Gaycation Magazine Issue 18 August 2015 by Gaycation Magazine

Gaycation August 2015 Issue 18

Backstage Bali:

Off-the-Beaten-Path on the Island of the Gods

Uncovering India: Nomadic Boys Get a Look into its Gay Underground Old & New Haunts of L.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Original Gayborhood

Plus: How to Find

Hidden Things to Do

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Gaycation Magazine

Gaycation m a g a z i n e

Founder/Editor-in-Chief DJ Doran dj@gaycationmagazine.com Executive Editor Aaron Drake @theaarondrake aaron@gaycationmagazine.com Feast Editor Joe Morales joe@gaycationmagazine.com Contributors Stefan Arestis @nomadicboys James Careless Kelsy Chauvin @kelsycc Aaron Drake @theaarondrake Dee Farrell Adam Groffman @travelsofadam Gregory L. Kiep @gregorykiep Auston Matta Joe Morales Advertising Department sales@gaycationmagazine.com National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 Subscription Department subscriptions@gaycationmagazine.com Article and Photo Submissions editor@gaycationmagazine.com General Info travel@gaycationmagazine.com Social Media GaycationMagazine GaycationMag +Gaycationmagazine1 GaycationMag gaycationmagazine gaycationmagazine August 2015 Issue 18

About the cover photo: After a day of temple spotting around Jaipur in Rajasthan, Stefan stopped to rest and cuddle up with this beautiful column at the Amber Fort. Send address changes and subscription info to: Gaycation Magazine PO Box 2972 Indianapolis, IN 46206 ISSN 2378-7279 (print) ISSN 2378-7287 (online)

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Postcards 34 Backstage Bali 38 Dig a little deeper around the backroads of Bali and you’ll find unique places to stay, play and eat in the hidden corners of the island. There’s This Place... Porto, Portugal

Gay L.A. 52 The Old and New Haunts of Gay L.A. What Was I Thinking? 58 Stories submitted by Gaycationers about crazy experiences.

About the above photo: On White Beach on Boracay island in the Philippines, Nomadic Boys Sebastien and Stefan fulfilled Sebastien’s lifelong dream of dressing up and learning to swim like a mermaid in a class with the excellent Philippines Mermaid Swimming Academy.

CONTENTS

Letter from the Editor

Book It! 64 Recommendations of LGBTQ friendly hotels and resorts. Gaycationers 68 Photos of people showing off their best gaycation. Classifieds

Advertising Index

The Wire 10 LGBTQ travel news and information Uncovering India 18 Nomadic Boys Stefan and Sebastien rub up against the Eastern country’s very different way of life Events 27

COLUMNS An Explicit Guide to Gaycationing

Greg’s Gaycations

Feast 24 The Ojo Rojo or the Michelada www.gaycationmagazine.com

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Letter from the Editor

Dear Gaycationers, I’m writing this shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its 5-4 decision in favor of marriage equality right before we go to press with our August issue. I’m ecstatic at the thought that loving couples across the country, regardless of where they live, will now be able to celebrate their love and take full advantage of the many benefits that come with marriage. I’m also refilled on hope that there is fairness in the world and—dare I say it— that love does win out. This ruling is just one more step towards making the world a more welcoming place for all couples to feel safe, that they can be themselves, and it will no doubt have great effects on those of us who travel with our loved ones and risk our relationships won’t be recognized when traveling from place to place. As marriage equality becomes the law of the land, more and more of us can bravely venture off the trodden trails and proudly visit new destinations with peace of mind. Gaycation invites you off the beaten path this issue to see for yourself that LGBTs are exploring all corners of the globe—from the less flashy side of one of America’s most glamorous cities (also where the first PRIDE parade happened; see The Old and New Haunts of Gay L.A., page 52) to hidden pleasures on the heavenly Indonesian island of Bali (Backstage Bali, 38) and a jaunt 6

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around the sacred sites of India culminating in an unnerving close call with that country’s antiquated anti-homosexuality law (Uncovering India, page 18). There are countless breathtaking, unexplored destinations just itching to be discovered by our community. I want to express my gratitude for your support in reading Gaycation and for coming along to experience this journey with us. I’d also like to thank my publisher DJ Doran for his wonderful introduction to me in the April issue as the new executive editor. I will continue with the commitment that DJ and his hardworking partner Joe Morales started with the first issue of Gaycation in providing authentic, experiential gay travel and a willingness to explore the world beyond the “popular” cities and neighborhoods we’ve become so comfortable in. Each issue we will unearth even more remarkable finds that our staff, travel writers and your fellow readers experience during their travels. I look forward to having you join us for many more adventures to come! Safe travels,

Aaron Drake

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The Wire

LGBTQ travel news and information, ranging from new hotel/resort openings to cruise itineraries and travel planning tips and products and services that we like

Gay Dating App’s New Alert: Hooking Up Is Illegal Here By STEVEN McELROY The creators of GPS may not have envisioned that in addition to helping people navigate a crosscountry road trip, or just find the nearest Starbucks, the tool would be a key component of gay dating and hookup apps like Grindr and Scruff after all. The other half is figuring out if he’s near you. That asset, though, can be a liability if people doing the search are motivated more by homophobia than romance. “This feature of the GPS-enabled app that was so exciting for us here in the United States, being able to meet guys nearby, became something of a liability for our members that were in other regions and other countries where homosexuality is criminalized,” said Eric Silverberg, a founder (with Johnny Skandros) of Scruff, and its chief executive. Last year, for example, a user in Saudi Arabia reported that the police in Riyadh had used the app to entice then deport an acquaintance. To help keep users safer, Scruff is adding a new traveler alert feature this week. Now, when a user arrives in one of the nearly 100 countries where homosexual acts are criminalized, an alert will pop 10

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up when they open Scruff. Headed to Sudan? You might want to be aware that sexual acts between consenting adult males are illegal there, and can lead to corporal punishment or even the death penalty. The app’s users do not always avoid hostile regions. In fact, more than 100,000 users with Scruff accounts that are registered in the United States, Britain or Australia were traveling in places where homosexuality is illegal over a recent 30day period, according to a study Mr. Silverberg made available. (He said Scruff users overall number around eight million.)...Read the rest of the article at www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/travel/ gay-dating-apps-new-alert-hooking-up-is-illegalhere.html

Stonewall Inn Declared NYC BY DAWN ENNIS Landmark The vote was unanimous, according to the Associated Press. This marks the first time any site in New York City has been designated a landmark because of its significance in LGBTQ history. www.gaycationmagazine.com

A police raid at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, met with opposition and led to a spontaneous, week-long uprising that is commemorated in gay pride events every year in New York and around the world. The commission’s chairwoman, Meenakshi Srinivasan, called the Stonewall events a turning point in the LGBTQ rights movement and in the nation’s history. As The Advocate previously reported, the Stonewall Inn was originally designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000. The new designation, however, would provide additional safeguards to keep the building from being changed. The original Stonewall Inn, at 51-53 Christopher St., was located in what were originally two stables built in the 1840s and rebuilt in 1930. When Stonewall opened as a gay bar in 1967, it had an unmarked exterior, except for large, rusty, broken neon sign reading “Stonewall Inn,” left by a previous tenant...Read the rest of the article at www.advocate.com/stonewall/2015/06/23/ stonewall-inn-declared-nyc-landmark

A passenger objected to the airline's use of a rainbow logo for Pride Month, but the company came right back at him. In June there are plenty of companies that adopt rainbow colors or take some other step to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month. And some of them stand up to customers to who object, as demonstrated by this Twitter exchange between American Airlines and Nathan Lorick, director of evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention:

For Pride Month, American Airlines Counters Customer's Antigay Tweet BY TRUDY RING

