tm_nyc

Yes, if anyone has the lowdown, it would be Santiagodc! I have visited Essouiria as a day trip from Marrakech. It was an easy bus ride & I really liked the place so I'd say it's definitely worth a visit. If you wanted a more laid-back, relaxed place than Marrakech, it might be worth staying for a while.

Lots of excellent suggestions! I would add: Somtum Der on Sala Daeng Rd, near where Senso used to be. Mango Tree has always been a default option for me but, on my last visit in early, pre-Covid 2020, the food was good but the service was poor, especially in view of the prices.

I have been looking at possibly going to Chile, particularly Santiago & Valparaiso, but I am really put off by the covid restrictions for entry. 2 items in particular caught my eye: if you are vaccinated, you must apply for a 'validation' from the Chilean government & that can take 'up to 30 business days'. Also, there are random covid tests given to international travelers on arrival. Travelers who test positive will be quarantined. More details here: https://www.chile.travel/en/traveltochileplan/ I trust, endlessdream, that you are looking at the covid requirements for the countries you plan to visit.

You could try contacting Freddy or one of the other 'service providers' to see what rate they charge. Your question seems reasonable, IMO.

I hope that they don't eliminate the open-air weight-lifting area as part of the 'improvements'!

I also have been looking at visiting Cambodia as a lower-hassle alternative to Thailand. But, as z909 points out, the flight availabilities (from the US at least) are way less than to BKK & airfares to Cambodia are higher, in some cases substantially.

Vietnam's proposed re-opening March 15 reopening date did not take place as previously announced. The outlook for when Vietnam might re-open appears uncertain as no new date has been announced: https://thepointsguy.com/news/vietnam-reopening-tourism/

With celebrities, I agree that anything is possible. But, as long as Smollett keeps claiming that he is innocent & that somehow he is the victim of the huge mess that he has created, it's going to be very difficult for him to recover.

Great Freedom is a film about a gay man who is imprisoned for being gay by the Nazis during WWII & then, repeatedly, by the post-war German government for the same reason. In prison, he finds friendship & (maybe) love from an unlikely source. The trailer:

I agree that it's very hard to take the CDC recommendations seriously, given the huge list of countries (more than 130!) that are supposedly dangerous to visit right now: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

According to Google, Senso & Prince are 'permanently' closed; Urbanmale is 'temporarily' closed.

Yes, I agree. During the rainy season, it's much more pleasant to be outside if it's overcast or partly cloudy than when the sun is roasting. I also agree that doing beach destinations in the rainy season is not a great idea. Pattaya excepted, of course.

It's definitely a step in the right direction but testing positive on Day 5 is still going to be a huge, expensive hassle, regardless of what test you do. Let's hope the next step is to drop the Day 5 test altogether. Meanwhile, Thai COVID case & death numbers are continuing to rise...

Thank you for your detailed & realistic account of your experiences in SD. I have only paid 2 brief visits to SD & my experiences were similar. Some of the guys there are really great, some are just OK & some were a real letdown. They are called hustlers for a reason, right? Anyway, good luck & continued happy hunting!

Thank you so much for providing such a detailed account of the ups & considerable downs of your trip. Before reading your posts, I did not think I would return to Thailand with the current restrictions in place. Now I am certain that I will wait for the restrictions to be lifted (or at least reduced).

Very interesting, thanks! I believe that there is the option of registering a guest with the hotel & paying a fee (just as they do at some hotels in SD) which would avoid potetial difficulties, embarassment, etc.

Is Punta Cana a viable option? Getting out of SD & hitting a beach sounds very appealing. I imagine that an adults-only, all inclusive resort would work for a gay couple or a guy with a companion but (IMO) it doesn't sound so appealing for a single guy. Also, bringing visitors into a resort might be a hassle.

Morocco has announced that it will reopen its borders on February 7th. However, requirements for foreign visitors have not yet been decided. https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/morocco-to-reopen-borders-next-week/

What about Paul Thomas Anderson's Hard Eight? Nice movie, actually.

Thanks for the update! I know that the Turkish economy is in very poor shape but I am encouraged to hear that Aquarius is going strong. Also good to know that you stayed healthy during your trip.

That's great... What a civilized country!

Another complication, in the US at any rate, is the beneficiaries of retirement accounts like IRA's. These accounts will usually have you name a beneficiary & a contingent beneficiary. Ideally, the beneficiaries named on a particular account will be the same as what is stated in a person's will. If not, the beneficiary named on the account supersedes what is stated in the will. Another legal complication to worry about!

The gay community in Singapore has it's own Blowing Wind forum, which is (sort of) similar: https://www.blowingwind.io/forum/index.php?s=aa2bf9e953c125cd819c561f7b78267b&act=idx Pre-covid, it seems like their members did a lot of traveling to other places in Asia (Taipei, KL, Bali, Bangkok, of course) so there was lots of information, which made interesting reading.

I like Ansel Elgort very much so I hope the accusations against him don't affect his career. To me, it sounded like a 'he said, she said' situation but thousands of Twitter users may disagree!

Yes, I have also found Northern Thai Arabica coffee to be very good. In Chiang Mai, I have bought coffee beans at the Akha Ama cafe near Wat Phra Singh. It's part of a chain but it's good. There also the Hillkoff store, Changphuak Soi 2, north of Changphuak Gate, & they have a big selection of coffee beans. In Bangkok, there's Holey Bakery on Suan Phlu, not far from Sathorn Road. Good coffee with excellent bread & bakery items.