garygx

Quick update...they have finished laying all of the brick.  Everyone is pleased with the progress, but also a little tired and they plan to take a few days off to simply relax and recharge.  They also need to order the supplies for what is going above the brick portion of the walls.  I am still not quite sure what that is, but Cam will send me photos once they get start so I will have a much better idea then.  The finished brick work actually looks pretty good.  Cam even sent me a video of him laying brick and he looked like a professional.  Brought back memories of watching my father do that.  It would seem they will be finished with the fence project in time for my arrival in early September...thank goodness.  I must admit I was a little concerned as the scope of this project was far more involved than I expected.  

Thank you for asking.  I haven't posted much about it recently as I didn't think many forum members were all that interested.  The Gay Cambodia section is not nearly as lively as the Gay Thailand section.  lol.  
Things are progressing nicely.  They finished digging for the footers, building the framework out of steel rods, and poured the concrete for all of the footers and columns.  Mind you, all of this is basically being done by Cam, his brother and his father manually.  Even the footers were dug by hand with a shovel.  Just yesterday they started to lay brick.  They were all very happy and excited to reach this stage.  Even his mother is out there helping.  She is bringing them buckets of mortar and has her little red plastic bin she fills with brick and brings to them.  Certainly is a family affair.  Cam assures me they will be finished with the project by the time I arrive next month.  I certainly hope so, but understand that things happen with construction all of the time.  I will need to keep an open mind and think positive.  
I am including a couple of photos that show the work but none of the family members for privacy reasons.  Cam is okay with me posting as long as nobody is actually in the photos.  

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Jim. So, in summary, your only connection to Cambodia is an emotional one to Cam.
I wish you all the best in your new adventure. ✌️🫶

lol. I guess I must be the adventuresome type of person.  Either that, or some might say I live in a state of sheer stupidity.  You are 100% correct.  I have never been to Cambodia.  In fact, until I met Cam, Cambodia was never even on my radar other than knowing it was a country in Southeast Asia that borders Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.  I was in high school during the Vietnam War and vaguely recall news stories about the bombing of Cambodia by America, but never really knew much about the country other than that until I met Cam.  To my knowledge, I have never met anyone from Cambodia until meeting Cam.  I have since met some of his friends, all of whom are Cambodian.  Of course, the friends are all located in Bangkok, so that will not be very useful if we are in Battambang, Cambodia.  I have been trying to educate myself as much as possible about the culture and the history.  There are a number of good documentaries available that provide a historical perspective from different viewpoints.  Several books were recommended to me by forum members as well, which I ordered from amazon.com and they were waiting for me when I returned from Bangkok.  I have finished two of the four books and am about halfway through the third one.  Basically, it’s like cramming for an exam.  Never tried Khmer food.  In fact, I have tried to locate a restaurant in the Denver area that specializes in Khmer cuisine to no avail.  There is one place that is located inside a bar that has a fusion menu of different Southeast Asian and American foods combined.  Not very authentic.  There are some Cambodian restaurants in California, but nothing I ever tried when living there.  I have downloaded an app on my phone and am attempting to learn the language…or at least a few important phrases for my first visit there.  While I am looking forward to reuniting with Cam on my upcoming trip in September, I would say this trip is also a fact-finding mission to see if this is something I can really do at this stage in my life.
When I moved to California more than 35 years ago, I only knew one other person.  That move was never planned but an accident.  The one person I knew was a friend who was transferred by his company from Atlanta to San Francisco.  He recruited a number of his friends to help with the move.  I was one of those friends.  I drove the U-Haul truck across country that contained all of his belongings as well as his dog beside me in the cab of the truck.  My plan was to spend a few extra days sightseeing and then fly home. My friend had paid for the plane ticket in exchange for helping with the move.   I discovered that I really liked California and the idea of living there.  I gave myself one week to see if I could find a job…and the rest is history.  Before meeting my ex-boyfriend, I knew nothing about Taiwan nor had ever visited the country.  We even lived there for more than a year because of visa issues he had in the US.  I thoroughly enjoyed that time and would look forward to our annual trips to visit his family during the ten years we were together.  I didn’t know anyone there, knew little about the history or culture of the country, but managed quite well.  I even took classes at a local university to learn the language.  Yes, the move to Denver from San Jose was to be closer to my family…more specifically to my nephews.  After my parents retired, they moved to Florida and as they got older both had health issues.  When things got really bad, both me and my sister made multiple trips back and forth to Florida dealing with the various problems.  It was challenging for us both to deal with these things long distance.  Since I never had children, as I get older the burden of caring for me will fall to my nephews.  In fact, the younger nephew is one of the persons named legally in documents if anything ever did happen to me and I was unable to make decisions or take care of myself.  I did not know a single person other than family when I moved to Denver.  I had never been to Denver before.  But I made the move so that my nephews would not be put through the same ordeal as me and my sister with our parents.  Moving to a place totally foreign to me and not knowing anyone seems to be a pattern most of my life.
Do I have some concerns…of course…but you don’t know until you try.  I won’t know if this is something I can really do at this stage in my life unless I actually go and spend some time there.  Come September I will get that opportunity for approximately ten weeks.  If all goes well, I will return in early 2027 once the new house project is finished and make the move more permanent.  As the saying goes…’the things we do for love’.