The tweets were shared by Allen, a Daily Beast contributor, on her Twitter feed, then picked up by BuzzFeed and other sources...Read original post at www.advocate.com/pride/2015/06/15/ pride-month-american-airlines-counters-customersantigay-tweet www.gaycationmagazine.com

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Smallest nation on Earth legalizes same-sex marriage by Stefanie Gerdes The Pitcairn Group of Islands, a British overseas territory in the Pacific, has officially passed gay marriage. The law came into effect on May 15, according to the Telegraph, but due to technical problems the change was not made public on the government website until now. Weddings will likely have to be officiated by the island administrator, a resident told the Guardian, as the island’s only preacher is a Seventh-Day Adventist, a religion opposing same-sex marriage. British authorities suggested the change after marriage equality was passed in England, Wales and Scotland, according to Deputy Governor Kevin Lynch; the local council unanimously approved the new law. Rodney Croome, national director of Australian Marriage Equality, welcomed the law and said it sent an important message. ‘It effectively says that gay islanders belong on Pitcairn Island as much as anyone else, and that’s a positive message.’ Home to just 48 people, the four islands are often considered to form the smallest country in the world, by population. A notice on the town hall’s veranda and another at the island’s general store communicated the law change. ‘It’s not Pitcairn Islanders that were pushing for it,’ seventh-generation resident Meralda Warren told the Guardian. ‘But it’s like anything else in the world. It’s happening everywhere else, so why not?’ There have been no same-sex weddings since the law changed and Warren said while she knew of one gay islander, she didn’t know of any gay couples wanting to marry. ‘I kind of cracked up when I saw the Google 12

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alert in my inbox,’ she said. ‘I scanned down and smiled again, and thought, “We’ve kept that one quiet for a couple of months.”’...Read the rest of the article at www. gaystarnews.com/article/pitcairn-islands-legalizegay-marriage220615/

Airlines, travel groups praise gay marriage ruling By Bart Jansen

The skies just got a little friendlier. Travel organizations welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision Friday that the 14th Amendment guarantees the right of same-sex couples to marry. American, Delta and United airlines had filed arguments with the court supporting gay marriage for what they said would be a more inclusive workplace. “Today’s historic ruling is a long-awaited victory for all those who chose to take a stand for marriage equality, and we applaud the Supreme Court for affording same-sex couples the respect and dignity they deserve under the law,” United said in a statement...read the rest of the article at w w w . u s a t o d a y . c o m / s t o r y / todayinthesky/2015/06/26/scotus-travel-gaymarriage/29329837/

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Destinations, Accommodations, Tours, Events & Services

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Un rendez-vous élégant L’escale française par excellence, que ce soit pour des vacances ou un voyage d’affaires. Dans le confort luxueux d’une demeure historique située en plein centre-ville de Saint-Pierre, à 200 mètres du traversier. Une expérience exquise vous attend.

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vos hôtes

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Top Left and Left: Pride goers in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Middle Left: Publisher DJ found his calling? No. Middle Right/Bottom Right: Publisher DJ finally found some chairs “just his size...” Bottom left: Publisher DJ and Feast Editor Joe on their Adirondack train adventure.

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Uncovering India

by Stefan Arestis, NomadicBoys.com

Nomadic Boys Stefan and Sebastien rub up against the Eastern country’s very different way of life

Last year, my boyfriend Sebastien and I quit our London jobs to eat our way through Asia. One of the places we were really geared up for was India, a country full of extremes from the slums to the Taj Mahal, loads of colour (those saris!), tasty yummy curries and some very pretty boys—holding hands— everywhere. Yup, you read that right. But before you get excited, it’s more of a Hindu cultural norm than a gay thing. Best buddies commonly walk the streets arm in arm regardless of sexuality and no one bats an eyelid. In fact, Indian men generally are very docile with each other, 18

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especially when compared with relations between men in Europe and North America (aka, the West). But, unfortunately, the reality for gay Indians is a whole other story. The Hindu culture itself is a very family-orientated one and frowns on anyone not marrying and having children. And Indian law does nothing to help. Like quite a few Asian countries, India has struggled to shake off its anti-gay laws inherited from the British Colonial days. More specifically, its Penal Code (dating back to 1861), which criminalised sodomy with up to 10 years imprisonment. This law was repealed by the Delhi High Court in 2009, but www.gaycationmagazine.com

the Indian Supreme Court reintroduced it in 2014, arguing it was for the government to change this, not the Courts. (Modi’s government has yet to do anything about it and seems unlikely to any time soon.) So, gayness in India is technically illegal and any “scene” that existed before has had to disappear underground. This was just plain weird for me to grasp. Coming from London—one of the gayest cities in the world—I was spoiled rotten. London is a paradise for gays with bars, clubs, saunas, shops, cafés, restaurants, bookshops—event after event available to you everywhere night and day. I wondered how such a massive gay population like India’s, with over a billion people and a million gays statistically, meet and socialise with each other. One of the ways they do this is via gay dating apps like Grindr and Hornet. Back in London, Grindr is a means to find a sexual partner, so having a boyfriend, I’d never bothered with it. But in India, Grindr seemed to be a necessity for tapping into the local gay community to find out what was going on and a way for us to make local gay friends. Sebastien and I’s Indian trip started in Delhi for the popular ‘golden triangle’ tour—Delhi, Taj Mahal and Jaipur—and our friend Andrew from London also joined us to celebrate his birthday. Andrew had a fantasy of updating his Facebook profile picture with a photo of himself surrounded www.gaycationmagazine.com

by a sort of harem of Indian boys... Now, don’t get me wrong: of course our visit to India was not meant to be just gay-orientated. We naturally visited many palaces, like the Hawa Mahal and City Palace of Jaipur, temples of Khajuraho and the Galwal Bagh Monkey temple of Jodhpur, forts like Delhi’s Amber Fort and looked for any opportunity to chow down on the many curries, Thalis and tandooris. But we always try to meet local gays on our travels to learn what local life is really like from their point of view. And Andrew was quite adamant on getting that harem money shot! The temples of Khajuraho in central India stood out for us quite a bit. They had the usual India beauty of course, but there were a lot of really sexual figures including one man going at it with a horse and, of course, lots of 69 action going on. Delhi was where we stayed to celebrate our friend’s birthday. Using Grindr, I was able to tap into the hidden Delhi gay scene and discover the venue of that week’s party: Knight by Castle 9 at Connaught Place in central Delhi. The majority of the Grindr profiles in India seemed to have photos of torsos with faces hidden. Rarely were real names ever used. So, dolled up and ready, we hit the town. The gay party itself was quite fun and certainly interesting. It was heaving full of Delhi locals, grinding away on the dance floor. You could feel the suppressed sexual tension in the air; it was almost aggressive,

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and even animalistic, at times. We were about to start getting trigger happy with selfies on our phones but the burly bouncers took us aside and politely asked us to avoid all photography. Apparently it’s strictly prohibited, to protect people’s identities. Around 1 a.m., the music stopped, the lights went out, the window blinds were pulled down and we were asked to stay in the club and not go outside. The police had arrived. We were told this was c o m m o n with all their par ties—t he policemen were just l o o k i n g for a bribe from the promoters and would l e a v e everyone a l o n e . Everyone was very blasé about it, of course; it happened at almost every party. This is just the way it had always been. We waited for around 20 minutes. At one point, one young lad tried to leave through the back door, but the burly bouncer actually hit him and told him to wait inside to avoid antagonizing the police. Eventually the policemen’s bribes were settled and we were all asked to leave via the back door one by one and go home. No one got hurt. No one was arrested. And most shocking for me, nobody seemed to care. It was all part of an average gay night out in Delhi. But for us, we were in utter shock! I remember staring into the eyes of the two policemen as I 20

