridge. We stop suddenly and we get off the highway through a very steep and makeshift “off ramp”. It was not really an official off ramp, just a depression on the side of the road where cars and motorbikes use to get on the highway, if they were impatient to look for the official off ramp. The car was not a off-road vehicle, but it sure handled like one when we drive on this steep and unpaved “off ramp”. I do love the third world and its lax road rules. We get to U Bein bridge around 4 PM and I had time to do some nice shopping. There were a lot of tour buses and people at U Bein today: I become serious with my shopping, and dart into the shops to find some cool things. The three Burmese boys: Kaung, and the two drivers, were tailing me, just making sure I was safe. I got some really cool items and made a dent on my Kyat supply, though I still had plenty since I made sure I got enough for the entire stay. When I was done the drivers offer to take my shopping bags to take back to the car. We head over to U Bein bridge and get some nice photos of the bridge and the sunset. Sunsets here in Myanmar are extra special, it seems: Kaung had some tidbits for me about U Bein. He was pretty knowledgeable, and it is truly nice to see a sunset on this 167 year old teakwood bridge. There were a lot of visitors this time, and it was maybe 90% locals in their local wear, and only few of us tourists. It was a nice way to end the day and the drive. Of course, some boys for my boywatching series. People watching is as much a feature in my touring as is temple watching. Boywatching #6, U Bein Bridge edition: We get back to the car and head into Mandalay proper. We hit some traffic about 2 miles from the hotel, a sign that we are in the thick of the city. As we get closer to the city center, I see tall buildings and traffic lights. Mandalay seems like a proper Asian city. Kaung pulls out his phone to locate my hotel, the Bagan King Hotel, in central Mandalay. We get to the hotel and the car parks right in front. The driver step out and helps with the bags, and Kaung and I head over to reception: Kaung immediately says my name to the staff and they look for my reservation. I take out my passport and credit card and give it to them, and both were returned promptly. Kaung asks a few things to the staff and then informs me that they recommended to leave the hotel tomorrow morning at 3:30 AM for our next tour. I ask for a wake up call at 3 AM. One of the cute staff helps me with my luggage. Kaung and I follow him to my room. At the room the guy shows me the various features of the room, like the lights, the shower, the safe and the bed. He was really cute, and he was looking at me with curiosity, but I did not have the balls to proposition him in front of Kaung. He finishes the orientation and I give him 500 kyat for tip. He thanks us and leaves us to the room. I tell Kaung that I want to pay him now, for his services, and the car. He starts itemizing the the various items that I am paying for, and I look for a notepad to take notes. He tells me the cost of his tour (found in his website), and the cost of the car ($100 a day, except for tomorrow where it was $60 because it was only half a day). It was what I expected, and I give him some kyat for his payment, but gave him dollars for the car payment. I thought the cost was fair considering the quality of the service rendered, and all involved were very attentive to my and BurBoy’s needs. It’s been an amazing few days, and it was not over yet. He takes the money and tells me that he will see me bright and early tomorrow. He leaves my hotel room. I relied on Tripadvisor to vet my Myanmar hotel choices. The Bagan King Hotel was a good choice in my opinion for a number of things :1) It was the #3 in the top hotels in Mandalay, and the top 2 were budget value choices 2) they had a decent breakfast buffet, from what I can figure out online, and 3) it was walkable to a gay massage place or two from the map. I didn’t know if I was going to be alone or not in Mandalay, so just in case, I wanted the massage places to be somewhat accessible. My room, very tasteful décor and the bed was pretty comfortable: Now that I am by myself I open up Grindr. Lots of cute boys online now, but I notice half of the profiles are fake. I can tell because some of the photos were of boys who have a huge social media presence and were very popular on Facebook, they were either Thai or Viet (a beauty ideal for the Burmese, probably), so I don’t think those boys will be in Mandalay. It’s the scourge of social media and using apps. You don’t know if you are getting cat fished or not: I talk to some boys who I thought were real. I also get some proactive messages, from locals who did not have a face pic on their profile, but they were open to send some once they assessed that I was real and just a tourist. They were still very careful with whom they talk to. They have to be discreet. But right now, even with some promising conversations online, I had one thing in my mind: to get a gay massage. There were two in the Mandalay area, Lime Spa and Paradise Spa. Both fairly walkable to my hotel, but one was closer. So I take a shower, wear some fresh and clean clothes, and start walking to my first massage experience in Myanmar. Was it good? Next post…

Just catching up: Its hard to watch what I eat when I am on holiday. The food experience is an integral part of touring for me, so I feel that the tour is not complete if I am not sampling the food, especially if it is my first time visiting. I watch what I eat the other times. And BurBoy does eat some junk food. Not sure if he does it everyday, but he does eat it a fair amount when with me (chocolate mostly). After I came back, I was able to undo the damage I did on my diet this last trip. Ate a little better, slept a little longer, and exercised a little bit harder, was all I needed to undo it. Thanks. It's been a treat writing these, and discovering the photos I took again when I choose what to post. Myanmar is a photogenic country. It's always win-win for me . Yes I am sure BurBoy has no idea that that chewing betel causes cancer. He was just sharing part of his culture with me, as he had for the whole trip. I didn't like my first and only foray into betel nut chewing, so doubt I will be pursuing this in the future. There was definitely a lot of red teeth, and red spit on the ground, while I was there. Such a nasty habit tho. LOL. Maybe I sneaked out in that time and found a willing bellhop to fill that 1 hour and 15 minutes. LOL. This was a good segue to the current post. As I described, Mt Popa is crawling with monkeys and the "janitors" (there were many), for the most part, were able to clean up the mess while I was there, so no stepping on monkey poo for me. I'll get to the other ones on a later post .

Day 7.3: Popa Don’t Preach This is the part of the tour that I had no idea what it was about. I am a naturally a planner, a strategist, and have made a pretty decent career out of being able to tap into these strengths. So before I fell in love with South East Asia I would plan most aspects of my life as much as I could (career, relationships, vacations). But I discovered that giving up this control that I was used to having all my life, is needed to life to the fullest. Its probably the biggest gift that SE Asia has given me. So now I go with the flow. There must be a reason why BurBoy wanted to go to this place. The drive was not bad. It was on a two-lane rural road: Once in a while we would pass by a small village and see some kids panhandling by the side of the road. Kaung says this is a problem, as it's dangerous for motorists to suddenly stop and give them money, and its also dangerous for the kids, who are in danger of being mowed down by vehicles: As we get close to the Mt. Popa village, we pass by a “checkpoint”, which is usually just some kid or young man collecting 100 kyat from cars entering their village, which is a customary thing to do in almost any rural village that dots Myanmar’s main roads. I read somewhere that this is a legacy thing from centuries past when warlord states existed and travellers were required to pay these tolls to enter their property. Seems harmless, but I have no idea where this money goes to. So this was our checkpoint, the boy in white was collecting the 100 kyat: The interesting thing was what was happening in the left of that photo. Some horseplay with two boys. Through the magic of Apple’s live photo, I was able to split the photo above into 84 frames. See horseplay in action: I wasn’t really sure what was going on here, but it was actually nice to see boys just being boys. We stop at the local market, and Kaung explains to me that this market was often called “colorful market”, for the rainbow colors that were found in the merchandise. Flowers, fruits, and other snacks were on display: We get further into the village, and starting on our ascent to the mountain, we stop to take photos of the prize, the Mt Popa Taungkalat Monastery on top of the Taung Kalat pedestal: We were not actually climbing to the summit of the mountain itself, but instead we will drive to the base of this pedestal hill, which was actually a volcanic plug. And with any culture where mountains or volcanoes dominate the landscape, Mt. Popa has its share of legends and mysticism associated with it. There is a festival in the spring where lady boy mediums (Nats) gather to talk to spirits and communicate their messages to the people. This mixture of Animism and Buddhism, celebrated against the backdrop of this fascinating volcano, makes this festival a must-see for me in the future. We get into Mt. Popa proper, and it was abuzz with activity on this Friday morning. The car drops us off the bottom of the stairs to the monastery, and Kaung and I get off as we start out ascent: It was 777 steps overall to climb the rest of the 2156 feet to top of the summit of Taung Kalat, so I will have my cardio workout on this tour. Adding to this is doing the climb barefoot, adding a lot to the experience. Kaung leaves both our slippers to the person in charge, he slipped him a 100 kyat bill for him to take care of our slippers. The first third of our climb we encounter a lot of shops selling souvenirs. Kaung asks me if I wanted to buy anything but I told him I will try to shop later in Mandalay: And then suddenly you hear it: loud screeching noises, followed by loud little and nimble footsteps stomping their way on the ceiling. And then you see it, it’s the scourge of the mountain, the macaques: You see them solo at first, and then they quickly occur in groups, just being monkeys. Kaung cautions me to not get too close and to not feed them. They are known to bite and be aggressive. There were some locals who were professional monkey “shoo-ers”, driving the monkeys away from the throngs of visitors. We get close to the summit and see the gilded structures that can be seen from the base. We try to get closer but a macaque was sitting guarding the place: At the summit we can see some of the other gilded structures, under renovation: Lots of photos taken here. Here’s one of the actual summit of Mt. Popa, which was 4981 feet above sea level: Down below, the village: While up here I took a deep breath to take in the clean mountain air and just appreciate the whole experience. I love mountains, and the urgency of work and daily life back home do not afford me too much time to appreciate it. This mountain, with all its religious trappings and wonderful stories surrounding it, will inspire any hardened person: Lots of plaques that were paid for by generous donors who contribute to the upkeep of this place, including one from back home in California: Since this is a monastery, lots of religious imagery in the vicinity of course: Kaung was patient with me taking lots of photos, and offers to take some of me when he thought it was warranted. He had a lot of information on the monastery, the locals, and thoughts about Buddhism in general. He asks me at certain points if I was tired. This was great cardio so I told him this exertion is good for me. He says that he is used to this climb, and on certain weeks he does this climb even twice in one day. It took us about 30 minutes to get up to the Taung Kalat summit with various stops for photos and touring, so it was a breeze, but I was glad that he was concerned if the 777 steps were bothering me. So no trip would be complete without my boywatching series, Mt. Popa edition, Boywatching #5: We start heading down the steps: At the base two macaques bid us farewell: Next up… Mandalay

