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and of course that all assumes that you walk around with your phone unlocked

I always carry mine with me because I figure that is the safest place for it. I got a nice leather passport cover which helps keep it from getting damaged. And with the heat and humidity here the cover helps to keep it from getting bent up.

I've never been to Phuket. No interest in going either really. Was just in CM. It's a very interesting area. Besides the city itself there are lots of things within a short drive of the city as well. The other day I did a nature day. Hike up this multi-level water (Mae Sa I believe it is called). There are several orchid farms. Went to the Siam Insect Zoo which is filled with butterflies in an enclosed area. It's great if you like taking pictures since butterflies are often hard to shoot in the wild. Then we went to this cave shrine thing that was also interesting but a bit of a climb. Made for a bit of a tiring day. This time of year is it is warm days and cool nights. And there are some boys to see there too if the urge strikes.

Tons of escorts and massage places in HK. There's a website gayhk.com that has lots of listings. For some reason though there are many listings from Shenzhen as well on that site. I did a massage in HK last week. The massage itself was pretty good and the "extra services" were quite good for just HK$400 more. However the low price quoted for the massage didn't include a pre or post shower so that basically doubled the price. Lesson learned there.

Having a guide can be very useful, especially if you're a first time visitor. Even in Bangkok. As long as he's a licensed guide who knows his stuff anyway. Bt2000++ seems about right for a regular guide. The ++ is usually things like admission fees, transportation, maybe lunch.

I am a big fan of public transport too. But taxis are so cheap in Bangkok they shouldn't be discounted. The time and hassle are worth something too. I use the BTS for getting around town once I am in place for most of my trips. I even just got a Rabbit card even though I don't spend too much time in Bangkok. But I think it's better than having to deal with change and until the end of the year they are available at a discount price. Also usable at a number of food and retail places. www.rabbitcard.com Now, if they would get the MRT integrated into the system already it would be perfect. It is basically the same as the stored value cards as used in Hong Kong or Taipei or I am sure a number of other places.

Just take a taxi. My ride to the airport from Sala Daeng Soi 1 was about Bt220 on the meter plus 70 for the tolls. From the airport you also have to add the 50 baht airport fee. Of course if you are arriving at rush hour you would pay more and it would take longer. In general the public transit system is great.

Frankly I am a little shocked at TG scoring so high. Having flown on CX for the first time in the last couple of weeks I was mightily impressed. Never been on SQ since they are so stingy with their award seats. Flying Emirates tomorrow night on the A380 F class. So I will get to experience the gaudiness first hand. Apparently Virgin America is in big financial trouble. Everyone who flies them seems to love them, but I think their limited route network and lack of partners hurts them.

The "Big 4" are as noted above: Yangon/Rangoon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. It's a shame there is so much trouble in Rakhine state at the moment and it is basically off limits still, I think. I really enjoyed the time I spent in Sittwe and Mrauk U. But I agree that the real must sees are Shwedagon in Yangon and Bagan. I was surprised a bit by how much I enjoyed Inle Lake. Much cooler up there in the mountains. I was not really a fan of Mandalay.

Didn't see those particular pieces. I think they rotate things frequently since the collection is enormous and the display space is surprisingly limited. Saw a great exhibit of old maps though. Went to Royal Spa for a massage. It was pretty good. The massage itself was quite good. But a little too strong I think. The happy ending was pretty happy. Not sure if it is the same everywhere or just my particular masseur but he wouldn't let me do much with him. A bit pricey. Nice place though. I think I might try out another spa next time.

Thanks for the hot spring tip. Unfortunately it's been a couple of rainy days. Today even rainier. Tomorrow I head out with my guide to the east coast and down to Taroko for a couple of days. Was planning to daytrip down to Tainan on Monday on the HSR, but might skip that and just stay in TPE. The weather isn't looking too great for the rest of my visit either unfortunately. Off to the National Palace Museum today.

I'm in Taipei right now. I don't see anyone walking around in swimming trunks. But unless my gaydar is completely miscalibrated, this place is GAY GAY GAY. So many cute gay guys around town. Unless they're not gay but just have a gay-ish fashion sense. I forgot how much I sweat in this part of the world. Staying at the Grand Hyatt on points. Impeccable service. Really nice place. I like the vibe here very much. And I love the public transport system. There are a lot of cities that could take note. Including my hometown of Washington DC with our horrible Metro. I guess it just proves that if the city and country are committed to public transportation and the investment required, great things are possible. Haven't been to the gayborhood yet. But plan to drop by there around dinner time tomorrow.