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passed them outside, wondering how they must have thought: Nice way to finish the day’s work… easy income earner, or Can’t wait till next week’s party, let’s see how much we can get out of them next week! or even Why’s that faggot foreigner looking at me? This would never in a million years happen to us in London. Any police presence in a London club would be to protect us from something. They don’t stop the music and look to us for a backhander. Our police even have their own float in London Pride and let us kiss and take silly selfies with them. We were just shocked that in India that the very people who are supposed to protect you, are instead the ones you have to bribe to leave you alone… Then we remembered, Indian law pretty much lets them get away with this. The Indians I met and spoke to at the club made me realize just how lucky I am to be free. Unlike them, I have never had to hide my sexuality to protect my employment prospects, or lie about Sebastien’s existence for fear of being cast aside by society. Unlike them, at my ripe old age of 32 I don’t have to contemplate marrying a trophy wife to relieve myself from family pressure—and in actual fact, I can now legally marry Sebastien (just waiting for that ring, of course!). What does this mean for the gay traveler to India? When I first heard of countries like India www.gaycationmagazine.com

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him openly to all my colleagues and friends, marry him, not worry about being discriminated against for this and just live a free life. Oh, and our friend Andrew? He did get his harem photo in the end. Watch our travel adventures in India: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hduq-pUbg8I

having anti-gay laws in place I thought, “I’m not going to spend my money on such a backwards country….” Well, other than being quite a limiting way of thinking (you’d be barring yourself from quite a lot of countries), one of the things I learned on my trip is that this way of thinking is simply counterproductive, most of all to the LGBTQ communities in these countries trying to assert their voice and bring about change. Surely going over there, meeting them and supporting them is going to be more productive than refusing to go altogether. I’d even go as so far as to say that the majority of people in any country anywhere simply do not care if I’m gay or not, regardless of what his country’s laws are. Most people everywhere simply want to achieve the same things: pay their bills, have good careers, get their kids educated, have a roof over their family’s heads, bring food to the table, etc. They couldn’t care less what Sebastien and I are doing in our twin beds pushed together in our hotel room. So yes, I was shocked by the indifferent attitude of my fellow gays in that club in Delhi who saw that police raid as the norm. But I was also humbled by how fortunate I am to be from London, from the West, where the fight for my right to be left alone has already been won many decades ago, where I can openly date another man, talk about

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Stefan Arestis is an ex-lawyer, born in London and of Greek origin. He is a travel addict, visiting more than 60 countries, and his dream is to save up enough money to take a cruise to Antarctica. He co-created the Nomadic Boys gay travel blog, nomadicboys.com, with his partner, Sebastien. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @nomadicboys.

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Feast

An exploration of a traditional local dish and how it connects to the culture, with recipes and recommendations where to eat

The Ojo Rojo or the Michelada by Joe Morales

It doesn’t really matter what you want to call it. They’re pretty much the same thing—ice-cold deliciousness. I can’t tell you the first time I had my first Red Beer (after I turned 21 of course). I remember getting a beer with a side of Bloody Mary mix and pouring my own ratios. If we were in a dive bar and they didn’t have Bloody Mary mix, we suffered through the bland tomato juice and salt. The first time I had a real Mexican Red Beer was during a visit to Cancun. I still remember the day: Sitting in the shade, hiding from the sun and I was 24

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handed my first Sol Clamato. Store bought, frigid, from a can, beer found at Oxxo, the Mexican equivalent of 7-Eleven in the United States. I’m not sure if it was the heat and the chilled beer, but it was seriously the best tasting drink in the WORLD! Fast forward a year or so and I had another Red Beer in Cancun while on a Mexican cruise. This time, it was at a local restaurant. The waiter called it a Michelada. I was hoping there wasn’t a language issue here and I was getting something completely different. It was homemade and came in a darling plastic cup complete with salt on the rim and a slice of lime. Ah yes, that same heavenly taste but this time, fresh. I don’t think I have ever stopped talking about it since my first time in Cancun—and I probably won’t. In Puerto Vallarta, the other side of Mexico, they call it an Ojo Rojo. At least they did at the resort. They certainly do go down smoothly, especially when you’re sitting at the swim-up bar. You’ll find them around town but they’re called Micheladas. From what I’ve tasted and what I understand they’re basically the same thing. But an Ojo Rojo is supposed to be a hangover cure so maybe all this time they thought I was hungover. Which could have been the case a couple times! While visiting our favorite local haunts in Puerto Vallarta we decided to take a detour to the next town over called Pitillal. It’s a quaint little town and a lot less touristy than Puerto Vallarta. I think besides our group there was probably a handful of tourists roaming the streets, the rest locals. We walked along the side of the street that was in the shade since it was so hot out. We passed shop after shop, nobody motioning us to come in and try their tequila or asking if we wanted to go on a tour. The only samples they were offering were www.gaycationmagazine.com

the fresh flour tortillas coming out of the oven. They were being handmade by a mother and son. Fresh tortilla sample? Yes, please. The tortilla just piqued my interest in food and possibly something to drink because I was parched and the sun was beating down on me. We passed a restaurant where the owner was saying to come in, sit down and have a bite to eat. I noticed his sign offering “Michelada Camarones” for 50 pesos. I didn’t really think much of it, thinking it was some sort of seafood dish as we continued on our way. After a few detours and no luck finding the store we were after, we decided it was hot and we needed some pool time so we turned around and walked back the way we came…arriving at the same restaurant. We sat down only wanting a snack and ended up getting tacos. I asked for an Ojo Rojo and the man said, “No, you need a Michelada Camarones. It’s much better.” I said OK. He asked me what kind of beer I wanted in it. What? I’ve never been asked that before. So I said I’ll have Negra Modelo, my other favorite (Mexican) beer. For 50 pesos (roughly $3 U.S.) I received a 32-ounce beer topped with sliced cucumbers, cold cooked shrimp and lime slices. The owner was wrong, it wasn’t better; it was in fact, the most amazing thing I had ever had as far as drinks (in Mexico) go and I was in love. We had a nice conversation with the owner while he was weaving a fishing net. It was fascinating to watch him weave in and out and tie off the fishing line creating a diamond pattern. It takes him roughly three months to complete one net. He asked me how I liked the Michelada and I smiled and told him it was amazing. As we were leaving, he thanked us for stopping in and trying his food. We thanked him for the conversation and the delicious meal and drinks. It was pool time and we had a long bus ride back. There’s not one specific recipe I can point you to since they vary by region, but what I can tell you is they are simple, quick to make and very delicious. www.gaycationmagazine.com

Here’s what I would go with: Ice 1 chilled pint glass 1 saucer with salt 1 cup of Clamato (cold) 1 cup of your favorite beer (cold) 1-2 dashes of soy sauce 1-2 dashes of Tabasco 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce 1 lime wedge Take the lime wedge and run it along the rim of the glass and dip the glass rim into the saucer of salt making sure you coat just the rim. Add a few cubes of ice. Next, mix the Clamato, soy sauce, Tabasco, Worcestershire in the chilled pint glass. Squeeze the juice of the lime wedge into the glass. Slowly pour your cold beer in the glass so as to NOT create foam (I think we all know how to do that). Mix together and enjoy!

Joe Morales is a Chef in training, a foodie by nature and food and travel writer. His blog Edible Fares highlights dishes from around the world and showcases various culinary techniques. Joe is also the Editor of FEAST, a feature for Gaycation Magazine that focuses on the exploration of traditional local dishes and how it connects to the culture. Gaycation Magazine

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EVENTS

Here are some events and shows Gaycation Magazine will be attending or will have a presence. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always adding more and looking for that special event for us to be at. If you would like us to attend your event, please let us know at travel@gaycationmagazine.com SEE YOU SOON!

