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

[numazu]

Day 16: Boy Loses Boy

 

I’ve had 12 “last days” in Thailand now, from the 12 trips I've had to this wonderful place. A "last day" is the day when I have to end my holiday in beautiful Thailand. Some “last days” are spent alone, waking up to catch my sometimes too early in the morning flight, rushing to cram all my dirty laundry and Thai spices and Snail White creams and various knick knacks I’ve bought day before. Some are spent with the “Boy of the Week”, having the luxury of some leisurely time to wake up late, pack my stuff, and even heading to breakfast before I have to catch a cab at 12 noon at hotel check-out, with my boy waiting for me to leave so he can get back to  his room to sleep. I’ve even had some “last days” spent in Pattaya, offing a guy at 11:30 PM after the gogo boy show, having sex and some type of conversation with the boy afterwards to while away the hours, and then sending him on his way before catching my PT Taxi car at 3 AM to get to my 7 AM flight back to Farang Land™.

 

This “last day” seems different somehow. The “Boy of the Week” and I are subdued, not talking much. We have some leisurely time to pack and eat and check out of the condo, but there was nothing relaxing about it. A sense of dread for what lay ahead was in the air, as well as the fear bidding our inevitable farewell that we had to endure as two people who were inhabitants of two totally different worlds, meeting in a sort of third “intermediate” world that Thailand was, where it was easy to think that the two weeks I just had was real. It wasn’t, it never is real. The only real thing about the past two weeks is the feeling of the heartache that follows.

 

He wasn’t a “say goodbye in the airport” type of guy, but here he was, getting in my cab with me, instructing the driver to go to Suvarnabhumi, my long-time nemesis, the agent of goodbyes and separation. Why does every cab ride to this monster airport seem incredibly quick. Its as if the universe is making up for the time I spent having fun in Bangkok, by quickly ripping it away from me when the time came to end it all.

 

I check in my flight. We spend an hour in the basement level of the airport, sitting one of the airport lounge chairs that were close to the Airport Rail Link entrance, holding hands and saying nothing. And then, it was time. I help him get his train ticket (35 baht) back to Bangkok. He didn’t have to go with me, all the way to the airport, just to have to go back to Bangkok on a train. And yet here he was, determined to see me off, trying to squeeze that last minute together, before having to bid me farewell. I tell him I have to get to my gate. He takes his suitcases and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and then a big long hug, lingering and strong, as if to give me enough affection to last me the long 3 months ahead before seeing me again. I didn’t want to let go, but I did, just because I had to.

 

 

He takes his token and waves in on the turnstile. As he walks away I admire his strong and broad back, his sure and familiar gait, and his strong and muscular calves. Before he turns the corner, he looks back, finds me still there frozen where I stand. He smiles. I smile back. He disappears at the turn. And the tears come again. Tears don’t come easy for me, and yet here they were, blinding me as I try to regain my composure and head over to the elevator to get to my flight. I feel silly and stupid, letting a boy get to me like this. But I felt alive. This is both the worst and the best “last day” I’ve ever had.

 

It’s funny, I remember everything about our last day, but I don’t remember saying goodbye.

 

How did I get to this point?

 

Day (-)457: Boy Meets Boy

 

It was in the middle of my trip on October 2015. I’ve done my usual Butterfly duties, having visited Tawan and Dream Boy 3 times each in a week and half’s time. This was then my 6^th visit to LOS, and having grown claustrophobic from a 2-week fuck fest, and boredom, in Pattaya, just 6 months before, I decided to just stay in Bangkok this time around. I go back and forth with Pattaya. Lots of things to go for there: my tailor is there, the boys are cheaper, the best show bar in my opinion is there (Boyzboyzboyz), and the occasional trip to the “beach” is just minutes away. But oftentimes I long for the urban expanse of Bangkok, with its superior offerings of sights, food, and culture, and sometimes grow tired of a city seemingly created to be a big brothel by the sea.

 

I took a liking to this amazing Thai Guy (TGuy) I offed in Dream Boy. He had a classic handsome Thai face, one that belonged in Thai tourist brochures and posters, an amazing lean and muscular body peppered with tasteful tattoos, and wickedly gorgeous smile that masks the devious sexual freak he was inside. His command of English was not as good as I hoped, but his sparkling personality more than made up for the lack of the basic repartee I’ve hoped for in a constant companion. This was the third trip I have seen him. I call on him when I need a familiar face, a dinner companion, or the occasional travel companion to Chiang Mai or Pattaya.

 

Curiously, he is 36 years old, 2 years older than I was at the time (34). When I first met him three trips ago he told me he was four year younger. But after becoming confortable with me (and a few drinks) he became more honest, about his age and his life in general. He simply does not know how long he can keep doing the gogo boy thing, but as long as he keeps getting customers (a lot of Japanese, and females too), he will keep doing it. I feel that this is the first time I’ve offed someone older than me, though I am not entirely sure, because I guess I am at the mercy of what the boy tells me, and rarely check their ages in the ID, unless they really look super young.

 

After our fuck-fest in the day, we planned on going to Fake Club tonight. He invited some friends to meet us at the club later. But for now it was dinnertime, so we decided to go to the Ratchada area to get dinner close to the club. So we leave the confines of our love nest in Crowne Plaza in Silom and head over to the Silom MRT station to get to Ratchada. Some 30 baht or so later we get off Huai Kwang station and look for the restaurant that TGuy has been before and wanted to visit again. It was a short walk to the seafood restaurant TGuy had picked and we got situated at a table immediately.

 

There wasn’t a lot I remembered of the restaurant. I knew we had seafood. I think I had the crab curry, I am not sure. I may have had a few beers, and so did TGuy. I usually remember these details, but for some reason I don’t remember much about that meal.

 

What I do remember quite vividly was our waiter. He walked up to us, broad-shouldered and sure of himself in a white shirt, handing us our menus. His extended arm revealed a taut and muscular limb. His skin was a glorious golden brown. And above all that was his face: exceedingly beautiful and looked surprisingly young. How does a well-built body get matched with a very young face?

 

It’s funny, I don’t remember a lot about this day, but I do remember the boy.

 

He speaks to us in Thai, presumably to ask for our orders. TGuy and this boy talk for a bit, and then he leaves our table. TGuy and I leaf through the menu to make our choices. I kept looking and scanning to see if the boy was nearby. Pretty soon he comes back and speaks Thai to us again. TGuy tells him his order and the boy writes it down. He then turns to me and asks me, in Thai, something. I smile and say “English?” like the stupid westerner that I am.

 

And then there it was. His smile. His greatest, most glorious feature. He says to me “Sorry!” and then turns to TGuy to presumably ask him to translate. I quickly point to my choice (crab? Who knows). And then say “Singha” as fast as I do in gogo bars. He takes our menus and tells us, looking at me, and smiling “Thank you sir.” I smile back. I can’t stop smiling after that.

 

After a while he comes back with our drinks, and then a few moments later our meals. I have to guess that I ate most of our food, and drank some of the beer, but I don’t remember. I may have even talked to TGuy some I’m sure about life and love. But what I do remember is scanning the room to see if this handsome and young boy was around. He could be seen from time to time, getting orders and serving food.