1. for transfer from airport to the city  you may also take novel and almost never mentioned approach - just arrive there  fully knowing that you will me met with several offers  of taxi as soon as you step out of arrival area. Try , it can be fun , for 20-25 $
If I were Cam I'd suggest he takes taxi from the city for round trip to / from airport, that way you both arrive there in style , not to mention embrace each other much sooner. Why wait ?
3. while captainmick above  is right that USD is accepted everywhere and Ichigo equally right warning  you that notes should be in very good condition , definitely no tears , pinholes and writing on them he also points at possible problem of obtaining change from bigger denomination and in poor country even 20 $ bill may be considered as such.
But USD have advantage of portability as 100 USD note will produce 40 most popular 10 000 riels notes.
My solution to that is to change money often as need arises and ask for smaller denomination. In Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is should be easy as exchange booths are well spread and aplenty where people congragate i.e markets. 
Exchange rate  is more or less fixed at 4000 riels to 1 USD and there's no need  to do much leg work in order  to find something better like 4015 or even 4034 as savings will be relatively minor. Keep in mind that airport exchanges, while offering similar rates may charge some 1 or 2% fees, novelty I noticed when there in January so don't change too much there it at all
Beauty of dual currency system is that you can pay in both currencies for the same transaction  so your 10$ dinner for two can be paid with 5$ and 20000 riels notes and nobody blinks an eye.
4. may be not that numerous but definitely there are at least few stalls selling SIM cards in Siem Reap airport as I surely obtained one in Januray, if I recall it was something like 5$ for 7 days and certainly they have longer plans   
 
Cambodia makes it easy for tourists to spent their money and is not charging a lot for the privilege in most cases

Both these cards are debit cards, so no interest,  amounts deducted from your account. UK based cards.

I have an upcoming 2 week trip to Cambodia at the end of July. I had planned to use my Wise card, but just found out that the USA issued wise card is not supported in Cambodia. May I ask what ways you all have handled the money issue when visiting. I was hoping not to travel with a lot of cash in my pocket as I will be traveling around the Philippines before heading to Cambodia.
Thank you!

I use my regular debit card, the same I'm using to withdraw money or pay directly  from account at home. I'm  not from USA

I just use my Currensea Mastercard, or my Marriott Bonvoy Mastercard, also Currensea, no commission. This is for USD.

I think you should specify that by "you all" you actually mean other US folks. My sense is that the majority of members here are not from the US and they won't have the same problem as you. So, like me, they won't be in a position to give you a relevant reply.
However a brief Google search reveals that ATMs in Cambodia will dispense cash against Visa and MasterCards, even US-issued ones. If another US traveller has experience actually doing that, then hopefully he will reassure you that the Google result is true.

