Bangkok/Phnom Penh/Siem Reap Trip Report: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

[paulsf]

So...Hot boy told me he would only top that night and I said I needed a bit more. At least he was honest. I went back the next night and he saw me walk in and came right over. He sat with me and we had a drink. He asked if I wanted to take him with me . I said I did, but I wanted more than just a top. Actually I didn't want the top part at all. I'm not that demanding at this point in my life, but I want a little fun if I take a boy. Turns out he hadn't been feeling well for a couple of days and was topping only.

I went back a week later, but he was visiting family and I was heading back to the US. I'll be back next weekend and see if he is still around.

[numazu]

Day 11: A Burmese Goodbye

 

“What do you want to do?” I ask him. “Nothing na,” he exclaims. “Why nothing? It’s only 1 AM,” I was wondering. “You fly away tomorrow na. Cannot be many drink tonight. We need sleep many.” “But it’s my last night. I want to enjoy my last night in Bangkok.” He looks at me intently, “You come here many. Many last night I think. Now you need sleep many.” “Are you sure? We can go to G.O.D. and dance till 5 AM.” “I no want. I want hug you and sleep na.”

 

I’m sure with many customer and boy relationships, when it comes to decisions, money wins, and, for the most part, the customer is always right. With BurBoy, I wasn’t always right, because I wasn’t a customer. I was his boyfriend, at least I have been for the past 6 days. And like a concerned boyfriend, he was worried about my flight tomorrow. He thinks I need to be well rested to survive the flight. He knows I am a light sleeper, having spent many nights with me. He knows how exhausted I seemed when he sees me just coming from my flight from Farang Land™ because of jet lag. And he knows I have to work the very next day I get home. So as with any boyfriend who is sending his darling off to a trans-pacific flight, he wants me to have as much rest as possible.

 

It was a Monday night, and the streets are not as busy as it was this past weekend. We walk slowly back to Crowne Plaza. The air smelled like it was about to rain. We go to our almost required visit to the 7-11 on Rama IV close to the hotel and got some snacks and drinks. For all the last nights in Thailand I have witnessed these past 11 trips, this one doesn’t seem at all sad for some reason.

 

“You come Thailand December? You want come see me?” “Yes, I want to see you. I think I want to go to Myanmar with you.” “Yes, I will go Myanmar October. Maybe work, I no sure.” “If I go visit you in Myanmar will you not work?” “Yes no work no problem. I want see you. We can be boyfriend again.” We get back to the hotel and take off our clothes and lounge in our underwear and get comfortable. We sit on the bed and open up the modest snacks and drinks that we love sharing with each other. It’s always the little things.

 

He then tells me about Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. About the thousands of temples that litter the landscape, about the cities that are still mostly rural but growing more urban by the minute, and about the ever changing definition of government and democracy. He shows me YouTube videos of Aung San Suu Kyii, and what she meant to him and to his country. He shows me news articles of the Karen conflict, and the constant spectre of internal strife looming on the region. He shows me his favorite movie stars, tv shows, and his favorite singing contest (Myanmar Idol? I can’t remember).

 

For a guy who has lived in Thailand more years than he has in his own native land, he still has a deep connection with Myanmar. I can see it in his eyes. The passion, the longing, and the desire to live in that country again. Seeing this made me realize that I really want to see Myanmar through his eyes, and feel that it is one of those things that you cant really pass up if it was offered to you. Wheels start turning in my head. Whatever happens, I will be back in December, with him, in Myanmar.

 

It was close to 3 by the time we decide to call it a night. I didn’t get the rest BurBoy wanted me to get anyway, but talking to him about Myanmar was sure a better way to spend the rest of the night. We don’t shower, as sex didn’t seem to be in the menu tonight. And that was fine by me.

 

The alarm was set at 8AM. I reluctantly get up to pee, and get back to bed to see BurBoy, unwilling to wake up:

 

 

I give him a big kiss and a hug and let him sleep while I pack. I make some coffee with the instant stuff and the electric water kettle that came with the room. While packing I see BurBoy waking up. He gets up to pee and he packs as well. “Shower na?” he asks. I finish what I was doing and we do our ritual shower together. Some horseplay was involved, as usual with us, but nothing overly sexual happened.