August 11 - 16, 2015 Girlie Circuit www.girliecircuit.net

September 10 - 13, 2015 Key West Womenfest www.womenfest.com

August 13 - 16, 2015 Tropical Heat Key West www.tropicalheatkw.com

October 27, 2015 Key West Headdress Ball

www.headdressballkeywest.com

Finding Nemo Part 3: Lost in Hannaford

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Summer in Salem! Go Out Loud Ushers Summer Sea Cruise Events For EVERYONE This Summer! For the latest events, merch, news & tickets :

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2014

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MIAMI’S LGBT VOICE

We warmly welcome you to the LGBT Visitor Center, the proud voice of all things gay in Miami and the Beaches. We’re located in Old City Hall in the heart of South Beach at 1130 Washington Ave., Suite 100, Miami Beach, FL 33139. To plan your next vacation in fabulous Miami Beach, go to GoGayMiami.com or call us at 305/397-8914. MAR Winter Party

APR Miami Beach Gay Pride Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

MAY Aqua Girl Sizzle Miami

JUN Out in the Tropics

JUL Miami Beach Bruthaz Conference

OCT Orgullo

LGBT VISITOR CENTER •1130 WASHINGTON AVENUE, 1ST FLOOR, MIAMI BEACH • GoGayMiami.com This ad made possible through the support of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. For a complete listing of events, please visit GoGayMiami.com Additional support generously provided by:

NOV White Party

Postcards

Show off your Gaycation! Send in your vacation photos (with captions) and we’ll put ‘em here and be envious of the great time you had!

Postcards Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

Backstage Bali

Dig a little deeper around the backroads of Bali and you’ll find unique places to stay, play and eat by Dee Farrell in the hidden corners of the island. language and a few words in Bahasa), from scenic overlook video shooting to backdoor workshop tours, we encountered only a handful of self-driving travelers (mainly surfers and divers) and thankfully no tourist buses on our four-day adventure.

Bali—and the 999 other islands of Indonesia—is one of the best places to visit while the U.S. dollar is strong. This is a great time for Americans to travel internationally if affordability has been holding you back from travelling to the Island of the Gods. Your Yankee bucks have greater buying power—up more than 50 percent and rising fast—particularly in Bali where tourism revenues are highly prized by the government and travel operators. In early March 2015, ‘The ExPat Express’ went around the Island of the Gods in four days—mostly on backroads where seldom is seen a car with Westerners driving like locals. From coffee cafés to interactions with locals (in pigeon English, sign 38

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Day 1 From the starting point in Ubud, we drove my fellow ex-pat John Anderson’s new Suzuki Karimun to our first day destination on Bali’s East Coast. Before arriving in Amed and renting bungalows on the beach, we made two pit stops. The first was for essentials—coffee and gas—in Candidasa, a very gay-friendly tourist town if you know which hotels, restaurants and dive shops are gay-owned and where the locals hang. The second was for culture and cuisine. Amlapura’s main drawcard is its water palaces, and on this day we picked Tirta Gangga, a lovely maze of pools and fountains surrounded by a lush garden and many stone carvings and statues. We enjoyed a respite from the road at the restaurant overlooking the famous koi ponds and spring-fed pools where local kids swim. A lot of things on the menu were “finished,” so we reckoned the bus of tourists ahead of us wiped them out. We were happy to miss the herds and more than happy with the menu remains, including a killer Balinese rice pudding. Refreshed, we gave the swimming hole a miss and we pressed onto Tulamben, then back along the ocean road to Amed (Amalfi Coast twin). This coast is famous for Japanese and American shipwrecks-turned-dive spots. It has been inaccessible for years except by motorbike. The single coast road was washed away in a tsunami, www.gaycationmagazine.com

but finally the area is awakening and rising like a phoenix. The pace of life here is slow and the coastal scenery quite stunning, making Amed the perfect place for a relaxed getaway. After a fresh fish BBQ dinner and solid sleep listening to the surf, we vowed to return. We did have a serendipitous side trip to the village of Seraya. We turned off the engine the minute John spotted a sign for the textile artisans co-operative workshop. A collector and retailer of textiles from around the world, he thought he’d “dyed” and gone to heaven. The young manager gave us a personal tour of the workshop area where the artisans make the dyes and spin the wool for their creations that are exported internationally. Day 2 We headed north to Singaraja, an old harbor www.gaycationmagazine.com

town with plenty of history and arms against invaders. It still has the feel of an old colonial capital. We pushed on 20 more kilometers west to swim with the dolphins in Lovina. We stayed at a new accommodation right on the black sand beach, and that night we had a scrumptious meal at a new restaurant called Bambu. Besides great food and desserts, the warung’s walls are covered by eclectic art. The paintings are for sale by local artists of some fame and talent. Day 3 The drive to West Bali National Park was long, but worth it—and we discovered two great coffee pit stops along the seldom-visited north coastline. After the park drive-through (it was raining heavily), we were blessed with sunshine and made a beeline for Taman Sari hotel in the small fishing village of Gaycation Magazine

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Pemuteran. Its clean, private beach is 50 feet from the largest artificial reef project in the world called BioRock. Snorkeling and diving on a coral reef right on the main beach is rare anywhere in the world. It’s not long till the divers of the world beat a path to its door (like me). I discovered the coral regeneration project last year and went on a reef dive to view the underwater gallery of sculptured metal signs. I adopted a baby coral (named “Deetours”), which is growing on the rubar at a depth of eight meters. It’s swarming with fish at year two! (Read more at http://www.rainbowtourism.com/2014/02/ photojourney-balis-underwater-adventure-zone.) John quickly made his way to the bay after donning a snorkel mask and fins. “Do make sure you put on sunscreen or at least a T-shirt as you will be burned to a crisp within 30 minutes,” he warns. He suffered without either. I negotiated with the project’s marine biologist to take a digital image with an underwater camera, and for a small donation, he sent Deetours’ snapshot via email.

Bedugul, a mountain lake resort area in the central highlands. Locals think of it as the farm basket of Bali, with organic vegetables and fruits—especially strawberries—flourishing in volcanic soil. We took a rest from the exhausting drive at The View, a new restaurant with epic scenery from inside its traditional joglo roof restaurant. This is the same region relished by golfers with its magnificent course alongside Lake Bratan. (Score aside, Dee enjoyed a round on a past visit.) Bali has plenty to offer if you’re after some untouristy exploring and eating till your tastebuds sing. If you’ve not been to Bali, or are a repeat visitor tired of the hustle and bustle of the (pink) triangle (Seminyak, Kuta and Legian), you might just enjoy “the other Bali”—the land of palaces, paddies and PADI divers. We were overjoyed to be invited backstage in old Bali, where buses can’t travel by backroads. Go road tripping to the four corners while it’s still unspoiled!

Day 4 On our way back to Ubud on the fourth day, we drove up and down the winding road to 42

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Dee Farrell has explored the Island of the Godsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; four cornersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;above and below water from the volcano tops to the caldera lakes, from the congested cities like Ubud to the tiniest of villages where herons flock by the thousands at sunset. She is the retired publisher of Rainbow Tourism, calling Candidasa her home away from home. She shares more recent treasure finds from an unbeaten track road trip with fellow ex-pat American John Anderson at www.rainbowtourism.com/2014/07/bali-fourcorners-beaten-track. John is a jewelry designer and owner of Folk Art Gallery (FAG) in Seminyak. The Gay & Gray Nomads have been living in Bali for many years.

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Postcards Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

Gaycation Gaycation Magazine brings the world of gay travel to your fingertips. Explore new and familiar gay destinations. Learn what to do, what to eat, and what to wear. All this information wrapped up into a magazine which brings the culture of gay travel to life.

