Makati

[Soapy Smith]

Speaking of dead. See pics. Burgos street FR.

(snip)

That's it. Burgos from Makati Ave to Luna is DEAD. We took our time, making the walk around the place, stopping at several places to discuss an interesting gal one of us had found in this or that bar, or something odd we'd seen on the street at another location. In the 20-25 minutes we were walking around we were the only foreigners (except two in Cuervo); hence I have no idea why there were more than a dozen bakla in the area. More later.

* Side note. Several of us old guard are going to miss Mixed Nuts. Not the bar itself. Just we will miss being able to tell newbs to Phils to hit Mixed Nuts last on their first Burgos evening because that place has the horniest bar girls. Wink. Bad. You fellas is bad.

You may want to save this as scrapbook material for a decade or two from now. This is what's called oral history--from a guy who lived through it. Trouble is, who will you tell this story to? Nieces and nephews? Fat chance. You and a few ISG elders may be the only potential audience. In any case, great report.

[WestCoast1]

Same situation over here in Bangkok though. Went out Saturday night to one of the main party streets & could have shot a cannon off and not hit anyone.

Speaking of dead. See pics. Burgos street FR.

It would be difficult to think of it as more dead. See pics for proof. I mentioned to a mate that I wanted to take a Burgos walk just to see the place, he indicated the same thought. Off we went one evening. Our path: From the corner of Durban / Makati Ave, we walked up Durban to Burgos, 7 pm-ish. Everything is closed on both sides of the street. It was difficult to tell if Oxford is completely closed, as the Durban entrance / lobby shows limited lights on inside, appearing un-used or un-occupied, too dark for a functioning lobby, with no people visible from the entrance thru the doors. From Burgos street, the Oxford windows are papered-over from the inside. Looking up at the building, few if any lights on above the ground floor, it appears un-occupied. On both the Oxford corner and across Durban on the Filling Station (closed) side, were 3-5 bakla. From that Oxford corner, the only operating building (lights on with customers) is across Burgos street, the Mexican resto Cuervo Tequilaria. All bars, resto's, and hotels in both directions on Burgos to Kalayaan and Makati Ave appear closed, including Mirrors, Cubana / Belagio, Filling Station, Plan be. The hotel next to Plan be, Makati Palace? Lobby looks dead, but there were a few room lights turned on upstairs, possiby occupied by a few folks. Towards Kalayaan all the bars are closed: Shampoo, Coyote Ugly, Dimples, Go Bananas. Mini Mart was open.

Crossed Burgos St to Plan be and walked towards Makati Ave. The 7-11 was open. Cheers closed. Citadel lobby open but very dark, the guard said not accepting any new clientelle / occupants. Pasha Turkish Resto closed. At the corner of Tigris, across Tirgris from the 7-11, were half a dozen bakla. MiniMart closed. Arabian Nights closed. Bourbon is open as a resto and pool hall. Hollywood, Makati's Fave Sports Bar, and Rogues all closed. Some of the places I mentioned, such as Hollywood, are completely boarded up, all signs are gone. The entirety of Burgos from Makati Ave to Kalayaan is very dark, even with the street lights on, its literally apocalyptic looking.

At Makati / Burgos, turned right and walked along Makati Ave on the Burgos side. Restos and businesses on the opposite side of Makati Ave are still up / running. Turned right at Makati / Kalayaan, walked Kalayaan (Starbucks is open) up to Burgos. Turned left on Burgos and walked Burgos down to Gen Luna St. Ringside and Mixed Nuts* closed. All bars closed along Burgos. WowWow bar had changed hands previously (see pic), then is now completely closed. Horizon and Jool's closed. The live band place Movida (upscale, I liked it) on the corner of Burgos / Luna is padlocked; a government notice says it was closed by order for violating curfew. 7-11 across from Movida open.

Turned left onto Luna, walked up to Luna / Makati Ave. Across the street is the precovid Hot Asian Nights Bazaar (under large canopy, at the Hypermart by AVenue). The stage is covered, the place is closed.

That's it. Burgos from Makati Ave to Luna is DEAD. We took our time, making the walk around the place, stopping at several places to discuss an interesting gal one of us had found in this or that bar, or something odd we'd seen on the street at another location. In the 20-25 minutes we were walking around we were the only foreigners (except two in Cuervo); hence I have no idea why there were more than a dozen bakla in the area. More later.