 

We get dressed for breakfast, which was just next door at the Crowne Plaza lounge, which came complimentary with the room. Usually I pay 600 baht for lounge access but this trip it was just given to me. We head over to the lounge and see that there were only two other people in the lounge, with the breakfast buffet:

 

 

We sit close to the buffet and a very cute waiter goes to us and asks for our room number. I give it to him and we get asked for our drink orders. I ask for a coffee and orange juice and BurBoy asks for a coffee and a glass of warm milk. We head over to the buffet and help ourselves. The buffet here at the lounge wasn’t as extensive as the main buffet on the 23^rd floor, but it was enough. There were some western meats, cheeses, breads, some Asian options like congee and sushi, and an omelet station.

 

I ask BurBoy about his plans for the next few weeks. He tells me he will spend some time with his parents in Bangkok before deciding on going back to Myanmar. He will try to get some decent job in Myanmar, with some help from relatives and friends, and with some seed money from his months with his generous farang, he can most likely get a motorbike and some rent money for a few months, or he can live with an Aunt who lived close to Yangon. And since his hometown was close to Yangon, it was natural for him to go try to give Yangon a shot first.

 

I can feel the excitement in his voice. He is looking forward to his new future. He was making OK money working at a restaurant in Bangkok, but he feels that he needed Myanmar to be his future. He is sad to leave his family in Bangkok, so he has a reason to come back if Myanmar doesn’t pan out.

 

I ask him how long he will be in Bangkok. He says probably 2 or 3 weeks. He wants to stay with his parents for a while, after being away from them living with his former farang for months and months. I ask him if he was OK with money. He said he was fine. To pass the time he said he was probably going to try to hit the gym because there was a mall close to his parents place. I ask him how much was the fee. He said it was 1600 baht a month.

 

I wanted to know the baht amount because I was trying to come up with an excuse to give him a little bit of money. I haven’t given him huge sums before, usually just enough for taxi ride back to his room, or pay him back for some of the money he spent during our time together. I wanted to give him something, without it making it seem like a customer-boy thing. I worry about these things.

 

We get back to the room and we finish packing. When we do we sit down on the bed and try to say our formal goodbyes. I reach in my wallet and give him 2000 baht. “For gym and taxi.” He refuses, says I have paid enough this trip. I insisted “I want you to have many six-pack when I see you in Myanmar in December.” He laughs, and tells me he just liked me because he had a six-pack. “I no like you, I love you.” I kiss him and I put the 2000 baht in his pocket. He relents. He hugs me and he promises that he will see me in Yangon, if I decide to go.

 

He takes my roller bag and his backpack and proceeds to the door. I take my own backpack and do a final check around the room. We head over to the elevator and get to the 23^rd floor. I check out (0 baht, paid with points) and ask the counter to get me a taxi to Suvarnabhumi. We take the elevator to the ground level and my taxi was already waiting for me.

 

BurBoy was not the “say goodbye at the airport” kind of guy. Maybe he hated airports as much as I did. At the curb he puts my luggage in the open trunk of the taxi, and then turns to me to hug me and kiss me. No shame, no regard for anyone there, as usual for him. “Line me many ok.” I nod. I get in the taxi. The concierge tells the driver to go to Suvarnabhumi. I look back to BurBoy and I see him standing there, smiling, waiting for us to drive away. I wave one hand up to say goodbye. The taxi speeds away onto Rama IV. And just like that, Burboy was gone.

 

As the taxi speeds through Bangkok’s ever busy roadways, I take stock of what has happened in the past 10 days. In the face of change and disruption I was able to be true to myself and got a good mix of butterfly and the boyfriend experience that I both crave. But more than that, my time with Cambodia Boy and BurBoy has taught me something. It's a lesson I learn every time I go here. I may have spent some money on those boys, but I feel that I always end up at the better side of the bargain every single time. They have shared with me very intimate parts of themselves, both their bodies and their souls. And the love, oh the love, there was a lot of it, and all of it was good. You can’t really put a price on that.

 

I get to my airline counter and get through immigration with minimal problems thanks to an upgrade. I get to my gate and wait to board. I check my phone and see some messages from Burboy. I got the usual love and cutesy emojis, but now with a photo of him with his mom, all smiles. I will miss him for sure, and my love for him has changed to something deeper and more sincere this trip. I know I will be back soon enough.