 

It was time to pay the bill and I waved to the boy and told him the universal words “check bin.” He smiles again and gets it and brings it to us. I don’t remember how much it cost, but I do remember giving him a 100 baht tip. We left the restaurant and headed to Fake Club. I didn’t expect to see that boy again. How many waiters have I thought were attractive and have soon forgotten after the meal? But I had a feeling that this one would stick in my head.

 

I vaguely remember going to Fake Club. It was a good time, I’m sure. The boy show was hot, I’m assuming. The music is cacophonous, famously, I’m sure. The company was great, and the liquor strong, as it always is with this club. But what I remember for sure, after a few hours of being in that club, I opened up Grindr. Scanning through the profiles I stop in my tracks and see a familiar face. It was the boy, macho and boyish at the same time, cracking a small smile. 21 years old and 5’9, his profile says, and a not much of a profile description except a short “Hi”.

 

After ruminating for a few minutes I took a chance. I kept it simple and to the point. A “hello”. Something about being our “waiter at the restaurant.” Some photos of me not looking as giddy and as I was now. And my line ID and phone number. I made sure the messages were sent. I closed the app, not expecting to hear back. I go on with the night, and enjoyed it with Bangkok’s finest partiers.

 

At 2 AM it was time for TGuy and myself to go. As we wait to get a taxi I get a Line message. “Hello” and “Thank you,” followed by a series of Line stickers that leapt off of my smartphone’s screen. I Line back “Hello” and “Thank you for reply.” A few more Line stickers. It goes on like this till we get back to Silom. TGuy takes my hand as we head back into Crowne Plaza. In the room, TGuy takes off all his clothes. He knew this would get my attention. TGuy heads to the bathroom to shower.

 

I try to say good night to the boy. I tell him I am sleeping, but ask him if he could visit me at Crowne Plaza tomorrow. I tell him I will Line him tomorrow and sent him a Location message on Line, so he knows where I am. He answers back in stickers. I give him a final Good Night panda sticker before placing my phone on mute for the night. I forgot the boy for the night. There were more pressing issues at hand.

 

In the “morning” I Line the boy again. No response but I didn’t expect any, but hoped I would get one anyway. I don’t remember much about the rest of the morning, except perhaps probably having some morning sex with TGuy, maybe heading for breakfast and then me paying him a long time fee. What I do remember is that boy from the restaurant, still stuck in my head. There was something about that boy.

 

I come back to the hotel and assess my choices for the day. A dip in the hotel pool perhaps? Or a quick workout? Or maybe some retail therapy. I decide on shopping for some clothes when I get a Line message back. It was the boy, saying hi. I say hi back. He sent me his location, and then said “Thaniya Plaza”.  I took this as a sign and told him I will be heading there soon. After a few exchanges (it took a bit to explain to him in English that I was coming over, as his English was not good), I head over to Soi Thaniya. As I enter the building I see him, sitting on a chair at the café stand on the first floor, sucking on a straw, sipping his iced coffee. I stop and smile to say hi. He smiles back.

 

And that’s how I met BurBoy.

 

Next up, Day 1 of the Trip Report. 

[ggobkk]

Excellent - begin and the end and then fast backward to the beginning.  

[anddy]

ah yes that smile that would melt a heart of steel in an instant....

 

 

.... the fear bidding our inevitable farewell that we had to endure as two people who were inhabitants of two totally different worlds, meeting in a sort of third “intermediate” world that Thailand was, where it was easy to think that the two weeks I just had was real. It wasn’t, it never is real. The only real thing about the past two weeks is the feeling of the heartache that follows.

 

...sitting one of the airport lounge chairs that were close to the Airport Rail Link entrance, holding hands and saying nothing.

 

It’s funny, I remember everything about our last day, but I don’t remember saying goodbye.

 

I see how it seems unreal, especially after being back in that other, seemingly more real, world. However, I suspect these things are much more real to the local half of the equation than they seem to you. Even though you are from two different worlds, meeting in that strange bubble-like intermediate world, that intermediate world is so much closer to the real world of the local boy, that it may actually be indistinguishable. So everything that happened in that bubble-time remains as real with the boy. I have a feeling, though, that this time this stays with your as more real than any of the preceding LOS exploits, too

 

 

Yes those moments, when a million things chase each other through your mind, wanting to be said, but nothing actually can or will be said (especially an unnecessary goodbye). Everything has been said and holding those hands is all that is needed and wanted. 

 

Looking forward to the report about great sightseeing and emotional adventures. This first installment is enthralling numazu writing at it's very finest.

[vinapu]

as if to give me enough affection to last me the long 3 months ahead before seeing me again.

 

 

. And the tears come again. Tears don’t come easy for me, and yet here they were, 

it looks we will get quite a story here  and can only hope that sharing it with us will shorten that waiting time

 

Nothing wrong with good bye tears, they are much , much better than sigh of relief that it's finally over.  

[numazu]

Day 0: Wanting to have my Cake and Eating it Too

 

This is my 12th trip to LOS and the plan is to do three things: Boys, Temples and Parties.  The Boys are both known and new (BurBoy, Gogos and Massage), the temples and tours will be mostly in Myanmar, and the parties will mainly be at the White Party in Bangkok but also at Fake, Celebrity, DJ and G.O.D.  I spent two weeks, over Christmas and New Year, in Myanmar and Thailand, and sadly it is not as money boy driven as my previous trips. My last trip here:

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10550-bangkokphnom-penhsiem-reap-trip-report-the-more-things-change-the-more-they-stay-the-same/

 

Background: I’m 35, Asian American, and have an 8-year relationship with a great guy (white, 33). Why do I go to Thailand? Well, I’m a horny bastard, and believe or not between my bf (sex life still there but has declined), occasional Grindr and Scruff hookups, and the random trick, I need more. I am intoxicated by the sex industry in Thailand, and fascinated by their lives and try to make friends with the money boys and locals (copied and pasted from previous trip reports J).

 

I was hesitant to write this trip report because I did not off many boys, and most of what you guys like is hearing about exploits through Soi Twilight, Boyztown and Sunee Plaza. But I am writing this anyway, more for my sanity and serves as a creative outlet, than it is to titillate you guys. There are a lot of sexy times for sure. Feel free to skip this report if it does not suit your tastes. I’ve received enough feedback, both in my trip by forum members I’ve met, as well as private messages online, to be assured that some of you will read this, so I will appreciate it if you guys participate as we go along my report.

 

Goal 1: Get to know Myanmar

 

I have crowdsourced for some information about Myanmar, shown here:

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10659-crowdsourcing-advice-on-myanmar-yangon-bagan-and-mandalay/

 

I have to honest: I’ve never heard much about Myanmar before this trip. I didn’t know how awesome it is, and even after reading about it online after booking my trips, I had little idea how much I would love it. I compare it to seeing a movie cold without seeing the trailer or read any critics reviews beforehand, and being pleasantly surprised how much you love the movie. This really came out of left field.

