tm_nyc

Very interesting! I guess that now I will have to see it for myself.

When I heard about the Spielberg-Kushner remake of West Side Story, I had a strong negative reaction to the whole idea. What was the point? The bad review which PeterRS cites, confirms my initial reaction. But, for what it's worth, the critical reception & audience reaction has been mostly positive, according to Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/west_side_story_2021 It may be that the movie is mainly intended for young people who would rather see something new & don't much care about the 'classic'. No, I'm not going to rush out to a theatre to see it. (I might be if I was in Thailand!)

Have a great trip &, please, report back. Love to hear about a visit to a Cairo hammam.

Very glad to hear that the 2 Prime Massage places are hanging in there!

Macaroni, I believe the regular Cambodian tourist e-visa (which has been up & running for years) is an option. There's a Facebook group on Cambodian Visas & Work Permits which could help sort out all the other different visa alternatives.

Yes, I agree that it's a big step in the right direction. My only question is how do they manage to administer the quickie covid tests if they start getting more tourists arriving at PNH. Could be a logistical nightmare.

I wish you luck & hope you can re-connect with the German guy. It's great to casually meet somebody while traveling & really hit it off with them. And yes, it s**cks when it comes time to pay the bill & leave & know you will probably never meet that person again. I also find it almost impossible to bring up personal matters, like sexual preference, in situations like that. Could be that I'm a wimp.

Tourists could also go to a wat & pray for the bars to reopen.

Yes, I noticed that too. Those sites would be a place to start looking for the local talent.

Great post! How is Yucatan doing with covid? Any restrictions?

The Cambodian PM has announced a plan to open the country to travelers from Thailand. For fully vaccinated Thais & foreign tourists, that is: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50959071/cambodia-to-allow-quarantine-free-entry-for-travellers-from-thailand-by-air/ Zero details on the when & how at this point but it's another bit of encouraging news.

A small step in the right direction.

I visited Phu Quoc in 2014 & I do recall visiting a waterfall that was a big local tourist attraction. However, it was in the winter & there was no rain so there was not much to see. Funny that they would 'borrow' a photo from a site in Laos!

Another interpretation of 'is being developed' is: we're making it up as we go along.

Good point about the Chinese vaccines. I have been to Phnom Penh several times & find that I like it more & more. But, for 'our kind of attractions', what's available in PP is more like Chiang Mai. No comparison to Bangkok.

Yes, that will definitely make things complicated!

I would hope that they would just include it in the airline ticket price. Given all the current obstacles that foreign visitors face trying to get into Thailand, another 500 THB seems pretty minor.

Vinapu, I guess that you are right! All the other trans-Pacific flights from North America to SGN would involve a change in Hong Kong or Seoul/Incheon or Taipei, so a re-fueling stop amounts to the same thing.

Cambodia's 60%+ full vaccination rate is very impressive, compared to Thailand's 20% & Vietnam's 6%. Maybe Cambodia's re-opening plans are not just talk.

I am big. It's the pictures that got small.

'Round up the usual suspects.' and... 'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'

'Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown.'

Interesting, although the refueling stop makes the VN service less attractive. When the lockdowns in Vietnam are lifted & they start issuing visas to foreign tourists again, Vietnam Airlines might be an option to look at.

Sorry to be piling on but Cuba has also been experiencing a big rise in covid cases since June, so it is not the ideal time for a visit.

Both Istanbul & Kiev are high on my list of places to visit too. My impression is that Istanbul has some gay nightlife plus the hammam & Aquarius while the gay scene in Kiev is tiny, like most Eastern European countries. According to travelgay.com, Kiev has one gay sauna which does offer massage it's not Aquarius. If you have a Planet Romeo account, you can search various destinations on Hunqz anywhere. Hope this helps...