Phuket and it is surprisingly busy. A lot of Ladyboys I photographed in the past have gone home for low season. The bars are full of families and couples on holiday. Patong Beach has become less and less a naughty playground since the tsunami. There are loads of Aussies and Germans, a few Brits. I didn’t hear many American though.

Pattaya is a ghost town. I think Pattaya’s reputation as Sin City is in its last leg. Whet is Ironic is I think that the “dirty old whore mongering men” are the tourist attraction now. I saw more Families than punters. I was looking for a Vacation Rental there and went on Trip Advisor and you get hotel reviews as well. I was reading a review of the Nova Lodge here.

read the first 2 reviews they are hilarious. I don’t know if the Travel Agencies are selling Pattaya as a family place, but of they are it is not a place for young kids.

Bangkok is slow. Every low season I hear the usual complaints about this is the worst on record or I have never seen it this bad. I have to say it is dead. The lady who owns the salon I go to said she may close after 10 years because she has no customers. I also think that many landlords are raising rates because of all of the build up of the Sukhumvit from Sio 1 to 71. This whole area is growing an unsustainable rate (my opinion). Those of you that have been here and taken the Sky Train will remember the skeleton of a building at the Nana station. It just sold for a record price for land in Bangkok here.

It’s a small world after all.

I have a few small world stories. They also pertain to how small Hawaii is as a state. I will give examples of 2, the most recent first.

I was in a taxi going from the Phuket airport to Patong beach. As we are driving the taxi stops in the middle of the road and blocks traffic before a police road block I’m thinking Rocket scientist! He jumps out of the car and and goes to another cab. It appears that another taxi has broken down. Since their aren’t that many meter taxis in Phuket they all know each other it was his friend. He decides to take his friends fare in the same cab as mine. I of course renegotiate the rate. On a side bar, they have you over a barrel they inflate the taxi rate because they know you don’t have any choice. Do not feel at all bad about trying to negotiate or renegotiate if something happens that gives you the advantage. The guy gets in the car he is Asian with long hair. We start to talk and it ends up he is also from Hawaii. He is from Maui but he lived right down the street from where I live now before he moved to Phuket.

There are only about one million people in all of the eight islands that make up the main Hawaiian Islands. To meet people from Hawaii when I travel is rare but to have someone plop down at random in the same taxi as me it freaky.

Story 2 2006

Seanchai and I went on a trip of discovery to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and while I have to say it was a disappointment from a shooting standpoint, I had a great time with some friends that I know there. We went to some great restaurants that ran the gamut of ambiance. We went to an outdoor restaurant that the owner hunted the duck that was on the menu. His wife had a way to prepare it (I think part of it was beating it into submission) that made taste as good as filet mignon. Of course being by the sea the fish was spectacular. We also went to a restaurant that carries a Michelin Star. It was decadent, I had a Foie Gras starter and for my main Sweet breads with beef tongue. I was in gastronomic heaven. We ended the evening with a 1996 Trinidad Fundadores and espresso. Lovely.

But I digress from my small world story. Seanchai left early because of the drought of shooting and I went home a few days later. On the flight from PV to San Francisco their was a flight attendant who was Asian. Hawaii has a pretty distinctive accent if you know what to listen for. I heard the accent and asked her where was she from. She said “Honolulu” I told her so was I. She came back after the flight had taken off and asked me where in Honolulu. I told her and she said the used to live on the same road. She asked the address and I told her. She left and went back to work. About 30 min later she came up to me and proceeded to describe my house to a tee. I told her that she just described my house. She told me she used to rent my house! Needless to say I was floored. On a flight nowhere near Hawaii I meet someone who used to rent my house!

By the way I will get the names of the restaurants in PV from my friend down there.

If you happen to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and you do fancy a cigar. I have never seen a better selection of truly vintage cigars any where in the world than at the Casa Del Habana in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Address Aldama 170
Phone 322/223-2758

Makati City Manila, Philippians
Don’t go Makati if you are looking for GGs I went to 2 bars in the so called red light district on P. Burgos St. and nothing much to look at. Each bar the girl said the bar fine was 10 drinks. That is $3000 pesos so you put that and paying the girl and you are up to almost $150.00 US, which is ludicrous.

I did have an interesting side trip. I went to a comedy bar in Ortega to meet a TS and was surprised that this Karaoke bar has 2 TS’ that work there full time as performers. They sing in between customers. It was great I highly recommend it. She told me that most comedy bars have either TS or female impersonators working. She also said these girls are not pros they are girls with jobs, so if you have a little courage and maybe a little game check out these club you might find a cool girl that isn’t looking to fleece you.

When your anywhere in the Philippines watch your taxi drivers like a hawk. I got in a cab asked for the meter I was in the back seat it looked like he turned it on but he just turned on a little red light. I got to my destination and he said $200 P I knew it should only be 100P so I started to argue with him. Luckily the TS I was meeting was there and came and gave the driver shit or I would have been SOL. I don’t mind the money it is the principle. Don’t take for granted that I am a stupid foreigner. I will be venturing out when I finish my shooting schedule.

I found most of my models online. I did my home work searched out the dating websites and came across quite a few. Makati has some street walker TS but no bars. Be careful when venturing out on the side streets. Don’t forget that some of these girls have the strength of men and you are a target for them.

If you go to the Starbucks in Glorietta shopping center and exit up the alley that runs along side the Sangri-la hotel you cross the street at the cross walk and continue on the back street that runs behind the Peninsula Hotel You can find TS along this road after 7:00pm (I couldn’t find the name because the street sign was down). If you want GG’s at the end of this street across from the Mandarin Oriental hotel there is a watch box (a place police are during the day.) there are always girls there from 8:00pm on. Last night I took a girl from here and it was P1500 ($30.00us) for anything I wanted. She gave a great very enthusiastic blow job that almost brought me to climax and great shag (her name is Irie maybe she is a Rastafarian).

These are some samples of a naughty girl I shot on this trip.

I walk almost every day between Asok and soi 4 (Nana). Last night it was raining I was smoking a cigar and I had an umbrella so I decided to walk back to my hotel. I some times stay at the Hotel Citadines Sukhumvit which is on Soi 16. I was on the odd side of the street looking at all of the girls and food stalls.

As I passed Robinson’s and crossed the road close to the stairs going up to the Asok BTS station. This kid maybe 9 or 10 carrying roses walks up to me and proceeds to impede my path. Really pushing into me. I looked around to see if he was trying to push me somewhere for others to pounce but their was nothing around. I physically pushed him away a couple of times then I felt him trying to get into my front pocket. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it pretty hard. I wanted to slap him on the back of the head but I knew 50 Thais would come out of the wood work and beat the shit out of me. I stepped on his slipper and kicked it into the street he went after it and I kept walking.

Like I said the kid was between 8 and 10. Short spiky hair carrying Roses. Their is a family of people living under the overpass here. A couple of the kids try to clean windscreens and this one picks pockets.

I tried to find police, I know they wouldn’t do anything but they might scare the kid.

A tip from Frank when you travel keep the thinest profile wallet you can. Keep your money and your wallet separate. The best and cheapest anti-theft device you can have on your person is a rubber band. Wrap this around your wallet and cash you will feel it tugging against you pocket before you feel the hand of a pro.

F