Day 7.0: He Flies, I Ride With the ringing of my alarm we wake up at 7 AM in our Bagan Hotel room. The very long day we had yesterday had us fall asleep right away last night. Today was no different. It was a big day for both of us. I have to make my way back to Mandalay to catch my international flight back to Bangkok tomorrow, and BurBoy had to make his flight in 5 hours at Bagan airport to Yangon. From Yangon he will take a bus to his hometown to stay the night, and then the next day hop on the 14 hour van ride to Bangkok. I will not pretend to know how the citizens of Thailand’s neighboring country’s can just come and go as they please through Thailand’s porous borders, without much thought about passports or visas or overstaying. Even with my little episode with Cambodia Boy about his passport and visa expiring weeks before our flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, which necessitated him sneaking across the border to Cambodia and get a new passport, I still don't understand how they can just do that. Exit stamps were not needed apparently, but it meant me flying alone to meet him at PP. Before meeting in December, BurBoy spent a whole month in Myanmar and tried to get a passport, as well as get a job that earned a living wage. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in doing both. The passport was going to take months to get, and the jobs just weren’t there. He told me he has been invited back to his old job and can go back after I leave in January, and that he will just get a passport at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok. That still didn’t answer the question on how he can just go back to Bangkok, by land, without a passport. He has a work ID that he uses to work in Thailand, kind of a special one that certain Myanmar people have to be able to work in Thailand. Maybe that was enough? I don’t know. So we wake up, shower together, no hanky panky this time, since we both were leaving the hotel so we need to pack and of course eat the generous buffet they had here. After the shower we pack up our stuff. BurBoy asks me to take some of his things with me, since I had the advantage of check-in luggage and a car that will take me all the way to Mandalay Airport tomorrow. He rearranges his big bag and transfer some clothes he wont need on his quick hometown trip, as well as some souvenirs he bought and his aunt bought to give to his mom and dad back in Bangkok. He hands me the luggage, and tell me that “Bag have ice na. Many many ice!” He was joking of course. If they found ice in my luggage, I will be spending the rest of my days at the infamous “Bangkok Hilton.” After packing we had over to the breakfast buffet, famished after having an early dinner and long night’s sleep. The restaurant was half full this time, and still we got seats closest to the lake: We do our best to fill up for our respective travel ahead, while enjoying the view of the river and Mt. Popa in the distance: BurBoy was kind of subdued this morning. He had a lot in his mind. He was leaving his home country again for Bangkok, after being here for a month, the longest he has probably spent here since he was young boy. He wanted to find a good job but couldn’t find anything that made worth his time. Bangkok was still way more lucrative. He has a good thing going with his restaurant job, having known the owner and some of the staff since he he came to Bangkok many years ago. He will spend some time with his aunt and cousins in his hometown tonight, before heading back to Bangkok tomorrow. Over breakfast we talked briefly about today’s travel. He was jealous that I was going to Mt. Popa today, and he said he wishes he could go with me. I thought about and then I gave him a choice: he could go to Mt. Popa with me today, and then we both head to Mandalay to stay the night, and we can change his flight from his original flight (Bagan to Yangon) to a new one that takes him from Mandalay to Yangon. Since he will be with me in Mandalay tonight, he has to skip going to one of the two White Party nights we intended to attend together. Even with today’s plans followed, he was not sure if he would be up for attending the first night back in Bangkok partying anyway, since he just came from a 14-hour bus ride to Bangkok. If he came with me today, it works out for my butterfly needs. I will be looking for either MuscleBoy or ShanBoy to be my companion to my first White Party night. Plus, I would rather discover Mt. Popa and Mandalay with BurBoy anyway. I have enjoyed touring his home country through his eyes, and it just would not be the same experience without him. He warmed up to the idea of him changing flights and days to go back to Bangkok. He has heard a lot of things about Mt. Popa, and he agreed that as long I was in Myanmar, he should be there for me. I look quickly online for flights from Mandalay to Yangon tomorrow, but could not find any. We can shop around the Bagan airport in a moment to see if we can make this happen. I was even amenable to buying a whole new ticket at a different airline, and defaulting on our old ticket, just to make this happen. We finish breakfast and head back to the room. We take our bags and give the room a final once over and head to reception. I see Kaung already at reception. I give the keys to the lady at the counter and she calls some staff to check on the room. After a few minutes we get the OK and we head over to the car. We now see two drivers in the car, with one sitting in the passanger side. Kaung says that it is normal for drivers to be in tandem when driving long ways. I get two drivers on my drive back to Mandalay, much like the father-son combo in the taxi heading to Bagan. While on our way to Nyaung U airport, BurBoy and I discuss the potential change in plans with Kaung. The car is parked and Kaung, BurBoy and I head over in the airport to see if we can do a ticket change. We find the Air KBZ counter: and BurBoy and Kaung talk it over with the lady in the counter about the change. We all get invited to the office at the back so the lady can use the computer to see what she can do for us. After a few minutes she says that there is only one flight to Yangon from Mandalay tomorrow and it is an afternoon flight. This won’t work with BurBoy, as he needed a morning flight so he has time to visit family. BurBoy and I go back and forth with the pros and cons of the change. He said he’d rather use the time waiting for the flight to just get to Bangkok. I offer to have us go to the other airlines in the airport to see if they could help us. BurBoy said he doesn’t really want me to spend more money on any of his affairs, and he would rather me use the money for our fun in Bangkok. I agreed, so we tell this to Kaung. Kaung heads over to the car and comes back with the driver and BurBoy’s bags. I hug Burboy and tell him to Line me when he gets to Yangon on his 11:30 AM flight. He tells me to have fun on Mt. Popa and Mandalay. One more shot of the airport before we go: I was kind of disappointed that BurBoy wont be with me on my Myanmar trip’s last leg, but I am sure I can manage. Kaung and I are now sitting in the back while the two drivers were up front. The additional driver was also young and in a longyi. We speed off away from the airport and get on a rural road that is used to get to Mt Popa. I look at Google Maps and see that the drive is about an hour, which is not bad: Kaung asks me if I wanted to stop at a traditional palm hut that old some palm liquor, palm sugar snacks and peanuts. He was eager to start his touring with me. I said of course, alcohol at 9:30 AM is great when on holiday. We drive for about 10 minutes and we head over to a bunch of huts on the road and park. Kaung and I get out of the car and we head over to the huts. There were a lot of tourists this morning: We go to a nearby table and Kaung explains to me the various parts of the palm tree used: We head inside and go through some items for sale, which was mostly palm sugar and peanut snacks. We go to the back to see the process of making palm wine. We some fermenting pots, with some palm sap or the Jaggery used to activate its own yeast for fermentation: After which they distill the mixture and out comes the precious palm wine: I also see some snacks being made in a a giant wok: Kaung invites me to try the palm wine (commonly known as Toddy, or Htan Ye here): I drink two glasses worth of the wine. It was actually nice tasting and kind of sweet. I discover later that it was 4% alcohol. We then sit on a little table where some very very delicious and addictive peanuts, sesame, and other types of nuts cooked in different ways, were served, with some kind of "salsa" or dip to enjoy them with, in the center of the snack tray, decoratively arranged: Kaung talks some about the preponderance of peanuts in Myanmar. Interestingly, Kaung pronounces peanuts “penis”. He stops himself when he does this, and apologizes for his pronunciation. Maybe it was deliberate? I eat the peanuts (not the penis) and fill myself up for the drive ahead. Though I guess eating some penis would not be too bad right now. Next up, climbing up a mountain…

Day 6.9: Sunset Over Bagan It was 4 PM, and Kaung had an idea. He still felt bad that I was not able to get beer over lunch. He had this idea in his head, but he consulted BurBoy first before talking to me about it. While at the parking lot in Mahabodhi he, the driver and BurBoy were debating on what to do next. I feel that Kaung knew that BurBoy knew me very well, and knew what I liked out of my tours. When they were done debating Kaung proposes that instead of going to our 10th and last temple to watch the sunset, why don’t we buy some Myanmar Beers, rent a boat and watch the sunset over the Irrawady River? It’s been a full day of non-stop touring, with the occasional food orgy breaks over breakfast and lunch. The day started up in the air over Bagan, and then on the ground in an air-conditioned car visiting the mighty temples in the archeological zone. All what’s left is the tour going on water to end the day. I thought this was an excellent idea. We head over to one of the stores that sold groceries to get some beers. The driver takes the cooler with the ice and bottled waters from the trunk and fills it with the precious Myanmar beers. BurBoy and Kaung also get some small snacks to take on the boat. We drive to the beach where the Old Bagan pier area was: Kaung talks to the lady who was managing the boats, and we soon get our own boat for the sunset cruise: All four of us (Kaung, driver, BurBoy and myself) pile on the boat. Driver brought the drinks and snacks. On board Kaung talked to the helmsman of the boat to give him instructions on how the cruise will go: The boat slowly gets off the dock and heads out to the river. We all initially sit in the back where the benches were, but Kaung encourages me and BurBoy to sit upfront where the table and chairs were: Soon all four of us occupy the front, but there was still beers and snacks left in the back: Driver gets the food and distributes the beer to all of us. There was probably 10 beers that was bought. There was also some peanuts to share: Also they bought some “Mya Zinyaw,” which was a tamarind candy: Lots of photos were taken. Group shots, shots with just BurBoy and me, shots with Kaung and me and shots of just me and just BurBoy. Some shots at the nose of the boat. This is Kaung looking out to the river up front: Soon we were done with our first beers and on to our second, as the sun worked its way down the horizon: On the way into the Irrawady, we pass by some islands with some people on them: Kaung tells me that December is the dry season in Myanmar, and the river is at its lowest level. These islands appear during this time and locals were able to plant crops on them, since the land is fertile due to being submerged half of the year. I can see some crops growing on them already. Kaung says that a lot of people depend on the crops that grow on the islands that appear, since the rest of Bagan was arid desert and less fertile. It was a problem for the other half of the year when the people who farm here can’t rely on the islands and thus no source of income. The boat stop just past the islands, and the motor is turned off as we float on the river. We see some boats doing the same thing: We were just there, floating on the Irrawady, watching the sun set. We chug our beer, have some conversations about growing up in this part of Myanmar and depending on the river for a lot of their livelihood. BurBoy lived further inland so he did not have this experience, but otherwise they bonded on a shared experience of growing up in a country that is largely poor, but filled with cultural riches and natural wonders. It was definitely worlds away from my own, American middle-class, upbringing. I wonder sometimes if by some twist of fate I was born here. Maybe I would be happier. The grass is always greener on the other side. After some time the sun was emitting its orange glow over the horizon, accentuated by the dessert air that Bagan had: We became quiet, just admiring the sunset, our heads buzzing with the beers we were drinking, and with the boat gently rocking back and forth, it lulled us into a sense of calm: I’ve seen a lot of sunsets in my life, but nothing quite like watching it with three Burmese boys in longyis, on a boat, with beers in hand. Sometimes the things that you don’t plan on doing, is what ends up surprising you the most, and turns out to be the most memorable thing you do. Starting the day, I knew I was going to be floating in the air looking over Bagan, and its beauty. I did not expect to end the day floating again, on water, looking across the horizon, admiring Bagan again, and its beauty. I look at BurBoy and he looks back at me lovingly, smiling, looking back at me with those beautiful eyes. I did not have to say anything to him, but he knew I was giving thanks to him for making this trip special. He sits beside me and gives me a playful elbow in the chest, unable to be closer to me, still mindful of Kaung and the driver who may not be comfortable with displays of affection, whoever was doing it. But he did put an arm around me briefly, squeezing me and then pulling away. I squeeze his shoulder with my hand, as my way to acknowledge the gesture. As the sun was setting I ask Kaung how long we should be out here. Kaung said it was up to us really. We could be here to the night. I ask BurBoy what we should do. BurBoy said it was getting cold with the sun slowly disappearing, and it was best to head back now. That is what we do. On the way back we pass by a temple, and Kaung tells me we do get to see our 10th temple anyway: Temple #10: Bupaya This was a popular spot to watch the sunset from. I see that the temple was super crowded with tourists. We were supposed to watch the sunset this way, but I was glad that we didn’t and chose to do it on the boat instead: Kaung was very proud of himself, because he was able to give me the 10 temples that I wanted at the start of the tour. I congratulated him for a job well done. It was a tour for the ages, and Kaung, while young and inexperienced, made up for it with enthusiasm and smarts. As we get off the boat and get driven back to the hotel, we talk about tomorrow. I confirmed with Kaung that I will need him and the driver all day tomorrow for more touring, as discussed earlier. Kaung asks me if we needed to use the car tonight to go to dinner or whatever. It was available for us all night as well. I look at BurBoy and then tell him that we are tired from being up at 4:30 AM this morning, so we were just going to have dinner at the hotel. We get dropped off and agree on meeting up at 9 AM tomorrow to get picked up for our next tour. BurBoy and I pick up the key from reception and get to the room dead tired. I ask BurBoy if he wanted dinner (he says YES empatically), but he said he was super tired so he wouldn’t mind if we had an early night. We shower together, get dressed and get some food at the restaurant. We get the same curries we loved the night before, and also some more Myanmar Beer. That beer was heaven sent. We finish and head back to the room. We take off all our clothes, check our phones for a bit, and then turn off the lights and cuddle all night. This was an amazing day. All because of this guy I had in my arms. Tomorrow, I go to Mandalay!

