THE CLUBS OF OLONGAPO/SUBIC BAY AND OTHER
BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS
THE CLUBS AND HOTELS OF OLONGAPO Acapulco, Argentina, Bali Hai, China Inn, Copacabana, Fuji, Hong Kong, Monte Carlo, Mozambique, Sahara, Shanghai, Sweden, Zanzibar – you could have been anywhere in the world with these Gapo Clubs And for the USA lovers, one could have gone to Boston, Washington, Texas, Tennessee and Nashville and Grand Ol’ Opry, New York and Broadway, and Woodstock, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Haven, Florida and Miami, Missouri, Las Vegas, Dallas, and, of course, California. But in my case I preferred to be in Shangri-la, Cloud 9, and, most of all, in Heaven. U & I could Frolic in Dreamland unless you wanted to remain in Banaue, Nueva Vizcaya, or Jolo. And there may be some who would rather be at the Gay Club or the AC/DC Club or at the Cockeyed Cowboy and the Foxy Lady. If there’s a Gay Club, there was also a Gay Hotel. If there was a Joy Club, there was also a Joy Hotel. If there’s a Bayview Club, there must be a Bayview Hotel (but no bay to view). They may be the Talk of the Town but at all cost, it was alway’s a good idea to avoid the Devil’s Den, the Shark’s Cove, the Crazy Charlies, and the Destroyer because you may be an El Gringo or a Gigolo but you’re no match to Nina’s Papagayo. And for the gold lovers, Gapo had Gold Label, Golden Buddha, Golden Hotel, Golden Nugget Club, Golden Pawn Shop, Golden Peacock Club, Golden Place, and Golden Ranch. For the silver fans, there were the Silver Dollar and the Silver Star Club. And for the not-so-young anymore, Gapo had Old Gold Hotel, Old Grand Dad Club, Old Jolo, Old Mexico, Old West # 1, and Old West # 2. In the Jungle or the Zoo, you may find a Zebra, a Brown Fox, a Penguin, a Palomino, a Red Rooster, and a Pussycat as well. And in D’ Cave, there may be an Eagle’s Nest but I know that in the Tropicana Garden or the Beehive there was an Iron Butterfly and, of course, always it was the Queen Bee who was always the SUPREME. Of course, it won’t be called a jungle, if there was no Harlem, where colorful clubs abound like Black Chamber, Black & White Club, Blue Haven Hotel, Blue Magic Disco, Blue Room, Green Apple, Purple Haze, and a mix of colors called Rainbow. Although not in the jungle, PAULINES definitely had the crocodile. And if it’s too cold in GREENLAND,,too mystic in ROCKET ROOM,,too flashy in The CATWALK,sailors went to D’ PARK where the BAMBOO GROVE was near the LAGUNA de BAY. They lay down on The SANDS, by The MARINA, .watched D’ WAVE, and just waited for The SUNSET, dreamed of The MAALIKAYA, checked The PALLADIUM, tried to play The TOM TOM, or rode The CAROUSEL and smelled D’ ROSES. These were so ECONOMICAL and every MOMS surely ” L ” them. As a Majestic Baron and an Aristocrat, lodgings such as the Emperor, Empress, and Imperial were probably worth of the Crown Z. But since I owed no allegiance to the Queen, I went with my PRESIDENT at the WHITE HOUSE and stayed at the ADMIRAL ROYALE where the service was totally CONTINENTAL. If there was an ‘L’ Club, there were also the El Cario, El Flamingo, El Gringo, El Paborito, and El Tropicano There were also the Magic Glow, Willow, Apollo, Tally Ho, Mocambo, Johnny O, The Tide Hi – Lo , Alamo, Happy and Love Disco, and Leo – patok silang lahat sa Olongapo And HOBBIT HOUSE is not a BAHAY KUBO that was made of SAWALI. It’s not also a museum that has a DIAMOND and no statue of the SPHINX. Even if you do ,CHERRY picking at the STRAWBERRY FIELDS, there won’t be any argument from the CHATTERBOX, even in the far flung places of DAVAO and BANAUE and the WILD WEST of ARIZONA. Girls name abound with the likes of Rosanna, Rose, Rovisa, Rufadora Sandra, Cherry, Sherry, Christine, Cindy, Marilyn, Florie, Fely, Mariposa, Nene, Ester, Dolly Marcy, and Victoria. They all have three things in common: they’re all Bonita, Maligaya, and Maalikaya. There were also Airport and Airwaves and B29 in the Sky. Astro and Apollo are other club names. Also Carrier 7 which wasn’t the Big E aka the Enterprise There were the West 1622 Club. West End Bar, and West Fargo Bar, and the Wild West. On the other end there were also the East Inn Club, East Coast Disco, and Eastern Club and Hotel For masculine names Gapo had Ely’s and Ernie’s, Ding’s and Wilfredos, Tom Tom, Joker, Leo, Ken’s, Bubba’s, Sonny and Sam’s. There were also Fat Freddies, Porky’s, Jack Daniels, Johnny O’s, and the gentle Uncle Bob’s. As a sailor’s town, there were the Sea Breeze Bar, Sea Horse Club ,Sea Knight and Seaman’s Inn. There were also the Ship Ahoy, Show Boat, Port Hole, Port ‘O Call, Fleet Nite Club and the Quarterdeck There were also the dance clubs like Shindig, Yug-yug, Pier 10, Filmore East, Rock Trax, Hot City and the Concert. That’s the Olongapo during the peak of the Navy days. Sailors called Gapo the best liberty town and everyone said sir aye aye.