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Submission Guidelines Editorial Features

What was I thinking?: Stories submitted by Gaycationers about crazy experiences that left them scratching their heads and opining, “What was I thinking?”

Cruising Corner: Tips and insights from cruising experts and short stories from our readers about their cruising experiences.

Book It!: Recommendations of LGBTQ friendly hotels and resorts that help you engage with the identity of a destination.

Feast: An in-depth exploration of a traditional local dish and how it connects tot he culture, with recipes and recommendations where to eat.

There’s This Place: Where to go next? Gaycation Magazine’s recommendations of unusual LGBTQ destinations off the beaten path.

Threads: The latest style trends, insights and tips from our fashion experts for the world traveler in all of us.

Postcards (Photo Section): Photos of Experiential LGBTQ travel moments captured by Gaycationers worldwide. Gaycationers: Photos of real LGBTQ travelers and explorers who have gone before you providing insights and resources which inspire you to pursue your personal travel passion.

The Wire: Brief LGBTQ travel news and information about new hotel/resort openings, cruise itineraries, travel planning tips, and products and services. Found It!: Short description of “must have” travel items for everyone from the novice weekender to the seasoned globetrotter.

Any articles, photos or information submitted to Gaycation Magazine become the sole property of Gaycation Magazine. The views and opinions stated throughout the magazine are not necessarily the view and opinion of Gaycation Magazine. Gaycation Magazine and its affiliates will not knowingly publish or advertise information, which is fraudulent or misleading. The Publisher reserves the right to edit, limit, revise, or reject any submission without cause. Gaycation and its affiliates assume no financial responsibility for typographical errors. If any errors are found, please notify Gaycation Magazine immediately. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Publisher. Pay rates can be found on our website. Please send images in hi-res and articles to editor@gaycationmagazine.com www.gaycationmagazine.com

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There’s This Place

Porto, Portugal

On the northwestern coast of Portugal, where the Douro River meets the Atlantic, sits Porto. It’s a city with great cultural and historical importance that rivals Lisbon, but to most of the world it often goes unnoticed. I visited Porto in April with few expectations other than learning some Portuguese words and enjoying a nice glass of Port wine. After all, Port wine is perhaps Porto’s most well-known claim to fame. As I explored the city for several days, I quickly discovered that Porto is so much more. It’s one of those cities that really has it all, and I can’t imagine any visitor would be disappointed with their trip. The moment you step out onto the banks of the Douro River, you’ll see Porto’s beautiful natural landscape 48

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by Auston Matta

spanned by towering bridges, linking up two sides of a region full of beautiful architecture, culture, gastronomy and nightlife. And with mild weather, amazing views and an ocean front location, Porto is a destination that should be added to any European traveler’s bucket list. When my husband and I first arrived in Porto, we immediately dove into the cultural side of the city by visiting the Casa da Música. This impressive and modern theatre was built in 2005 and it’s the only theatre in the world made of glass, which is generally known to have poor acoustics. But the innovative design counteracts this and gives the interior spaces natural light and an incredibly open feeling. Besides great musical performances throughout the year, you can attend one of their monthly parties where they convert it into the largest nightclub in the country, bringing in famous DJs and musical performers to this popular weekend event. Next we took a short boat cruise of the Douro River, which separates Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia, technically a separate city though still part of the city center. From the boat we found breathtaking views of the rugged cliffs and the famous bridges designed by Gustave Eiffel and his student Théophile Seyrig back in the late 19th

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century. Later we had dinner at DOP Restaurant where the renowned Portuguese chef Rui Paula recreates traditional Portuguese flavors with dishes that take on a more modern and artistic feel. Or as our local guide told me, “The flavors are like your grandma’s traditional cooking but they’re presented with a modern flare.” For the budgetconscious, you can enjoy lunch at DOP for just 20€—complete with a fixed, multi-course meal, drink and dessert. The following day we explored the historic center of Porto starting with Livraria Lello, voted one of the top three most beautiful bookstores in the world. Just around the corner, we walked up Galeria de Paris, where you’ll find lots of shops and cafés lining the street. By night, this area comes alive and becomes a pulsating nightlife spot for locals who visit the bars and crowd the streets outside. Yes, drinking in public is actually still legal in Portugal and it’s an integral part of their culture. That night we ate dinner at Palco Restaurant

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located at the Hotel Teatro, a design hotel inspired by the former theatre that was onsite. It’s a great hotel option in the city center and is in walking distance to most sites of interest. After a fantastic sampling menu with various Portuguese wines, we decided to venture out into town. I found out quickly that Porto has a thriving nightlife scene and many options for gay visitors. In my opinion, the best options are actually places with mixed crowds located within the Galeria de Paris neighborhood. The older gay-specific venues have remained further out, but the newer, more hip and modern

bars have opened here with a generally mixed and gay-friendly crowd. We visited several places that night and our favorites were without a doubt Conceição 35, Café Lusitano and Plano B. Conceição 35 is new to the scene, having just opened two weeks prior to our visit. It’s a cozy and energetic gay-owned space with a front bar and back dance floor and was probably more gay than straight that night. Café Lusitano is much larger and built in a former warehouse with incredibly high ceilings and an open atmosphere with more of a socializing scene. The place to end the night is definitely Plano B, which appeared small upon entering until I went downstairs and found two additional bars and two separate dance floors with DJs spinning the best Top 40 and house music. The nightlife starts late in Gaycation Magazine

Porto and bars don’t fill up until after 1 a.m. The party goes equally as late and dance places like Plano B stay open until 6 a.m. We slept through breakfast the next morning and went directly to visit the Port wine cellars. In fact, all the wine cellars are on the Gaia side of the river because the taxes were historically lower centuries ago and the tradition has continued ever since. We started at Porto Cruz, which has been producing Port wine since 1887, though it actually offers a modern Port wine experience and tour of its property free of charge. You’ll also find one of the only rooftop terraces on the Gaia bank upstairs, and it’s a great place to relax and enjoy the view with a Port & Tonic, which has recently become one of Porto’s most trendy cocktails. Afterwards we opted for a traditional experience at the Ferreira Port Wine Cellar where we toured the wine-making process, and later sampled several Port wines with cheese—obviously the best part of the tour. On our last day we visited a couple shops which were both gay-owned and great options for designer menswear. Both Muuda and Wrong Weather are relatively new in town and their design-focus follows Porto’s trend of transforming into a hip and vibrant city. Our final activity was taking a ride on the traditional tramway from Passeio Alegre, along the banks of the Douro River into the city center—a short trip but definitely still worth the ride. I was surprised to find Porto so gay-friendly and wondered why there’s been such a transformation 50

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in recent years. Same-sex marriage was legalized in Portugal in 2010, but our guide also explained to me that the transition was also influenced with the start of Erasmus—a university exchange program within Europe. As Portuguese students spent a year in foreign countries, they returned with open minds and increased cultural diversity. Coupled with recent city-funded developments in infrastructure, increased cultural venues and tourism investment, Porto has changed for the better and has recently been named one of the Top 10 European Destinations by Lonely Planet, European Consumer’s Choice and TripAdvisor. Now when you think of traveling in Europe, it’s no longer just the big names like London, Paris or Barcelona. Yes, Porto has certainly made a name for itself and it’s a destination that surely won’t disappoint.