 

Without missing a beat, I then text my boyfriend, telling him I am coming home. No matter the amount of hijinks that has happened this trip, no matter how intense or how life changing it seemed to be, I will always come home to him. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[vinapu]

Thank you for all your hard work to put those reports together for us and I guess for yourself as well.

 

It was great time I had following your adventures and I'm sure I can speak the same for many.

 

We can wait patiently for next installment in a month or two , this time from Burma  

[ggobkk]

Thank you.

[Phet]

I will miss you much, Numazu.  Take care.

[Alexx]

That was another epic series of trip reports that was well worth the time spent reading. And I'm sure writing them took much more time, thanks a lot!

 

I, too, am looking forward to your Burma report, numazu, I'm sure you will have an amazing time there. I'm not that sure that BurBoy will find what he's hoping to find returning to Burma, but I guess time will tell.

[harsz]

I am new here and came across this post and I really thank numazu for the detailed writeup which is educational with a lot of useful information. I am making my first trip to Siem Reap and Bangkok soon next week and i find the information extremely useful. This trip was mainly to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams of seeing Angkor temples and also Ayutthaya.  Reading some of these makes me want to make another trip to enjoy some boys !!!!

[Guest Jason105]

With so much going on here in the US, it was a welcome relief to read about your adventures.

Once again, your keen insights into the human condition and your great storytelling make your reports extra special.

Reading your adventures makes me long for the time when I can plan my next trip to LOS.

Hopefully, the heart connections you made will tide you over until December.

Thanks for all the work of preparing, editing and posting....greatly appreciated.

All the best

[Guest 2guys]

Can't wait for your December reports....

Thanks for these very nice and extensive reports, it's always a joy to read them.

[numazu]

Day 12 to 30: Giving Thanks

 

 

I am writing this “Epilogue” on the day after American Thanksgiving, or the dreaded “Black Friday”. These day two days are one of the busiest holidays in the American holiday calendar, sometimes busier than Christmas and New Year’s, in both travel and commerce. It's an interesting holiday of dichotomies: there’s a lot of gratitude and sentiment going around as we give thanks for all our blessings and loved ones, but there is also a lot of crass consumerism as well, as the average American spreads their blessings around to buy their loves ones and themselves material things at bargain basement prices, after eating giant feast on Thanksgiving. Right now I am sitting in my folk’s couch, recovering from yesterday’s orgy of food, with my boyfriend still sleeping in my childhood bedroom.

 

So I want to wrap up the trip report with a post all about thanks. I write these reports for myself, for my sanity and as a creative outlet, and I was unsure at first if a trip report not solely about offing boys will be well-received. Thankfully, that turns out not to be the case, and there is room in this board for all kinds of trip reports. Still, I am not sure if my December trip will be as well-received as it probably is even more tour-heavy, with a dash of gay parties in Bangkok. We shall see.

 

Thanks #1: Cambodia Boy gets his passport

 

After I left Siem Reap, Cambodia Boy (CB) went home to Battambang Province where his family is. I’m pretty sure most of the modest sum that I gave him as a tip will end up with his family, but it is hard to say. I asked him if he gave his parents some of the money, he said only a little bit for food, but he is keeping most of it for himself to move to PP.

 

After a few days he goes to Phnom Penh to get his passport. As you may remember, there was a lot of strife associated with both his passport expiring and overstaying his visa. It was one of the few curveballs that was thrown at me this trip. I gave him $150 for him to get his passport renewal, and a few days of being in Phnom Penh he shows me this:

 

 

No fuss, no extra papers to fill because of overstaying or having no exit stamp from Thailand. Maybe I am just so used to how stringent the rules are here in America, that maybe in Thailand and Cambodia the rules can be bent a little bit with a combination of luck and bribes. CB is prone to exaggeration and hyperbole at times, but with his new passport, it seemed to me that it was a very straightforward affair. 

 

He thanks me for the time in Cambodia and for the money for the passport by video chat. He videos me in his friend’s room in PP. I see his old pals, Fit Khmer and Gorgeous Khmer, as well as Gorgeous Khmer’s boyfriend, another Khmer young guy, in the background. They all say hi and looking to like they are having fun. Fit Khmer is his usual shirtless self and looking sexy as ever. They are all piled on top of each other in this cramped room, but they were having fun. More fun than I could probably imagine.