Tales of an Asia Sailor 
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, sure miss the place. One of my favorite bars was Nasty Mac’s in Lower Kalaklan. Another favorite was the Samauri “Health
Spa” in Barrio Berreto.
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LIKED ROSANNAS.
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There was the UA club!
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Can’t remember a single name of any club that we frequented in Olongapo, not that we frequented any one club. However, in Subic City, we hung out at The International Inn. And of course, breaks in between across the street at Marilyn’s (Home if the Number One…)
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Should have said… Home of…
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Pleasant dreams (memories) after reading this. 76-79 visits from Yokosuka ships and 83-87 homeported in Subic. Loved the people and activities. My base the last 2 years was Scotties Bar and Grill on Rizal (about a block from Shakey’s Pizza at corner of Magsaysay.
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Nostalgia , a real trip down memory lane. Just reading this will have have you transverseing the walkways of Magsasa Drive from the main gate of the Naval Station to the old Market Place at the far end of the Gordon Street Loop, Bars and more Bars, street BBQ (chicken/monkeymeat “pork”), Hawkers, Pickpockets, Cafes and street Benders. Olongapo was like a trip to Disney World with fringe benefits. The olongapo of yesterday’s is truly a memory, she grown into a new configuration now that her Sailor patronage has gone. But those of us old Asian Brotherhood will always have our memories to treasure. Mahal kita olongapo
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You forgot T’s tavern!!!
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Was there in ‘85 and again in’91. That was real USN liberty. Six months in ‘85 and about two weeks in ‘91, cleaning up after the volcano. EOD bar was the bamboo grove. Flags and photos in that place back to the early 60s, if not earlier. Every team had a flag and a photo. The flags were piled 2o deep on every inch of the wall. Every photo was a pyramid of divers facing the other way with shorts optional (yeah. That). Anyway, history lost. I wanted to go out there and save that stuff but we were there to empty the mags and (as if this is an EOD job) get all the pets that were abandoned on base during the evacuation onto the carrier. It looked like Noah’s arc.
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U&I and Port o’Call were my places. Glad to see them on your list!
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I’m feeling really old here, as most of those places weren’t there back in the 50’s and early 60’s. Our place was the Aristocrat, which I don’t find on this list. I don’t remember much about it except that it was on the right going into Alongapo, had a patio and no doors on the back of it. Good times there!
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I have heard that homes were built on the old bases and expatriates can purchase these. Has anybody heard of this? Thanks
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When Enterprise make her 1st port visit in Dec. 1965 I found the Florida club, dirt floor and ugly girls. Nothing like what it became in the late 70’s and 80’s. Also over the years Mom’s, then a place that was owned by the cousin of the PN Chief on St. Louis it was located off the main drag. When you crossed the bridge the 1st Street you turned right went 2 blocks and it was on corner. Finally, as you went up the main drag on the left side was the VFW or American Legion Post (can’t remember which) and the 1st bar past it was one of those bars where there was not a lot of people but they had one of the best band in town.
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Enjoyed time in Joy Club and After 6 Club besides on Ship.
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I can remember getting drunk on San Miguel and getting up on stage I never will forget the first time My friends told me I launched into a very tipsy “Sweet Home Alabama” I am sure Ronnie was spinning in his grave for sure !!
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Don’t remember bars, but do remember the beer!!!
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The WEST FARGO was my hangout until my HONEYKO went back to her hometown of BALER. I just went next door to the WAGON WHEEL.
