Bangkok/Yangon/Bagan/Mandalay Trip Report: Playing With Fire

[numazu]

Just catching up:

 

It is fine to eat nearly constantly and a lot, as long as it is the right kind of food. Maybe BurBoy eats little junk food (even if he drinks this "palm sugar juice"?). It seems that we undervalue and abuse the stomach more than other organs and throw in food like it can process everything. But if we treat it with some expertise it can function well all our life in a digestive system that keeps us at an optimum weight and in good health.

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.

 

numazu - thank you for the wonderful photos - really enjoyed them - beautiful shots of the temples (and food)

your reports are more and more magic and enchanting every day passing, Thank you for a great work

agree 100%. Amazing report with great pictures, better than any travel guide book. Highlight are the stunning balloon ride pics.

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.

 

Who says that interactions between gays cannot be win-win ?

It's always win-win for me .

 

"I’ve never had anyone I love give me something that caused cancer before. " I wouldn't look at it that way, as I'm sure he had no idea that this carcinogenic. Apart from that, even so it wouldn't matter. people offer others cigarettes all the time, a well known carcinogen. Some people make hte choice to consume these, and consuming it in limited quantities limits the risk as well. And consuming just ONE dose (just to try it once, like in this instance with the betel) certainly poses ZEO cancer risk.

 

And regarding the pictures with the red teeth: in times bygone in this region such teeth were actually a beauty ideal, and visiting Europeans with their white teeth were seen as very odd.

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.

 

However the quote above begs a question: you get back to the hotel, hungry, at 8:30, but make it to the buffet only at 9:45. What did you do in the intervening 1 hour and 15 minutes??? The shower sure didn't take that long. What are you hiding from us???? hahahha

LOL. Maybe I sneaked out in that time and found a willing bellhop to fill that 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 

You provided us with great tour of Bagan temples and I like your reflection on sightseeing barefoot although I'm not sure I'd rave so much about it.

 

One thing is sure , after stepping on monkey's poo while climbing Mt.Popa barefoot I will remember Myanmar exploration without shoes till end of my days LOL

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 .

[reader]

Absolutely stunning photography, providing a sense of place that allows us to travel vicariously though your generous efforts.

 

The horseplay you captured at the village toll point reinforced what I've come to see repeatedly represented in my visits to Thailand and environs: the uninhibited joy that young people take in each others' company.

 

Perhaps it comes from living in a more intimate conditions, in close proximity with others that fosters this mindset of acceptance. I'm sure that there other factors I may never fully appreciate but remains a joyous experience simply to witness it.

[ggobkk]

As mentioned by others the photographs add a level of enjoyment and help to turn voyeurs ("boyeurs") into voyagers.  

 

Great fun.  

 

Question: are you using only your phone as a camera?  The clarity seems much sharper than that of most phone cameras.  My miserable photography skills are shown in my current report and I'd like to improve for my planned May excursion.

[numazu]

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…

[vinapu]

 My miserable photography skills are shown in my current report and I'd like to improve for my planned May excursion.

relax , your report is great, photos or not

[numazu]

You already have ' someone you should date ' and ' someone you want to date ' ... I think you are very lucky ... Hope that will be everlasting .  

 

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.

 

Maybe...and maybe strong feelings can be confusing and somewhat messy.  Consider the alternative: the unemotional life.  It's not as rich or varied.  My humble suggestion is to continue wondering while you muddle though being human.

Thank you for such a full and  honest appraisal,

 

But at the end of the day its good to have choices I suppose,

 

Nothing to do with mid-life-crisis mate - can happen to any of us at any time LOL

 

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.

 

Now, I am looking at the possibilities of booking a flight to Myanmar...see the damage you have done, N...(in a very good way).. Keep up the reporting..I am sure that South East Asia cross-country tourism boards must be thankful .. (minus the sexual bits, but I like!)

 

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!

 

so much for rankings, in my view they are mostly worthless. Rankings force an order where often there is none. If you have 5  places with a rating average of, say, 7.81 - 7,82 -7,83 -7,84 - 7,85 the differences are minuscule and accidental, so the places should be considered identical. Yet there is an order and one place "wins" and another is the "worst". And apart from that, the personal criteria of the people giving ratings on places like tripadvisor can vastly differ, so there is no way to tell whether or not those are relevant to you or me, personally. Much more helpful is reading actual reviews, as in prose, to get a feel for what the reviewer cares about or not and give more meaning to his/her judgement. 

words of wisdom. I one doesn't know the person can't assess correctly what he is trying to say.

 

There are those who will be complaining about the food just because view from restaurant windows was ugly a and will be those who will be praising unkempt hotel just because staff at reception is cute.

