the answer is no

a question u get often when describing tales of travel to exotic places, is did you get laid yet?

while certain friends of mine seem to always find a new play-mate whenever they're away for even the briefest period of time, these tend to be women who are obviously hotter than me. Call me a romantic or a pussy, but i generally require a chunk of time to fan the fire. My pickup style is not enhanced when everyone you meet will be strapping their bags on and leaving just as quickly as they arrived.

once in a blue moon, there's obvious chemistry and you win the girl without having to liquor her up or club her over the head. this seemed to be the case when I met Galit, a cute Israeli girl, traveling the world like the entire rest of the Israeli population who have just completed the armed forces. those of you who scored high on the SAT's are already doing the math and have deducted that this must make her just 21. therein lies the problem. actually, I could live with the huge age "gap", if that word even is applicable for this massive divide. while i hardly fault her generation for thinking that flashdance/risky business attire is their contribution to fashion, her youthful number was never really an issue. somehow, me being a little more than twice that is somehow less cause for celebration. I was born in 64, her in 88.

if you're a guy, this probably sounds like a high-five moment. Let's crack open an ice cold one! Woo-hoo! Female friends will surely roll their eyes in unison and groan. Grow up already. Hu lo ritzini. my sincere apologies if you are offended by my selection, but besides being young, Galit is fun, cool, curvy, tall, tan and lovely, a little like the girl from Ipanema. I would be as intrigued had she been in her 30s or 40s which would make us a far less preposterous pairing. im no pedophile, but who doesn't like a young sweet thing?.

chasing younger women also comes partly from necessity. choosing from my peer group is not usually an available option. Its the 20 somethings that are out and about, traveling the world, unattached and who wanna party. 30 somethings come with their boyfriends in tow. the two couples I met were either planning an engagement or looking to buy a house together. mazel tov to both, but as the last single guy I know still on the hunt for a girl, this is of limited use. people in their 4th decade are by and large absent, either at home raising families, or possibly going on singles cruises for the 59 and under set. I will sooner swallow poison. It skips to the next generation, 50 somethings njoying their empty nest, or showing the world to their teenage children who'd rather be back home on their playstation, tho i am technically closer to this group celebrating half a century, my life is still rooted in stuff that appeals to kids.

which brings us back to the girl. a former officer in the army, now free to explore india, maybe dabble with an illegal substance or two, try to figure out what she wants to do with her life, or at least what tattoo she will get. and open to having a few wild experiences before settling into traditional life. or so it seemed. following a couple of late nights of lengthy conversation, easy laughter, shooting stars and the cliche'd walk on the beach, we end up in an all-out public make-out session more appropriate for a college freshman... which she will be next year. By the time we stumbled out of the private cabana from the very swanky Sankara club, the pillows were overturned this way and that, making it look like a lot more had transpired. but that was as far as we i'd get. by all appearances, it looked like a beautiful line drive to right field. people who know me well will recognize that I'm using sports terminology I barely understand, but everyone knows the rule is NOT to get tagged out at first.

Galit was constantly running the numbers. during a brief breather in an otherwise passionate kiss, she notes the following: "when I was born, you were older than I am now". yes, quite right, now shut up and put your tongue back in my mouth. earlier, she had described the men she dated as older, but the fact that I'm within a couple of years her folks was a little beyond her comfort level. id like to point out that im in fact two years younger than those geezers!

i had a really nice room with a view of the beach and the sound of the ocean, but this was not sufficient to keep the romance going into the wee hours, all naked and sweaty under the sheets as i had imagined the evening might go. i asked her to stay, but she wouldn't spend the night.

we spent some time the following day, but not the same as the flirty day prior. laughable first dates was one of the conversations we had and hers seemed to follow a prescribed formula: all start apprehensively, and always involve the ignoring obvious red flags and her 6th sense. so i cant say i was shocked when my phone buzzed with a freshly minted text and not the warm and fuzzy kind. in it were words 'I'm really sorry', and the :( face. In the course of a couple of days, I went from complete stranger to gross PDA violator, to the top of her really bad idea list. sucks, because i actually really liked her, and she was not simply someone i wanted to lay a couple of times and forget. cest la vie.

everyone says 45 is supposed to be the new 35, but perhaps ive got to figure out how to make this minor adjustment on my passport.