 

In terms of what sights to see, I have the luxury of not knowing where to go because I had two aces up my sleeve. I will be visiting Myanmar with BurBoy, my long time free boy that I see on occasion. And I also booked some time with Kaung, the SiamRoads tour guide for Bagan. Some messages on Facebook and we soon got into the specifics about the tour and trusted him with my vacation in Bagan and Mandalay. BurBoy also contacted him and they agreed upon other details of my tour. I left my vacation in the hands of a 19 year old and a 23 year old. Best decision ever, in hindsight.

 

Goal 2: Attend the White Party

 

I’ve attended the Songkran gay circuit dance party for three years straight now, and just bought tickets to my fourth one at Super Early Bird rates (last day to buy at the cheapest rate was January 4). I’ve always had fun in that party, and have attended with some of my American friends, as well as my boyfriend, who also spend time in Bangkok for the actual Songkran water madness. But I’ve never been to the Bangkok White Party. I’ve been to THE White Party, in Palm Springs, in my 20s, so I am curious about the Bangkok version.

 

I bought 2 tickets for all three night parties, before my September Bangkok trip at super early bird rates again, not knowing who I’ll be spending it with. If it wasn’t going to be Cambodia Boy (CB) or Dream Boy Thai Guy (DTG), it was probably a new boy from any of the gogo bars. I fantasize going to these parties with a hunk from Jupiter. He will be a nice one to display to the boys. But of course chemistry is an issue with attending these parties. Compatibility in the bedroom is one thing, spending time together in a huge dance hall surrounded by Asia’s best upwardly mobile boys is a another kettle of fish.

 

The 3 party nights were on December 30 to January 1, so it was a splendid way to spend the New Year’s. After my September trip, it was clear that I will be going with BurBoy to the party, and checks the boxes for compatibility both in the bedroom and out of it. Anddy, a forum member who I have been corresponding with also wanted to attend with me and BurBoy, so it was going to be a fun time.

 

Goal 3: Spend as much time with BurBoy and be able to Off boys in gogo bars

 

This was trickier. I have less control over the offing boys situation with BurBoy. He is a free boy, not a money boy, so his say on things have to be taken into more consideration than someone under your (temporary) employment, such as a money boy. I was able to off a lot of boys even if I was with Cambodia Boy the whole time; even with the element of love and caring I had for him. At the end of the day I was the customer, so even if he had problems with me butterflying, he had little choice in the matter. The money I give him surely helps with his potential disagreement with this arrangement.

 

BurBoy is fairly possessive, and treats me like a boyfriend. He does not like going to gogo bars, and prefers that I don’t look at other boys with lust. And though he has come to understand that I am a horny bastard, and has let me invite gogo boys over to our table when we have drinks in a gogo bar, I have yet to off a boy in his presence.

 

Previously my dilemma was “To butterfly or not to butterfly”:

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10424-bangkokpattaya-june-july-2016-trip-report-to-butterfly-or-not-to-butterfly/

 

and the answer is always yes, the more new cock the better. But having grown fond of BurBoy, I needed a way to both butterfly and stay with him. Clearly I will need to manufacture some alone time away from him, even to the point of inefficiency, as you will see soon.

 

Goal 4: Try more boy massages

 

My crowdsourcing thread on massages here:

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10628-crowdsourcing-best-massage-options-for-a-non-massage-customer/

 

All my thoughts about boy massages are in that thread.

 

Again, manufacturing time away from BurBoy and getting a massage is crucial. I’ve seen online that there are also some massage places in Myanmar (Yangon and Mandalay). I am eager to try the massages there and hopefully catch the boy massage bug that some of you have and enjoy.

 

So I have a lot of goals for this trip, and some of them at odds with each other. I bought my plane ticket to Bangkok in September for a decent price, and spent some points to get a much needed business class upgrade. With Bangkok now serving as my base of operations, I decide to manufacture some time away from BurBoy by booking a ticket to Yangon from Bangkok, staying for two nights, and then booking a Bangkok trip on the third day and staying two nights. I told BurBoy I was going to see him in Mandalay two days after Yangon while I “spend time with family for Christmas”. After two nights of butterflying and getting boy massages in Bangkok, I get a ticket from Bangkok to Mandalay and reunite with BurBoy.

 

We have to make our way to Bagan because our hot-air balloon ride over Bagan is the next day that I get to Mandalay, so I ask BurBoy to get us a taxi from Mandalay to Bagan. I book Kaung for three days, for the Bagan and Mandalay tours. Since BurBoy cannot fly back with me to Bangkok because he did not have a passport, he has to take the bus from Bagan to Bangkok to make the White Party with me. That gives me a night of alone time in Mandalay, to possibly butterfly and get a massage if it was possible.

 

Alone time manufactured – success!

 

Then it was two nights of White Party fun with BurBoy, after which a hopefully relaxing time with BurBoy in Bangkok for a week. I may be able to persuade him to finally get in a threesome with a gogo boy that week. We shall see. I have a feeling I will cross a lot of lines this trip, thus the theme is “Playing with Fire”. But what is life without taking any risks and seeing what you can get away with.

 

BurBoy quits his job in a restaurant in Bangkok in December and decides to wait for me in Myanmar for a couple of weeks. He will try to get a job in Yangon in that time to see if he can make it Myanmar. He will wait for me at the Yangon airport on my first day and we will spend time in Yangon over Christmas.

 

So on Day 0 I leave my winter existence in the USA and get on a 13-16 hour flight from my US city to Taipei. From Taipei I get on a flight to Bangkok. And without leaving the Bangkok airport I catch my connection from Bangkok to Yangon. Everything happens without a hitch, with the only delay occurring in the last leg of my flight. Due to high season I’m sure, my Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok to Yangon was delayed an hour. I Line Burboy to tell him I’ll be late. He replies that he will be waiting for me. 

 

So Day 1, and breathtaking Yangon, next.

[Alexx]

Sounds exciting, I'm looking forward to your reports! I don't believe for one second that there won't be plenty of "action" worth reporting.

[gtnewb]

Since BurBoy cannot fly back with me to Bangkok because he did not have a passport, he has to take the bus from Bagan to Bangkok to make the White Party with me. That gives me a night of alone time in Mandalay, to possibly butterfly and get a massage if it was possible.

Hi numazu, 

 

great report as usual. Looking forward to the touristy, juicy, sweaty and teary parts.

 

BurBoy doesn't have a passport so he has to take the bus? How does that work? Crossing the border in a bus doesn't require a passport? 

[billyhouston]

 

BurBoy doesn't have a passport so he has to take the bus? How does that work? Crossing the border in a bus doesn't require a passport? 

 

Depends on the bus! There are several ways of crossing the border without a passport, which is why there are several million Myanmar citizens in Thailand. One is to go to an official crossing point, obtain a day pass and then 'forget' to go back. Danger with this is there are lots of Police Checkpoints on the Thai side near these crossings. Another is to cross the border where there is no official crossing point. The north of Thailand has ten or more places where people regularly cross (or should that be irregularly?). It's no big deal. There's a pretty regular 'bus' service through one of these, between  xxx, Thailand and Ho Mein, Shan State.

I'm not familiar with the crossing points in the west but I'm sure there are at least as many.

[Manly69]

I really like the way you write your reports, the adventures you share are interesting as well as your friendships with the boys.

Sexual side of things is nice to read about and well balanced.

[numazu]

Excellent - begin and the end and then fast backward to the beginning.  