* Side note. Several of us old guard are going to miss Mixed Nuts. Not the bar itself. Just we will miss being able to tell newbs to Phils to hit Mixed Nuts last on their first Burgos evening because that place has the horniest bar girls. Wink. Bad. You fellas is bad.

[Detwing1]

More Sandles On the Ground. Greenbelt. Almost everything is closed. A few of the high-end resto's at the G3 entrance area are open for outdoor seating. Other than that, its another ghosted area on all floors. The famed Starbucks / HC area is closed. I'd like to say for remodeling, but not sure. In that outside courtyard area there is a small Milktea place and some chairs to sit. You place an order and pay for it, a girl walkie-talkie's your order to somewhere, and 10 minutes later another gal drops your 'takeout' order with you and then she disappears. I saw only 1 outdoor resto open on the second floor. However the mall is open, complete with security guards. Street traffic is very light on Makati Avenue between Greenbelt and Glorietta.

I Have a lot of good memories over there (H. See, Spicy Fingers, Tapellas, others) and hope the shows not over for good. Spent many a night stumbling back to the New World with a cutie.

Same situation over here in Bangkok though. Went out Saturday night to one of the main party streets & could have shot a cannon off and not hit anyone.

[Crazy Ami]

Yes, exactly. Its pretty much the opposite of what Crazy Ami is reporting in the Subic / AC threads, of things operating more normally (or starting to) in those locations. The NCR remains somewhat off-limits to its people, due to Covid restrictions. Notice the pic of the mostly non-existent traffic just outside on Makati Ave on the same weekday. Just reporting it as a fly-on-the-wall at this point.

Yes, it's crazy how fast everything reopened on Walking Street this week in AC after they lifted the restrictions of last month. Subic, while still open, is now back to "sleeping" status, because all the AC locals don't have to travel for their girls anymore haha. My friends tell me it was half-dead, even over the weekend.

My guess is that things will be open for another few weeks before infections start to rise in Pampanga again and they put the liquor / bar ban back in place. No idea when vaccinations will start here; the mayor's office has put up a survey for people to register online and have said they're doing a house to house barangay survey (they even said foreign residents would be included in the vaccinations), but in 3 weeks they have yet to reach Balibago, Malabanias, or Anunas (Walking Street, Perimeter, and Koreatown respectively).

My advice would be come on up north and enjoy for a couple of days while you can, if you're in the NCR; there're no roadblocks or checkpoints on the NLEX; I met a Filipino group from Paranaque staying at the Wild Orchid in Subic a couple of weeks ago.

I have to go down to QC next week for a day; not looking forward to it.

[Albert9989]

Yes, exactly. Its pretty much the opposite of what Crazy Ami is reporting in the Subic / AC threads, of things operating more normally (or starting to) in those locations. The NCR remains somewhat off-limits to its people, due to Covid restrictions. Notice the pic of the mostly non-existent traffic just outside on Makati Ave on the same weekday. Just reporting it as a fly-on-the-wall at this point.

Looks like an image from a post apocalyptic movie.

Difficult to imagine that we could have seen that, and for so long period.

I was there end of Jan. 2020, up to mid Feb. 2020, covid was starting in China, some rules were already in place in Phil, very light.

Thanks anyway for image you sent. Some nice ones, some more worrying like here.

[WestCoast1]

Thanks but it looks like desperation!

Yes, exactly. Its pretty much the opposite of what Crazy Ami is reporting in the Subic / AC threads, of things operating more normally (or starting to) in those locations. The NCR remains somewhat off-limits to its people, due to Covid restrictions. Notice the pic of the mostly non-existent traffic just outside on Makati Ave on the same weekday. Just reporting it as a fly-on-the-wall at this point.

[Albert9989]

Few more shots of Ayala / G3.

Thanks but it looks like desperation!

[WestCoast1]

Few more shots of Ayala / G3.

[WestCoast1]

I do not know if Havana is permanently closed. I have not been into Greenbelt 3 for a few months, all of that area is being redeveloped (it was due to be finished end of last year but is now in terminal COVID delay). Havana and one more bar stayed open for a good while longer than the rest of the 'restaurants' at the ground floor in the courtyard area.

Wow Muttley, that is unbelievable some of the restaurants closed and its a Ghost Town (Greenbelt 3) ! If anything was shielded from the Pandemic, I thought it would be here.

