What time is it anyway?

IтАЩve been home for 2 days now and still waking up in the middle of the night to piss, falling into a dead sleep at 12:00 noon and staring out the window at 3:00 AM wondering where the sun is. To make matters worse, I have my suitcases and backpack half empty lying on the living room floor displaying the remnants of my last holiday, e.g., soiled shirt I wore on the last night at Maya Karaoke, sandals caked with sand from the waterfalls at Khun Han, a tattered old travel diary adorned with scribbles of mobile numbers from boys whom IтАЩll never remember and a few new Thai phrases which will challenge my memory as well. Last but not least, thereтАЩs a pair of my boyfriends soiled under pants which got inadvertently tangled up with one of my t shirts.

Nothing in my apartment is more valuable to me at this very moment than those under pants. When I first spotted them I lunged across the room as if there was a fire in my apartment, ripped them free from the entangled t shirt and stuck them on my face. No, I wasnтАЩt just sniffing themтАжI had them glued to my face covering my nose and my mouth in an effort to absorb that light blue soiled fabric into my very soul. Yes, I could smell him, and that aroma brought back a flurry of memories which made me feel a bit dizzy and disoriented (and horny)тАжI must be crazy!

In the adjoining room, which is my office, I can see my computer, my work files, my work calendar highlighting all the work assignments I have, stacks of unopened mail (mostly bills), which portrays the reality of where IтАЩve just landed. I am now home, and nothing in the world can be more depressing than that. Now IтАЩm faced with the task of starting all over againтАжpaying the bills, going to work, saving my money for the next adventure, and trying not to think too much about the place that I just left. IтАЩll be sleeping alone - versus having that sleek smooth body bumping into me in the night, and masturbating to the memories of having HIM entangled in my arms.

In summary, my holiday was nice тАУ but not as wonderful as in the past.

The unexpected and tragic death of my friend Nu was very depressing and plagued my memory throughout my holiday. I know the news of Nus death was announced on the forum so thereтАЩs no need to repeat the details, although I would like to share one thought that has been with me. For those of you who believe that it is impossible for a young Thai boy to truly love an older farang, you couldnтАЩt be more wrong. Nu was only the number two boy for our late friend Jon - AKA: Tintag/ZZZ, as JonтАЩs number one boy, whom he panned to one day marry, lived and attended school in Chaing Mai. Nu was JonтАЩs live-in lover and closest friend for several years. After JonтАЩs passing, Nu was never the same again and lived day-to-day fighting off the depression of losing the one person he truly loved. Many of NuтАЩs friends responded to me with a smile when discussing NuтАЩs death тАУ with a common response, that Nu was now much happier in his next life with Jon. Enough said.

BOY STUFF
My holiday was different than any in the past, as having just broke up with Boy Special, whom I normally spent a considerable amount of time with between my butterfly outings, I linked up with another boy who I ended up spending nearly every day of my 8 week holiday with. This was a first for me and something in which I did not plan. The Boy, whom IтАЩll refer to as тАЬManiacтАЭ, is someone I met about 1 ┬╜ years ago when he was new on the gogo scene. I always enjoyed his company and he always rocked me in the sack. He and I had exchanged a few e:mails between my last holiday and this visit and even spoke on the phone a few times, although no great romance seemed to be building and no real commitments were made regarding our plans together.

When I first arrived in Pattaya I phoned him and we met at his friends loom. He looked even more adorable than I had remembered and seemed very glad to see me. We went out together that night and ended up staying together at the condo. The only sex I had during my 4 months back home was with my friend Chuck Wow, so I guess any boy would have rocked my world that first night, but Maniac seemed to know where all the right buttons were and he put me on the moon. After spending 3 days and nights together my normal routine would have been to stray off to spread my butterfly wings a little тАУ but I didnтАЩt. One day lead to another day тАУ and one night was repeated by yet another, until, before I knew it, we were starting to bond together.

This relationship that was evolving literally changed the dynamics of my entire holiday. Maniac, who was tired of the whole Pattaya working scene, seemed content with the normalcy of having one roof to sleep under, one bed to sleep in, and one guy to sleep with, which became more apparent as time went on. Maniac is a fabulous cook who worked in his home kitchen under the tutelage of his two grandmothers back on the farm in Isaan. Instead of sleeping the morningтАЩs way as in the past, I now found myself shuffling behind him in the open-air markets as he searched for the perfect ingredients for that nightтАЩs meal. He enjoyed cooking every night тАУ and I enjoyed watching him.