 

Thanks #2: Dream Boy Thai Guy Gets a Day Job

 

I only saw Dream Boy Thai Guy (DTG) for a little bit this trip. But we have Lined each other constantly during and after my trip. He has had day jobs before being a Dream Boy, but has found that the money he got from tips enabled him to pay down his debts. But low season does not bring that many tips as before, so I advice him to get a day job, at least during low season, so he can still earn stable money, even it is not as much as he can get at high season.

 

I have been encouraging him to quit being a money boy and get a day job that is commensurate to his level of education. So 10 days after I am back from my trip he Lines me, telling me that he has found a decent office job with regular hours and days (Monday to Friday). He says he is starting at 15,000 baht a month, which is probably what he earns in a week of two at Dream Boy, but he gets avoid being awake in ungodly hours at night and be under the whims of a customer.

 

He thanks me for giving him the motivation to get this job, and more or less is liking it so far. He did get some snide comments from some of his nosy coworkers, when one of them found out that he was a gogo boy, so it is not without some difficulty. He is also finding it harder to do the gogo boy thing in the weekend, since hours are opposite of that of his day job, but for now it is working. We shall see.

 

Thanks #3: BurBoy Goes to the Gym

 

After I leave, BurBoy decides to spend time with his family for 2 weeks before going back to Myanmar. I suggested in the meantime that he join a gym to help pass the time while staying with them. I gave him a little bit of money to do so. He has used the gym in his former farang’s condo building for the months he stayed with him, and the body I spent time with has showed his hard work at the gym. The abs, the pecs, the powerful legs and ass added to his charm.

 

So now he doesn’t have a gym, but I thought he could join one of the more upscale gyms in the mall close to where his parents live. My motives were selfish of course, as I wanted him to maintain his amazing physique in time for our Myanmar retreat. But he also likes working out, and sometimes does it for two hours or more when he can. The day after I come back I receive this photo:

 

 

He paid the 1600 baht a month to join, and I have been getting great photos of him working out soon after he joined, as a way for him giving thanks to me. After a few days he buys some protein power and asks me what this meant:

 

 

His english reading skills aren’t the best, so I had to translate in simpler terms. He told me he was doing all this for me so he can be a “strong boy” for me in Myanmar. I simply cannot wait for December to come.

 

Bonus Thanks:

 

Thank you for all your hard work to put those reports together for us and I guess for yourself as well.

That was another epic series of trip reports that was well worth the time spent reading. And I'm sure writing them took much more time, thanks a lot!

Thanks for all the work of preparing, editing and posting....greatly appreciated.

 

These don't take as much to write as probably one would imagine. The experiences speak for themselves I think, and it was easy putting them into a word document. It is a little bit of a pain to edit them of course, that's the hard part. Overall it is fun to write. Glad it is also fun to read.

 

I will miss you much, Numazu.  Take care.

 

That is very sweet. Are you my Phet from Tawan? If you are then I miss you too lol.

 

It was great time I had following your adventures and I'm sure I can speak the same for many.

I am new here and came across this post and I really thank numazu for the detailed writeup which is educational with a lot of useful information. I am making my first trip to Siem Reap and Bangkok soon next week and i find the information extremely useful. This trip was mainly to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams of seeing Angkor temples and also Ayutthaya.  Reading some of these makes me want to make another trip to enjoy some boys !!!!

With so much going on here in the US, it was a welcome relief to read about your adventures.

Once again, your keen insights into the human condition and your great storytelling make your reports extra special.

Gong forward your postings will encourage a new (or older) gaggle of guys to experience Thailand and (now) Cambodia.  Score one for good writing.  

 

I made it a point to make this trip report also fairly educational, that is why I talk about e-Visas, cellphone plans, restaurant experiences, and tourist spots etc, in addition to the boy experience. I am glad you guys make good use of the other, less sexy, information. I will do the same for Myanmar, if I do decide to write about it.

 

We can wait patiently for next installment in a month or two , this time from Burma  

I, too, am looking forward to your Burma report, numazu, I'm sure you will have an amazing time there. 

Can't wait for your December reports....
Thanks for these very nice and extensive reports, it's always a joy to read them.

 

Is there really an interest in me writing about Myanmar? I'd like to hear about what you guys have to say about this. It will be significantly low on sex and gay stuff, at least the Myanmar part of it. 