 

Often , just for fun I read reviews of hotels I was staying in and I'm amazed what some are complaining about or exclaiming virtues  I clearly overlooked when there.

 

Restaurant reviews are even less relevant as our tastes about food vary very widely.

Just recently in span of few days  three newbies acting on my recommendation visited Oasis on Suriwong to taste my often mentioned chicken with cashews. Feedback I received- one praise and thank you, one pretended not to notice my question so I assume he did  not like it, one did not like outright , not as much food as restaurant itself. Anybody can make out of it whatever he wishes

 

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. 

[vinapu]

 

And vinapu, I will write about your Chicken and Cashew Nuts in a later post, since you have high regard for it. 

 

Just make sure you give our readers your honest opinion . My self -esteem is already boosted by fact that you followed recommendation, right or wrong.

[numazu]

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…

[vinapu]

 

Tomorrow, the highlight of my Myanmar trip…

That's unexpected turn of events

[TomNg]

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":

 

IMG_7895.JPG

 

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…

wow, i have to kudo to your braveness and a little daredevil :-)   Fortunately you had a wonderful time with him but I personally still think it was a risky move :-) 

[anddy]

That's unexpected turn of events

exactly, sounded like he highlight already happened just now...!

[vinapu]

exactly, sounded like he highlight already happened just now...!

Only think we can do is to wait what our forum's  Hitchcock will reveal next. I like that  suspense. 

 

My guess is numazu found 5 kg bar of gold while climbing  great stupa in Mingun or BurBoy instaed of going to BKK by bus will knock to his door in the morning.

[forrestreid]

Hi Numazu.

 

What a great post! That was quite a sexy story with the tall guy. The set up like a porn story

 

I have not been posting in this thread over the last few weeks, even though I have been reading it every day, as I was waiting till the end to congratulate you, but I couldn't resist after reading that posting.

 

And as well I was afraid that I would have forgotten about some of the gems on this tread, like the abs photo of ShanBoy (I had to revisit that post over a few days to make sure I had the exact contours of his body memorised...) or those photos of the balloon trip over Bagan.

 

This has been a true classic thread, it has really put a longing on me to visit Burma now, even though I was thinking of Vietnam as the side-trip to my next SE Asia adventure, and you cant say better for a trip report than it makes people say "I want to visit there too!"

[Vessey]

Half of me, the curious half, wants to see what Bur-Boy looks like,

 

But the other half of me does not.

 

Bur Boy is clearly what Numazu wants him to look like, but will he be what I want him to look like? I now have a mental image of him in my mind  as being near perfection (for me) as I join vicariously with Numazu on his travels.

 

Sometimes the unseen image is more powerful and more potent. 

[Guest abang1961]

Sometimes let the mystery remains.

That Burboy is just too good to have..so sensitive to the client's physical, psychological and emotional needs.

Please allow his good personality to remain intact.

We don't need to discover him ourselves and let that image of him remains forever in these pages. 

[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…

[DivineMadman]

 

 

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.

 

But with one "boyfriend," you report that you are honest and open about your activities and I think you even mentioned that he knows about your posts on this Board.  With the other "boyfriend" (BurBoy) you write that you are not so forthright, and that you have not told him about your partner back home and you even write that you've been not entirely honest with him so to arrange butterflying opportunities in this current trip report.  

 

I find these disparities in treatment rather profound, and tossing around "one boyfriend here -- one boyfriend there" as if they're treated with the same -- pick a word -- "honesty?" "care?" "affection?" -- doesn't seem right to me.  And, it's the developing world boyfriend that your not honest with, perhaps even more troubling as there is an out-of-the-gate issue of economic disparity, and most likely a difference in education and possibly life experiances.  

 

It raises what I think is a good question for many of us, and with which I guess many of us struggle:  How honest and genuine can affection be when it's based on some core aspects of dishonesty.  I know I struggle with it on the giving and receiving side.  It starts moving from true heartfelt affection and care to something less.  When someone - Trump or me or anyone - tries to control the potentially relevant facts or put forth alternative (which, in my case, include being told by boys how handsome I am, among other whoppers), it starts veering towards manipulation and creating situations for our benefit and because, well, that sort of power is cool.   

 

Also, just to state the obvious, the paragraph from your post quoted above does not mention BurBoy's feelings, impact on him when the truth comes out, blah blah.  I have no doubt that you do care about his feelings, etc., but remember, it's "you do most certainly care...but just not enough [to be honest] because ...."  (At least in the story you are narrating so far.)  