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Such a shame they closed the Base..I was there in 1970 to 1972 then came back in 1972 to 1975. Met my wife at the Geisha club and married in 1971. We will be celebrating 49 years married in bliss on April 15. Really miss all the eye candy. I was assigned to harbor tugs both time I was stationed there. Chief engineer on YTB 784.
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I hung out at the playboy club and 007 1975
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You forgot one of the most famous – The East End Club. After more that 50 years I still remember the name. Here is one more – The Willows Nightclub.
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gud am ask ko lang po sana name ng may ari ng Pussycat bar hinahanap ko po mama ko para malaman ko detail ng mama ko 50 im searching my mother
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Don’t see no club name that was in the jungle
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i hope you find your mother. i hung out at the New Pussy Cat Open Bar & Mojo Club (which is above the Mariposa Restaurant) I only knew one, maybe two ladies that worked there. But that was back in 1982/1984. Those people have long since the Mount PinaTubo erupted . it’s almost as if it was a big eff-you to
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1972 aboard the Overseas Alice/a 900 ft Baby Supertanker as Fireman/Watertender: I spent 2 days each on 2 visits to Olongopo and in the hills above Subic City. I’d been at sea 2 years and already been around the block at some notorious ports! I’d seen the oppressing poverty elsewhere, the River was unsurprising. The street ahead…….Nothing could prepare you for what unfolded. Merchant ships are a target for the bumboat crowd and their landlocked affiliates. The taxis and the girls are all arranged by the time you walk down the Gangway. Not me…I always struck out alone. I spent 3 glorious nights with a girl named Charmagne. What truly astonished me were the quality of Cover Bands playing all the hits, early Hard Rock at the myriad clubs.
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Yeah the Sierra club had the best Journey Cover band !!I forget their name But for the eats You couldn’t beat the Roofadora Bar for the best Popcorn Lumpia and San Maguu and of Course the Sharks Cove had the best Peso Shows !!
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Best peso show was in Angeles City (Clark AFB) in the ‘80s. The Nipa Hut. The frisked for cameras and chained the doors shut. I think one of my buds actually got PTSD from that show. It was way beyond anything you’d ever seen in Tijuana.
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Really enjoyed the Corkroom Cellar….good folk tunes from Dylan, Lightfoot, Simon & Garfunkel et al. Also remember the Brown Fox, Jolo’s, Freaks Stagger Inn, Apple Club, Sierra and Florida Club, Yellow Pages, Ernie’s Third Eye and so many others from the late 70’s into the late 80’s.
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AHH JOLO’S ,Never found any other place ( before it burned down) that you could play “:SMILES” And that includes Pattaya, and Phuket!!
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Was in Subic 65&66 on several occasions on board the Oklahoma City. Loved the whole experience! Of course none of us had any idea what life long memories we were creating. I sometimes wonder if that one girl named Rose that I connected with on each visit ever thinks of me? I was only 19 and had just lost my virginity in Saigon.Those were such sweet days. I wonder if anyone ever found my high school class ring in Olongapo?
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Just one visit, one club, one girl. 1974, Queen Bee, Sonya
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ALL YOU GUYS COMMENTS ARE MAKING MY MEMORY WATER.. LETS FIND US A TIME TUNNEL AND GO BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS IN SUBIC!!
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Smiles. Yep. Marylin’s in Subic City. First bar on the left. Diamond Club just a few doors down. Trampers, last bar on the right. 1985. 25 cents for a San Magoo. Dirt floors, some places. 45 jukeboxes that would be worth who knows what today. Rusty metal chairs and fans, and maybe one or two lightbulbs in the whole place. Beer was crazy cold though, right? I don’t think San Miguel can even freeze solid; at least, many don’t. Some do. Must be the formaldehyde!
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Smiles. Yep. Marylin’s in Subic City. First bar on the left. Diamond Club just a few doors down. Trampers, last bar on the right. 1985. 25 cents for a San Magoo. Dirt floors, some places. 45 jukeboxes that would be worth who knows what today. Rusty metal chairs and fans, and maybe one or two lightbulbs in the whole place. Beer was crazy cold though, right? I don’t think San Miguel can even freeze solid; at least, many don’t. Some do. Must be the formaldehyde!
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In 1965 and 1966 the USS Catamount hung out at the Nautilus club. Great music, entertainment, cold Beer, and some of the most beautiful women in the world.
Oh ya can’t forget the monkey meat and the Balotes.
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