 

I hope everyone is having a good Thanksgiving, or Friday, wherever you are in the world.

[Jasper]

So sweet to read updates on CB, DTG and BurBoy. A bit like a ending of a film.

 

As long as you show us photos of Myanmar food, I am in.

[Guest 2guys]

Numazu,

Of course we are interested, well at least I am, in your stories on Myramar. Even if it contains less night activities, your reports are great all over and we get a lot of information out of it.

Myra mar sound a nice place to go, your report could only want us to go check it out ourself. Lol.

So keep on writing ya....

[Alexx]

@numazu: I'm definitely interested in your upcoming Myanmar trip. I've been a few times myself, but I haven't had much time for touristy activities. That's why I plan another visit in spring, just for fun this time, so getting some additional ideas from your report would come just at the right time for me.

[vinapu]

Is there really an interest in me writing about Myanmar? I'd like to hear about what you guys have to say about this. It will be significantly low on sex and gay stuff, at least the Myanmar part of it. 

 

Yes it is, you are underestimating us . While sex filled reports are interesting and sought after,  regular trip reports are welcomed all the same as they help many to get an idea about their next holidays in the region.

 

So write travel report and sex part will show up in it ion due course , after all you will be visiting monasteries , not settling in them.

 

When in Mandalay are make sure you take a boat up the mighty river to Mingun , small  village claiming to have world biggest bell and world biggest pile of bricks -unnfinished stupa, you will see it standing on banks in Mandalay.

 

Baloon flight over Bagan  while costly is a must , I took morning one and to this day I regret i did not take also one in the evening.

[traveller123]

Numaza thanks for your final report of your last trip.

 

It is my opinion you do yourself a major injustice, the balance you achieve in your writing is perfect, I find the balance between trip reports and your loving portrayal of your guys and their lives to be really interesting (although I do sometimes wonder if your partner in the US is tempted to read the reports and if he finds it easy to separate your holiday guys from your love at home).

 

December 2017 I have a straight friend and his wife from the UK planning to spend their second two week holiday with me and my partner in Thailand. The first time we did Bangkok, Siem Reap and a few days at my home in rural Isaan, they are not beach people and I have thought about suggesting spending time in Myanmar so I am eagerly waiting for your next series of trip reports.

 

Belated best wishes for Thanksgiving and the year ahead.

[ggobkk]

Numazu -

 

I'm in recovery mode.  A post Thanksgiving and post your reports recovery.  I'm grateful for experiencing both.  I just booked a January trip that will take me to Pattaya, then Siem Reap, before finishing up in Bangkok.  I added the Siem Reap stop after reading your report and I hope the Thai Tourist Board gives you credit.  Thanks, too, for the updates on CB, DTG, and BurBoy. Your prose made them come to life for your readers (o.k., at least for me).  

[spoon]

Went to myanmar, not really a place id go again. Granted i only go to yangon, not bagan or mandalay.

[anddy]

So sweet to read updates on CB, DTG and BurBoy. A bit like a ending of a film.

Yes it is, you are underestimating us . While sex filled reports are interesting and sought after,  regular trip reports are welcomed all the same as they help many to get an idea about their next holidays in the region.

Thanks, too, for the updates on CB, DTG, and BurBoy. Your prose made them come to life for your readers (o.k., at least for me).  

 

Wholeheartedly agree with above statements. Not only provide you reports great factual info relevant to any keen traveller, they give live info on the gay perspective you can't get just from reading gay travel websites. Yes they have spicy sex in them, but also a lot of romance which make them all the more enthralling to me. As has been said a few times elsewhere about your reports, they are like reading a good book - only better as they are real stores with your characters not only coming to life for the reader (as ggobkk correctly remarks) but being in fact alive, real people. Will be eager to get addicted to the next season of the numazu travel series (and possibly starring in it as well in a minor supporting role haha).

 

 

Went to myanmar, not really a place id go again. Granted i only go to yangon, not bagan or mandalay.

I would have to disagree with this, having visited Burma myself, although that was an incredible (almost) 11 years ago in Jan 2006, so I don't know what Yangon is like today. Back then it was still pretty sleepy and charming, so that has probably changed dramatically. However, the attractions of Mandalay, Bagan, Lake Inle, will surely be just as beautiful and fascinating as they were then. Looking forward to a fresh view on all these places from the vivid writings of numazu

[DivineMadman]

I've really enjoyed visiting Myanmar.  Highly recommend it and look forward to reading about your trip.  If you have the time Inle Lake really is a great place to relax.