After spending two weeks together I decided to take him and a few friends to Koh Samet for a few days of munching on fresh fish and splish plashing in the clear waters of Aou Prao Bay. We had a great time. Two weeks later we decided to take a trip up to Isaan to meet the family. I was a little reluctant, as IтАЩve been up this path before, but agreed to take the journey. Apparently, I was the first farang that Maniac had invited to meet his family, and to him, this was a significant event.

IтАЩve traveled all over LOS in the past 8 years, but this was my first visit to the Isaan region and the trip was great. I rented a mini bus with driver for 1,500 baht/day and invited the same 4 friends who had visited Koh Samet with us. I purchased a few new tapes for my camcorder and plotted out a course that would take us through Korat, Buri Ram, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, and finally a southern route down to the province of Si Saket, and finally Maniacs homer village of Khun Han which is near the Cambodian border. The mountains between Buri Ram and Ubon are just beautiful and lush with evergreen forests with plenty of wild life. Once we arrived at Si Saket the geography changed from mountains and rice paddys to thick double canopy jungle which appeared almost uninhabitable. Well, the uninhabitable appearing jungle is exactly where Maniac lived.

We were greeted by his entire family who had been waiting for our arrival as if we were a
NASA space shuttle returning to Earth. The greeters included Maniacs mother and father, two grandmothers, one younger sister, a dozen aunts and uncles and a flock of young children ranging from 2 to 14 in age. Here, standing in front of a tattered old teak wood shack, with no more than a few empty buckets and a few crude hand tools as their property, stood this proud family eager to host our visit. Maniac, his four friends and myself found a room in a local hotel (the only hotel) which was clean and basic. They charged 250 baht for a room with a fan and 350 for a room with a larger bed and A/C. As most of you know who have traveled this region, there are no McDonalds around and your diet is comprised totally of Thai/Isaan food. Many of the areas we explored had never seen a farang before and greeted our group as if we were celebrities. The people of the region are wonderful, the food is great, the scenery is right out of a Tarzan movie, but be ready for some discomfort. The mosquitoes near the Cambodian border are as big as Blue Jays and the rivers are inhabited by every imaginable specie of reptile and insect.

I was tugged around the entire village of Khun Han until I had met every friend and relative of Maniacs family which was a bit draining in the immense heat. This process was apparently important to him so I was glad to obligeтАжjust glad when the introductions were all over. We spent an entire day at the Khun Han waterfalls when are really magnificent. They are similar to the great waterfalls in the Change Rai province, and even more captivating due to the jungle surroundings. When we first arrived there was a group of about 12-14 young boys swimming naked in a large pool at the bottom of the waterfall. Maniac and his friends immediately started pointing at me and laughing as if they already knew what my eyes were going to be glued toтАжand they were right. I had my camera rolling in no time as the flock of boys ran around splashing in the cool clear water in the pool. Several of the boys who appeared to be in the 14-17 Y/O range seemed delighted to show off for my camera which Maniac didnтАЩt seem to appreciate too much. I tried to ignore them by facing the other way, but found my internal magnet (my hard on) too strong to resist the natural beauty of these boys in all their splendor. There was one boy who will stay etched in my memory forever who was an absolute doll. He had his long black hair tied back in a ponytailтАжa smile like an angelтАжand hung like a race horse. Every time I pointed my camera in his direction I received a sharp jab in the ribs from Maniac followed by a burst of laughter from his friends.

I treated the family out to a river front food stand for dinner on our final night which is also a memory I will cherish. Just watching the young interacting with the elders was fascinating. ThaiтАЩs truly do love their children which is apparent when you see them all together.

When we returned to Pattaya I was a few pounds lighter and Maniac a few pounds heavier. I enjoyed the company of his friends on this trek but was glad to shed them when we returned. I was desperately in need of a soft bed and a hard body in the solitude of the condo for a few daysтАжGREAT MEMORIES!
Maniac and I had our first clash during the middle of the holiday which caused us to separate for 3 days. He wanted to return to Khun Han to spend a few more days with his family as one of his grandmothers had fallen ill. I guess itтАЩs the fact that I didnтАЩt buy the story to begin with that started all the problems, but, in any case, I took him to the bus station and wished him good luck on his trip. He called me every day while he was away, but then somehow ended up staying in Bangkok for an additional 2 days on his return route. This pissed me off. Right or wrong, I was used to having him with me and didnтАЩt want to get caught up playing any games. I informed him on the phone that he could stay in Bangkok as long as he wanted but I wasnтАЩt going to sit around while he was gone and do nothingтАжand I guess thatтАЩs where the real problem started.