Day 6.75: Touring Temples with Boys: Bagan Edition Part 2 Temple #5: That Byin Nyu Kaung tells us that we are heading to the tallest Temple in the Bagan zone next, the That Byin Nyu Temple. A 12th century structure, it had the same semi-symmetrical structure like the huge Ananda Temple: It was the façade that impressed BurBoy and I, so we took the time to get group photos with all three of us, BurBoy and I, and solo, to send friends and family. Like Ananda, the white/grey color of the temple stands out from the other traditional yellow/brown color of the rest of the temples. Because of the reent earthquake, most of the temple was closed except for a few places. We go into one of the entrances: And find some Buddhas and tributes. BurBoy, being fairly devout, gave tribute and did his worship. I stood aside and observed BurBoy’s process that seemed so important to him: After visiting 5 temples, it was time to eat again believe it or not. It was almost 2 PM and Kaung asks if we were hungry. I said I was getting there, BurBoy exclaimed “Yes!” so there was no question we were about to take a break to eat. Kaung asks me what I wanted. BurBoy interjects, in Burmese, and after some exchange, Kaung says we will be going to a “Burmese Buffet” where they will serve a variety of food for us to sample. BurBoy knew I needed authenticity for food, and he knew what to ask Kaung. We go to the Golden Myanmar Restaurant, which up front did not look like anything special, except there was a lot of big long tables and chairs, and the restaurant was 2/3s full, even if it was late lunch. It ranks #82 out of 107 restaurants reviewed for Bagan, so not god reviews (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g317112-d2100849-Reviews-Golden_Myanmar-Bagan_Mandalay_Region.html), but it was recommended by Kaung so not second guessing the choice. Kaung at the edge of the photo: We get sat down and was asked what drinks we wanted. They did not serve alcohol, which concerned Kaung and BurBoy a little bit, because BurBoy wanted me to have my beer. I assured them that I was alright without beer. We got waters instead. Kaung then told me there was an opportunity to get beer later. More on that later. Kaung asked me if I wanted him to stay for lunch or should he join the driver for lunch by themselves. I tell him of course and to share in the food and tell the driver to join us. Kaung said the driver is given a lunch allowance and will not be joining us. Since I was paying for the car, the lunch for the driver was part of what I pay for, so no need to pay twice. We get served food right away. It came in by the truckload: Lots of choices here. At least 5 kinds of curry, a fried fish, some fresh and stir fried vegatables, some garnish like fish paste and pickled stuff. Everything was so flavorful and delicious. And as always, BurBoy would serve me the food, telling me what it was and how it was cooked, and me trying it and saying it was delicious. And it was truly delicious. Since it was a buffet, we can ask for more portions for the flat price. I loved the pork curry and the fish so I had seconds and thirds. The hungry boys had fourths. I pay up, it was 13,000 kyat or so (less than $10) so it was super cheap, super authentic, and super satisfying. This was my kind of lunch. Temple #6: Dhammayangi Of all the temples we have discovered this day, we spent the most time at the Dhammayangi Temple. Maybe it was the extra energy we got from the lunch, but me and BurBoy were up for some walkies y’all. Kaung tells us we go from the tallest temple, to the widest one: The walk inside was pretty nice. It was 10 degrees cooler inside than it is outside. Our bare feet took a break from walking on hot stone onto a cooler and smoother temple floor. Walking inside was almost like walking in a cave, with cracks of light from the outside, piercing through the interior, which was still, thankfully, unspoiled by connected electricity and technology: The buddhas inside, existing through the centuries, were quiet witnesses to the hundres/thousands/millions of people that visited its home. They were always there, guarding the place, always in a state of bliss and calm: BurBoy pays tribute to some of the Buddhas. I felt lucky to see him do this everytime. Kaung explains again to us about the restoration efforts being done on the walls that were painted over through the years. He shows some of the efforts in this temple. It exposed some gorgeous murals that were unnecessarily painted over by ugly white paint: We head outside and there was some vendors selling traditional souvenirs, showcasing the proud arts and crafts heritage of the country. I buy a few trinkets, curated by BurBoy, of course: As we head out to the exit, our feet once again feel the hot ground and dirt on our feet: Temple #7: Manuha The Manuha Temple is one of the must-sees in the Bagan Zone. It was one of the oldest surviving ones (11th century), and named after the king who built it: And it was a contrast to Dhammayangi. We walked barefoot on marble floors instead of cold cobblestones. Here is BurBoy and Kaung, barefoot and in their colorful longyis: Nice big buddhas inside, including this 90 foot reclining Buddha, with the Burmese face: Lots of other religious imagery inside. It was more developed and had more of an infrastructure surrounding it that the other isolated temples. Temple #8: Sulamani This was one of the temples that was severly affected by the earthquake. We could not go in but we could see it from the distance, and take photos: Temple #9: Mahabodhi The Mahabodhi was also a must-see, as this 13th century temple was built to look like the actual Mahabodhi temple in India, which was one of the four holy sites where Buddha attained enlightenment: This temple was very photogenic, as the exterior had very intricate stone carvings, and it had about 450 buddhas in them: Lots of photos taken in this temple. And when BurBoy decided to adjust his longyi by hiking his shirt up to reveal his abs, I had to take a photo. It was commonplace for the men to adjust their longyi every so often. Kaung also did it, although more modestly of course. After visiting 9 temples I felt that my feet were able to withstand the elements walking barefoot on rock, dirt, stone and marble. I felt an extra level of accomplishment being able to tour like this. While in other tours around the world you can use your eyes to see, your hands to touch, and your tongue to taste, I feel that being able to go barefoot and get the chance to feel the ground below you just added to the experience. There is nothing like feeling the earth under your feet, feeling the temples crumbling before you with every sharp pebble you step on, and experiencing it as how the locals choose to feel their home: bare, raw, real. My first world soles exposed to third world rawness was the one thing that made the whole experience extra special. And it was just about to get even better, as we wrap up the tour.

Yes they do not fly when it is too hot, windy or wet. My understanding is they only fly between October and April. I've also seen online that you can get a slight discount when booked through travel agents but you have to pay cash. Also, in low tourist volume months like October, November and March and April, they are known to give the slight discounts as well. As you can see, both BurBoy and I love to eat, constantly and a lot. He doesn't put on any weight, and seem to keep his abs intact even after two weeks of eating with me. I am not as fortunate and have to work on it when not on vacation. But yes, I am glad I am not skinny anymore, but sometimes wish my body handled food better like when I was in my early 20s. Thanks guys. Its nice for me to relive the moments when I wrote them, and then relive them again when I post them. Alas, there is not enough sex in this report, so I hope it is fine. Thanks vinapu! Same to you and to everyone else here!