More Sandles On the Ground. Greenbelt. Almost everything is closed. A few of the high-end resto's at the G3 entrance area are open for outdoor seating. Other than that, its another ghosted area on all floors. The famed Starbucks / HC area is closed. I'd like to say for remodeling, but not sure. In that outside courtyard area there is a small Milktea place and some chairs to sit. You place an order and pay for it, a girl walkie-talkie's your order to somewhere, and 10 minutes later another gal drops your 'takeout' order with you and then she disappears. I saw only 1 outdoor resto open on the second floor. However the mall is open, complete with security guards. Street traffic is very light on Makati Avenue between Greenbelt and Glorietta.

[Turgid]

Yeah my radar goes up when any chic approaches, even in a monger country, in the street. Its just not in the female DNA....

Women approach men all the time. When a woman approaches me I know it is because she wants something from me and if it is sex I know she wants to be paid for it. If it is not for sex then it is because she is selling something or peddling religion or needs help with something. In a mongering country I take a good look at her to ensure that she's over age; when in doubt, don't.

[StudBucket]

I wouldn't put too much faith in that, Manila is in lockdown with a curfew from 6 pm until 5 am presently. Malls are open but only those with supermarkets or medical facilities, all other stores are closed. Restaurants are open but only for takeout. Even religious gatherings have been banned which hasn't been great for the Easter period for those celebrating. This was meant to end today but I believe it has been extended for 'at least' one more week.

I do not know if Havana is permanently closed. I have not been into Greenbelt 3 for a few months, all of that area is being redeveloped (it was due to be finished end of last year but is now in terminal COVID delay). Havana and one more bar stayed open for a good while longer than the rest of the 'restaurants' at the ground floor in the courtyard area. When I last was there they were both gone, as were multiple restaurants on upper levels. Pretty much a Ghost Town until you get into area Sticky's used to be. They may reopen in future, who knows what's going to happen in current retail market though?

Wow Muttley, that is unbelievable some of the restaurants closed and its a Ghost Town (Greenbelt 3) ! If anything was shielded from the Pandemic, I thought it would be here. So said what this virus has done to so many people's lives and incomes globally.

[Muttley81]

This may be a rumor Lakeside. I just opened the Google Map page and its says open until 2 am. Yes, that would be sad if it did close. I had many good memories there on my first trips to the Philippines and remember the nights when it was good there. It seemed to have gone downhill about 3 years ago and subsequently kept getting worse (with respect to the talent).

I wouldn't put too much faith in that, Manila is in lockdown with a curfew from 6 pm until 5 am presently. Malls are open but only those with supermarkets or medical facilities, all other stores are closed. Restaurants are open but only for takeout. Even religious gatherings have been banned which hasn't been great for the Easter period for those celebrating. This was meant to end today but I believe it has been extended for 'at least' one more week.

I do not know if Havana is permanently closed. I have not been into Greenbelt 3 for a few months, all of that area is being redeveloped (it was due to be finished end of last year but is now in terminal COVID delay). Havana and one more bar stayed open for a good while longer than the rest of the 'restaurants' at the ground floor in the courtyard area. When I last was there they were both gone, as were multiple restaurants on upper levels. Pretty much a Ghost Town until you get into area Sticky's used to be. They may reopen in future, who knows what's going to happen in current retail market though?

[Naked Gunz]

Girl approached him on the street and ask him if he wants company. He asked her for her age and she said 21. Scam by crooked cops setting up foreigner.

Yeah my radar goes up when any chic approaches, even in a monger country, in the street. Its just not in the female DNA. They make themselves be quite available, but never walk up on me. My buddy had one in HISO in AC lie to him. She was not 22, and only told him months later. She was half white, and very tall. Her said her white side was Irish and drank him under the table!

[StudBucket]

I have heard rumors that Havana Cafe in Greenbelt 3 has closed its doors for good. Is this true? I had many great nights out there and lots of fun with the girls waiting for their temporary boyfriends. Would be sad if after Spicy Fingers also Havana Cafe would be gone.

This may be a rumor Lakeside. I just opened the Google Map page and its says open until 2 am. Yes, that would be sad if it did close. I had many good memories there on my first trips to the Philippines and remember the nights when it was good there. It seemed to have gone downhill about 3 years ago and subsequently kept getting worse (with respect to the talent).

[Lakeside]

I have heard rumors that Havana Cafe in Greenbelt 3 has closed its doors for good. Is this true? I had many great nights out there and lots of fun with the girls waiting for their temporary boyfriends. Would be sad if after Spicy Fingers also Havana Cafe would be gone.