Rickshaw

Doubtless many will be pleased to know that soi 6 short time rooms are getting back to normal after an extra payment of 5000 baht per bar to a gentleman in brown.... Not all bars have coughed up yet, but it is apparently only a matter of time. Those that have are renting out their rooms to girls who work in the bars that have not at around 300 baht per time which the punters pay on top of the normal bf. I got this information (in a ST room) from a delightful lb who also gave me the following figures:. Each bar, each month pays 3 individual men in brown 5000 baht each, another 5000 goes to the army and 1000 goes to the mafia man who provides the muscle when customers get out of hand (so to speak).So 21000 per month on the overheads just to be able to operate. That's 70 average barfines or the first two and a bit per day. Makes you proud to be a punter knowing that you are supporting such fine institutions.

The code for the AIS weekly,89 baht plus a little bit internet is *777*731hash (sorry, found the hash symbol on my keyboard, but can't get it to work) make sure that you have over 90 baht on your sim, punch in the code, wait until you get a confirmatory text and you are done. Every week, they send you a text to remind you to top up.

And on that subject, if you don't take bitcoins, take $100 notes. The official exchange rate was around 8.7 pesos to the dollar. The blue rate (an official, unofficial exchange rate offered by shops, individuals and in some places, exchange booths) ranged from 12 to 15.5 to the dollar. I was able to change dollars everywhere. I wonder if bitcoins are accepted outside the CBD in Buenos Aires - certainly in some of the backwaters on ruta 40 I think it would be a challenge!

I have just spent 7 weeks in Argentina, basically going from bottom to top. Being very English, I was a little concerned about any aggro I might face I needn't have worried. Apart from a few signs saying "nostra Malvinas" or something a little more grammatically correct, there was almost no evidence that there had been any conflict at all. Only twice was the subject raised - once I was thanked because that little escapade destroyed what remained of the military government's credibility and allowed a relatively bloodless counter coup and the restoration of a democratic system, the other saying that they couldn't run their own country let alone some god forsaken islands in the middle of the Atlantic. The people were delightful - but Argentina is an object lesson of what happens if you allow politicians to rise above the law. Incredibly rich in natural resources, they lurch from one economic crisis to another thanks to inept, corrupt and powerful politicians. If anyone wants a bit of adventure, try Argentina. Just don't behave like Clarkson - the people had no choice. A military government who "disappeared" 100,000 people plus conscription left no option for the soldiers. They died, the govenment didn't and doesn't care and the scars of that are all too easily rubbed off from their families and friends. Tact and sensitivity are all that are needed and you will have a ball, regardless of your nationality. IMHO!

For those concerned or in doubt... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11444668/Study-on-penises-reveals-the-average-size-...-and-its-smaller-than-you-think.html I am surmising that the difference in girth / circumference between the average penis and the condoms is that the condoms are meassured unstretched and by stratching them, they grip and stay on.

There's one there with a diameter of 44.5 mm. It's called iron grip. I imagine that it does!

Looking at the picture about his party, Neil really has turned himself around in terms of looks ......

An lb acquaitance of mine recently messaged me to say her bar in soi 6 was raided by the police and the girls were told that short times on the premises were not allowed. She went to to say that the bars around hers were also raided with similiar restrictions placed on them. Since I am in the Philippines, I cannot check this. Has anybody got any up to date info?

That was a golf club! Never heard it called that before.

Define "safe".... I certainly got home or at least I woke up in my own bed!

It's certainly an entertaining bar - I've been twice by myself this trip. On the first one, a very drunk finnish man tried to pick me up (and surely that is the perfect example of having beer goggles!); I had to leave when he did not take no for an answer. On the second, I was forced to tell the barman to stop fondling me (twice - he got the message when I threatened to ask for the checkbin), a 6 foot 2 inch Amazonian chatted me up and when I said no thanks, asked me for 500 baht (and seemed surprised when I politely, and with a smile, declined). We then had the fun of watching a very irate falang walk up to a girl (short blonde hair - monkey house?) and snatch the iphone from her hand, state loudly that it was his and she stole it from his room, then look surprised when she launched an attack on him. He fended her off, opened up the pictures on the phone and showed everybody pictures of his wife and young kid to prove it was his phone......Not a lot of sympathy came his way!

None problems at all. They never even checked their id (which could be a problem but in a different way).

A quick review of the Heritage hotel in Manila. Superb location, but the hotel is (for me) too big, my room was large but tired and in my view, expensive BUT the biggest drawback was that there was no bum gun which for people of our inclinations is a bit of a problem! I also stayed at the Pacific Breeze in Angeles which, once they had removed all the things for sale, was ok - I am surprised that they don't have occupancy of the bed at an extra cost. Shampoo as an extra? And finally I stayed at the Wild Orchid in Subic. The prices on their website are just stupid - Agoda offers something like a 60% discount but even that is not good value for money. Nice facilities, tired room. I sound a bit jaded, but I am looking for value for money at whatever price I pay and unfortunately on this trip, I didn't find it in the hotels. But I have a few tips given to me for my next visit.....