 

Kudos for writing as a narrator warts-and-all.  (Updike?)  And perhaps perhaps by the time the narrative gets caught up with reality we will all find out that you've come clean with BurBoy and he never had so much as a moment of anguish.  But where we are in the story so far I find, among many wonderful aspects of the story, this bit, not so wonderful.

 

But this is just my opinion.  I now return the comments to the posts to the previous unmitigated adulation.

[emailbroken]

I think you mean masseur rather than masseuse.  Otherwise you're posting in the wrong forum!

[ggobkk]

The report is a masterwork of pacing, timing, suspense, color, intimacy, and travelogue.  

 

Given the reader numbers your report is incredibly and deservedly popular.  But stepping back just a bit, DivineMadman raises a question (existential? who knows?).  Honesty is in the life of the beholder.  One's belief in one's one honesty may not be shared by others.  

 

I wish only good things for all mentioned in this report.  A personal concern is that Numazu may find that neither boyfriend is happy/comfortable and he may be the one who has a hard landing.

 

Life is complicated that's why it's destination and way stations are unknowable.  But, shout out to Numazu, you have to LIVE it and he's doing that.

[numazu]

Nice thoughts on a holiday Monday morning in California. The BF is still asleep, and naturally I am awake and sipping coffee. I only wanted this to be a short reply, but I am physically unable to keep anything short, so apologies for the looooong reply. Feel free to skip.

 

Thank you DivineMadman for the very thoughtful inquiry on the peculiar quandary that I find myself in. I like presenting a lot of detail in my Trip Reports because this is the only way I know how to write about such things. It’s both catharsis and a creative outlet for me. Interestingly enough, however many details are presented in here, I do not lay out the whole story, due to the limitations of the medium, and the interest of keeping my privacy. I reveal enough to make the story both coherent and relatable, but obviously a lot of other details have been left out, for a variety of reasons. Some of them may be personal, others because they are not relevant to the current day’s narrative, but most of them are because they are just normal, boring, life things.

 

The current quandary I am in is very complex, and not as cut-and-dry as I would like, and probably looks messy at first inspection. What you have just described is a fair assessment of the situation, as it has been laid out in the report. I do not write about BurBoy’s feelings as much, and that goes the same with my BF, who is the invisible presence that looms over everything I do in life, and that's my fault. It is clear that my BF and I do not have a “traditional” relationship (monogamy, among a myriad of other things, lacking), but it is perfect for us, and has worked for the almost 9 years we have been together. It fits our goals for what a long-term relationship should be, warts and all.

 

BurBoy is different. He is the exquisite creature that has outlasted all the seemingly silly boys that have tried to alter my reality. And there is a big reason for him lasting as long as he has: no asking for commitments, no demands to be my boyfriend, at least when I am not in Bangkok, and does not need my money outside of our holiday excursions. I think the problem lies in my deception when I am with him. He does not want me to have sex with other boys while I am with him. He is very possessive; therefore I have to manufacture alone time away from him in order to fuck other boys. Not good on my part, but that is where I am right now.

 

I hate talking about him like this, but it’s probably healthy for me if I do.  In my reality BurBoy is as much a boyfriend as is my American BF. The caring is there, the love is there, and there are lots of both. Total honesty is not, never has been, and probably never will be there till the very end. I am not fully honest with my BF as well, even with his access of my writings on here. BurBoy, similarly, chooses not to know about what I do when I am back here in America, and though we talk daily, constantly, even on video chat once in a while, he does not ask too much about what I do in America. I think it is equal parts him not being interested and also not wanting to know. It’s that reason why this relationship with BurBoy, like with the BF, has lasted as long as it has: it just works.

 

I wish I could write about the 16 months that BurBoy and I have known each other. Knowing the development of the relationship probably will give you guys more insight on why it has worked, even with constant deception. All that time together, and apart, has lead us to this point.  I have resisted this boyfriend thing with him for the longest time, for a lot of reasons of course, but the most of all, its because it is not a clean-cut “traditional” relationship. We both know there will be an end to this. There are no conversations about the future, or growing old together, or him moving to America or me moving to SE Asia. But there is a lot of love, support, and yes sex, in the meantime. Not a lot of honesty, and that is mostly my fault. Realistically, for all I know he has a side Farang (or I am the one on the side, who knows). I don’t care. Should I? Maybe. But that is not me.

 

ggobkk has said it best, that living is messy business. It starts out that way: childbirth is messy, and painful, and sometimes fatal. But we have to go though it anyway, in order to live, to move on, and to continue on breathing and creating and make mistakes all over again. This might be the biggest mistake I will ever do in my life. And I won’t have it any other way.