He returned back at the condo 2 days later, only to be informed by his friends that I had offed a boy from a neighboring gogo bar, which I in fact did.. We spent the next few days trying to deal with the anger we both felt. I guess we both felt betrayedтАжand rightly so.

We got back together again and spent the final few weeks of my holiday living together again but our relationship was not the same, which is a real shame. Both of us had violated the trust of the other, and the bond we had cultivated seemed fractured beyond repair.

Maniac informed me that he wanted to return home to live with his family when I departed LOS and would return in April during my next holiday. IтАЩve heard this line used on farangs so many times in the past that it was impossible for me to put any real stock in its meaning. I had fallen in love with him, no confusion there, and would love the fact that he would take such measures, but IтАЩve just observed this manipulating boy tactic so many times in the past that his words just fell numb on my ears.

The last five days and nights we spent together were as good as the first five, and regardless of what the future holds for us, will remain permanently etched in my memory as some of the best times of my life. On the morning of my final day in Pattaya I was awakened by a knock at the door. Maniac continued sleeping as I stumbled across the living room to see who was at the door at this early hour. Assuming it had to be one of Maniacs friends, I didnтАЩt bother dressing and just sloshed open the door wearing a pair of boxer shorts which were twisted around my waist in an unfashionable manner. There at the door with eyes wide open were Maniacs mother and father. His mom just smiled and his dad gave me a weird kind of grin and started chuckling.

Just as Maniac had informed me тАУ he was going home. We loaded his belongings in the back of his dadтАЩs pickup truck which was a sad moment for both of us. Mau Mau, which is a huge white stuffed dog I gave to Maniac on his birthday, sat perched on top of the luggage in the rear of the truck like a monument. The clothes I had purchased for him over the past two month period were all neatly folded and sealed in clear plastic laundry bags. Our favorite CD of Tatta Young had slid out of one of the cartons and was sitting alone near the tailgate of the truck.

His parents went to sit along Jomtien Beach to give Maniac and me a few hours alone before his departure. He promised me that he would wait for my return тАУ I promised him that I would return. We both had a taste of what itтАЩs like to live a normal life, and I think itтАЩs fair to say we both appreciated it. If he loves me just one tenth as much as I love him we may just have a chance. ..

OTHER STUFF

MEETING MEMBERS & MEMORIES
As always, I enjoyed meeting up with several of our forum members including Monkleigh, who has become one of my closest friends, Lester, Bud from DC, Monty, Rainwalker, John Botting, and several others who visited PTY for shorter durations. Memories Caf├й has remained the central gathering place for both visiting and expat farangs and was bustling with people every time I stopped by for a visit.

MONTYтАЩS
MontyтАЩs Enchanted Hut should be on everyoneтАЩs list for a visit. The food and entertainment are excellent, and there are a few waiters there that will rock your world. The тАЬHutтАЭ is a nice compliment to the ever expanding Jomtien Plaza, which now hosts a number of gay oriented restaurants, hotels, massage parlors, etc., most of which youтАЩre all aware of.

CHATEAU DALE
I only visited Jomtien Beach a few times during my holiday and never stayed longer than an hour. ItтАЩs just not my cup of tea. When I go to the beach I want sun and water, neither of which you get at JB. The sun is blocked by an endless stream of canopies and the water is too polluted for swimming. I spent most mornings lounging at the pool at Chateau Dale where I stayed which was wonderful. This was my first holiday in years where I didnтАЩt stay at View Taly тАУ and what a difference. The ambiance at Chateau Dale is much nicer with a real tropical resort feel. The pool is surrounded by coconut palms and several fountains spilling water making the whole area feel very relaxed and laid back. If anyone wants information on renting at Chateau Dale you can talk to Jack at Memories.

RESTAURANTS
Having a live-in cook, my experiences with different restaurants was somewhat limited this trip, although, I did come across a few new hot spots. There is an open-air Thai barbeque which sits just behind the Big C in South Pattaya which is great. You can load your plates with a wide selection of foods including pork, chicken, beef tips, pork livers, fish, shrimp, crabs, snapper, etc., as well as a variety of vegetables, and do the barbequing yourself. You sit at picnic tables which are each fashioned with a center grille (Korean style) heated with red hot briquettes. The waited will fill the outer portion of the grille with pork stock which is used for cooking the vegetables, and you simply cook the meat and/or fish on the top of the grille. They have a wonderful sweet chili dip for the meat which really kicks in the flavors. Maniac and I made this a weekly event sometimes with a small group of his friends. Easy on the pocket book and a fun way to socialize as well.