 

Wasn't sure if this was going to work, starting on Day 16. I thought I'd share about how BurBoy and I met since I got asked about that a lot from forum members I met last trip. Good stories provide context, so this is my attempt at context.

 

ah yes that smile that would melt a heart of steel in an instant....

 

I see how it seems unreal, especially after being back in that other, seemingly more real, world. However, I suspect these things are much more real to the local half of the equation than they seem to you. Even though you are from two different worlds, meeting in that strange bubble-like intermediate world, that intermediate world is so much closer to the real world of the local boy, that it may actually be indistinguishable. So everything that happened in that bubble-time remains as real with the boy. I have a feeling, though, that this time this stays with your as more real than any of the preceding LOS exploits, too

 

Yes those moments, when a million things chase each other through your mind, wanting to be said, but nothing actually can or will be said (especially an unnecessary goodbye). Everything has been said and holding those hands is all that is needed and wanted. 

 

Looking forward to the report about great sightseeing and emotional adventures. This first installment is enthralling numazu writing at it's very finest.

 

Thanks anddy. I agree that it may be more real for him (as he reminds me everyday as we Line and video chat) than to me, but you are right that it is real somehow to me as well. The Bangkok we inhabited is still an intermediate world to both of us, since I don't live there, and he lives away from Silom and does not hang out there at all outside of our relationship. He did just leave Fake Club just now so he does at least have fun there. 

 

So glad we got to hang out with you last trip. That smile is something else, isn't it? 

 

it looks we will get quite a story here  and can only hope that sharing it with us will shorten that waiting time

 

Nothing wrong with good bye tears, they are much , much better than sigh of relief that it's finally over.  

 

I think by the time I am done with this report (I am so wordy), it is about time to start the new one.

 

Sounds exciting, I'm looking forward to your reports! I don't believe for one second that there won't be plenty of "action" worth reporting.

 

I always say there won't be much action to report so there won't be expectations, but yes there are some to report don't worry .

 

Hi numazu, 

 

great report as usual. Looking forward to the touristy, juicy, sweaty and teary parts.

 

BurBoy doesn't have a passport so he has to take the bus? How does that work? Crossing the border in a bus doesn't require a passport? 

Depends on the bus! There are several ways of crossing the border without a passport, which is why there are several million Myanmar citizens in Thailand. One is to go to an official crossing point, obtain a day pass and then 'forget' to go back. Danger with this is there are lots of Police Checkpoints on the Thai side near these crossings. Another is to cross the border where there is no official crossing point. The north of Thailand has ten or more places where people regularly cross (or should that be irregularly?). It's no big deal. There's a pretty regular 'bus' service through one of these, between  xxx, Thailand and Ho Mein, Shan State.

I'm not familiar with the crossing points in the west but I'm sure there are at least as many.

 

In the age of TSA and passport stamps etc, the concept of porous borders (outside of the EU of course) is kind of foreign to me (so to speak). I know he has a Myanmar migrant worker ID he uses to work in Thailand (and to get into DJ Station), and has a temporary passport, whatever that is. I found this article: http://www.humanrightsinasean.info/campaign/myanmar-migrant-workers-thailand-face-visa-extension-and-passport-issuance-chaos-and that sort of explains some of the issues regarding the Burmese in Thailand, as well as BurBoy's eventual application for a new passport. I'll cover it on the report.

 

I really like the way you write your reports, the adventures you share are interesting as well as your friendships with the boys.

Sexual side of things is nice to read about and well balanced.

 

Thanks so much. There is a lot to say, and this report has been the easiest to write out of the others. It's a sign that a shitload of things happened, and it is all hard to forget.

[Dalewood]

There is a Numazu, Japan, not terribly far from Tokyo. Any connections with you? Just curious....

 

Keep up the good reports.

[ozmouse]

OMG.... just started reading.... love it!  

 

this forum seems to be going from strength to strength lately.  i used to only drop in occasionally... now it seems it is a wealth of info, news, and enjoyable reading!  keep up the good work boys!

 

numaza .. im subscribed!  im interested in all your tales, including the non-sexual.  

 

And as an aside... will be in BKK for songkran parties this year.... you around? 

[numazu]

Day 1: Myanmar, Here I Come

 

Like I said earlier, I am embarrassed to admit that I did not know much about Myanmar, the country and its sights, before meeting forum member PNGguyBKK in my June trip. We were meeting up in Bangkok after he spent a week or so in Myanmar and I was interested in his stories about temples and longyi and the cute boys there. I am very familiar with Myanmar boys, of course, having been in a “long-term” relationship with BurBoy (many more on this later), my main companion this trip, and from what PNNguyBKK as well as BurBoy had to say about his country, Myanmar seems to be the next logical place for me to go.

 

Having had a fantastic time in my 5 days in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap last September, spending time with quasi-boyfriend (so many boyfriends) Cambodia Boy, and his fellow Jomtien boys, I thought it was a great idea to replicate that same trip structure this trip, this time in Myanmar, with my Burmese boy. In general, the sex trade is smaller/non-existent in these others countries, if compared to the mammoth that is Thailand (BKK and Patttaya in particular), so having someone you can make googly eyes with while you discover the sites felt very appealing to me. And having that warm, inviting body next to you, on lonely, horny nights may just be the relaxation that you need after a grueling day touring.

 

So I haphazardly read up on Myanmar literally weeks before my flight. While having grown in popularity with the tourists after opening its borders the last few years, Myanmar still lacks the well-developed tourist infrastructure that Thailand is famous for. I feel that the Myanmar government, stilted and inefficient as it is, should get on this tourist train, and quick. Cambodia, which already has developed tourists areas like Siem Reap and Angkor, and to a lesser extent Phnom Penh, is smaller and has fewer challenges to overcome in order for it to further develop its tourist infrastructure. Myanmar in comparison, is GIANT and its sights plenty and scattered all over the country. It will be a challenge to lift it up in quality to be at least up to Thailand’s example.

 

I’ve read about some pitfalls associated with travel to Myanmar. Most of it has improved and eased up over the years, but it was surprising to me that getting SIM cards for a run-of-the-mill data package for your smartphone was super hard and prohibitively expensive just a short few years ago. I read about lots of advice on getting pristine dollar bills to spend at the country. Any blemish and crease on the bills just won’t do. While certain Thai currency exchanges also frown upon beat-up dollar bills, the advice online seemed to over-stress this fact somewhat particularly for Myanmar. Other warnings: poor road conditions, unmetered taxis, expensive hotels, visas to enter (which was not as available a few years ago), the drug trade, the lists goes on.

 

So armed with knowledge online, as well as my crowdsourcing thread in the forums, and that great thread from z909 about his time in Myanmar, I head over to Yangon for two nights to start off my holiday in the peninsula. Since I started off by buying a roundtrip ticket to Bangkok from my U.S. city, I would have to buy tickets from Bangkok to Yangon for the day I arrive in Bangkok. I wanted to go straight to Yangon and did not want to leave Suvarnabhumi and deal with immigration.

