New setting, old dilemma

Well, I am here in Manhattan. The journey was fine, the hotel’s been okay (though not as fantastic as we’d hoped – I think our room’s not been used much, as things seem to have been a bit neglected. Guess there’s not so much call for twin rooms). We’ve done a lot of exploring in Midtown, seen the UN, Central Park, the Rockefeller Centre, Times Square, lots of major departments stores, etc. Eaten lots of sushi (well, I have – my mum’s not keen), bagels, etc. Still to come: Downtown, maybe Brooklyn, up Empire State, Ground Zero, Battery Park, Wall St.

I went out on Tuesday, to a local bar that’s apparently popular with celebs like Johnny Depp and Renee Zellweger, though I didn’t see anyone I recognised. I did recognise, however, the cuteness of the blonde barman who served me. I didn’t stay long, though – so many bars, so little time! I went to two gay bars after that, not too far away, and it was ok. The one I ended up in – Therapy – was a bit small, although it had an interesting cocktail list and I got chatting to a few guys – two in French.

The drawback is, New York is a city of ultra-fit men. Even those who aren’t good-looking generally have excellent physiques. I was looking on Gaydar, and 98% of the guys with photos are "defined" (and really, they are). I feel fatter and less attractive than I usually do, so doing the gay bars isn’t easy.

Having said that, and despite my current exhaustion (we walked a long way today, and I did a fair bit in the hotel gym), I am asking myself if I should go out tonight. After all, how many times am I going to have the opportunity to sample New York nightlife? On the other hand, maybe crashing in bed would be good too…