Day 6.5: Touring Temples with Boys: Bagan Edition Part 1 Also could be titled: Who knew I would love Buddhist temples so much? My September trip to Angkor Wat was a joy. It was a treat to see this world famous temple for the first time. But it was also sensory overload, with having too many things happening at the same time. Sareth did his best in focusing the tour for me so I can learn a lot about the ancient temple. But bringing three Jomtien boys with me gave the tour a little bit of chaos. Their boy energy sometimes enhanced the tour, and sometimes muddied the waters a bit. This time it was different. BurBoy had an abundance of boy energy, sure, probably even more than those three flighty boys combined. But he was also very interested in knowing about his heritage through visiting these temples. He came from a place of curiosity, and reverence, and this gave the tour a deeper meaning for me as well. He wanted to know more about his country, and therefore I wanted to know more about it as well. After not knowing anything about Myanmar just a few short weeks ago, I am now chock full of knowledge. I’ll try to describe the temples we visited, and will try not to make the descriptions too dry. I have a million photos that I took of these beautiful temples, and I am very proud of them. I am showing some highlights, but trust that I have taken so much more. Temple #1: Shwezigon Pagoda BurBoy tells me that one of the things that distinguishes Burmese language from Thai was the existence of the shw- and z- sounds. I do hear it sometimes on Myanmar TV. And Shwezigon Pagoda is our first stop. Built in the 12th century by a monarch of the Pagan dynasty (and where Bagan got its name). Its not as opulent as its more audacious brother, the Shwedagon, but it was one of the musts in Bagan: We take off our slippers before we get in the compound. This would be a recurring thing for me with all the temples: walking barefoot when going in these religious sites. Kaung informs me that I came at a bad time. The gilded stupa was being re-gilded currently, so the structure was covered for the renovation: This photo shows that the gold was getting stripped a bit from this lion, so they had a ways to go to re-gild everything: The pagoda was the center of the complex, but the real sights to see were the temples surrounding the pagoda: We pass by some of them and Kaung tells me that since Myanmar consisted of individual states with their own cultures and languages, this pagoda complex had a little bit of everything that represented a lot of the country. Also, there were some contributions by the Chinese and the Japanese, who have greatly contributed to the upkeep and modernization of the pagoda complex. Some highlights. One temple had representations of the life of the Buddha, here he is as a prince on horseback: The intricate tiling in one of the temples built by the British, as well as the gorgeous ceiling: An old pagoda umbrella turned into a spinning “wishing well” of sorts: The umbrella was on a rotating table, and inside were individual containers you can try to throw your money in. If your money goes in one of the containers, you will get your wish according to the fortune corresponding to the container. Pictured are for “May you meet with those who love you” and “May you be well and happy”: There was a farang trying his luck on the love thing. BurBoy got his wish on being rich and prosperous. Temple #2: Htiliminlo Temple Pronounced tee-loh-meh-loh, this was a 13th century temple named after the monarch who built it. This king was one of the last monarchs who got to build these grand temples. This shot was taken actually at a neighboring temple, showing the top being repaired from the beating it got from the recent earthquake: Inside, the temple had very many places for worship, and had many Buddha statues where devotees took the time to pay respects. Two of large buddhas is shown here. It had an interesting face common with Burmese buddhas: Kaung tells me that most of the walls here were painted with white paint over the years, covering some of the painted murals. This was part of the restoration effort to expose the painted over murals: Nearby there was a smaller temple that was part of the Htilomilo complex. We had to walk on grass and dirt so because we were barefoot, the temple had complementary slippers for everyone to use to cross over the grass and dirt to get to this smaller temple. The entrance was low, and we had to crouch to get into it. Inside there were kids asking for donations from tourists. They did not ask BurBoy and Kaung for money, but they looked at me and did a double take and did not know what to do with me. Pictured is Kaung heading down one of the stairs, lighted with candles because it was dark inside, in the smaller temple, and a kid asking for money: On top of the smaller temple was a view to other nearby temples: There's 2000+ of these temples. Impossible to visit them all in one day. “Temple” #3: Tharabha Gate I wanted to see one of the oldest structures in the Bagan archeological site, so Kaung suggested going to Tharabha Gate. The 9th century gate was one of twelve original gates for the walls that enclosed the original Bagan, and predated most of the construction of most of the other temples. Most of what is left has been reconstructed recently: It was a quick drive in, and we quickly moved on from there. Temple #4: Ananda Temple One of the more interesting temples of the trip, Ananda was high on my list. It had tremendous Indian influences, and was symmetrical. Inside, a lot of locals and tourists visiting: Inside where four very tall standing Buddhas, and one of each was facing North, South, East and West. The wonderful thing about them was that they were made of solid teak wood, as Kaung invited me to knock on one of them to make sure they were wood. Here is Konagamana, the East facing one: As we head away from Konagama we get greeted by a few Burmese people: Outside, we admire the impressive architecture of the temple, as we walked barefoot through the grounds. Lots of photos with BurBoy, of the structure: We walk around the grounds, and see that there is a lot of restoration being done still: Kaung finds a camera left by a tourist. He looks for the administrator of the temple and it takes a while for him to find him so he can turn over the camera. BurBoy and I wait by the shops in the temple: Kaung finally turns the camera over to the administrator. He said that of all the things a tourist may lose during a tour, the camera probably would be the most devastating loss of all. All the tangible memories of the tour lost with the loss of the camera. So it was important for him to see that the camera is returned. A few hours later he gets a call from the administrator saying that the Japanese owner of the camera was overjoyed that they got their camera back, and wanted to give Kaung a reward. He said he turned it down and he was just glad the owner claimed the camera. So more, with my good boys, next…

I forgot to add, a good website to start: http://www.guestfriendlyhotel.com/guest-friendly-hotel-bangkok/ http://www.guestfriendlyhotel.com/guest-friendly-hotel-pattaya/ Very exhaustive list and website asks hotels on their respective policies.

Hotel - Crowne Plaza Lumpini Park City - Bangkok Visitors Allowed - Yes Joiner Fee - No Security - No ID asked, security at ground floor where concierge is and 23rd floor where reception is, never get asked by security after many stays; have taken two boys at one time with no problems Extras - When breakfast included in stay, one boy can join with breakfast; only key card needed to access pool and gym so boy can use also Hotel - Holiday Inn Express Sathorn City - Bangkok Visitors Allowed - Yes Joiner Fee - No Security - ID asked by security at front entrance Extras - Breakfast included with stay, boy welcome Bonus: Hotel - AirBNB condo stays City - Bangkok/Pattaya Visitors Allowed - Yes Joiner Fee - No Security - Security in condo entrance or parking gate, not asked ID because treated like resident Extras - boy can use the condo facilities within reason (gym, pool, laundry), need to be respectful of residents in building: not a hotel

Day 6.25: Eating Our Way Through Bagan It was only 8:30 AM by the time we get back to the hotel. We have planned a full-day tour today of the Bagan temples, which we scheduled at 10:30 AM because we didn’t know how long the balloon ride experience will take. At the room we compare photos and sent it to social media and our loved ones. We were super psyched about it and were still on a high from the great experience. Its not everyday you get to ride on a hot air balloon. The breads and champagne were not enough for two hungry boys this morning. We head over to the Acacia Shade Restaurant for the breakfast buffet included in our stay. I didn’t spare any details, I wanted the buffet to be big and full of variety, more for BurBoy than myself. He likes buffets, and the combination of Asian and Western choices. He loves the Crowne Plaza breakfast buffet, if ever we could wake up early enough to enjoy it. I’ve read good things about the food so was looking forward to this. We get to the buffet around 9:45 AM, and the place was almost empty, perhaps because tours start before 8AM: We choose a table right next to the Irrawady river. Nice views, and nice breeze going on: We head over to the buffet and help ourselves. Some nice selection of western meats like bacon, sausage and ham. There was an omelet station and they will make your egg any way you like. They had Asian options like curries, rice and congee. And nice selection of juices that were actually superior to most of the Thai buffets I’ve tried. The coffee was nice and strong, and there was enough selection of breads to satisfy BurBoy. We enjoyed food together like we enjoyed sex together. We return to the room to prepare for the tour. BurBoy decides to wear his longyi in the tour, so he took off his shorts and wore his nice longyi. I ask if I should do the same. He told me that he feels that I am not comfortable with wearing one yet, so I should wear my shorts, but he will bring my longyi just in case I needed it. He takes our power banks and sunscreen and puts everything in his little bag. We get a call in our hotel phone and we get a call from our tour guide for the day, Kaung from SiamRoads: At 19, he is the youngest of all the tour guides of Siam Roads. When I was planning the tour to Myanmar, I was eager to get Kaung for the Bagan leg, after my success with Ya in Bangkok and Sareth in Siem Reap. Both were gay friendly (and gay themselves), and I had no problem bringing my boy companions with me when on tour with them. It added the extra dimension I needed that I may not find with just the normal tours. I felt that Kaung will be the same, and his rates were fine with me. I asked Ya for Kaung’s contacts and immediately got introduced to Kaung through phone messenger. I told Kaung what I looked for and what dates. He answered in good English and had plenty of suggestions on how the tour would go. Later in my conversations with him, I added a short Mandalay leg as well, and he was able to secure the arrangements for that. And since BurBoy was an equal partner in the tour, I had him talk to Kaung separately. He reported back that he thought Kaung would be a good choice for us, and BurBoy told Kaung that we were boyfriends so there were no surprises. Everything was set. We head over to the lobby reception to meet Kaung. Kaung was talking to the receptionists when we met him. He was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and a longyi and slippers. He looked professional and appropriate for the country at the same time. He greeted me with a handshake, and asked how was our balloon ride. I sung its praises to Kaung and showed him a video that I took. He smiled and then identified some of the temples we were flying over in the video. He knew his temples for sure. He then turns his attention to BurBoy, first talking in English, and then shifting to Burmese, where they were more comfortable speaking anyway. He then escorts both of us to the car we were using for the day. Our driver was a tall young guy who was chewing some betel nut. He shook both our hands and revealed his red teeth. There were three Burmese boys in my car for a full-day tour of ancient temples. This was my kind of tour. Kaung asked me the night before to see if I can come up with a list of temples I wanted to visit. Since I did not know my temples, I just went online and looked at the most popular ones. I chose the ones that looked good in photos. I showed Kaung my list and he wrote it all down in his notebook. He told me that they were good and popular choices, and the 10 I chose he said were all doable to go to in one day. In his notepad, he ordered the temples by location to each other and talked it over with the driver. They came up with a full-day itinerary right there, choosing temples by their distance and closeness to one another. He then showed me the list (it was written in Burmese), but he read the list to me and BurBoy. Kaung asked me if I bought a ticket for the temples yet. I said I haven’t yet. Kaung then produces this ticket. He says in his last tour the customer forgot to take his ticket. He said we can just use it for today if get asked for it, and later on the way we will buy one: It was 25,000 kyat, so I wasn’t worried about paying for it. I would probably be OK with just using this ticket, but really wanted to pay for it because I was a visitor and wanted to contribute to the development of this area. BurBoy then talked to Kaung and driver for a bit. They get into an animated discussion while we drive away from the hotel. You can see the driver and BurBoy wearing their longyis: They get into an agreement as we get on the main road. BurBoy then tells me he wanted to show me a traditional store on the way, and for me to try a traditional palm sugar juice and some snacks. You want to eat again? I ask him. He laughed and said yes, he just wanted me to try it, since Kaung said one was on the way to our first temple. We arrive at our roadside snack break: It was a compound of huts with benches and tables in them. There were a few customers but we got led to an empty hut with seats: BurBoy and I sit down. Kaung sits beside BurBoy. I tell Kaung to get the driver to sit with us. Kaung shouts to the driver and the driver shouts back. Kaung said the driver was shy. I laugh and say OK. We get served this clay pot and glasses: BurBoy pours me a glass and it looked like it was water coming from dirty pipes, or if you lived in Flint, Michigan: BurBoy explains to me what it was. It was palm sugar juice, or Jaggery juice, made of course from palm sap. This is what jaggery looks like: And this is how jaggery is made, which is boiling palm syrup: Kaung and BurBoy told me stories on how they drank this as kids. I took one sip and it was sweet but not overly so. I downed my whole glass and Kaung quickly refills it. We get served a little snack, some corned lamb: BurBoy and I just ate, but we eat this fairly quickly. I was eager to try the local and authentic stuff, and BurBoy was exposing me a to lot of it. We inspect the grounds a little bit. Before we leave I take a photo of the name of the place. It wasn’t in English so I felt this was a local favorite, and not a tourist trap. I ask BurBoy the name of the place, and said “Hatn Ayr”. So with our bellies filled with sugar juice, we head over to our first temple. Next, Shwe Zigon Pagoda, and nine others…

Yes trolling is not my style . Thanks for introducing the word "trawl" to me. It may be more appropriate. Haha I did not think about that. Believe it or not I wore Small in my twink days. Time is no friend to the metabolism, as I discover that while BurBoy eats what he wants and still manages to retain his six pack abs, mine disappears as soon as I even think about food. Sad fact of life, but as you point out, I am still luckier than most. Tawan boys Phet, Boy and Soda all wear mediums. Tong, my long time off and driver last June, wears XL because of his massive chest and biceps, but he has six pack abs, something my medium-sized torso does not have (at least after this holiday, trying to get it back, its so hard). On my day back, my boss asked all of us in the department what was the coolest thing we did over the holidays. I showed them my balloon photos and hands down I won that challenge. BurBoy and I still talk about it to this day, and BurBoy has shared his photos and stories with his family and friends. He had to lie about it to his family though, saying that he only paid 200 baht for it. They know he can't afford the $380, and he didn't want them to ask any more questions about how he was able to afford that. And what a difference from 2001, with only one balloon, and being able to book it the day before. Right now they can't keep up with the demand, at least in high season. I believe you can get it cheaper in off-season months. Thanks guys. If I can inspire anyone to take the plunge and discover avenues previously unexplored, then I have done my duty. I fucking hate platitudes, but really: don't be a passive bystander in your own life. Stop doing what's comfortable, and start challenging yourself. A life changing event that I can't talk about here, happened some years ago for me, and that was the kick in the pants I needed to stop worrying about what is perceived to be acceptable, and just live my own life. And not the way I think it should be, but with an open mind and just going with the flow. I've never been happier.