[eurasian]

DivineMadman , I am also very curious to learn how their relation will be at the end of the report .

 

If I am not wrong when BurBoy asked if Numazu has a BF , Numazu's answer was a political ' no ' and wrote us that he was not feeling very comfortable with his answer . Since then his feelings towards BurBoy seem to be deeper , stronger ... empathy wise now it is more difficult for Numazu to confess that he has a BF .

 

This is a first time in my life ... Every day I am reading a chapter of a real life story and I believe the author tries to do his best to describe his , his BF's and BurBoy feelings .

 

That is Numazu's life experience which is kindly shared with us ... in my opinion we should be expecting him to finalize his report before making any critics .     

[numazu]

Day 8.25: Throwing Jade

 

My alarm wakes me at 9 AM. My body still craved for more sleep, but it was time to wake up. I had to make my flight today, with Kaung and the drivers taking me to the airport. We were also going to stop by one more tourist place before saying goodbye to Myanmar, so I had to hurry and get prepared. The five and a half hours total sleep that I got tonight would be sufficient on most vacations, but right now, after a full day of travel, touring, and sexual exertion, not to mention the emotionally charged visit to the temple just 4 hours earlier, has given my body something to be tired about.

 

I get up to go to the bathroom and prepare. I turn the lights on and I look in the mirror. I see it staring at me: a hickey on my neck. The dark red skin blemish was coin-sized and obvious. There was no hiding it, it was there for the whole world to see. There was only one person who could have done this: TallBurGuy, the ultra-passionate tall drink of water from last night. We got so carried away by the passion, and this was the result. I try rubbing on it to see if it will go away (it never does). I turn on the shower and try to not think about it.

 

But of course the shower is a place for thinking, so my mind just goes through all sorts of things about this hickey. Oh my god, Kaung saw it this morning. He was accompanying me to a place of worship and I looked like a slut. Oh geez, what will BurBoy think? He will be furious! He will know that I had sex with another boy while he was away! My mind just comes up with all sorts of things. But there was no denying it. I have a hickey, it’s too much trouble hiding it, I enjoyed myself on the way to getting it, so I’ll just have to deal with the consequences.

 

In the shower I scrub myself clean, rubbing on the hickey area in a lame attempt to get rid of it. I get dressed for the airport and dash to the top floor restaurant at the hotel. The Bagan King Hotel in Mandalay has disappointed me, with their policy of not allowing unregistered guests to visit you in your room. I felt it was preposterous, but whatever, I need to do my due diligence next time. Let’s see if the breakfast will redeem this hotel for me.

 

I get up there and there were a few quests still having breakfast at 9:30. I get seated and I go to the buffet and see that they only have very few options on tap:

 

 

Paltry options for breakfast meats, some scrambled eggs, some bread and some muffins, and four kinds of juices. They didn’t even have rice or congee to give it some variety. I make the most of it, and I fill up for the journey ahead. I look around the room and notice that they had the Yoke the puppets hanging tight. I am assuming they also have dinner shows like in Bagan Thande:

 

 

Since it was on the 6^th floor the restaurant at least had a good view of this part of the city. It looks more built up than Phnom Penh, but obviously less so than Yangon. I can see it is metropolitan enough for a 20-something professional like TallBurGuy, and I wouldn’t mind going back here to visit the city and the surrounding small towns, like the ancient capital Amarapura, as well as using it as a gateway to the northern states of Myanmar. The possibilities!

 

 

I finish my unsatisfying breakfast and head back to the room to finish packing. After 5 minutes I get a call on my room phone. It was Kaung, telling me that he was downstairs. He was 15 minutes early. He asked if he could come up to the room. That was kind of strange, but I say yes. In 2 minutes he was knocking on my door. He comes in and asks me if I had breakfast and had a nice sleep. I told him yes to both and told him he was a little bit early because I was still packing.

 

He said it was OK and said he will help me pack. He saw some of my souvenirs and clothes that was neatly piled on the side, and started putting them in my luggage. While he was doing that I looked around the room to see if there were any stragglers I have forgotten. After he successfully packs my luggage he looks around the room to check as well. He actually found one of my tour pamphlets and some dirty socks I forgot to pack. I finish packing with his help.

 

When we were done and I was checking my passport and backpack, Kaung asks if he could use the soap I used for the shower. I said yes, he could. He then promptly takes off his shirt, revealing a golden brown torso, and heads to the bathroom to wash away a stain that was in one of the sleeves, using the spent soap I used to shower earlier. I am sure he was not coming on to me, and was genuinely just trying to wash a stain off his shirt, but having a cute, shirtless, 19-year-old boy alone with you in a hotel room is a little bit awkward if the context was not sexual, at least for me.