I m sorry for ur disappointing experience, rockeroy.
Leaving money and valuables outside a safe, or not in a hiding place or not with u in the shower - is a big NO NO, no matter how nice the guy seems.
With ur permission, I humbly submit that the right to b politely assertive comes with being a paying client. There is no reason not to politely tell B: u seem distracted; please put the phone aside and concentrate on me. In fact, I always tell them upfront: please turn off ur phone or silence/darken it and put it aside.
While it's obvios u r a nice non-confrontational person, I beg u to accept that the way u treated B invites him to continue such conduct with others. In fact, he probably disappointed u, because previous clients indulged him in a similar manner.....   )-:

I actually agree with what you wrote, except for the part where you mentioned to put the dementia afflicted person into an institution.
After watching many of my relatives go through the horrors of slowly disappearing into the world of dementia with their final stage of life in an assisted care institution, I personally witnessed first hand their displeasure of being forced into an environment that they had no connection or familiarity with, often resulting in them becoming more recluse or angry with the sense of abandonment by their loved ones.
In my pollyanna fantasy world, I would desire to find 2 guys to take care of me in my last years (hopefully even sooner) where these 2 guys love each other and would be willing to create a family with me. 
Why more than 1 guy?
Dealing with a person day in and day out is truly exhausting and requires a lot of stamina and patience - so 2 guys would be the minimum so that when 1 needs a psychological or mental break the other guy can be there for me.
I just want the last phase of my life to be at the sea with a seaview, as the sea has an incredible calming effect on me.
Is this fantasy too pollyanna-ish?

You forgot your meds again

The normal reasoning I use when a guy says he doesn't like gay sex...

Don't forget SANSUk sauna 
Entry fee 280 baht 
I was gangbanged in there by 3 X 70yo Singaporean guys !!!🍑
They all must of travelled together, my big fat ass was up over the bench and they worked up a sweat pounding my hairy ass 
One nearly had a heart attack❣️ he was going balls n all pounding away my big fat daddy butt 🍑

I don't believe anyone is forcing you to visit.  If you don't care to visit a place, then don't.  There are many places in the world I have no desire to see or visit in person.  I don't go around bad mouthing them.  That is totally inappropriate.  If you don't want to visit Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia...or wherever.  That is your choice.  There is absolutely no reason to be nasty and mean about it.  We all have our preferences as to what we like and don't like...not just in regards to men, but people and places in general.  That is life.  Get over it.  My mother always told me...if you cannot say something nice about it, then perhaps you shouldn't say anything at all.  Maybe you should follow that advice.  

After a two-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, I arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This was my first time using the new airport. Everything went very smoothly (immigration and baggage claim), and outside the building are three different telecom company offices where you can buy a SIM card with internet very cheaply. The new airport is so far from the city! It took me an hour to reach my hotel. There's a very nice new road for most of it, but the speed limit there is only 60 km/h. That's not very fast.
I arrived at the MEN'S Resort hotel. After settling into my room, I went to relax by the pool. Between five and six, many men entered the resort to use the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and cruising area. A mix of older Western tourists and young Khmer boys. The dimly lit steam room seemed particularly popular for cruising. The lockable cabins were also frequently used. Nudity is not permitted in or around the pool. In the cruising area, including the steam room, jacuzzi, etc., nudity is permitted. Men walk around with a small towel. Some with nothing underneath, but many with underwear on.
Just to be clear: anyone not staying at the resort can still use the facilities for a small entrance fee. Massages are also available and can be booked through reception. Peak cruising time is between about 7 and 8:30 PM. After 9 PM, it completely empties out. So it's a relatively short window to "peak"... Haha.
Even I, as a somewhat chubby 45-year-old man, had some guys interested because there was some touching here and there, especially in the steam room. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle. One guy in particular caught my eye. Very cute. From Cambodia but only in Siem Reap for a few days. After we touched each other in the jacuzzi, he invited me to a private room together. He's an eager kisser, too. Very nice.
 