Right and that cash has to be pristine US dollars. No markings on them of any kind. No creases. No rips, tears or holes. The funny thing is they require perfect notes from you and then hand you a pile of currency that has been soaked in motor oil and is completely beat up. (That's only a slight exaggeration). I think Euros might also be changeable now as well.

While things are changing fast, it will take some time for the infrastructure to catch up. Getting a visa is pretty easy. Fill out the form, pay the fee. I got my from the Embassy in Washington in 10 business days last year. I believe it is about the same now. You can also apparently get a visa on arrival again now but I don't know the details. I believe Thais have no problems as ASEAN citizens. Not sure if a visa is required but suspect it probably is. Best thing to do is arrange a trip via a travel agency based on Burma. Hotels are not the same standard as Thailand. And they were all charging outrageous rates for a while when things really started booming since the supply isn't enough for all of the visitors. But I believe I read that situation has improved recently. There are a couple of higher class hotels in Yangon. I stayed at the Parkroyal which was more or less a 3+ star hotel. They have highspeed internet in their business center for a reasonable fee. I could never get the wifi to work in my room there. Hotels elsewhere can be decent but are not luxurious. Internet connections were spotty for me. But that was a year ago. So I expect things are improving somewhat. The most important thing is to pack your patience. Domestic travel is not at the same standard as Thailand. Vehicles are old. Roads are in poor shape. Airports are very Third World. But having said all that, the people are fantastic. The young men are gorgeous. And they wear those longyi which really show off their butts. :-)

There are lots and lots of Chinese airlines these days. So flying in the country should be easy and with plenty of competition. You might be better off posting a question like this on a more general travel website like Tripadvisor.com's forums or even Flyertalk.com You'll find plenty of expert advice there. Obviously it's an enormous country with lots of places to see. But if all you want to do is see the Great Wall and HK and Macau that should be pretty straightforward.

The boy in the bowtie and glasses is too adorable. I like the kid with the big diamond stud earrings and red shoes too.

Maybe next year... This guy is based in HK but has a very interesting blog http://ilbonito.word.../30/taipei-gay/ He and his bf were in Taipei for several days around Pride so his blog has many entries about Taipei. He apparently used to live in BKK as well so there are many entries related to there.

So he just went naked! What a scandal! I think I am going to really enjoy my week in Taiwan.

Unfortunately the education system of Thailand (and the rest of SE Asia) needs a major top to bottom overhaul. For a long time I think the system was designed to give people only the most basic education in order to keep them "in their place". There's an interesting group in Laos called Big Brother Mouse that is doing some very interesting things there. They publish children's books and distribute them to schools so the kids will learn to enjoy reading. They also have had some "discovery days" events in Luang Prabang the last couple of years to introduce science experiments and puzzles to people. It has been a big hit. With a 9 year old I think the key is probably to make it fun so that he doesn't even realize he is learning. Maybe if you could find a book of simple science things you can do with household objects or something like that. You could introduce ideas and concepts to pique his curiosity and interest. But if the family is resistant to any formal school experience then there's probably not a whole lot you can do. Which is a shame. What does his father think? Does he only do what his mother says (like all Thai boys)? For his life, learning how to read and write in Thai should probably be the first priority.

So is the whole parade guys in swimsuits? Or is that just what gets photographed?

Apparently the flights will continue for a while. But will end by late next year when they have to turn the a/c back to Airbus. So there is still some time to take it.

I see that the HK GLBT Film Festival is happening at the end of Nov when I will be there. Hopefully I will get a chance to see a couple of things there. I used to help program our local gay film fest so it's always fun to see other festivals.

I was reading in Fridae's newsletter that HK seems to have a month long Gay Pride celebration with lots of events throughout that time. Which may be a good thing or it may just dilute things too much.

Has anyone done the Balloon Adventure thing? I did a hot air balloon ride for the first time in Myanmar last year over Bagan. It was pretty spectacular. It's not cheap though, that's for sure. I don't imagine the Chiang Mai balloon ride could rival Bagan but it still might be fun.

The initial hit may not be so bad. Depending on day of travel and so forth. For example, I see SEA-BKK one way in business class for $2100 on Asiana in January for example. Same price from LAX in March for example as well on Asiana. They're supposed to have a really nice product as well. Or if you have miles on UA or AA you can book a one way award with them or an alliance partner.