Day 6.0: Up in the Air After my September trip I knew that I was going to go to Myanmar, but I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do there. I had a vague idea what was there. It couldn’t be that different from Thailand right? Temples, good food, and great people. Can’t be too worried about details in September. But by mid-November when I actually had the time to sit down and plan my trip, I had to hash out the specifics. I did my research, trolled for information online, both on GT (including z909’s great thread) with my own crowdsourcing thread, and general advice online, and found a few things I was interested in. By mid-November, I put in “Bagan” in Google and found the usual TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet entries about the area. But shifting to the Image search yielded very intriguing photos of hot-air balloons floating on top of ancient temples. That looked fucking cool. I dig deeper and find out there were three hot air balloon companies that fly the Bagan temple hot air balloons. I try to book reservations for the dates I thought I was going to be in the area. I try “Balloons Over Bagan” first and they have a booking system in their website. They are all booked up solid in the holiday dates in December and January. I then try “Golden Eagle Ballooning” and they were booked up solid too. I go to “Oriental Ballooning” last and see that they do not have an online booking service. Was I just shit out of luck? I try the proactive approach. I Facebook Message all three, asking if they had spots available for the date range I thought I was going to be there. I even put in dates that coincided with the White Party. While parties are nice, hot air balloon rides are just hands-down way cooler. The companies reply to my message right away. Points to them for being professional and on point. Balloons and Golden Eagle were all booked up through second week of January. Oriental Ballooning, however, had two spots available in their premium balloon for December 29. I pounce on it, tell them that I will take both spots. They email me a link to pay for it online. I put in my Visa and it went through without a hitch. I got a confirmation email 24 hours later, confirming my spot. With this confirmed, I build my vacation around it, plan Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. Its nice to have an anchor event to base your vacation on. It wasn’t cheap. It cost me $380 a person for the tickets. But again, with my motto: life is too short, I didn’t even think twice about it. This is one of those “bucket list” events that you just cant pass up when it is presented to you. Economics worked out on my end, and when it was time to pay my credit card bill last month, I didn’t even think about it. I am blessed to be able to do these sorts of things and not worry about the future. Having a BF that pays half the bills, mortgage etc surely helps a lot. So here we are, alarm wakes us up at the butt crack of (before) dawn, at 4:30 AM. BurBoy springs into action, gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom to pee. I boil some water and make coffee that was free with the room. I hear the shower turn on and I knew I needed to join in the showering. It was a quick soap down, all business, but BurBoy was excited and was a chatterbox. It was as exciting for him to do the balloon ride as it was for me. This was gonna be fun. While toweling dry and in between sips of coffee, BurBoy surprises me with something. He takes two white t-shirts, neatly folded in a plastic bag, and presents both to me. Both medium sizes, and had the word “Mandalay” in them, and one had a photo of Mandalay Palace, the other of U Bein bridge. He probably bought them during his stay in Mandalay. He points to the shirts and says “For you. Take one please.” I thank him and pick the palace one. He wears the other. He planned us to be wearing matching shirts on our tour today. How sweet. And its great that we wear the same size shirts. We get to the front of the hotel lobby at exactly 5:20 AM. I called Oriental Ballooning yesterday to confirm our pick up today. They asked me for my hotel and room number and kept my cellphone number in case they needed to call me. There were three other guests waiting with us at this hour. After 10 minutes an empty van drives in the compound. The person in the passenger seat gets off and calls two names, mine and BurBoy’s. We head over the van and confirm it was us. We get in and sit on the front row. The others who were waiting asked the Oriental Ballooning guy something. I guess they were waiting on other ballooning vans. We drive through the dark roads of Bagan and we pick up a party of four at the Bagan River View Hotel. And then we all are driven for about 15 minutes as we make our way to the balloon launch site. We get there and there was a small breakfast spread waiting for us. We get seated with another couple and we get asked what kind of drinks we wanted. We both wanted coffee. We get our coffee and our breads and pastries as well: While we wait, the baskets get prepped, which was cool to watch: After 15 minutes, and making small talk with the nice European couple in our table (with BurBoy able to talk as well), we get our safety orientation. The pilots for every balloon flying with Oriental was there. They rattled of names of the riders assigned to them, and then after that they go through the standard safety information while riding. Pretty straightforward, and they walked through the whole process from blowing up the balloons, to where to sit, how to brace yourself when taking off, what to look for while in mid-air, and then how to brace for landing: After the safety orientation, we were advised to go to the toilets for some last minute relief, while the balloons are prepped. After taking photos, BurBoy and I head over to the port-a-potties but saw there was a line. BurBoy disappears into the bushes and pees there. After he was done, he points to the bushes and says “Pee pee here OK.” I do what I am told. We get back to the launch site and see that we were well on our way: There were 12 total people on our basket, plus the pilot. It was a smaller basket, and everyone had a “window” seat. The other companies had cheaper options for a balloon with a bigger basket, with 20 or more riders, but not every spot was a window seat. I take this one last photo, which was a cool shot of all three companies ready to take off. Balloons over Bagan have the maroon ballons, and Golden Eagle had the yellow ones. We were in the green ones: We of course get a shit ton of photos taken. We haven’t even taken off yet. We get one last one together when we were just off the ground. And then we were off. It was exhilarating slowly float up like that. We take our first photos just off the ground: And we catch our first glimpses of what we came for to see, the temples: As we get to 1000 ft, we catch up with the sun, rising on the far horizon: We see more temples, and the mighty Irrawady River: There was not bad place to be in this smaller basket balloon. We were spinning slowly as we were in the air, so you eventually get to see what everyone sees in the basket. And while the temples were the main attraction, it is really the combination of the temples, the vegetation and rivers of Bagan, and the 19 balloons that were up and running that morning, that completes the experience: Our pilot, Richard, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He knew a lot about the history of the place, the names of the temples, and trivia about hot-air balloons. Our party was very inquisitive, and Richard was game to answer all questions. He said he was English, and does this almost year-round. He spends 6 months here in Myanmar, flying balloons, over the first and last months of the year, and spends the other half in Africa, also flying balloons. That was the life. After 45 minutes of floating, we start our descent. We fly over a small town, mostly supporting the agricultural industry: We get our warnings of bracing ourselves to land, and landed without incident. As we wait to disembark, the “umbrella” of the balloon up above was lifted up, to let the hot air out the balloon: We get directed to the champagne tables, where will we toast to the successful flight and to get our certificates. We sit down on the stools as the other riders gather around. When everyone was there, there was champagne and some fruit to share with everyone. The pilots gather and toast to our success: Richard distributes our certificates, each one bearing our name. It was a nice souvenir to keep for a very memorable day. I took a lot of photos but only managed these two for my boy series. Boywatching #4: It was truly a remarkable couple of hours for us. BurBoy was excited and happy and smiling the whole time. I got a ton of photos to share back home. And of course, it was a unique way to see the temples in one go without having to visit them one-by-one. I’d say it was worth the money to do this. And it was a good introduction to the actual temple visits later today. Temples, and boys, and more temples, next.

This is the million dollar question isn't it? And it is one that I am struggling with almost daily. I certainly do not want to end it with BurBoy just yet, not just because I am looking forward to seeing him this April, but because I have grown fond of him too. It is unfair to him that I do not just end it right now so he can move on. There was no commitment made, only the one I make whenever I am in Bangkok to visit. Right now my fondness of him is stronger than my desire to butterfly, despite my struggles (see next posts), and he is enough (more than enough) reason for me to visit Thailand. Such a reversal from what my initial reasons of going to Thailand were. I have thought about the many ways this could end. I can wait for him to grow impatient with me and move on. If he gets into money trouble, he will need to become a money boy and that would be the end of it, because I do not give him any money. Or one day I could grow some balls and actually end it, but right now I don't want to. I have toyed with the idea of introducing him to my BF. I know my BF will have to think about the idea of having a third in our lives, but knowing him, he will ultimately have no problems with it. Its hard to understand our relationship dynamic but it is one that allows this kind of behavior on my part. The short answer is yes, I have thought about it, a lot. The difference between my BF and BurBoy is simple. My BF is the the type of boy you should date. The one you bring home to mom (literally), buy a house together, and have a shared sense of responsibility and stable future you always dream about having when you were young. My BurBoy is the type of boy you want to date. The passion, the intensity and the joy that you wish you had, is all right there in one person who loves you. BurBoy is all about the present, the right now, the mindfulness that is baked into his Buddhist upbringing. The BF is all about stability, retirement savings, the future, one you can build a whole life on, The American ideal. Its a struggle. Or maybe I am just going through some early form of mid-life crisis, and its playing out right in front of you.