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Gay Travel Planner Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism: visitportoandnorth.travel

Plano B: planobporto.net Rua Cândido dos Reis 30, 4050-150

Casa da Música: casadamusica.com/en/ Av. da Boavista 604-610, 4149-071 +351 22 012 0220

Porto Cruz: myportocruz.com Largo Miguel Bombarda 23, 4400-222 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal +351 22 092 5340

Conceição 35: tinyurl.com/pk3qwt7 Rua da Conceição 35 +351 22 093 8034

Wrong Weather: wrongweather.net Av. da Boavista 754, 4100-111 +351 22 605 3929

DOP Restaurant: ruipaula.com Largo São Domingos 18, 4050-292 +351 22 201 4313 Ferreira Port Wine Cellar: eng.sograpevinhos.com Avenida Ramos Pinto, 70 4400-266, Vila Nova de Gaia +351-223 746 106 Hotel Teatro & Palco Restaurant: hotelteatro.pt R. de Sá da Bandeira 84, 4000-427 +351 22 040 9620 Livraria Lello: bookstoreguide.org/2008/01/livraria-lelloporto.html Rua das Carmelitas 144, 4050-161 +351 22 200 2037 Lusitano Café: cafelusitano.com Rua de José Falcão 137, 4050-317 +351 22 201 1067 Muuda: muuda.com Rua do Rosário 294, 4050-522 +351 22 201 18 33

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Auston Matta is a travel blogger for TwoBadTourists.com and freelance writer who has contributed to Edge Travel, Man About World and GayTravel.com. He grew up in Phoenix before he moved to Chicago, and in 2012, sold his belongings and embarked on a round-the-world trip. After traveling nonstop for a year, he finally settled in Spain with his husband. When he’s not traveling or writing about events, festivals or the best LGBTQ destinations, he enjoys the long sunny days and nightlife of Madrid. Gaycation Magazine

The Old and New Haunts of Gay L.A. by Kelsy Chauvin

The City of Angels has a long history as the City of Gays too. From the “pansy” and “nance” craze of the 1940s, to the little-known 1959 gay revolt at Cooper’s Donuts, Los Angeles was a hotbed of full-on LGBTQ pride years before New York’s Stonewall riots. And the curious part is that much of the past century’s gay notoriety happened in neighborhoods like Silver Lake and Downtown L.A.—not West Hollywood, a.k.a. the Southern California capital of queer. But what’s come of La La Land’s rainbow-colored past? And where are gays, lesbians and trans folks spending their time outside of WeHo nowadays? Yesteryear’s Pride A good place to start answering those and more questions is with Out & About Tours (outandabouttours.com). Run by the enthusiastic and amazingly 52

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knowledgeable Jim Anzide, Out & About delivers gay L.A. in a nutshell. On a recent Downtown L.A. walking tour, Anzide kicked off his series of surprising stories at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, the spot where it all began. Centuries ago, the Tongva Native American tribe inhabited the Los Angeles Basin, bringing with them a tradition of “two-spirit” respect. For them, people who exhibited both masculine and feminine traits were blessed and revered, making El Pueblo the home of a uniquely tolerant clan. Their broadmindedness was an ancient seedling that over time would grow roots for future LGBTQ residents. As the point of origin in this now-sprawling city of four million residents, El Pueblo seems incredibly quaint, especially in contrast to Chinatown and the other bustling neighborhoods that surround it. Its landmark status was instituted in time to preserve www.gaycationmagazine.com

buildings dating back to the late 1800s, many of which housed and entertained working men who flocked for jobs in the burgeoning oil industry. Anzide is the keeper of many well-researched tales of those early, often randy settlers, and has the sassy pictures to boot. But this is just one of many remarkable tales that unfold on the Gay L.A. Walking Tour. Further into Downtown, you’ll glimpse the site of the old Cooper’s Donuts on Main Street, where in 1959 a band of fed-up drag queens finally struck back against L.A.P.D. hostility. While you’re on Main, remember to grab a drink at the New Jalisco Bar, the last Downtown gay bar still standing. Downtown is Waiting for You It’s full of fabulous history, but Downtown L.A. is also swinging back into the local limelight for all

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that’s hip circa 2015. One of the eateries not to be missed is actually an emporium of great cuisines. Grand Central Market (grandcentralmarket.com) opened a century ago to sell groceries to wealthy residents. You can still get plenty of fresh produce there, but more than that, go with a hearty appetite to sample scores of ready-to-eat dishes, including Mexican, Chinese, Jewish-deli, oysters and hot baked goods. You can wet your whistle on almost any corner Downtown. For a quality dive with a fun crowd, drink specials and big patio, head to La Cita (lacitabar.com) on North Hill Street. Mustache Mondays are a great draw, as is the free pizza on Friday punk nights. True to the stylish mixture that is L.A. culture, virtually every night here you’ll find something wild that’s worth a visit—from reggae and rockabilly, to Latin and hip hop, and occasional

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live shows to dance the night away. If you’re feeling more refined, check out one of Downtown’s sleek speakeasies. The Edison is the biggie, and worth going out of your way for if only to see how they converted this enormous, enchanting space from a former power plant into a sexy lounge (edisondowntown.com). Your throwback snacks and classic cocktails will taste even better with 1920s music embellishing the vibe. If further evidence of Downtown’s comeback is required, please duck into the ever-hip, gayfriendly Ace Hotel (acehotel.com/losangeles). A new addition in 2014, the Ace converted the 1927 former film-studio high-rise into one of the city’s coolest hotels and entertainment venues. You can head to its 13th-floor rooftop bar for amazing views, or catch a show at the restored Theatre at the Ace Hotel—a stunning, Gothic-revival-style 1,600seat movie palace that’s now hosting premieres, screenings and other events.

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The Swish Alps The cat’s been out of the bag about L.A.’s “other” gayborhood of Silver Lake ever since The L Word first outed its cute bungalows. Though Shane and Jenny left a while ago, this cool enclave is still as happening as ever. Speaking of cats, every queer tourist should start a Silver Lake visit at the Black Cat (theblackcatla.com). Anzide will tell you that in 1967, this area was so gay some called it “the Swish Alps,” and the Black Cat was the place our homo forbears congregated. On New Year’s 1967, the lounge was raided by the L.A.P.D., who harassed and beat patrons caught in same-sex kisses at midnight. The silver lining is that the event galvanized a group called the Personal Rights in Defense and Education—or P.R.I.D.E., where our modern gay-rights movement got its name. Today, the Black Cat is a laid-back neighborhood restaurant serving tasty brunches of comfort food and Asian-inspired dishes. A few blocks down www.gaycationmagazine.com

Sunset Boulevard is Akbar (akbarsilverlake.com), a worthy gay-leaning watering hole with live and DJ’ed music and a flirtatious dance floor. Some locals consider it the best gay bar in town. It’s easy to find unique restaurants in the indie scene that is Silver Lake, but Night + Song is the place to sample authentic Thai food (nightmarketla.com). And since this is Southern Cali, you may find yourself hankering for Mexican. Head to local fixture Casita del Campo to get your fill of enchiladas and icy margaritas inside or on the colorful patio (casitadelcampo.net). Vintage Gay From Silver Lake it’s an easy jaunt west to reach the gay history wonderland that is Hollywood. On your way there, duck into neighborhood fave Birds Café for half-price happy hours and Friday ladies’ night deals (birdshollywood.com). Some may call it a dive, but it’s hard to argue with spicy bloody marys with bacon in them. Head further into Hollywood, but skip the Walk of Fame and instead join Out & About’s “LGBTinsel Town” tour. It starts from the historic Max Factor building that now houses the amazing, womanowned Hollywood Museum

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(thehollywoodmuseum.com). The building still boasts the very makeup rooms where everyone from Lucille Ball to Marilyn Monroe got their hair dyed and faces strategically made up by Factor himself. The museum has an unbelievable collection of memorabilia, including a significant LGBTQ section. Just be prepared for the eerie basement “dungeon,” where the original Silence of the Lambs jail set now stands. Because no trip to L.A. is done without a dose of celebrity gossip, let Anzide regale you with stories of how old vaudeville’s “pansy craze” became the talk of the town in early Hollywood. Off the boulevard on side streets like Las Palmas Avenue, you’ll find hidden gems that would have tickled those pansies and nances, like the gay-owned fetish art gallery Antebellum (antebellumgallery. blogspot.com)—or still more impressive, the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center (lalgbtcenter.org). It’s true that Los Angeles is big enough for many cultures to claim a prominent place in its history. But for LGBTQ travelers, it’s also one of the proud birthplaces of our community. Among its stars and legends, there’s a wild and fabulous gay past just waiting to reclaim the spotlight.

