Panama City

[QUOTE=Tp Horn; 1117257]Investigators somehow detected clandestine prostitution occurring.

[url]http://www.telemetro.com/noticias/2011/01/27/nota65939.html[/url][/QUOTE]This is just ridiculous. This place has been around for years as the famous prostitue bar. . First of all, this article makes it sound like it was some kind of a huge surprise or mystery. Everyone in the entire world knows about the famous Habano's, located right across the street from the Marriott hotel. It's been there for years. The bar is frequented mostly by foreign businessmen who are traveling to Panama, and the men go there because the women are there. The women go there because the men are there. Immigration raids this place regularly. And for the record, what they do is sweep up the women who are there. Mostly Colombian prostitutes. And they take them away to the holding cells in Immigration even though they have their paperwork in order.

If anyone is currently in Panama please keep us updated in the next week or so how the bar is turning out and if women are frequenting back there. Appreciate it.

This was my fourth trip to Panama City.

Airport taxi : cab stand wants $28. If you request a COLECTIVO [shared cab] the rate drops to $10-12 depending on where you are going. Expect to share a minivan with 3-5 other tourists.

Hotels : I stayed at Hotel Las Vegas. Next block from Casino Veneto.

Very convenient area, clean rooms, good security. There are cheaper, newer places to rent, but I've stayed here before and was happy with it.

Food: restaurants abound here are some I liked.

Italian restaurant on ground floor of Hotel Las Vegas- great pizza, pasta, etc.

Siete Mares [seven seas]

La Mar [peruvian seafood]

El patio mexicano.

Burger bar.

These last four restaurants are all on the same street CALLE JOSE ISAAC FARBREGA.

It is one block away from Via Espana and Via Argentina. When you see the statue of Roberto Duran standing on top of the world, turn left and you are on the street where the restaurants are.

Around the corner heading back to Via Espana is ANTICA GELATO also highly recommended. $3 for two scoops.

It is on the corner of Eusibio Morales and Via Espana.

A few doors down from the ice cream place is TURFF CLUB [yes, two f's] This is a sports book and horse betting with live feeds from Las Vegas. Great place to watch sporting events and have a few drinks. I think this operation is owned by MGMGRAND. The Belagio has an office in the same shopping center to book wealthy Panamanians to their casinos.

All of the above mentioned places are within a five minute walk of Casino Veneto.

Also after 9pm, in the parking lots along Via Espana, a lot of food vendors set up shop. You will find barbeque,

Burgers, all sorts of sandwiches, even full dinners. Some of the vendors are very busy from 9pm-midnight or whenever they sell out. I've had several great meals here. Worth a look.

More to follow shortly.

Casinos: hold-em at Veneto around 7pm.

Also at casino in Multiplaza Mall around 7pm.

Parque National Metropalitano: 5 minute cab ride to miles of hiking trails in rainforest park.

Monkeys, sloths, armadillos, birds, butterflies and lots of insects. $2 tourist admission. Be sure to buy a bottle or two of water in the office before you start up the trails. Great views of the whole city from the top, assuming you make it that far. Bring your camera.

Chicas: I did very well from.
[url]www.mundoanuncio.com[/url]

Lots of ads from independent girls, some are in apartments with 2-3 other chicas. Unfortunately, they do not use street addresses in Panama City. Everything is refered to by a nearby landmark.

"we are in Barrio San Francisco, the 3rd apartment building around the corner from the Nissan dealer in apt 3a."

GPS will not help, bring your sense of adventure. I found 4 of the 5 places I started out for.

Not recommended for newbys.

Several of the newspapers have ads but no pictures.
I am not brave enough for this but you might be.

Other spots I liked:

Oriental Massage [see other reports] $60 10am-2pm / shift change at 6pm.

Habanos [see other reports] after 10pm, independent colombianas ask $200-300, most can be had for $80-100.

Bodeguita VIP: similar to Habanos, sometimes with live music. This is on Via Espana, about a block past the ice cream store, on the other side of the strreet. If you pass Via Argentina, you went to far.

Bocatorena[sp? ] and la mayor:

Both in same building at the entrance to Casco Viejo. Every cab driver knows la Mayor.

Bocatorena:

50+ chicas weekday afternoons, no english, I was only tourist. I never had any problems. Everyone was either very nice or just ignored me. Pricing is $12 for 12- 15 minutes.

$7 for chica, house gets $5 for the room. If you pay with a $20, you get $5 change. Be sure to bring $1's and $10's.

Beer is $1 and as usual, the more you drink, the better they look!

Chica drinks are $2. 50.

Girls range from horrible to fantastic, clearly something for everyone.

The rooms are disgusting.

You can talk to the girls for as long as you want to see if they will fit your needs, or just pick one and take her up to the rooms. Not necessary to say anything if you don't want to.

Most of the customers come for $1 beer and a little grab-ass but never take a chica.