Day 5.7: Modern Comforts in an Ancient City Bagan, our home for two nights, welcomed us like Siem Reap did me just 3 months before. With Siem Reap, after driving almost the whole length of the country, passing by non-descript rural towns and vegetation, the ancient city creeps up on us, not announcing its arrival, and the buildings and structures are scattered along the main road. At least Siem Reap had some developed nightlife that can fill the hours you are not temple hopping. Bagan is more subdued, quiet, and wholesome, and more conducive to focusing on the ancient delights than modern forms of entertainment. As we get into more modern parts of Nyaung U, one of the three towns that support the Bagan temple tourist zone, we hunt for a Money Changer. The taxi ride was 90,000 kyat ($66), and I only had about 40,000 kyat left from my last money exchange in Yangon Airport. I had BurBoy call the hotel to see if they can change money. When BurBoy hangs up he said they couldn’t. It is after the fact that I discover that hotels are not allowed to change money anymore. Since it was after 5 PM when we get to town, the moneychangers have closed for the day. So it was up to ATMs at this point. We try one that we spot at the side of the road, but my Charles Schwab ATM, and my Bank of America ATM, didn’t work. Driving from Nyaung U, to the next town, Old Bagan, where our hotel was, to New Bagan, the third town in the Bagan temple zone, we see a KBZ Bank ATM. I remember that BurBoy and I bought an Air KBZ flight from Bagan to Yangon, so KBZ was a known entity. I try it and it worked. I was able to get a few hundred thousand kyats that I thought would see me through the next few days. I had the taxi to pay for, some pocket money for tips and souvenirs, and some kyats to pay Kaung, our Siam Roads guide, for the next two to three days. With cash in hand, our car makes it way back to Old Bagan. I count 90,000 kyats from my giant wad of bills, and then I ask BurBoy if I should add more money for a tip. BurBoy shook his head. The boy knows best of course. As we drive past the various properties in New Bagan to Old Bagan, I notice that there weren’t any conventional high-rise hotels in the area. Most of the hotels are bungalow-type duplexes or compounds that gave it a more community feel than more impersonal high-rises and uniform-looking rooms. The driver heads over to one of these hotel compounds and goes into the driveway, but it was the wrong hotel. BurBoy speaks to them in Burmese and they pull out of the driveway from this hotel to find our correct one. We head into another driveway and there it was, the Bagan Thande Hotel. It was one of the top 10 hotels in the Bagan area, on TripAdvisor. The cute son gets out of the car and takes our luggage out of the back compartment, and went straight to the hotel registration lobby to set the bags there. BurBoy gives the driver dad the money and off they went to go back to Mandalay. BurBoy then tells me they told him that the son tagged along so the dad won’t fall asleep when driving back at night. When I was researching on which hotel to stay at around the Bagan area, I had a few criteria. I wanted a) a hotel in Old Bagan by the Irrawady River, so that we will be close/walkable to some of the temples, b) a good breakfast buffet so we don’t have to look for options in town in the morning, and c) their restaurant is known to serve alcohol. Culture, food and booze are the three things that were important to BurBoy and I, at least in Myanmar. With the reviews mostly favorable, I booked two nights in Agoda at $110 a night. Check-in was pretty efficient; with the receptionists speaking excellent English and BurBoy did not have to rescue me language-wise. I gave them my passport; BurBoy gave them his Myanmar ID. The reservation was not prepaid so I had a choice of paying cash (in kyats) or credit card. They accepted my Visa no problem. We were given a key with a gigantic wooden block as a keychain. We were shown then in a handy map set on the reception platform where our room was in the compound. It was one of the Superior Bungalows. Some stock photos of one of the bungalows: The interior of one of the bungalows, with a queen bed: We get to our room and of course we were given a room with two single beds. Two males sharing a room meant separate beds, I guess. We quickly solved the problem and joined the two beds into one giant bed: BurBoy was in great spirits, flitting around the room and singing a pop tune. He takes me by the hand and tries to dance with me around the room, and then some horseplay after, of course. One thing about “dating” a boy with an inner fire that burns bright and hot, and a very cheery and positive disposition outside, is that it is difficult not to get swept up in his whirling dervish of energy. It is infectious, and attractive, and just downright adorable. BurBoy announces that we will shower. There was no question we were doing it together. He likes to shower with a friend. I pretend to not want to and he pleads by pulling me to the bathroom. He then tries to take off my clothes and successfully disrobes me on my way to the bathroom. He is a strong boy. Just the way I like it. The bathroom was one of those shower/toilet/sink combos that while large and spacious, was not quite as modern as one would want. The whole bathroom was tiled and had drains on the floor. We shower together, no sex, just the desire to be fresh and clean from the long drive, and to get ready for dinner. Since the hotel was a little bit out of the way from the restaurants around the towns, one may need a taxi (or horse drawn carriage, which were in abundance) to get dinner. Fortunately, our dinner choice was made for us tonight. We were given a dinner voucher for two that included a soup and salad, a meal with rice, and a small desert. We put on clothes (matching t-shirts and shorts) and head out to get dinner. We walk through the compound and there were still Christmas lights in the grounds (it was still December 28 tonight): The free dinner was at the Acacia Shade Restaurant, which was and outdoor restaurant with (of course) a large acacia tree in the middle for shade, and with tables around it: The restaurant was by the Irrawaddy River, but at night we can barely see it. We get sat down by one of the staff and the restaurant was almost full: BurBoy immediately orders our default alcohol of choice for Myanmar (we cannot get enough of this really): I show our waiter our free dinner voucher so we get the special menu with some choices for the free dinner. So we get a vegetable option (we chose a stir-fry one and a morning glory with beef one), a curry option (we choose one chicken and one pork), a soup (we both get a legume one), and some default pudding dessert. Our main dishes: We devour our meal. It tasted really good and it was a good idea for us to get different things because of course we shared everything family style. BurBoy feeds me, careful to have me sample everything that was on offer. We gulp down our beer as well, and enjoy this lovely night. It was the perfect temperature (75 Fahrenheit or 24 Celsius) and with the arid desert climate of this part of Myanmar, we enjoyed the *relative* lower humidity tonight. The entertainment at the restaurant added to the already outstanding night. There was a girl singing traditional Burmese songs. BurBoy translates for me in between bites: And the famous Burmese marionette puppetry, or Yoke thé, was also performed. It is pretty intricate, using 18 or 19 wires to control movement of the puppet, and only performed by one puppeteer. A photo of the male puppet, and then the female puppet, performing songs and dancing: It was pretty impressive to see this. I guess this is a big thing here because Miss Myanmar won the National Costume Competition at the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant, by wearing a Yoke thé marionette puppet costume, complete with strings and stage as well. She says the whole thing weighed 40 kg: YouTube video of Miss Myanmar wearing the costume, in motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv8Lkgomg9I I’ve been impressed with the arts and crafts on display here in Myanmar, and my admiration continues with the puppetry as well. We finish our main course and asked for the bill to pay for the beer. The waiters rush to give us our desserts. We forgot that we had the last course, but it was too small to be memorable: We get the bill and we pay up for the beers. As great as the night was, we have to retire early tonight. We have to be up at 4:30 AM tomorrow to make our 5:20 AM pick-up time for our first adventure tomorrow. Hint: we get up to 1000 feet in the air, all with just hot air. Sky’s the limit, next.

Wise words quoted here. Everyone has their own experiences and no need to second guess or berate any member that has a differing opinion than you do. It is interesting that my bar experiences have been different from what I've read in this thread, but that does not mean it won't happen to me down the road, or it did not happen just because I can't imagine it happening. Again, different experience from what I've seen, though I have never been to Cupidol. I've found that mamasans/captains are a good thing to have in your back pocket if you are looking for a boy. Any questions I have about what the boy can or can't do, their temperament in and out of bed etc, these guys have been there for me. I've actually befriended ones in Dream Boy BKK and Boyzboyzboyz in PTY. The one in BBB has actually lets boys he thinks would be compatible sit with me without any drink for the boy, just for a test drive. If I don't like them, no payment is made. If the boy stays long with me I tip him 100 baht for his time, since he could not be with other customers. Of course I tip the mamasan 100 baht every night whenever he does something for me. If spending $3 in a bar a night means I will maximize my chances to land the perfect boy, its a small price to pay. I get someone who talks to me too and keeps me company once in a while, while I look for a boy. When I am back home I don't even think twice about buying $5 coffees everyday, so why would $3 bother me at a bar? But again, some of you may think I am a high roller, only a short-time tourist, and too liberal with my money. But it is my money, and if I think it is warranted I will dole it out with no hesitation. Do you have a formula for this firecat69? Does one have to have x number of years and y number of posts before you can acknowledge their opinions? How does my 317 posts and 13 month membership rank? Asking for a friend (really).

Day 5.4: I’m on my way to Mandalay, and I’ll be gone to Bagan For those of you haven’t read my previous trip report, I just had a successful little trip to Cambodia. I visited two cities, Phnom Penh, the busy Khmer capital, and Siem Reap, the beautiful cultural destination. This Myanmar trip mirrors that one somehow. If Phnom Penh is to Yangon, both capitals at one point in their existnace, and the largest city in their country, then Siem Reap is to Bagan, with its complex of temples and small town vibe. But where does that leave Mandalay? That’s where Myanmar gets lucky. Mandalay is also once a capital, and the second largest city in the country. With its once capital status, it benefits from the infrastructure, culture, and commerce that a former capital usually enjoyed. As a result, it is has one of the two international airports in Myanmar (sorry Bagan – though there are plans to change that). It is more Phnom Penh that it is Siem Reap though, so it has big Asian city problems (traffic, poor people moving in, commericialization). Naypyidaw, the new capital of Myanmar, is another story, and one I an eager to get to know in a future trip. (I'm thinking Mandalay is like Ayutthaya, both once capitals, but ironically Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century. Which makes Ayutthaya more like Bagan or Amarapura. Something to think about.) When choosing an international airport to fly to from Bangkok, Mandalay was the closest one to Bagan, even if it was a 3.5-hour drive from the airport to Bagan. I tried to get a plane ride for us from Mandalay to Bagan, but couldn’t find one in the timeframe we required, so I had BurBoy find us a taxi in Mandalay while he was staying there for two nights. I offered to give him money for food and taxis while he was in Mandalay, but he declined and said I already paid for the hotel stay so no need to spend more money. While I was getting my jollies off in Bangkok, BurBoy was enjoying staying in Mandalay. He found a gym in town, so he was able to get some workouts during his stay. He was able to walk around the city, and he sent me photos of his exploration. He knew with my schedule that I might not be able to tour Mandalay as much as Yangon, so he made sure he was able to show me what I was missing. He sent me photos of the Mandalay Royal Palace, once home to two Kings, destroyed by the Japanese, and rebuilt by the Burmese: He also went up to Mandalay Hill (elevation at the top at 735 ft) and took some nice photos of the awesome views of the city down below: Too bad I wont be able to see these for myself, but BurBoy was kind enough to share his visit to me. So my Bangkok Airways flight was 45 minutes late, so I Line BurBoy right away so he does not wait too long. He says that the taxi will come at 12:30 PM to pick him up but he will try to call them to see if they can come a little bit later. I go to the Bangkok Airways lounge and OD again on iced coffee. I read up on Bagan and temples. I am so unprepared for the tour but I do my best reading about the area. We finally get on our flight. The plane was almost full, which was a good sign that tourists are flocking to the country. The Bangkok Airways flights are blending together now. Same gross meal. Same old aircraft. And same decent service. This flight was a little bit longer than the one to Yangon, however, so the flight attendants did not have to rush to clean up after us. I change my SIM card in my travel cellphone from my Thai SIM to my Myanmar Telenor SIM. We descend upon Mandalay soon and land without incident. When we land I turn on my phone and immediately Line BurBoy to tell him I was there. I get a lot of angry emojis, and ask me why I was late. I take a photo of the ongoing disembarkation of the passengers so he knew I was on my way: I forward some “forgive me” emojis and ask for forgiveness. He was joking of course, he was just giving me a hard time. I try my best to zip through everyone through immigration, customs and baggage claim. I look at my passport and notice that the entry stamp for Yangon looks different from the Mandalay one. Weird. I finally get out to the arrivals lobby and I immediately see BurBoy, in his tight t-shirt, with a killer tan and the biggest smile in the world. He gives me a terse hug. “Hurry na!” he tells me. He was rushing because he did not want the taxi driver to wait one second longer. A tall, young and lanky Burmese guy with bleached blonde hair hiding under a baseball cap, and super skinny jeans, runs up to us and takes my luggage. “Is he our driver?” I ask BurBoy. “No. Him son.” was his answer. I thought for a minute that he hired a cute young driver for me to stare at with lust on the hours we were on the road. Well, I can still stare at him, so I guess he did do me a solid. Parking was close to the exit, ad we walk to a 5-door hatchback looking crossover car/SUV thing as our taxi, with a kindly middle-aged man in a longyi waiting for us by the side of the car. The son opens the back and puts my luggage in, which joined BurBoy’s own luggage already there. We both get in the back, with me strategically sitting behind the driver in the right-hand drive car, so I can be diagonal staring distance to the son. One has to think about these things. We speed away at around 2:10 PM. After 10 minutes we get out of view from the major infrastructure that dotted the outskirts of the airport. I check my google maps and see that the drive time to our hotel in Bagan was 3 hours and 15 minutes: I discreetly try to take a photo of the driver's son. As you can see, I was not too successful with being discreet: Hour One: BurBoy was a chatterbox, telling me about his two days. He showed me photos of his hotel room (spartan but liveable), his breakfast (very basic but edible), his gym (nice facilties and modern), and the streets of Mandalay (wide and modern and buildings are tall-ish). I could not show him my photos of course. ShanBoy in his underwear. MuscleBoy in his tight t-shirt with muscles bursting. Tao and his bare butt. He would probably kill me right there, in the backseat, if he saw this. The road to Bagan is very non-descript and not interesting. Sometimes you would see the occasional pagoda: But really it would look like this, just a nicely maintained highway with railings and some growth over yonder: Hour Two: BurBoy takes out a small yellow packet from his pocket and gives it to me. I wasn’t sure what it was really: I open it and it was a small green leaf with something inside it. I open it up and see this: BurBoy explains it to me. It was called “gyam yar” or “kwun ya” in Burmese, and upon further research, it is more commonly called “Paan” (Hindi). It is betel nut leaf with some areca nut and possibly some tobacco. Reading on it more, I find out that it is carcinogenic and may cause oral or throat cancer. I’ve never had anyone I love give me something that caused cancer before. Such a sweet and deadly gift. As an aside, these are internet photos of Burmese guys who chew this things addictively: He encourages me to eat it whole and chew. I do, and it tasted sweet and minty. I down it no problem. There are worse things in life you can do than eating a known carcinogen (maybe). Besides, it was only one time and I am sure I won’t eat this ever again. It was one of those things that you do in the moment, to experience the present, and just be mindful of what is happening now. BurBoy had that effect on me. I don’t have to worry about the future with him. I don’t have to think about boyfriends, or America or my job. What only counted was right now. That was really the gift all along. Hour Three: We are both quiet, alone in our thoughts. The sun was slowly setting in the horizon as we progress to Bagan. The son in the front was quiet as well, looking at the sights. What was he thinking? What did he think of BurBoy and I? I Line BurBoy, joking that I will ask the son to stay with us at the hotel. BurBoy Lines me back, asking if I thought the son was gay. I type on Line that I don’t know, but the blonde hair and trendy jeans might be a sign. BurBoy Lines that it doesn’t matter. He wants me all alone tonight after being away. So the son may be gay or straight, it didn't matter. So next, the night in Bagan...