Another possible route is to get to Bangkok on whoever is cheapest on the day and then hop on a Cebu Pacific flight to Manila and down to Cebu which is cheap as chips (warning - CP do have a tendency to do stupid things like have a kareoke session at 3 in the morning in order to "make flying fun" (their strapline). Grit your teeth and think of the money you are saving and if you fly with them often, use some of that money to buy a good pair of noise cancelling headphones).

Myx And you used to be such a nice girl....

One of my interests in life is good massage, with or without happy endings. It is surprisingly difficult to get and is often a pig in a poke as to the quality. In Cebu, I found one! Given by a ladyboy whose name used to be Sweet John and now goes under the name of Trixie23 on Pinalove. Do not be fooled by the photos! They are like before and after ones, only those with the enormous boobs are the before piccies - she is now as flat as a pancake but will not talk about what happened. A nice girl, very shy - if you want a happy ending, then you have to tell her otherwise she will leave your delicate bits alone. But a really good masseur who does not have one eye on the clock. My one hour massage took one hour and twenty five without any hanky panky. And it was as good a massage as I hve ever had. Her number (and she is happy for me to give it out) is (+63) 947 173 4700. If you are in Cebu, try her.

Unfortunately, it also means that you know when they are talking bollocks. So cynical for one so young.

I've just talked to a friend in Udon by phone - Skype did not work with me making the call, but she was able to call back on Skype (this could be a UK network issue) and both Line and her mobile were OK. So it looks like the internet and mobile networks are still OK

Pinalove, the sister website of Thaifriendly, identical in every respect in terms of layout and ways of using it has recently been revamped. The results, both intended and unintended, are not good for free users. 1. In my case, my inbox is now restricted to one page which means that all the data - phone numbers and arrangements for future assignations and such like - which is over 3 days old has been lost. And new messages often from totally unsuitable people automatically go to the top and push important messages off the page and into the ether. Every so often, I get access to my other pages, but it is hit and miss i.e. two times in nine days, they have reappeared, but it reverts back within minutes. Other people are not so unlucky and so the chances are that this is a glitch, but it is taking a long time to sort out and I might have left the Philippines before it is sorted. On the other hand, it might be a beta test and I might be one of a trial group; if successful i.e. it reduces their costs or they can get more money out of their customers to access old messages, they might roll it out across the website. 2. All favourites are now pixellated and their names removed. To see your favourites requires taking out a subscription.... 3. After the website change, 4 of my contacts suddenly came up as having blocked me. Since 3 of them were long time contacts and I had their phone numbers, I have asked them and they are adamant that they had not done this. So somewhere along the transfer path, glitches have crept in. This may get sorted but the chances of it happening before I leave in a week's time is remote. Now, if this website change is successful in reducing their costs and / or increasing their revenue, there is every chance they will do the same with Thaifriendly. And they will do it without warning. One day you will wake up to find that it has happened. If like me, you rely on the website to store old messsages with useful details like contact numbers or you have a full favourite list or you just come to Thailand for two weeks at a time and don't have the luxury of waiting while glitches are rectified, I strongly recommend that you take the precaution of writing down the important details, the loss of which would have some impact on your time or enjoyment.

The trouble with this topic is that it is time sensitive - Syria in 2005 was incredible but I am not sure about going now! Ditto Myanmar in 2004 but that was before 1 million plus tourists hit the place despite there being no more accommodation from when we went with fewer than 100 000 visitors... But it works the other way as well - South Africa in the early 80s was an amazing country but under apartheid whereas now it is still amazing and I can recommend a visit with a clear conscience. Nepal is great as is Bhutan which is Nepal without the tourists but with the minor problem that you have to spend US$250 per day per person to get in! Oh yes - Ethiopia rocks! And so on and so forth.

Where is it?

I've always had my suspicions about Zebadee (I mean, what normal person says to children as his parting phrase "time for bed now"? Obviously guilty as sin). And as for where Harry Corbett had his hand.... how old was Sooty at that point?

One of my, huhum, friends huhum, has just been hired as a dancer iin Alcazar. She says that there is a new cabaret opened or opening in South Pattaya that has taken a lot of the existing dancers from Alcazar and Tiffany's. I can't remember reading about this anywhere. Can anyone enlighten me? Can't stand the bloody things myself, but I guess that I am honour bound to go to both Alcazar (for support) and the new one (so that comparisons can be made and future job opportunities can be assessed). Ah well, that's me - a slave to my genitals.

It's happened to me in the Similans - I surfaced to find that my boat was heading back to port; luckily someone had done a head count and they came back to find us (my buddy and me). However, to abandon novice divers like that is unforgiveable and I imagine that PADI (if they are PADI) will be all over them like a rash. Along with Strocube, I would like to know who the company are.

Try the X zone just off Walking Street. It's a gg club, but there is a femboy there who will (apparently) do just that for you.