Thanks, @vinapu.  That comment led me to the following information:
Ordinary (E-Class) Visa: Formerly known as a business visa, this is the best option for stays longer than 30 days, including working, retirement, or students. It is valid for 30 days initially but can be extended for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.
If you enter on an E-Class visa, you can apply for an Extension of Stay (EOS): 
>EB Visa (Business/Ordinary): For those working or intending to work, extendable up to 12 months.
>ER Visa (Retirement): For retirees showing proof of retirement.   This would be the category I would pursue as a temporary solution.  Cambodia does have an actual retirement visa I would apply for eventually.  
 

Same here.  Romantic at heart and prefer monogamous relationship.  Have met someone from Cambodia who is currently working in Bangkok.  Plans to return to Cambodia near Siem Reap soon.  Looking into a visit to Cambodia...never been.  If all goes well, plan to 'hang up my boxing gloves' and apply for retirement visa there.  

Too long ago to remember....

HCMC/Saigon
 
I arrived by train from Danang. It’s an 18-hour train ride, but at least half the time I was sleeping and during daylight I enjoyed watching the scenery. I also got a decent meal and coffee along the way. If you have time and enjoy travelling by train, I highly recommend it.
 
Arrival was around 730 in the morning, so my room at the Alagon City Hotel and Spa was not ready yet, but the receptionist directed me to the pool area, where I had a shower and a change of clothes. Thus refreshed, I consulted Grindr. One message was from an early 30s guy from Singapore staying in a Hotel close by. We had a nice quickie in his room and I set out to explore the city after that.
 
On a coffee break I chatted with a 21 year old student and we agreed to meet at the cafe where I was sitting. We had a nice chat, then a nice walk and then lunch. After that we went back to the hotel. He was with me as I completed check-in and followed me to my room, so it seems the hotel has no issues with guests. We had no less than three rounds of great sex interrupted by cuddling and conversation. After that we went out for dinner and he returned home.
 
The next day, I didn’t do much in the morning except enjoying the rooftop pool area and some reading. In the afternoon I visited Adam Spa (Nadam on google maps). It has excellent reviews on this forum and elsewhere. Well deserved as it must be the most aesthetically pleasing gay sauna I have ever been to (once my sight had adjusted to the dim light). There is a steam room, saunas and jacuzzi on the ground floor. On the next floor is a cruising area with several rooms where you can enjoy privacy. On the last floor is a warmish chill out room with an aroma steam room in the middle.
 
I came around 4 pm on a Tuesday and there were some 12-15 other guests at that time. From late 20s to 60s. I had fun with 4 of the other guests during my two hour visit. Adam Spa is around 6 km from district one. I took 40 minutes to cover that distance by car during rush hour traffic, so next time I go, I will book a motorcycle Grab instead of a car.
 
I had dinner again with the student from the previous day and we went to the hotel for another round of good sex and a couple of hours of cuddling and sleeping before he had to go home. 
 
On the third day I had an early afternoon hook-up. He came directly to the hotel. It was meh, and the guy didn’t quite look like his pictures, so I let it be a reminder to myself either to meet people outside first or have validated photos or a video chat before agreeing to hook up.
 
In the evening, my fwb from Bangkok arrived, so for the next 5 days there was no need for saunas or Grindr. We had a good time visiting some of Saigon’s main attractions like the Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum. We also did a day trip to the Mekong Delta and watched a show in the Opera House. It was dancing and acrobatics in the same style as the Hoi An Memories Show, but not quite as impressive. 
 
There was hardly any smog in Saigon and the city is actually quite walkable with wide sidewalks lined with trees and numerous little parks that also offer a bit of refuge from the otherwise chaotic traffic. 
 
Vietnamese food is really good, the coffee is excellent and prices are lower than in Thailand. hooking up via apps and in the saunas is easy, but judging from my one experience massages are probably not as good as in Thailand. All in all, I highly recommend a visit to Vietnam.

