I thought I would try and put into words some thoughts I have had lately while reading the many posts on this forum. It seems to me that a lot of what is written on here is phrased in “absolute†terms when, in reality, there is nothing absolute in what we do. One persons “10†is another persons “6â€. A hundred bucks to Joe may be nothing; but to Rick, it may seem like too much. Some guys like the company of the women they go with, while others are just looking to get a nut off. A girl you pay to stay tonight might stay with you again tomorrow for nothing more then your company and a dinner out.
I offer up my own perspective on things to back what I am trying to say here...
Where I live, I usually only partake in the p4p scene once in a long while. While still single since the death of my wife, I am reasonably content with my life and in no hurry to find another serious relationship just yet. Being able to travel to places like SJO and have a blast for 10 days at a time, two or three times a year seems to be working out for me pretty good. The rest of the time, I socialize with friends, work at my job hard, ride my motorcycles, etc. But, even so, sometimes the stress builds up and I do go out and give myself a night off, sort to speak.
Friday was a perfect example of this. I started the evening by visiting a really old friend of mine who is a smoking hot stripper. For over ten years, we have been close friends and it may seem strange, but not once have I crossed that line and had sex with her. Just lots of drinking, lap dances, partying and conversation. I think I know deep down that our friendship would be ruined if we ever took it to that next level. So I am content to party it up with her and on Friday, I spent probably $240 buying drinks for us and some other girls, getting lap dances and having a good time.
After two or three hours of this though, I am more then worked up and now need to find someone to take care of me

My usual choice these days is one of the many Chinese massage parlors we have here. I know several really sweet girls that will give you an amazing massage for an hour and then the happy ending, however you like it. The massage alone is between $60 and 70 for the hour and if you're cheap, you can get a normal HJ at the end for $40 or, if you know the girl well, like I do, you can go full sex for $100. And even after the deed is done and their money earned, they still take the time to give you a cleaning with hot towels and a soothing scalp massage after.
Comparison - There's other places to get P4P in Canadian cities. ******* in the paper usually run $200 for the hour, $120 or so for the half hour. You can try the strip club route... That's hit & miss. The really good looking girls can easily pull in a grand every night just doing lap dances, all while getting drinks bought for her and in the safety of the club. So why would they settle for having sex with some strange guy for $200? It takes a lot of money and effort building a relationship with a dancer before she is willing to give you the goods and then you still have all the extra costs like drinks, hotels, etc. Of course, there's street walkers for as low as $40 if you like crack heads sucking on your dick. And then there's the local “body rub†parlors, where some overweight white trailer trash who thinks her shit don't stink will pretend to give you a massage for 10 mins and then ask you to turn over and try and get you to finish as fast as you can – all for a hundred bucks. I've tried them all and, for me, I enjoy spending quality time with woman I really enjoy the company of (like my stripper friend) and getting quality service (like the Chinese massage places I discovered).
So the end result is I need to spend over $400 for a really good night out – Here at home.
More comparisons – Some other places I have done P4P – I tried call girls in Los Angeles, which were expensive and underwhelming. I tried massage parlors in Hollywood (not bad, but way more “pro†then the small ones I frequent up here). Heck, I once attended a big media kabutz at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and tried to pick up a streetwalker on Hollywood Boulevard afterwards (piss ass drunk!). Turned out to be a transvestite that I had a little trouble getting rid of :blush: - Live and learn!
The red light district in Amsterdam was interesting, but more expensive then I thought it would be. OK.. girls sitting in little booths behind windows with a red light. Walk down the street looking, then pick one out, go inside and do the deed – usually right behind the curtain that is behind where she sits. Do it once and the novelty wears off, lol. I had more fun flirting with the girls at the Flying Pig youth hostel on the Nieuwendijk, where I stayed. $18 a night, bar on the main floor open until 5am with pints for $3 and pre-rolled joints for sale
I lived in Copenhagen for over a year once. Fell in love with those Scandinavian women. Something about tall, blonde slim women, who smoke while they ride bicycles everywhere. It was nice there. Everyone speaks English. There's lots of P4P action (after all, this is Denmark, birthplace of porn practically, lol) Bars with sex shows, lots of call girls and the streetwalkers are even a cut above. Just watch out for the heroin junkies. The booze is cheap and the P4P not that expensive but it's very expensive to live in Denmark. Also, you have to pace yourself. A typical night out starts at one bar, moves to the “clubs†after midnight and might not end until 7am or later! The atmosphere was awesome in Copenhagen and I would love to go back some day.
Did a few weeks touring around Japan about 12 years ago. It was mostly a soul searching trip and not for P4P specifically, but I still managed to get a weekend in Tokyo's KabukichÅ area that cost me more money then the rest of my trip combined! I also had some great fun with a married women in a small Northern Aomori town during a keg party that some Japanses-English Teachers put on. The Buddhist religion is a blast when it comes to relationships and no-guilt sex

Still though, it's very lonely in Japan when hardly anyone speaks English and there's a lot of deep seated racism in their culture that is disturbing after you have been there for a while and can notice it.
My Perspective - For my usual budget of around $3000, I can fly to CR and spend 10 days in a nice hotel and enjoy the same sort of quality companionship and service every night for ten days. That's a TLN every night with usually at least two sessions per, plus a few daytime visits to HLH or any of the MP's, plus afternoons drinking at the Blue Marlin, dinner out every night, drinking at the KL, relaxing in my sauna every afternoon and just enjoying myself in a warm Central American country, while my own city is in the middle of winter. All for around $300 per day.
I can live with that for now

Anyhow, these are just some ramblings I have been thinking about over the holidays. In another week Ill be back in SJO and enjoying some much needed R&R...
Pura Vida!