Ichabod

This seems like the next step toward eliminating these ads altogether. I logged in to Backpage as though I was going to post an ad, to see what I could find out. There is no way to enter text. The social media field is required, so they have to enter something (hence all the dead links to nowhere). They say you can't post dick pix (although maybe it always said that? I don't know). But it's a real loss to those of us who don't live in a major city with lots of hiring options. Backpage used to be the best venue in placed like Raleigh, but it's almost useless at this point. Ichabod

Has anyone tried Basmie in NY? He's new on RM: https://rent.men/basmie/ The text of his ad is odd, but there is something about his pix that I find appealing. Thanks, Ichabod

I spent a week in Santo Domingo a few years ago, and I loved it. I do not speak any Spanish, and that was a bit of a challenge sometimes; but mostly it was fine. Remember that lots of Dominicans travel back and forth to NY, so a fair number of people speak some English. I never felt unsafe walking around, but I am a fairly cautious person and probably avoided anything risky without even thinking about it. I went out to two gay bars while I was there, both fine, neither of them anything special. Dominican men are very handsome and sexy; I was in heaven just looking. You have to leave town to go to the beach, I think. I spent a day at Boca Chica, which is not far from SD, not at all glamorous, and quite cheap - lots of budget hotels aimed at European travelers. Boca Chica is where I experienced the only really bad thing about the trip: endless hawkers walking the beach, constantly trying to sell you something. I got that a little bit in the city, with tour guides and vendors aggressively offering their goods and services. But at Boca Chica it was nonstop, including many prostitutes (only women, unfortunately). The only way to avoid that is to make arrangements to spend the day at a hotel with an enclosed beach - it does not fend off all the vendors, but cuts down on the traffic a bit. I did not have sex while I was in Santo Domingo, although I was approached a couple of times on the street in SD by guys who were clearly available for the right price. I was staying in a place where it would have been awkward to bring someone back to my room. A week is probably too long to stay there, but I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something a bit more adventurous than the typical resort vacation. There are caves with cave paintings not far outside of town; I would love to get to see them sometime (and I would definitely hire a guide for something like that). Ichabod

I think 75 sounds right. That's about how old my parents were when they died. That's a good long life. Of course, it's fine to think about it, and I do, as though you control it. But then events can intervene. My mother had a stroke a year before she died, and I am sure she would have preferred to skip that final year.

Has anyone gotten a massage from Nikos? Strictly therapeutic, or up for more? He is on the road and headed my way soon. Thanks, Ichabod

I have been wondering about "the state of Ste. Catherine" (as nynakedtop called it) too. All those vacant buildings! That seems like prime real estate. Why is it not being redeveloped? It certainly seems like there is plenty of construction going on in the city. Does anyone know if there are specific issues in Montreal that make it hard to get permits, or hard to get redevelopment loans? Or anything about the neighborhood? It strikes me every time I'm there.

Here's a link to Kerry Slate's RentMen profile: https://rentmen.com/Kerryslate