No thanks, each to their own not for me, based on my integrity intelligence and principles of morality within the confines of the 🌎 we have 
 
NO THANKS!!!!!!!
I did use them in Cambodia several years ago and they were great but I don't use them anymore 
I received a few personal messages and I agree not to use them, it's just a personal thing for me based on morals of this world 🌎 
 
their guides are  good however...but not for me anymore , sorry to say 
 

Their guides are gay, but no touch. I use them in Bangkok, and Pattaya,  and they have been good. Good English, and usually registered  guides.Not tried Vietnam. 

When you visit the Museum, watch where you put your head!

Ninh Binh/Tam Coc and Hoi An
 
I took a train to Ninh Binh and a Grab to my accommodation in Tam Coc, Tam Coc Valley Eco Resort. Nice little place in a compound with rooms with direct access to the courtyard/pool area. They had bicycles for free use, so my first afternoon, I explored the surroundings on two wheels, had coffee and crepe by the lake and later for dinner half a spitroasted duck that I couldn’t finish.
 
Next day I had booked a full day tour to see the ancient Imperial temple at Hoa Lu, the newish pagoda at Bai Dinh, the Trang An Tunnel cave system and finally the 500 steps up Lying Dragon Mountain to see the views.
 

On my last day it rained a little. That is perfect running weather for me, so I went for a run around some of the area that I had explored by bike on the first day.
There wasn't a lot of activity on Grindr. Mostly other tourists stay in Tam Coc, whereas it seems the locals live in Ninh Binh around 6 km from there. So if you want physical intimacy in Tam Coc, I suggest you bring a date or try a different app than Grindr.
 
A 14 hour night train from Ninh Binh to Danang and then an hour by grab brought me to Hoi An. My sleep on the train was better than I had expected, so before I left the station in Danang I purchased another train ticket for the next leg of my journey to Saigon. 
 
Hoi An is a very charming town famous for tailors, leather goods and silk lamps that attracts a lot of visitors. I discovered that a good part of the visitors are day trippers who stay on the coast or in Danang, so mornings and evenings are not so crowded, but still very charming. There is a one hour show every evening, the Hoi an Memories Show. It is an extravaganza of lights, music, fire, water, and hundreds of performers, quite a number of whom are bare chested young men. 
 

VID_20260123_201310.mp4    
 
The town has a gay bar, Living colors, and a gay sauna, Rooster. On my first evening there, a Thursday, I tried out the sauna. It is a small place covering three floors. The ground floor has a locker room and showers, next floor up a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a balcony/smoking area and the last floor has 4 or 5 lockable rooms. I had fun with the one other guest there, a forty-something local and when he left I decided to try out one of the spa treatments on offer. 
 
I chose the one hour body scrub at a price of 500k dong from which the entry fee of 150k dong was subtracted. I wasn’t too impressed. I have had body scrubs in hamams in Istanbul that had me almost floating on air as I left the establishments. This was more of a poorly executed massage with the addition of being rubbed down with a scrubbing creme. I hadn’t cum yet, so I also accepted the extras offered, which was basically just a handjob. I tipped 500 k and the therapist seemed pleased with that.
 
I gave the place a second chance on a Sunday early evening. This time there was at least 6 other guests besides me, and I hooked up with two of them, both local, one around my age and one in his thirties.
 
From Grindr I had a hook up with a Brazilian couple in their 40’s and 50’ and some side fun with a local in his 30’s at my rooms (Full Moon Apartments). At the gay bar, Living Colors, I attended karaoke night on friday and drag show (just one queen, but she did well) on saturday and made out with a very cute late 20’s from the Philippines.
 
On Grindr, it seemed that most of the local talent lives in Danang, so I think I will try staying there a few days, if I ever return. I think I may, as I have really enjoyed Vietnam so far.
 
Next and final installment of my Vietnam report will be about Saigon, where I have only been one day so far, but have already had great fun.