 

While there was an abundance of flights going to Yangon from Bangkok, I was taking a risk. What if my two flights from the USA to Bangkok get delayed? It was already a 20+ hour flight for the two, and having to hop on a third to get to Yangon would require some coordination. Having 2 stops in your flight poses a lot of problems, so I decide to pack light and only have a carry-on suitcase and a backpack as a personal item with me. This avoids having to retrieve my checked-in luggage in Suvarnabhumi, which entails having to go through immigration first to get to baggage claim, only to have to turn around and go back through immigration to get back airside. I pack only the essentials: some toiletries I need and can't get in SE Asia, a set of clothes good for max 5 days (includes change of clothes in the middle of a day when I get to sweaty and gross and need to change), some gifts for BurBoy, and a pair of slippers.

 

Dilemma two was the actual transit in Bangkok from my international flight to my flight to Yangon. I am flying EVA air, and there were no EVA air flights from Bangkok to Yangon, so I had to choose an airline that will have a transit counter airside (inside the secure area of the airport). This limited my search to Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways, Thai Smile, as they seemed to have evidence online that they had transit counters stateside. I can't fly Air Asia as they only fly from Don Meaung. I chose Bangkok Airways because there are actual threads in TripAdvisor that confirmed that the Bangkok Airways transit counter was easy to spot. I book the $250 fare that took my to Yangon to Bangkok, and the flight back to Bangkok three days later.

 

There was also the problem of the visa. Since I am entering Myanmar twice this trip from Bangkok, in Yangon and Mandalay (because I will be in Bangkok whoring around between Yangon and Mandalay), I needed either two e-visas or a multiple entry visa. A quick scan in the internet showed that one e-visa was $50, and the multiple entry (MJSRV) was at least $150. So I decide to just get two e-visas to enter both cities from Bangkok. The application form was wicked easy to complete at https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/. I used the passport photo I used from my Cambodia e-visa, and it was no problem using my American credit card to pay for the two e-visas. The e-visas application was approved within 24 hours and I got this letter (sample only) that I printed out and will be at immigration:

 

 

So I get to my EVA flight in my US city with a bit of trepidation. Any delays would be devastating. But I got to Bangkok without a hitch. I follow the signs directing me to the transit counters:

 

 

It was a long walk, but the moving sidewalks help with the walking. It was a welcome bit of exertion after being trapped in a silver tube for 20+ hours. After 15 or so minutes I find the Bangkok Airways transit counter for domestic flights. The kind people at the counter direct me to the international counter, which was a level above where I was. I get to the counters which were next to other Thai airlines:

 

 

A kind and swishy Bangkok Airways employee prints me out a boarding pass and tells me that my flight was delayed an hour. I head over to the Bangkok Airways international passenger lounge and Line BurBoy that I will be an hour late for our rendezvous at Yangon airport.

 

After ODing on iced coffee and chocolate croissants (slim pickings in the Bangkok Airways lounge, which is available to all passengers), I video chat with BurBoy to say hi and touch base with him about our meeting at Yangon. He had been in Yangon for about a week now, staying with a cousin and looking for jobs. I see him onscreen, putting on his headphones with mic setup. He was all smiles, asking me how I was, telling me “No long na I see you,” and telling me he was excited to discover his country with me. He has now lived in Thailand longer than Myanmar, and has not known the country of his birth now as a young man, so this was a treat for him too. I show him all the pastries that were available in the lounge, and he tells me “Pum pui many if eat many.” I fucking love the word ปุ้มปุ้ย (pum-pui). As I turn the corner in my 30s and inevitably hitting 40 in half a decade’s time, it hard to not get fat as the metabolism slows down.

 

We wrap up our conversation and tell him that I will see him at around 3:30 PM or so in Yangon. I take one last swig of iced coffee, which is hitting the spot for me right now, and head over to my gate. I stop by Boots to get some last minute toiletries (face wash, sunscreen, lotion etc). I take a big pee before the flight. The gate for my flight is actually just a glorified bus stop. Once we line up to board we actually board a bus that will take us to our aircraft, which is parked at the side of the runway. Boarding was uneventful and the aircraft was nice and colorful:

 

 

Inside I notice that this aircraft is an old one. It had some frayed seats and stained walls. The graphics on the TV navigation looked really old and reminded me of 8-bit Mario games I used to play. It’s the font, more than anything, that made the graphic look really old to me. And the name “Rangoon, instead of “Yangon” contributed to the oldness of the graphic:

 

 

The flight was half full, and I had a whole row to myself. The passengers were mostly farang, jetting off to Yangon, and got into a nice conversation with an American girl who was meeting up with his BF in Yangon and taking the bus all over the country.  A few minutes later we take off and efficiently get served our meal for the flight:

 

 

It was fish curry, rather bland and gross, but I eat it all because I want to be ปุ้มปุ้ย. The flight attendants distribute immigration forms and customs declaration forms for us. No sooner after finishing the meal the captain announces we are descending into Yangon. It was an hour flight overall, so the flight attendants race in the aisles to clean up after our messes and prepare for landing. As we get closer to Yangon I look out the window to see what the whole country had an abundance of: Pagodas!

 

 

Not sure if the big Pagoda in the middle is the Shwedagon Pagoda, but it was fabulous to see it this high above.

 

After landing I get off the aircraft with the other passengers and follow the signs to immigration. Like Phnom Penh airport, and very much unlike Bangkok, immigration was not busy and was fairly efficient. I get to an immigration counter and hand over the e-visa letter and my passport and form to the immigration person, and in 30 seconds I was heading over to baggage claim. I rush through that and go through “customs” (i.e. one man standing there looking at us) and I am out in the main lobby at arrivals:

 

Slight snag: there seems to be some trouble connecting to the WI-FI in the airport. I can connect but the connection seems to get dropped as fast as I log on. I needed to Line BurBoy to tell him that I was here at last. I take my first crisp $100 bill and get it converted to Myanmar Kyat at the closest money exchange. I get some strange money, 135,000 kyats worth. I roll it up in my pocket and head over to the Telenor kiosk to get a SIM card and internet package for my stay. I was advised to get Telenor by BurBoy. The three employees behind the counter were pleasant and helpful, with good (passable) English. They show me the plans I can use. Apparently there is a fee for the SIM card (1500 kyat or $1.10). Having been accustomed to free SIMs everywhere, it’s only been in the last couple of years that SIM cards have been available to the masses in Myanmar. Before this, the cost of one SIM was super expensive and out or reach to the majority of Burmese people.

 

I opt for the 5GB package for 15,000 kyats, and after 5 minutes I was setup for fairly decent internet speeds.

 

 

I immediately Line call BurBoy and tell him where I am. I head outside at the curb and see some taxi waiting for customers. I take a photo of where I was and send it to BurBoy:

 

 

It wasn't that hot and humid today, and it was actually pleasant to just stand there and people watch. I felt a hand on my right shoulder, and with a slight squeeze I could tell that BurBoy has found me. I turn around and there he was, all smiles in that handsome face, with a suitcase in tow. His golden brown skin was even browner, no doubt a product of being outdoors more in his country than in Bangkok.

 

He did not hug me, as he does everywhere in Bangkok, and instead shakes my hand. He tells me before this trip that homosexuality is still frowned upon in Myanmar. He is not out to any of his family, and fear that any outsized displays of affection will be looked upon with some problems. I shake his hand back. A familiar giddy energy passes between the two of us. I had a feeling then that this trip will change my life, so let it be known that it all started with just a mundane handshake, one ordinary afternoon at the Yangon airport.