 

Note that the Burmese are a fairly conservative society so when you're on your cultural tourism activities long pants rather than tourist shorts are a good and respectful idea.  Many temple complexes won't let someone in wearing shorts (same but not as extreme as BKK Grand Palace).  

 

A pre-dawn walk up Mandalay Hill to catch the sunrise can be magical, if that's your thing.

 

I found people out in the countryside very much appreciated when I wore a traditional Longyi.  Something to consider if your comfortable doing so.  

 

Laquerware and textiles can be good locally-sourced purchases.

 

Although any trip report can of course benefit from the occasional dramatic episodes, I hope you clue in your Burmese friend sooner rather than later about your boyfriend situation , , , , 

 

As always, enjoyed this report and look forward to future reports.

[Guest]

Went to myanmar, not really a place id go again. Granted i only go to yangon, not bagan or mandalay.

Bagan was really special and a is a great place to spend a few days. Riding around from temple to temple on an electric scooter in the daytime was a delight. In the evening, at least there are plenty of restaurants serving food. Hardly any massage services or anything like that though.

 

Mandalay was a more mixed bag. The sights are worth it, as was cycling around the town. There was even a few of gay massage places.

What it is missing is decent coffee shops and a choice of nice restaurants. In that respect, it's behind where Cambodia was 10 years ago.

A smart entrepreneur might try opening a coffee shop in Mandalay or massage places in Bagan.

 

I'm going to do Yangon sometime, but it's not top of my list.

[anddy]

Bagan was really special and a is a great place to spend a few days. Riding around from temple to temple on an electric scooter in the daytime was a delight.

 

OMG, what a difference! The mode of transport in Bagan in 2006 was this (my own picture):

 

[spoon]

OMG, what a difference! The mode of transport in Bagan in 2006 was this (my own picture):

 

r7_8.jpg

See, this is charming indeed, what i see in yangon were the opposite of charming, there are high builidings in patches, traffic (not really because too many car but rather very ineffienct traffic light and traffic system as well as drivers attitude, dirty roads, people crossing big highways and actually walked in the middle of the road as if its their road, spitting the red leaves they chew on the road (in malay we called it sirih). I could go on and on about the negatives, but i didnt get to experience the countryside and the tourists area like inle/mandalay/bagan which i believed will definitely counter the neg in yangon. That being said, yangon temples are beautiful. Let me rephrase, id never go back to yangon but wouldnt reject the other areas of myanmar myanmar now reminds me of ho chi minh 10 years ago. I went there not as tourist though, went to visit my relatives who worked there. Even my relatives rental house, where its really at a really high class neighbourhood, the road are narrow and needs a lot of repair.

[vinapu]

Temples of Bagan are very good for bicycling around. I still after all those years remember magnificent Ananda , Dhamayazika, Thamayangi temples and river and ruins view from Mingala Zedi

 

If  one has time, trip to Mt. Popa with it's temple on the top of mountain is a must IMNSHO, hire taxi as it is quite a distance from Bagan

[Guest]

OMG, what a difference! The mode of transport in Bagan in 2006 was this

I had already tried the horse & cart in Inwa, near Mandalay. That was sufficient experience for that mode of transport, with an unhelpful driver. For example, lying about the time of the last ferry just because he wanted to finish what was just a mid afternoon visit. And other offences. Thankfully the taxi driver who drove me around for the rest of the day was much better.

 

With the electric scooter in Bagan, I have the freedom to steer towards whatever looks interesting & can take lunch wherever I choose. It just added to the experience.

[Guest]

OMG, what a difference! The mode of transport in Bagan in 2006 was this

I had already tried the horse & cart in Inwa, near Mandalay. That was sufficient experience for that mode of transport, with an unhelpful driver. For example, lying about the time of the last ferry just because he wanted to finish what was just a mid afternoon visit. And other offences. Thankfully the taxi driver who drove me around for the rest of the day was much better.

 

With the electric scooter in Bagan, I have the freedom to steer towards whatever looks interesting & can take lunch wherever I choose. It just added to the experience.