Day 5.0: The Art of the Airport Goodbye After two wild nights in Bangkok, it was time for me to go back to Myanmar. This is a roundabout way to do a holiday, my going back and forth between Thailand and Myanmar. Some of the more efficient travelers among you might ask me: can’t I just stay the whole time in Myanmar, going from Yangon, to Bagan, and to Mandalay, and then go through my Gentleman’s Intermssion? It would definitely save me some time, money, and hassle going to and from airports! If I did it the smart way, I would only have 3 flights (to Yangon, Bagan, and Bangkok) instead of four (to Yangon, Bangkok, Mandalay, and back to Bangkok), and save one cab ride to Bangkok. But then I will have BurBoy with me. I simply cannot have a proper Gentleman’s intermission with BurBoy in the same city with me. He would insist on tagging along to the bars. He would get jealous at the boys. It wouldn’t be as fun. I would be more free if I was alone anyway. So this actually worked out, even if the next flight was one that could’ve skipped if I chose the smart route. I told ShanBoy the night before that I had a flight today, so as the alarm wakes us up very early, he knew what it was for. It was only 5 and half hours of sleep for me, but I never really get much sleep when catching a flight the next day. We both wake up and cuddle for a little bit, and then I tell ShanBoy I was super hungry. All that activity last night just drained me, so I needed to eat. I didn’t want to spend too much time on breakfast, since I was paranoid to be late for my flight. And there was only one place I go for a quick meal. The stuff of nightmares: McDonald’s, while unapologetically consumeristic, devoid of character, and with uninspiring food choices, is admittedly the reliable choice if you find yourself anywhere in the world. Whether I am in bumfuck Nevada, one-horse-town Texas, an industrial park in small town England, or stuck in a long layover in Haneda Airport, the Big Mac and French fries combo is the same anywhere you go. And sometimes it is nice to sample the specialty dishes that are unique to the country you go to. Fried chicken and rice? You’re in Manila. Fish and chips? You’re in London. Loving that Shrimp Burger? You’re in Tokyo. There are two McDonalds of equal walking distance from the condo. I choose the McDonalds on Silom a block from Soi 3. The morning air was cool, and the sidewalks were just coming alive with people walking to work: Before walking in McDonalds I ask ShanBoy if my choice is good for him. He gives me two thumbs up. We walk in and choose from the menu at the top of the cashier. I get the Big Breakfast with (of course) iced coffee. ShanBoy order and Chicken and Cheese burger sandwich. Our total was a cheap 223 baht ($6.50): My soulless but tasty big breakfast. The hash browns here were noticeably fluffier that back home. But no cheese? Sad face: The McDonalds was playing some Swing Music as we try to talk. I tell ShanBoy the same thing I told MuscleBoy the night before. With the help of google translate, I tell him I am going to the White Party, and may need his company in a few days. He is OK with this of course. I do feel that MuscleBoy may be better company to that party. His English was way better, the outer aesthetics more attractive to me and the hundreds of other gay asian boys in the premises, and holding on to all that muscle would be a plus. Still, ShanBoy has his own charms, and I would probably have a sweeter time with him, and maybe even have a more fun time. So who do I pick for the party? Same age. Same line of work. Muscle vs. Twink. Fair vs Brown. Thai vs. Myanmar. We shall see. As we head back to the condo, I take a few photos of the tributes to the recently deceased, and very revered former King. They were everywhere, and it was evident that the people continue to love him: Before heading to Thailand, I was a little bit concerned about the entertainment being toned down, as part of the mourning period. Two months after his death, everything seemed back to normal. The gogo boys, the gogo shows, the alcohol, the loud music, were more or less still there. We turn the corner at Soi 3 and see a line to one of the food vendors in the street: There was a lot of black in that photo. Obviously there were still a lot of mourners paying their respects. It did not affect my two nights here at the least. I expect to have a normal White Party in a few days. We get back to the condo unit and I tell him that I will take a quick shower to be fresh for the flight. He tells me he will join me in the shower, of course. We do our soap downs. He offers to soap up my back. He does a good job. I start soaping up his body. It feels nice to the touch. Pretty soon my hands are all over his body, feeling every inch of him. I stroke his cock and see it grow. I soap up his butt and put a test finger slowly in. He shrieks and I take it out. We both laugh. Bangkok never really quits. We towel dry and continue on the bed. We make out for a bit, and then I lay him on the bed, put his legs up in the air, and dry hump him. I continue to make out with him. And then I lay right next to him, and we chuck-wow while kissing. We both cum. Another short soap down follows. I hurriedly pack, though there wasn’t a lot to pack anyway. I Line the condo unit owner and tell him I was leaving and will be leaving the key cards in the mailbox like previously agreed on. It was 9:15 AM and it was time to get a cab. ShanBoy surprises me and says that he will go with me to the airport. I ask him if he he was sure. It was a long way back to Bangkok. He says “I OK” and then winked and smiled at me. So charming. He takes the lead and looks for a cab. He tells me that we should head over to Silom Rd to be able to catch a taxi, instead of looking for a cab in the less busy Soi 3. We get to the corner and he hails one. He tells the driver our destination. The driver agrees and he helps us with putting my luggage in the trunk. We pile in the back and we drive off. Pretty efficient, no haggling of fares, and the driver uses the meter no problem. Since it was awkward to use google translate in a cab, most of our journey to the airport was silent. He does take my hand and puts it in his lap. He squeezes it once in a while. The first toll booth comes and the driver tells us something in Thai. ShanBoy tells me “50 baht.” No sweat. We get to the second toll booth and he says “25 baht.” Pretty soon we roll into Suvarnabhumi. I look for the Bangkok Airways sign and we get off. The whole fare was 320 baht. I give the driver 340 baht and we get off on the curb. ShanBoy takes my big luggage from the trunk and pulls it with him. We head over to the Bangkok Airways counter and I check-in for my flight. I don’t check-in any luggage. My flight to Mandalay was at 12 PM so I had about 2 hours to spare. I decide to accompany him to the basement level so that he can go back to Bangkok via the Airport Rail Link. This is sounding like the very first post of this thread: “Day 16: Boy Loses Boy.” I do lose a boy today too, but it wasn’t as sad as Day 16 was. This was only Day 5, and I was in the middle of my holiday. Mandalay still lay ahead of me, filled with promise, and BurBoy, waiting for me. I feel a little bit bad for leaving ShanBoy, but I had another boy waiting for me at the end of this plane ride, so it was bittersweet. We get to the basement level and we sit down for a moment. I take out my phone and tell him about my plans for the next few days. I will be going to Mandalay, and then to Bagan, to visit some temples. I tell him I will be riding in one of those Balloon rides over Bagan, showing him some photos. He was pretty impressed by the balloons and the temple views. I tell him a little bit more about the rest of the trip, and the cities I planned on visiting. This inspired him to show me photos on his phone. Some of his hometown, some of his house and his parents, and some of the temples and buddhas that were close to his house. This was a great primer for the second part of my Myanmar trip. Its crazy to think that I found ShanBoy in Bangkok, making my two-night stay more like being in Myanmar than Thailand. It’s like I never left that place, plane ride notwithstanding. And ShanBoy was very sweet. Sweet in bed, sweet for going all the way here at the airport, and sweet for sharing with me his Myanmar life, if not in so many words, at least in his actions. In any other Bangkok holiday, I would be offing him multiple nights. If there was not a BurBoy, ShanBoy would have been my companion in Myanmar. I look at my watch and it was 10:45 AM. It was time for me to go through immigration and wait at my gate. I take out my wallet and count some money. I give ShanBoy 3000 baht for my long time with him, including his wait time in X-Size. I then peel off 200 baht from my wallet and tell him “for train.” He smiles and accepts gratefully. He hugs me and then kisses me on the lips. Are Myanmar boys not afraid to show affection in public, at least in Thailand? This one really knew the art of the airport goodbye. I watched him use some coins to get his token. He then uses the token to get through the turnstile. He waves goodbye to me before disappearing at the turn. There were no tears in this goodbye. My heart was not filled with sorrow, at least this time. Instead it was full of hope and excitement for the coming flight ahead. I will be back again with BurBoy. The thought of this made me really happy for some reason. I will know that reason soon. Next up, BurBoy, and Mandalay…