 

Next up, Christmas Eve, Yangon style.

[aussie_]

The details about airports,flights, sim cards etc in your reports are very useful for those of us considering a first visit to places like Myanmar.

[Creditisdue]

Please keep writing... While I eager await the juicy parts of your report the detailed information on myanmar have been good as well. Much like what you did for cambodia

[ggobkk]

Yes, as the common thread of appreciation makes clear, keep writing...BUT, also, keep including the photos.  They add a bit of sorrow/joy (first photo evoking the final airport goodbye) to the lighthearted SIM card advert.

 

I depart in a few hours for Bangkok and my reporting will be written on the equivalent of clay tablets compared to your prose.

[Vessey]

A truly outstanding Trip Report unfolding,

 

I am buckled-in and ready for the ride.

 

Thank you.

[vinapu]

A truly outstanding Trip Report unfolding,

 

I am buckled-in and ready for the ride.

 

Thank you.

I hope  you will write about your adventures as well. Are you still in Pattaya or back home? 

[numazu]

Day 1.4: Me love you Longyi

 

The day I arrive after a long and arduous flight from the USA to SE Asia is almost always a wasted day. Arriving in the middle of the day and wanting to do something at night, I usually take a 4-hour nap before dinner so I can have my first taste of the nightlife, usually in Bangkok. The disco naps that have me sleeping till 7 or 8 PM also serve as a jetlag minimizer: if I get enough sleep, I’ll adjust quicker. It seems to have worked in my 11 or so trips to the area.

 

This trip was different, of course. I find myself in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar. As metropolitan and near-modern as it is and continues to be as it accepts more tourist money in its coffers, this is still Myanmar, and the lack of good nightlife, and really, the lack of gay nightlife, is still a glaring weak spot, at least for me. I was anticipating to be able to attend the one gay dance night they had held once a month, originally scheduled for Christmas Eve. But now they have rescheduled it for New Year’s Eve (understandably), so I will just have to be content with my night activities in the bedroom.

 

I thankfully had some decent sleep on the plane, but still, jetlag is a thing no matter how much sleep you get, so I was still pretty tired when BurBoy shook my hand to signal the start of my trip. He was smiling from ear-to-ear, and exclaimed “You in Myanmar now!” as if it was such an unbelievable thing. Indeed, having promised him I would be in Myanmar with him a long 3 and a half months earlier, when I said goodbye to him in Bangkok, I didn’t think I would get this to this point. Lots of texting, video chats, and planning and the three months seemed to crawl by. Finally I was here, and I was as surprised as he is at the moment.

 

I remind BurBoy that before we head over to Central Yangon, we had to go to the domestic terminal to see if we can get flight tickets from Mandalay to Bagan.  I will be arriving in Mandalay from Bangkok in 5 days, and we will need to be in Bagan that night, so a flight is needed. Another flight for BurBoy from Bagan to Yangon was also needed because BurBoy does not have a (valid) passport yet, and since he will be my companion to the White Party in a week’s time, he will have to take the bus to Bangkok.  Instead of taking a bus from Bagan, which is further north, to Bangkok, why not skip those 10 hours to Yangon and just hop on a plane from Bagan to Yangon, and just spend the 14+ hours on a bus to Bangkok. I can see how travel agents earned their keep back in the day.

 

There was a free airport shuttle van that can take people to other terminals. Yangon airport has three terminals. I arrived at the brand spanking new Terminal 1, very modern and not at all busy. Bangkok Airways and Air Asia were the main tenants. Terminal 2 was the old international terminal, and received other airlines that had flights to Yangon from various parts of Asia. We had to go to Terminal 3, the domestic terminal. BurBoy guides me to cross the driveway to get to the waiting shuttle. We load up our suitcases and he tells the driver, in Burmese, our destination. The driver fires up the van right away and we make our first stop to Terminal 2 to see if there any passengers, before heading to Terminal 3.

 

We get to the terminal and upon entering had to put our suitcases through security, even if we were just there to buy tickets. We spot the counter for Air KBZ:

 

 

the most prolific domestic airline, and quickly get helped by a disturbingly friendly older male receptionist. He first talks to me in English but BurBoy interrupts and talks to him in Burmese to tell him about our plans. They do a back and forth before the guy handed us over to the main ticket agent where she, the receptionist and BurBoy have a lively discussion. I recognize the words “Bagan”, Mandalay” and “Yangon” but not much else.  BurBoy asks me for dates and I write it down on a piece of paper on the counter. I put “AM” on the date where he will leave Bagan to get to Yangon, and “PM” on the date where we will head from Mandalay to Bagan.

 

A quick check of her schedules and we were informed that at our date they did not have any Mandalay to Bagan flights that were at our time frame. They did have a Bagan to Yangon flight for BurBoy though. He quickly takes his Myanmar ID card from his wallet and gives it to the ticket agent. BurBoy asks me “You have $50 for ticket?” And I retrieve a shiny, unmolested $50 bill from one of my wads of cash in one of three distinct places in my person and my backpack (one can never be too careful). I hand this over to the agent. The agent looks at the $50 bill and shows it to the lady sitting next to her and they have a lively discussion about it. Are they not used to getting $50 bills? BurBoy chuckles at the discussion and looks at me and sticks his tongue out.

 

She asks BurBoy a few questions and then prints out his confirmation on a piece of paper printed from a very old printer:

 

 

We thank the agent and the receptionist for helping us, and we head out the door to catch a cab. BurBoy finds one to his liking, talks to the driver and we take our suitcases and put them in the trunk and get in the back. We drive out of the airport and hit some rural surroundings for a while before hitting the busy streets of Yangon. There was traffic in the way, possibly due to rush hour because it was 5 PM:

 

 

It takes us about 40 minutes to get to the hotel, the Chatrium Royal Lake Yangon. If it was good enough for Hillary Clinton when she stayed here, it would definitely be good enough for us. It was $110 a night for the two nights we are staying. There were a good variety of both simple hotels for $20 a night, to the Strand Hotel, which was $500 a night, in Yangon, so I felt this was a good choice. It was a little bit outside the main downtown area where Shwedagon Pagoda and the markets were, but taxis were in abundance in Yangon so its not an issue. It was situated by the Kandawgyi Lake, and the Bogyoke and Kandawgyi Parks, so a walk to nature might be possible soon.

 

I check the temperature and it was 86 degrees (30 celsius) now, but it felt cooler when we got off the taxi in front of the hotel. It must be the cooler breeze from the lake. One of the handsome receptionists greets us and we quickly get escorted to one of the couches in the lobby. He asks for our passports (I give him mine, BurBoy gives him his Myanmar ID card). I take a quick photo of the Christmas display at the lobby. I’ve been busy this December, and did not have time to get into the Christmas spirit, so seeing this, 9000 miles away from home, it suddenly filled me with the holiday spirit I did not expect to find in a Buddhist country:

 

 

As we wait for check-in, BurBoy asks me what I wanted to do tonight. I preempt any ideas of a big night and tell him I am still jet-lagged and would want to rest as much as I can, given our big Yangon day tomorrow. He said we could at least check out the park and find restaurants by the lake. I thought that was an excellent idea to have Christmas Eve dinner by the lake.

