www.CostaRicaTicas.com

The State of our Unions

I’ve been transported recently to a place I’ve never actually been by my good friend Ciao and by Ron Medellin, whom I don’t know but with whom I share a love of this life of ours: our brotherhood. The conduit for the libation of their soul is Rio. Even though I’ve never been there I can relate to what they feel about the place because in a very real sense we are all brothers. I’m not suggesting that we all sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya, or that we can all agree on much of anything. After all, you are a contentious lot of opinionated and ill-mannered cretins just like I am. But in a very real sense, and despite all your shortcomings, there is a connection that I have with everyone who loves like I do this thing that we do. It isn’t necessarily WHO we are. But it’s certainly, and to a variable degree among us all, a PART of who we are. And in a few recent conversations I’ve had lately with some of the brothers I can feel that underlying unified current that none of us thinks much about, but that quite a few of us feel that there’s more to the unity than just the fact that we share an affinity for nailing hot chicks and don’t mind dropping a little coin for the pleasure.

When you read a brother’s tale of tail, do you skim it for pertinent details and cull out the fact and figures, or do you slow yourself and drink in his experience and laugh and cry with him over his adventures? Many of you only care about the details, and the pricing. I’m not concerned with you; you’re dismissed. You’re free to go back to your assault on the cervixes of as many tight little things as you can manage in the tightest window of time, and for the least damage, without a thought for drinking in the experience. Not that I have anything against speedphuking your way across the landscape, I’ve done it many times. And mindless hedonism is on occasion a passion of mine as well, but there’s another tangent to all this, an emotional depth and connection, that many of those guys just don’t get. If you like to transport yourself there with your brother and share with him in the experiences, successes and failures and not just the sweet young thing that he’s just introduced you to, but also those experiences and tales, then you’re bound more deeply to this life. It’s a different thing to each of us. But many of us, whether we realize it or not, share that underlying camaraderie that transcends the obvious similarity.

And I’m not saying that all the places I love to go, and that you love to go are just like Rio. They’re all different, and each has its own appeal. And in many ways Rio is the very embodiment of what I’m talking about. But there is that common thread across the entire planet, a similarity that transcends culture, economics, religion, and societal norms that bonds each of these places and bonds each of us who seek that out. There are a thousand reasons why we do what we do, and those vary from person to person, and there are as many reasons why we feel the bond between brothers. For some it’s a compensation for misplaced latent guilt in seeking out those who share your predilection to hide among the numbers and convince yourself it’s ok because others do it. For others it’s a sober and rational understanding that what we do is perhaps the most honest interaction between two people possible on this planet and one of the oldest and most sincere forms of mutually beneficial connection ever conceived. Whatever your state of mind, there’s a deep-seeded association and natural draw between us that transcends a simple sharing of hobbies.
Whatever that is, I love it.

To those of you who actually put heart and soul into your stories, and take us there with you, thank you. It’s not just about those with the inherent ability to write like Ciao or Ron, it’s the willingness to bare all and tell all. There’s a place for all the types of reports and sharing of information on this site, no matter how brief, matter of fact, or mercenary. But those who are willing to let us peek over your shoulder while you stroll through the soundtrack of your fantasies are the ones who make this a special place.

VERY well said Archie and I could not agree more.

The common thread, besides the fantastic writing that makes it such a pleasure to read, is the genuineness of the story. There is never a reason to doubt the validity of the information, because you never feel like it is being written for their own self-importance.

No endless string of detail after minute detail about price, height, weight, positions, length of stay, etc. etc. These things are replaced with wit, well placed humor, and the ablilty to put us exactly where they were at those moments. It is like getting a backstage pass to the story being told.

For me, that is what sets aprt the good stories, from the really great stories.

Archieleach,

Thank you for the post. You and I had this very conversation in part, at least about the connection that we fellow travelers share. I think it's safe to say that we have similar views on that.

I also thank you for sharing your view of what a trip report provides. That topic is rarely discussed here, but I think you nailed it on the head. Having spent considerable time writing about my recent trip, I can tell you that it it is an effort. For me, a trip report is not only reporting facts, but it is also, like you said, a baring of the soul. They are a pain to write, but always appreciated and worthwhile when someone relates to them. Even if it is just to tell me how gay I am.

See you for foo foos next week.

Ciaociao

Good, very strong stuff. Thanks