 

He finished using the soap and puts his shirt back on. He takes my luggage and helps me down to reception. I check out and don’t have additional charges. I admire the Christmas Tree they still had up:

 

 

Kaung already at the car helping the drivers put my luggage in the back. I get in beside Kaung. As we speed away I take a photo of the cute bellhop. Another reason to go back, if not to spend a night in his hotel (never again), at least to say hi to him:

 

 

We still had one more stop before heading to the airport, the Jade Pagoda. Touted as the first, and only, pagoda in the world made entirely of jade, it’s a fairly new pagoda (finished in 2014). The whole site cost an excess of 10 million US dollars, so this was no joke. It takes us about 40 minutes to get from downtown Mandalay to the area, but once we get close we see a bunch of new construction. Kaung says that because of the pagoda, many have invested on building a mall and shops around the area, in anticipation of the mass of tourists and devotees to the Jade Pagoda:

 

 

The car parks and we get charged an entrance fee by a cute but distracted ticket seller:

 

 

Kaung goes with me and we enter the pagoda complex. And then we see it, the impressive Jade Pagoda. The Jade used were of varying purity, but the distinct jade color of the pagoda makes it one of the more unique pagoda I have ever seen:

 

 

Gold is so overrated.

 

I take a ton of photos, of course. The pagoda in various angles:

 

 

 

There are also some bits of jade rock outcrops tastefully used to decorate the pedestals:

 

 

There were four Jade and marble buddhas that are in temples in four sides of the pagoda. There is something about jade that makes these buddhas more unique than their traditional gold counterparts:

 

 

 

 

 

The grounds around are also tastefully decorated. The green motif is really working for it, in combination with the green plants:

 

 

Kaung and I tour the grounds, and pass by a park, a stage with another jade Buddha, this one standing:

 

 

And then we discover a nook that had women (and some men) flocked to apply Thanaka:

 

 

As my last primer for you guys on Myanmar culture, I would be remiss if I don’t talk about Thanaka, the yellowish-white cosmetic made from ground bark of thanaka wood. Some are sold as paste, but in its natural form it is sold as small logs, and you grind the log on “Kyauk pyin” or stone slabs, and wetting it lightly with water, is applied to the cheeks and forehead and nose in sometimes circular and attractive patterns. It is primarily used for sunscreen, but can also prevent acne and promote smooth skin. I have seen BurBoy use it while he Lined me during his one month in Myanmar. I bought him some Snail White sunscreen and he used that instead.

 

Some stock photos of boys wearing Thanaka:

 

 

 

 

As you can see, everyone was getting in the act. You can see small logs of thanaka, and some water, and the women grinding it one the big stone slab:

 

 

before applying it on their faces:

 

 

Kaung warns me that it is time to leave for the airport. I bid goodbye to my last Myanmar landmark. As we leave I take a photo of this big Myanmar family, proudly wearing their traditional Burmese garb, getting their photo taken in front of their newest landmark.

 

 

I get a tinge of sentimentality. It was New Year’s Eve, and I was apart from my friends and family. But in a few hours I will be reunited with BurBoy, hopefully still happy to see me, in a different country: Thailand, in different circumstances: the White Party and Silom, but hopefully with the same feelings of love and caring.

 

Next, Bangkok, and playing with fire…

[vinapu]

Great report about fast paced vacations.

 

Can't wait what excuse you invented about that hickey but truth is,   whatever you say , nobody will believe it LOL

 

I like second boy in thanaka series

[DivineMadman]

 

That is Numazu's life experience which is kindly shared with us ... in my opinion we should be expecting him to finalize his report before making any critics .     

It's of course ok that that is your opinion, but given that the thread already included sidebars on "feelings" and the narrative truth of these "feelings," they were already being discussed so I simply added an observation.  I don't think even the author would say only fawning admiration is appropriate.  

 

People here regularly comment on whether paying this amount was right, or doing this was right, or whether this conduct was right or wrong.  I'm surprised that it's ok to talk about the price of a guide but not how to treat another person. 

 

As to the "life is messy" argument - ok to say it, but of course that doesn't justify anything.  And justification, of course, isn't the point.  It's simply getting out front an important aspect of the story - how the local guys are and should be treated (we are outside the situation of a s/t off, after all).  If that's not a part of the story, then the local guys just become travel accessories, and I don't think anyone really thinks that is or should be the case here.

[ggobkk]

Eurasian, take a look at Numazu's very first post of this report...it is the last day of his visit and his parting with BurBoy...he wrote that as a prelude.