 

The hunky receptionist serves some light and sweet iced tea to us as a welcome drink, as well as some cold moist towels to wipe away the Yangon humidity off of our faces. Pretty soon one of the lobby people gives me a check bin with the bill for the whole stay. I see both our names in the bill, good to know no one batted an eyelash when two men check-in to a one king-size bed room. I give her my credit card and 5 minutes later I sign the bill and we are off to our room. The hunky receptionist takes our bags and escorts us to our room. We needed the key card to operate the elevator.

 

We get to our room and it is fairly western and clean. A stock photo of the room:

 

 

BurBoy fishes out 500 kyat from his pocket and gives it to the hunky receptionist for helping. He bids us a nice stay and off he goes. I wonder if he was guessing what was going on between us. It never seemed to be a problem. I quickly unpack one of the suitcases and retrieve BurBoy’s presents from the homeland (just some American made shirts and a book). I tell him “Merry Christmas!” unsure of what that meant to him. He thanks me back and hugs me tightly. And thanks me some more by taking off his shirt and shorts. He is very naked in close quarters with me, and was never shy about showing me what he’s got. The holiday has begun!

 

He then unpacks some things in his suitcase and gives me my presents: a longyi and a pair of slippers. I thank him for the presents. It was items that were a must for every Myanmar guy in the country.  Of course you don’t have to wear a longyi or slippers while touring, but it does make things easier. It was very touching, and the slippers even were the right size for my feet. I ask him to teach me how to wear the longyi. I take off my shirt and shorts. He takes his own longyi from his suitcase and shows me how.  Sexy YouTube tutorial on how to tie a longyi:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IzE2Ey7Eyw

 

My own tutorial from BurBoy was very sensual as well. He told me beforehand that he has not been to a gym in a month, so he won’t be as ripped as I am used to. Seeing his ripped abs and muscles I don’t know what he was talking about. Oh to be 23 years old and have that metabolism. And tying that longyi with that body was amazing. I take a few photos and show it to him. He was surprised that his abs popped out as it did in the longyi. I put my own longyi and after a few tries got the hang of tying it.

 

The longyi (pronounced lawn-gee), of course, is the traditional piece of clothing widely worn in Myanmar. It’s really just a cylindrical sheet of cloth and is worn usually without tying it into a knot. I felt that wearing a longyi while touring gave the tour an extra dimension, a chance to feel like a local while a tourist in their country. Not sure if I am brave enough to just wear underwear under the longyi, but we will shall see.

 

Here is a stock photo of a Myanmar boy in a longyi, so you get the idea:

 

 

In contrast, a Facebook page “Tourists Wearing Longyis” (https://www.facebook.com/TouristsWearingLongyis), makes light-hearted fun of farang wearing the ubiquitous cloth. Will I be subject to the same (harmless) ridicule? Not sure that with my Generic Asian Face™ that I can pass for Burmese just yet. We shall see as this trip goes. One screenshot:

 

 

BurBoy approaches me and holds me. He kisses me and takes of my longyi. I take off his and we kiss. I suggested we take a shower and have fun there, and he takes off his skimpy briefs and I take off my boring ones. He takes the lead and turns on the shower to my preferred temperature. We enter the shower and I get my usual thorough soap down from him. I return the favor, if only to get a feel of the amazing body I have missed for three months. We kiss and stroke each other’s cocks. At 5’9 his height is more accessible to me (as opposed to my towering BF), and is ripe for kissing. We chuck wow until we come. We soap up some more till we are clean again. As far as tours go, the start of this one is one of the best so far.

 

So our night ahead, in the parks and lakes of Yangon, next.

[Guest]

The details about airports,flights, sim cards etc in your reports are very useful for those of us considering a first visit to places like Myanmar.

A SIM card is highly recommended, since whilst hotel wifi can be down for hours, at least Telenor maintained a service during my trip. Not fast, but it did the job.

[numazu]

The details about airports,flights, sim cards etc in your reports are very useful for those of us considering a first visit to places like Myanmar.

 

This is primarily the reason why I go into detail about the other things as well (also I cannot help myself that I am so wordy). The detail may be useful to some of you contemplating a trip to Myanmar. I've already received PMs telling me that Myanmar is now on their list of places to visit, as a complement to Thailand. I should get residuals from the Myanmar Tourism Board!

 

Please keep writing... While I eager await the juicy parts of your report the detailed information on myanmar have been good as well. Much like what you did for cambodia

 

 

Thanks for confirming that the non-sexual parts are welcomed as well. Rest assured, I will detail some of the juicy sexy parts, but this trip report is more about the tours and feelings, and less about sex and gratification (at least relative to my other reports). There is still some sex tho, in Day 3 it starts in Bangkok, where I will be on my own, without BurBoy.

 

Yes, as the common thread of appreciation makes clear, keep writing...BUT, also, keep including the photos.  They add a bit of sorrow/joy (first photo evoking the final airport goodbye) to the lighthearted SIM card advert.

 

I depart in a few hours for Bangkok and my reporting will be written on the equivalent of clay tablets compared to your prose.

 

 

ggobbk, safe travels! Sorry we won't be able to meet up this time, but I am sure your trip will be a good one, as usual. Please do write about it. The trips reports are one of the more entertaining parts of this board so your contribution will always be welcome. Photos do say a lot more than words can ever convey. In the photo, that empty luggage cart by the Airport Rail Link turnstiles still fills me with sadness sometimes.

 

A truly outstanding Trip Report unfolding,

 

I am buckled-in and ready for the ride.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Thank Vessey. I thoroughly enjoy your trip reports and glad that you are joining me on this one. If only I can do what you do when you go on your trips! Maybe someday I'll go back to that.

 

I hope  you will write about your adventures as well. Are you still in Pattaya or back home? 

 

 

vinapu! I need to PM you about an upcoming trip. And its not what you think.

 

A SIM card is highly recommended, since whilst hotel wifi can be down for hours, at least Telenor maintained a service during my trip. Not fast, but it did the job.

 

 

Thanks z909. I agree, it was not fast but helpful if you are somewhat lost en route to your destination if using google maps. Also Line works great and video chat doesn't seem to be a problem. BurBoy scouted the various cellphone companies and Telenor seemed to be the best, in terms of where I was going this trip. He has had problems with it in outside the main tourist zones tho. May not work in the other smaller towns.

[numazu]

I forgot to answer these and have been meaning to:

 

There is a Numazu, Japan, not terribly far from Tokyo. Any connections with you? Just curious....

 

Keep up the good reports.

Hmmm interesting question. I'll just say that there may be a connection, but as to what I'll just keep that to myself . And thanks, I'll keep up as long as you guys do as well.

 

OMG.... just started reading.... love it!

 

this forum seems to be going from strength to strength lately. i used to only drop in occasionally... now it seems it is a wealth of info, news, and enjoyable reading! keep up the good work boys!

 

numaza .. im subscribed! im interested in all your tales, including the non-sexual.

 

And as an aside... will be in BKK for songkran parties this year.... you around?