Kelsy Chauvin is a writer, photographer and editor based in Brooklyn. She specializes in travel, feature journalism, art, theater, architecture, construction and LGBTQ interests. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @kelsycc. www.gaycationmagazine.com

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What Was I Thinking? Stories submitted by Gaycationers about crazy experiences that left them scratching their heads and opining, “What was I thinking?”

Making the Jump

by Aaron Drake

After going skydiving myself, I totally understand why someone would want to jump out of a perfectly good plane. This particular weekend trip when my husband and I decided to do the deed—ahem, not that deed—I think stemmed from boredom and complacency. We’d been living in Los Angeles for just over a year and were starting to fall under the fog that I swear fills many Angelenos’ heads (only half-kidding) and we desperately needed to escape the city for a while. We decided to take the plunge, quite literally, and go skydiving. Skydive Santa Barbara (skydivesantabarbara.com) seemed to be our best option, so we packed a bag to overnight it for an adventure. Santa Barbara is about a two-hour drive from L.A. It was an uneventful drive up, and we hadn’t really planned before heading up where to stay or what to do. Since we were on a budget and the actual skydiving was in Lompoc, we ended up at a Motel 6 just outside of Santa Barbara. Once we arrived and checked in, we stumbled across the 58

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road to a local bar for a nightcap before calling it a night. The next day we met up with our friends Lisa, Talia and Pablo who would be joining us at the airplane hangar where our flight would depart. It was a seemingly interminable wait after we checked in and before we did the all-too-brief safety training session with one of the instructors. It was all entertaining—but I’m not sure we all realized what we were about to do. Everyone was strapped into their harnesses and instructed to double check their pockets so as not to lose a cell phone at 10,000 feet. We piled into the plane and each got hooked up to our skydiving instructors—we were all doing a tandem jump, of course—and the plane took off. It wasn’t unlike any other plane ride. That is, until the door was opened and the clouds were passing freely by merely feet away. Somehow because of the way we had piled in, or just the way it worked out, I ended up being the last one to jump. My friend Lisa, easily the rowdiest one of the bunch, was quick to crack jokes all day (we even posed with frightened faces when Pablo wouldn’t

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stop taking awkward photos of us throughout the day). No surprise she would keep cracking jokes until we all jumped. When it was Talia’s turn to jump, Lisa screamed, “You’re gonna f***ing die!” right as she jumped out of the plane. Lisa up next, Pablo’s turn, my husband, then… my turn. The best thing about jumping tandem is that there isn’t much opportunity for you to secondguess jumping out of the plane, or really much time to feel fear at all. And it wasn’t so much of a jump as it was leaning forward and falling out of the plane. The fall was exhilarating. The air rushes at your face, ballooning out your cheeks so much it’s tough to keep your lips together. The earth spread out beneath me, and even rounded out on the edges I was so high up. Santa Barbara was especially beautiful with vineyards spreading into the mountains, which flattened out into the deep

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blue Pacific Ocean. The freefall only lasted about 60 seconds, not terrifying in the least. What a rush. I was most terrified when it came time to pull the ripcord (there was an almost overpowering fear it wouldn’t open but it did). The initial jerk from the change of speed wasn’t too pleasant and then dangling by a parachute, drifting slowly towards the ground while still hundreds of feet in the air, was actually

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the most terrifying part for me. My instructor shared with me how if you pulled the ropes to the parachute different ways you could control your direction. No thanks, I was ready to get my feet back on the ground! It was smooth gliding the rest of the trip to the ground. Once we landed with a bit of a run, I think then it hit me what I had just done. Thankfully my body was a bit delayed in realizing it, as I could feel my stomach turn to Jello. Everyone met back on the ground and we all were in good spirits (no one f***ing died at least). I would say the jump provided exactly the much-needed escape we needed. But not so sure Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have the guts to do it again. What was I thinking?!?

Aaron Drake is Executive Editor of Gaycation Magazine. He has contributed to The Advocate, Out Traveler, Man About World and Amtrak Ride With Pride. When heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not writing and traveling the globe, you can find him at the beach, the movies, or playing with his two mischievous dogs. Follow his travels and travails on Twitter and Instagram at @theaarondrake. www.gaycationmagazine.com

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BOOK IT! Brookstreet Hotel

Recommendations of LGBTQ friendly hotels and resorts that help you engage with the identity of a destination.

by James Careless

The suburbs of Ottawa, Canada’s capital, are not a bad place per se. It’s just that they’re, well, pretty darned bland and boring. When it comes to hotels, this means that the selection is pretty uninspired. This is why an on-air sports announcer on CTV News’ Montreal newscast recently begged for the city’s NHL team not to play the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 NHL playoffs— because he didn’t want to be stay in a Quality Inn in Kanata, near the Senator’s Canadian Tire Centre hockey arena. (The gods didn’t listen: Montreal did play Ottawa in the first round.) Fortunately, there is an elegant oasis in Kanata called the Brookstreet Hotel. In stark contrast to its bland surroundings, Brookstreet is an elegant fourdiamond hotel located in Ottawa’s West End, just minutes from Tanger Outlets and the Canadian Tire Centre. This is a refuge where the food and service

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are excellent, the pampering extensive and divine, and the pools and spa are well-appointed. And yes, the Brookstreet is even adjacent to world-class golf courses! The Brookstreet Hotel was built during the dotcom boom, when Kanata was known as Silicon Valley North and Sir Terry Matthews was its uncrowned king. Notable for being Wales’ first billionaire, Sir Terry co-founded Corel (WordPerfect and CorelDRAW) and global communications firm Mitel. He currently serves as the chair of the latter. “Brookstreet opened its doors in June 2003,” said Meike Buechler, the hotel’s Digital Marketing Manager. “It was built by Sir Terry Matthews to predominantly host his Kanata business clientele and VIPs [NHL and artists] that played Canadian Tire Centre. Business guests and conferences still make up a big chunk of our overall numbers,

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especially Monday through Thursday, but we have since seen a huge increase of leisure business: couples, families and weddings.” The best way to understand the Brookstreet Hotel’s ambience is to view it as being like a selfcontained Caribbean holiday destination. “The hotel has a unique resort feel, with numerous onsite dining choices—including the award-winning Perspectives Restaurant—live jazz seven nights a week in Options Jazz Lounge, an onsite spa and golf course, indoor/outdoor saltwater pools, large patios and four-diamond guestrooms,” Buechler said. “Our location is often criticised as being too far away from downtown, but this makes us different and unique. And it has its advantages. Guests can really kick back and relax, golf, spa, dine and have a true staycation or getaway.” Most importantly, Brookstreet is LGBT-friendly. To be precise, this TAG-approved hotel doesn’t treat its LGBTQ guests any differently than anyone else. “We have never created offerings just targeted at LGBTQ guests,” said Buechler. “They have access to everything we offer to all guests, such as our 66

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weekend getaway packages, couples massages, weddings. Whether we host straight couples, LGBTQ couples, boys’ weekends or girlfriends’ getaways—it makes no difference to us. Every guest receives the same level of service and attention and has access to all our offerings.” The best news: The Brookstreet Hotel is a true oasis from the dull blandness that pervades suburban Ottawa. If you don’t want to be stuck at a cookie-cutter franchise hotel, stuck in your room at night because there’s nothing going on, then the Brookstreet Hotel is the place for you. The Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Drive, Kanata, Ontario, Canada, K2K 2W2 (888) 826-2220, brookstreethotel.com

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James Careless is an experienced travel journalist with credits at the Huffington Post, Montreal Gazette, National Post and OUTVisions magazine.