Haha, patience my pretties! Anyway you got the whole story anyway, even if it took two more posts. I have to end the posts somehow, the day was just so long. I hope it was worth the wait. Thanks hunkster for the complement. Unfortunately he made me promise to not distribute the photos under any circumstance, otherwise he would not have agreed to it. The best thing to do is when you are back in Bangkok , make your own memories! Thanks Vessey. You write very erotic prose yourself , so that's a huge complement coming from you. This reminds me of that country song "It's Five O'clock Somewhere". Your mileage may vary, as usual, but yes it is very possible, and makes me regret to have neglected that bar all this time. I use Aviary, an app on my iPhone. I believe it is a free app. I capture the screenshots in my MacBook and then send it to my phone to edit. You use your finger to use the blur tool to blur the faces, and there are three different blur dot sizes. I edit all my photos on my phone now. Its just too tedious to do it on a computer, at least for the quick and mindless edits I do for this trip report: Haha @ sexy. I wish! I am under no illusions that these paid boys are turned on by me. Thanks tho. I love the feedback guys. Its great motivation to continue posting .

Day 4.75: Some Muscle, Some Twink He asks if it was going to be short time or long time tonight. I felt this was a good sign, that he was amenable to staying longer if I needed him to. BUT as much as I wanted to try long time with him, I regrettably say “short time.” I am not going to back out on ShanBoy. I didn’t want to. There were just too many wonderful boys in the world. I have got to draw a line at some point. I ask him to shower, and I will do the same after him. He slowly undresses in front of me. I got to see his magnificent body again, this time fully naked. That cock looked promising, surprisingly thick and uncut and swinging on its way to the bathroom. He emerges in a towel, his magnificent muscular chest exposed. I go in next and treated myself to a nice hot shower. I also emerge in a towel, and I see him already in bed under the covers, playing with his phone. I take of my towel and I join him in bed. He leaves the bed and goes back in the bathroom. I hear water turn on and off. He gets back in the bedroom and immediately gets down to business by lying on top of my and licking my nipples. I just enjoy the gorgeousness of the boy that was making a considerable try to give me a good time. I let him please me, and to see how far he goes. He licks my nipples and then graduates to my neck. I enjoy his closeness and being able to smell him up close. He graduates to my face, and starts to kiss me. Not deep, just little bites, but it was satisfying to see that he was willing to do it. He comes up for air and smiles widely. “You OK?” I smile and say emphatically “Yes!” He asks what I wanted to do next. I tell him to sit on my groin, and pose for me. Someone who spends some time to get those muscles needs to be admired. He smiles and then sits and flexes. Man those arms are really big. I pull him forward to fondle them. This puts him close proximity to me. I tell him to hold me and just be close to me. I explore a lot. I was not in a hurry. This boy needs to be savored and not consumed in one gulp. After exploration, it was time to get to know him more. I tell him to lie back on the bed so I can explore better. He does what I say, and I see IT clearly for the first time. His cock was surprisingly very very thick, and lots of foreskin. I try to put it in my mouth and pretty soon I knew it just wasn’t going be easy. And it really was not going to fit in my ass either. As it grew bigger it was harder for me to suck it. I did try though, because it felt good and it looked even better. I stroke it for a little bit and peel back the foreskin and admire it for a while. I inch up to his abs and kiss them. I inch up further and kiss his nice nipples and perfectly formed pecs. I inch up again and kiss him lightly. I did not mind he did not kiss deeply. I did not mind I could not fuck him. I look up to him and he smiles widely. “You OK?” he asks again. I kiss him and say yes. I look at him and then it dawned on me that if I was going to try it, it’s now or never. I ask him to fuck me. He doesn’t hesitate. He gets up and gets a condom and lube packet from his pants. He puts it on while standing and starts to lay me down the bed. I tell him he should lie down and I will sit on it. It’s the best chance I can get through his girth. I put liberal amounts of lube on his hard cock, and some more inside me. And then I start. I start putting it in, very very very gently. I start with the head. Man it’s too thick for me. I stop and then start sliding it in again. It was painful. I was sweating. I smile through the pain. He sees this and starts tweaking my nipples, stroking my hips, making moaning sounds. I appreciate that he stays hard and patient though all this. His touches help. I slide it in some more. I see his face, patient, looking at me, trying to will himself inside me, not moving an inch and letting me guide both of us through this. And looking at him worked. I was all in. It was not painful anymore. I soak in his girth, his pride, his hardness. I started thrusting, up and down his cock. He puts his hands on my waist, to balance me, to help me, to encourage me. I got comfortable enough to then ask him to give it to me. He does, slowly, tentatively, then more sure and rhythmic. I see his abs tense up with every thrust. I get comfortable. He gets more confident. I pull it out to lie on my chest, and he enters me and lays on top of me. He fucks me some more. This was nice. It was just OK actually. I like feeling his body on top of me, but bottoming itself was not my thing. After a few more minutes, I tell him “Chuck wow na,” signaling that him topping me was over. I lie on my back and tell him to sit on my groin again, and then he starts. The sight of his Adonis-like body, his arm flexing with every stroke of his cock, and his facial expression, was a treat for me. I tell him to sit on my chest, so I can see his nice cock closer. He strokes some more. Finally he says he about to cum. I put his cock in my mouth. He bursts inside, thrusting it deeper while he does it. I feel the hot cum fill my mouth. I take it all. It was great. While he was still in my mouth I chuck wow myself till I came. Intense. He gets off me and asks, for the last time “You OK?” I say YES, oh yes. I say he can shower. He says we can shower together. So we do. Not a sensual soap own. We just really needed the shower. And it was my last chance to see his magnificent body nakedone more time. It really was something else. And when wet was even better looking. We towel dry and put back on clothes. My ass was sore a bit, but it’s not the end of the world. While he puts on his shoes I count some money. I give his 2500 baht. He Wais in thanks. I ask him if he gets offed every day. He says not usually, but this high season was pretty good. I ask him what he was doing New Year’s Eve. He says nothing, probably still in the bar. I tell him the truth, that my boyfriend was coming to Bangkok on Dec. 31 to join me at the White Party. There was a chance he will be late or may not make it that night (BurBoy said he is not sure what time he gets in from his bus ride from Myanmar going to Bangkok. He says if he arrived too late in the night he will just stay with his parents and let me go to the party). MuscleBoy asks me what the White Party was. So I show him photos. He says he can be available for it if he needed me. I tell him all the boys will be jealous if I had him with me. He was the perfect ideal of a boy who would go to the White Party. Young, muscular, handsome, and milky white skin. We exchange Line so that I can let him know if I needed him. Before he puts away his phone he remembers something. He gets back on his Line and scrolls for a contact. He finds what he was looking for and shows it to me. It was in Thai, but it was obvious that it was a list of dates from Dec 24 to Jan 1, with prices next to the dates. I see 1000 next to Dec 24, 25, Dec 31 and Jan 1, and 500 on the other dates. He tells me these were the off fees for Jupiter for the holiday week. I tell him wow, 1000 baht to take you out on New Year’s Eve. He says sorry. I say it’s ok. I believe he was worth it. We hug it out. Small kiss in the lips too. And then it was time to go. I ask him for a quick photo, clothed, for my memory. He poses, I take the photo. Very handsome. We walk to the elevators. I bid goodbye at the lobby. That was fun. I go back on Line and message ShanBoy. Where are you, I ask. After 5 minutes he replies. He was still at the bar and will go back to the condo at 1 AM. It was 12:30 AM now. I ask why 1 AM? He says that the bar will charge him 700 baht if he leaves early. And he will get his nightly tip from the owner if he stays and cleans up. I say it was fine and tell him to Line me when he is leaving X-Size. I tidy up my sex den in the meantime. I still need to keep up appearances even if it was my room and my vacation. I eat some snacks because all that sex made me hungry. Pretty soon ShanBoy lines me that he is walking to the condo. 10 minutes later I get a Line call. He was at the lobby. I put on slippers and do another check on the room and myself to see if there were any traces of MuscleBoy anywhere. I meet him at the lobby and ask him if he wanted something to eat. He said there was some food in the bar and he ate some of that. When we get to the room, he puts his bag down and hugs me deeply. I hug him back. I was his again, for the meantime. The pros and cons of getting straight boys versus gay boys: sometimes you need the one, sometimes you need the other. I needed both tonight, it seems, and feel lucky that I can do this in this magical place called Thailand. He says he will shower now. I tell him I just did and to go ahead. After 5 minutes he was done, towel around his waist. Now what can I do with a gorgeous boy just wearing a towel? I have some ideas. Still fully clothed, I pick him up and carry him to the bed. I take off his towel and stroke his cock. I eat his delicious ass, and stroking his cock till it is hard. I tell him to chuck wow while I eat him out. He does his best. Pretty soon he is about to cum. I quickly put it in my mouth and swallow him whole. My second one tonight. I’m a greedy pig. I wash my mouth and brush my teeth and gargle with mouthwash. I set the alarm for 7AM. I take off my clothes and turn off the lights. I cuddle with the boy. I get to be big spoon. I was little spoon earlier. I dream about butterflies.

Good point . We forget sometimes the corruption that happens in the background when we are in other countries (at least I do, I am so oblivious to a lot of things). Like I said, it is part of the cost of doing business, and since prostitution is illegal in Thailand, I feel that it is part of the cost of the enterprise. If and when they do crack down on these brothels, I hope that don't come for the escorts online next, like rentboy.com here in the US. And its everywhere. Whenever I leave Manila I have to pay that $12.50 "terminal fee" that I know does not go to their shitty airport, and probably goes to their very deadly "war on drugs". Whenever I fly to Mexico the $20 "tourist card fee" is baked into every ticket, and Mexico has the most corrupt government in the developed world (how else would El Chapo have been successful evading capture all that time?). And not to mention 16% of the federal tax dollars that I pay every paycheck here in the US funds our giant military industrial complex (guns, missiles, instruments of destruction). I pay for all sorts of things that I do not agree with. The paltry portion of my 400 baht going to a corrupt policeman, or greedy landlord in Bangkok seems peanuts in comparison to those other things. Then again I don't think about those things, unless I want myself to go insane.

Great report so far ggobkk . Looks like you had more fun than I did in the bars. Waiting for more!