 

Thanks ozmouse. Like I always say, I probably enjoy writing these more than you guys enjoy reading it. And i will be back for songkran, for all of it: the holiday, water fights, night parties and pool parties. It'll be more lit than the White Party, I can assure you of that .

[Guest 777ckl]

More...., more....more.....

[numazu]

Day 1.7: Christmas Yangon Eve

 

When one thinks of Myanmar, one thinks of temples, authoritarian governments, and the awesome Aung San Suu Kyi. Looking at it in a map, with its proximity to Bhutan and Nepal, I even googled “Myanmar Himalayas” and got some interesting results that I have to explore later. But Christmas is probably last on your list when thinking about this country. It wasn’t on my mind for sure. Surprisingly though, the Farang Friendly™ hotel I am staying at reminded me that I chose to spend Christmas in Myanmar, with a boy who hardly knew what Christmas meant to Westerners.

 

After our brief shower sex encounter, I decide not to try and get some rest before dinner. The exertions of sex, coupled with the weight of almost 21 hours of flight time on my shoulders (and my eyelids) and 12+ time zones worth of adjustment, have made me strangely wired. I was exhausted with the lack of sleep, but since it was daytime back home I was “wide” awake. If I took a nap now I will wake up at 2 AM and that will definitely fuck up my day tomorrow. So we both put on clothes to go get our Christmas Eve dinner. One thing I appreciate about BurBoy is that he always wears a t-shirt and shorts (and Nikes) to match my own Farang Wear™, so I don’t feel underdressed or felt that our respective attires were a mismatch. I'd like to believe we just looked like two buddies hanging out.

 

We take the elevator and I push the button for G (Ground?). We get to the ground level and do not recognize anything about the floor. Where was the lobby? We look around for a while and see this poster:

 

 

Just our luck, tonight, there was a male beauty pageant in the hotel. We see some girls in full hair and makeup and shiny gowns and jewelry heading into the Rizzolo bar and restaurant where the pageant was being held. I ask BurBoy if he wanted to attend. He vigorously shook his head. “No good!” he exclaimed. I laugh and think about it for a minute. Yeah, I was really exhausted, and from the looks of the girls, we were underdressed, and just my luck, I left my gown at home. So I just say an “aw shucks” and regret the missed opportunity to possibly gawk at prime Myanmar meat.

 

I trolled online and saw the actual video for the pageant, showing what we missed:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVWp_ciUZ40

 

Some screenshots from the video. Everyone in the pageant had the Christmas spirit!

 

 

 

I think these are the winners, and the last two photos is the one in first place, or "Best Body":

 

 

 

 

Anyway, shaking off the lost opportunity, we decide on something to eat. BurBoy pulls up google maps and shows me some restaurants that were walkable from the hotel. I take one look at his maps with Thai writing and decide to just find the location on my English language phone. I match the location on his phone with mine and see that he wanted to go to “The Best” restaurant.

 

 

With that name, we really can’t do better than the best. We head out to the street to find it, and pass by this street food kiosk:

 

 

Lots of yummy food in display, curries, vegetables, spices. Maybe for some other time:

 

 

As we walk to the restaurant we get to the banks of the Kandawgi Lake, and see the Karaweik Hall in the distance, with some out of place high-rises in the back of the structure. I see a crane on one of them so it’s a sign of Yangon’s onward march to progress.

 

 

We pass by this interesting tower made of rocks, the Utopia Tower, which housed some bars, karaoke, a massage parlor and a viewing deck, also having a lot of Christmas spirit:

 

 

We get to “The Best” and see that it is an indoor/outdoor restaurant with seating by the lake. The waiters and waitresses were wearing santa hats. Everyone really was getting into this Christmas thing. They may have heard of it in this country:

 

 

BurBoy looks for tables that were next to the lake and finds a huge table for us two. Looking at the size of the tables and the number of parties in each table, it looks like this place is for parties and eating big meals and getting drunk afterwards. We get handed menus and I immediately get asked, in Burmese… something. I smile widely and look at BurBoy. He tells the waitress something and she hurries back to the kitchen. BurBoy smiles at me and says “Your face Myanmar na”. I laugh out of my Generic Asian Mouth™. He adds “Good for me because if you farang maybe other think we gay.” I think about that for a minute. It was just the two of us in this table, so I would think they'd assume we were a couple anyway, farang or no. BurBoy is still slightly concerned about being outed in his home country. I guess it is different for him because he only knows how to be a young adult in Thailand, and he was openly gay there, as opposed to here.

 

The waitress comes back with the find of the trip: Myanmar Beer!

 

 

This beer is the best. I was thirsty, and the cool breeze from the lake was relaxing, and the company pretty warm and bubbly. So drinking the beer was just the amazing cherry on top of what is shaping up to be a great Christmas Eve. It wasn’t bitter - “No bitt” as BurBoy would say. It goes down easy and it takes us no time at all to order more. BurBoy looks at the menu:

 

 

and he orders the meals for us, having told him before coming here that I am eager to try the local cuisine and trust his choices. Our food comes and he decided and getting three curries (chicken, fish and “Baaa-baaa” – BurBoy for lamb) as well as a salad:

 

 

He asks me about Christmas and how my family celebrated it. I tell him about the dinners and the ham. I tell him about the christmas trees and over the top decorations. I tell him about the gross commercialization of it all and how I sometimes buy into it. I tell him about Santa Claus and the gift exchange. And I tell him about snow, and tell him California did not have white Christmases per se but we can venture out to the slopes to get a taste of the powder. He has told me before about his wish to see snow. I do hope he gets to see it, maybe on the mountaintops of Myanmar’s Himalayas, or maybe at Lake Tahoe at the border of California and Nevada, in some fantasy vacation we have that I have in my head.

 

We finish half of the dishes and all the beer we ordered. We get the bill and it came out to about $11 for the whole Christmas Eve feast. Not bad for filling our tummies, and our souls, full of amazing Myanmar treats.

 

We walk slowly back to the hotel. The night was so nice. Not a lot of people and cars in the streets and we almost held hands but thought better of it. We see the hotel in the distance, decked out in Christmas finery:

 

 

As we get closer we see the hotel’s great Christmas lights draped on the trees that lined the street:

 

 

 

We see a lot of people taking photos and selfies in front of the Christmas display, and promptly upload it to their social media accounts. I wonder if they have any Christmas décor back at home. BurBoy tells me they didn’t have any at his growing up.

 

 

Entering the hotel’s complex we see more lights and BurBoy could not resist asking me to take photos of him in front of the festive display. We snap some of him and of the two of us. I never think Christmas as a romantic time, as I was always in a large party with family and friends celebrating it. But now, in a Buddhist country, this most commercial of holidays felt super intimate and romantic spending it with BurBoy in Myanmar. Christmas in Myanmar actually ain’t so bad.

 

Next up, Day 2, exploring Yangon…

[vinapu]

few money questions:

 

do they still have Foreign exchange certificates and mandatory exchange of certain amount of USD  per day  regimen ?

 

What's the current exchange rate ?

 

Do they still have  street rate  / black market / much higher than official ?

 

can you pay for hotels and flights in local currency or still as foreigner you must pay in USD ?