Zum Simpel (Second & South Roads) still serves the best beef fillet in my opinion. Their steaks are thick and tender and always served with either a peppercorn sauce or homemade herb butter which is my favorite. For 280 baht you also get a giant portion of fried potatoes and onions, a cup of soup, a small Thai salad and a freshly baked roll. They also have a Thai menu and the boys have taken there in the past have always commented on how good the food was.

I tried Po-Pots Restaurant in Sunee Plaza for the first time and was sorry I didnтАЩt try it sooner. They serve wonderfully prepared western and European dishes, have a nice salad bar and all you can eat soup of the day, which was always good. For 180 baht they throw in your choice of ice cream or coffee following the dinner, and I can tell you that you will experience the best cup of Belgium coffee youтАЩve ever had in your life.

Clubbers Restaurant in Sunee Plaza is by far the rave of the season. Every single person I talked to who had eaten there couldnтАЩt say enough about the quality of the food. My friends from Memories introduced me to the owner/cook who takes a lot of pride in what he serves his guests. You wonтАЩt believe the meal you get for around 180 baht. How these guys make a profit is beyond me.

THOSE BEATIFUL BOYS
I didnтАЩt spend as much time in the gogoтАЩs as in my past visits, but found the bars in Boyztown and Sunee as busy as ever. Of all the gogos in Sunee my vote for the top gogo of 2006 has to go to KAOS. Under the direction of their new management, they have recruited a number of new boys who over pack the stage. They offer a daily nude (jerk off) show which lasts for about an hour which always draws a big crowd. Most of the newly recruited boys have those тАЬboy next doorтАЭ looks as they seem to have swayed away from the lady boy types. IтАЩve never been much of a show person (especially sex shows) but I have to admit, having 25 or 30 good looking boys dropping their shorts with their stiff cocks bouncing around is not all that bad.

Euroboys gets my #2 vote. They have also recently recruited a large number of new boys who really seem to be having fun when theyтАЩre up on the stage. There are a few of the тАЬboy next doorтАЭ types, but the vast majority are lady boys or lady boys in training which I tend to prefer.

K-Boys has also improved over time. I went there the night Maniac was in Bangkok in search of a soul mate and it didnтАЩt take me long. Many of the boys here are of the younger breed which provided for a very lively and energetic dance stage. They now do a daily routine where the boys take turns dancing naked on four wooden pedestals which are located at each corner of the stage. The night I visited K-Boys, I immediate spotted this doll of a boy who had shoulder length light brown hair тАУ a cute as a girl face тАУ and a body that was screaming for attention. He was definitely in the тАЬyounger breedтАЭ category, but who am I to judge these thingsтАжthe lighting wasnтАЩt that good anyway. No sooner than I sat down, they started the nude pedestal dance routine and I spotted boy precious standing in the corner looking like he was going to slide his undies off. Sure enough, down they came and he jumped up on a pedestal across the room from where I sat and started bumping and grinding to the sounds of the music. The boy spotted me smiling at him and just kept staring directly into my eyes as if he was trying to put my in a trance. Mind you, there was only one other farang in the place, and he was slumped over in the corner with his hands down some boys shorts, appearing as if he may have been dead. I waited for ┬╜ hour until it was finally the boys turn to rotate to the pedestal directly in front of where I was seated. Now, finally a good look at him without those lights glaring in my eyes. Well, IтАЩve seen my share of nice asses in LOS, but this boy was second to none. I sat there for about 20 minutes watching those sweet little buns sway from side to side before offering him as drink. He was new in town, didnтАЩt speak a word of English and nervous as hell, but boy did he know how to deliver in the sack.
This is the boy that Maniac found out about when he returned from Bangkok that had him so upset. I really donтАЩt think it was the fact that I offed a boy that burst his bubble. It was the fact that it was THIS BOYтАжa real heart throb.

IтАЩm sure there are a few people who just read that who are wondering about the boyтАЩs age, or more importantly, how I could have offed a boy who was obviously of the тАЬyounger category.тАЭ Well, I never checked his ID, nor did it ever enter my mind. One look at that sweet ass was all it took for yours truly.

SUMMARY
Well, thatтАЩs about it. I fell in love тАУ played house for 8 weeks, had a little nasty sex on the side тАУ and can still taste the hot chiliтАЩs from Maniacs Tom Yon. IтАЩve returned with a suitcase filled with Indian necklaces, camera filled with memories and one pair of soiled under pants which will have to tide me over till my next adventure.

Mai pen rai