La mayor:

Has a $2 cover, but it includes a drink ticket {clearly much more upscale]

Opens about 4pm, sometimes has dancers.

Chicas are $30/30 minutes, but be careful here as chica drinks are $5/$10/$30

When you leave La Mayor, walk up the hill to the old city CASCO VIEJO. It"s about 5 blocks square. The old buildings are being restored to expensive condos and pricey restaurants. New hotels are being built. They are trying to preserve as many of the old structures as possible. The capitol buildings are in here also along with some small museums. Many of the poor locals who lived here for generations are being displaced. There is a place for pobrecitos but it is no longer in Casco Viejo.

What is the current price at GOLDEN TIME?

[QUOTE=Hammerin Hank;1118026]What is the current price at GOLDEN TIME?[/QUOTE]Last time I was there about middle of last September the price with a cab dropping you off was about 130. I am heading down mid feb so I can update you guys then.

[QUOTE=Snipps;1117302]If anyone is currently in Panama please keep us updated in the next week or so how the bar is turning out and if women are frequenting back there. Appreciate it.[/QUOTE]The next day, this past Friday, Habano's was back to normal. About 20-25 chicas most of the night. There was a minor panic about 11 PM and half of them ran out because they were tipped off to a raid, but it turned out to be a false alarm. (Half of them stayed.) Most of them were back within an hour or so.

It varies night by night depending on whether the girls have been tipped off that an operation is scheduled. Then they stay home. A couple of Fridays ago there were only about 3 girls there, I'm sure because they heard something was up. The following night there were plenty. You have to play it by ear. If the bar is empty one night just go back the next.

Something new since I was going there last year is strippers in the upstairs bar. The ones I saw were quite gymnastic but mostly not that great looking. The price seems to be $150 + $25 bar fine.

Rippa.

I think you have been going to all the wrong places on all four continents my friend.

Here is the Panamanian girl.

Cheers

[QUOTE=Longtimer2;1118152]The next day, this past Friday, Habano's was back to normal. About 20-25 chicas most of the night. There was a minor panic about 11 PM and half of them ran out because they were tipped off to a raid, but it turned out to be a false alarm. (Half of them stayed.) Most of them were back within an hour or so.[/QUOTE]There was a big crack down this past week, even made it to the news on the tv. Common sense might dictate to stay clear for awhile until the dust settles down to avoid any uncomfortable situations with La Migra, the chief of the raid was a woman so you know how bitching those might get.

Go the venetos, bodeguita in the mean time, but if you feel confident go and hit habanos to see hows everything

[QUOTE=Hammerin Hank;1118026]What is the current price at GOLDEN TIME?[/QUOTE]Went 2 nights ago, it was $85 without getting dropped off by a cab.

[QUOTE=GauntMan; 1118190]There was a big crack down this past week, even made it to the news on the tv. Common sense might dictate to stay clear for awhile until the dust settles down to avoid any uncomfortable situations with La Migra, the chief of the raid was a woman so you know how bitching those might get.

Go the venetos, bodeguita in the mean time, but if you feel confident go and hit habanos to see hows everything.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the reply. Had a friend of mine who said nothing has changed there. Just need to play it by ear each day. Hopefully this raid doesn't affect both veneto or bodagueita. Any thought?

[QUOTE=Snipps;1118210]Thanks for the reply. Had a friend of mine who said nothing has changed there. Just need to play it by ear each day. Hopefully this raid doesn't affect both veneto or bodagueita. Any thought?[/QUOTE]Bodeguita and venetto rarely get affected by this type of raids. Bodeguita has a higher chance of getting hit due to been a smaller business than the huge venetto hotel.

I've been getting reports that the other place in calle uruguay, don't recall the name, is getting lots of lookers. The place is right in the corner of the Don Lee street, the one that comes from Fridays, almost in front of the Prive Lounge and Bar Seis

[QUOTE=GauntMan; 1118583]Bodeguita and venetto rarely get affected by this type of raids. Bodeguita has a higher chance of getting hit due to been a smaller business than the huge venetto hotel.

I've been getting reports that the other place in calle uruguay, don't recall the name, is getting lots of lookers. The place is right in the corner of the Don Lee street, the one that comes from Fridays, almost in front of the Prive Lounge and Bar Seis[/QUOTE]I assume you mean hookers not lookers hehehehehe. I think you are talking about sahara's? They have an outdoor patio.

[QUOTE=GauntMan;1118190]There was a big crack down this past week, even made it to the news on the tv.[/QUOTE]Just because it made the news for once doesn't mean it was anything out of the ordinary. Like I said, things were back to normal the very next day.

[QUOTE=Longtimer2;1118634]Just because it made the news for once doesn't mean it was anything out of the ordinary. Like I said, things were back to normal the very next day.[/QUOTE]Thanks crazy. Love Panama. Can't wait to get down there again. Do you know what the going rate is about down there I heard women can be had for like 60 and hour? Some tough economic times down there. Any thoughts?