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Gaycationers

Meet some of the incredible people that have become part of our family of Gaycationers. They can usually be spotted pretty easily by their warm smiles and willing to help attitude when you arrive in their towns or cities. Here are just a few that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen. Have you seen any lately? If so, send a photo to editor@gaycationmagazine.com and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll post your craziness here!

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An Explicit Guide to Gaycationing

How to Find the (Hidden) Cool Stuff When You Travel By Adam Groffman

Discovering a new city or a new country doesn’t need to be complicated, even with that ever-present “fear of missing out.” Sorry, but the secret is this: it’s just impossible to discover and enjoy everything. Of course, when traveling, there are some things that you just shouldn’t miss out on. Try going to Paris for the first (and only) time and skipping the Eiffel Tower. But if you’re one of those intrepid explorers (or maybe just a lazy tourist), sometimes you end up with an alternative tourism experience when in a new place. And sometimes, those unplanned adventures just turn out to be that much more fun and exciting, making your entire holiday a little more unique and driving those friends and family back home wild with a bit of travel jealousy! For those willing to think—or better, walk—outside the box, try these tips to find more alternative and 70

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interesting things to do when traveling: READ TRAVEL BLOGS. I know, I’m a travel blogger and of course I will recommend my work and that of my blogger friends, but seriously, that’s what I do. I check what other travel bloggers have done and I make my own decisions. When a blogger says that some bar or venue is kind of rude against tourists, I skip it. When they praise the street food of a market or some avant-garde and underground theater, I try to go there. Travel bloggers are experts because they can compare more easily and sometimes they find out (and better: share) their secrets. Yes, I also read travel magazines and other media, but blogs are always a bit more personal and you can often determine what type of person a traveler is from the way they write and share about their experiences. www.gaycationmagazine.com

FOURSQUARE (Now, SWARM). It’s one of my favorite ways to find cool places when in a new place. You can use the basic feature to check-in so that you can easily remember where you’ve already been and hopefully find it again. Locals usually write tips through the app and they know their city, so trust them. If comments on a place say the food is going to be slow and you only have six hours in the city, it’s often better to hit the street food and get a panini instead of waiting for a table for half a day. It works for museums, bars, restaurants, cinemas, clubs and even doctors (‘cause yeah, you never know). Plus, FourSquare lets you select your favorite tags and will always make recommendations based on your previous ratings of similar places elsewhere in the world. INSTAGRAM. Instagram isn’t probably an app you think about using for travel tips, but it’s actually super useful. Before going to a new place, I usually search the name of the city/country as a hashtag to see what types of photos people are putting up. You can use it to find cool things to do or even cute cafés and restaurants. I think the search feature on Instagram is hugely underutilized and is actually quite powerful. One thing I like to do when I’m visiting a new destination: after uploading a geotagged photo, I check out other photos uploaded to the same location. I look for ‘grams with a cool style (or, let’s be serious, cute boys) and then check out their feeds to see what other places they go. It’s not to be a creeper, I promise—it’s just that if this person was in the same café that I’m enjoying, who’s to say the other bars, restaurants and cafés they’re uploading photos from aren’t equally interesting? It might sound time-consuming, but five minutes on Instagram and I might find myself at an underground club I’d never find in a guide book. LOCAL MAPS. Most major cities, even smaller European destinations like Brussels, Dresden and Vienna, often have free locally made maps. These aren’t the ones you’re going to find at a Hilton or a Starwood property; rather, they’re often available at boutique and independent hotels, electronic www.gaycationmagazine.com

music bars, gay groups, co-working spaces or youth hostels. These amazing maps help you to orientate and discover places that locals love. FIND THE RECORD STORE! Before visiting a new place, I’ll often do a quick Google Maps search for record stores in the city. Once you find the place where people get their vinyls, you’ll often find yourself in an interesting neighborhood. All those cool kids who collect vinyl records are often the same types to drink espresso, to wear beards and shop for trendy sneakers. It might sound like stereotyping, but once you’re in a record store you can usually orient yourself to other similar places. Plus, if you’ve got a bit of a passion for music, you’ll find record store employees often eager to make local DJ recommendations.

Adam Groffman is a globetrotter and self-styled hipster from Texas, but living in Berlin (the coolest city in the world) since 2012. He covers city destinations around the world, writing about festivals, nightlife and gay travel on his men’s lifestyle and travel blog, TravelsofAdam.com. When he’s not out exploring the coolest bars and clubs, he’s usually enjoying the local arts and culture scene of a new city. You’ll find him most often on Twitter at @travelsofadam—say hi! Gaycation Magazine

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Crossword

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Boston, Where Have All the Gay Boys Gone?

When you think of Boston, a lot of things come to mind depending on your knowledge of the city. Home to some of the top universities and hospitals in the country, the city is home to one of the top cultured and intellectual communities in the world. Bostonians are arguably some of the most loyal sports fans in the country as well. (Sorry, Chicago.) When it comes to gay rights, Massachusetts was a leader with the first same-sex marriage happening in Cambridge more than 10 years ago. With such a smart and liberal attitude towards sexual orientation, one may expect Boston to be home to a thriving gay scene as well. Wrong. With a population of over 640,000 people, Boston has only a couple of exclusively gay bars to their name. What was once a “gay mecca,” the South End has seen a vast amount of gentrification over the past 10 years, bringing an end to www.gaycationmagazine.com

By: Gregory L Kiep

exclusively gay bars and establishments. Sure, there have been many places that have opened that are delightful, delicious and fun—but you are likely to find as many strollers as drag queens. So what happened? As the idea of gay became more accepted, the community began feeling less of a drive to come together in an exclusively gay context. There were fewer and fewer strange looks when two men or women were out on a date or displaying public displays of affection. These couples branched into other establishments and did not need to only go to “gay places,” to be comfortable. For singles, the development and popularization of online dating tools like OkCupid and apps like Grindr took the need away for them to go to bars to meet other guys. They simply logged onto their phone or computer to meet the man of their dreams (or man of the hour). Gaycation Magazine

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Because of the change in the social atmosphere, the previously popular gay establishments were forced to compete more aggressively for a slimming market. To add to the competition, straight clubs and bars began to offer gay nights that became increasingly popular. Ask any Boston gay man about the club Estate on a Thursday night and you will understand. So does that mean there are no more gay places in Boston? No, a few have weathered the storm and are still hopping! These are my recommendations if you are in the Boston area:

Club Cafe The staple of the community that has been around for years featuring a dance scene on weekends and live entertainment throughout the week. clubcafe.com Trophy Room This restaurant has been open about a year and has great food, an energetic crowd, and some of the best cocktails in Boston. trophyroomboston.com Machine Nightclub Energetic dancing in the Fenway neighborhood makes this the place to play any night of the week. machineboston.club Jacqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabaret One of the best female impersonation cubs in New England, Jacqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has a huge following and is packed almost every night. jacques-cabaret.com

Gregory grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and lived in Hyde Park and Downtown during his 24 years there. Upon receiving his MBA from Xavier University, he launched a marketing firm specializing in LGBTQ lifestyle services and products. He has traveled all over the world to more than 60 countries independently and in conjunction with Atlantis Events. When he is not on an adventure, he calls Boston home. Read more about his gaycations at GregoryKiep.com.

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