WHAT'S IN A NAME, GALLO LOCO BAR, CARTAGENA COLOMBIA
Jul 27 '01 (Updated May 09 '05)
The Bottom Line The name may change, but the song remains the same, the DJ only has one CD.
Ok I'll be honest, I'm not sure of the name of this place. That requires a little clarification I guess. I used to know the name, in fact I've known the last three names they've used. Odds are though, that it's changed again since my last visit. Irregardless of what it says on the sign on the door, this is still a fun place and worth a visit.
When I first visited it in 1996, the place was called Club Bananas Disco. It was technically part of the Decameron Hotel/Resort in Cartagena. That is to say guests at the hotel got in free.
Anyone else ended up paying a cover charge of around $10.00 US, or the equivelent in Pesos. The amount changed almost nightly as the Colombian Peso was fluctuating wildly that week against the US Dollar. For your $10.00 you got access and an open bar which is a pretty good deal.
The place is located in Boca Grande, the long narrow peninsula that contains Cartagena's hotels, and night life. It's actually near the point where the peninsula bends back towards the harbour., hear the Caribe and Hilton Hotels. It's a fair walk from the Decameron, but there is a shuttle bus and taxis are cheap and plentiful.
The place is right on the beach and in the day time also serves as the water sport centre for the Decameron Hotel. The second floor also contains the hotel's Japanese Restaurant. The food and service are well worth a visit. That is provided you can get a reservation. It's that popular.
This a party place, and in Boca Grande that's saying something. It's not as fancy, trendy as La Escollera the large thatch roofed beach front disco a few blocks away. That is the place "to be and be seen at" in Cartagena. Then again it's not as crowded, expensive or stuck up.
What it is though, is a place to dance and party to loud, very loud music. At least that's downstairs. The upstairs is a little quieter, as is the patio that overlooks the beach.
A quick word of warning, many, though not all, of the extremely beautiful local ladies that frequent the place, especially the dance floor and tables around it, are shall we say "available." That is to say they are working girls. They're actually kind of the tacky fun charm the place has. On the other hand families staying at the hotel are here also. That says a lot about attitudes in Cartagena I guess.
My last visit here I noticed that the name had been changed to Gallo Loco ( Crazy Parrot). This didn't surprise me in the least. in the intervening year the place had also been called Klub Kactus, or at least one of the guide books I'd picked up told me so.
There didn't appear to be any other changes when I reentered the doors my first night in Cartagena after a four year absence. The dance floor was still packed, the music loud and the bar crowded. There was one important change however as I found out. They've changed the rules. There's no longer a large cover and open bar.
I discovered this after "generously" ordering a round for two taxi loads of fellow Decameron guests. I was then presented with a whopping bar bill, seconds after they'd all downed their drinks. Fortunately we soon discovered that the smaller upstairs bar was still a Decameron guest only all inclusive one. My personal favourite drink here is Cafe Colombia a coffee liqueur. Ask for it in a brandy snifter with ice, trust me.
Rumours heard during my last stay are that the Decameron may move it's operation out of the bar. The beach club, all inclusive bar and Japanese Restaurant may be moved into the main hotel complex. I don't know if and when this will happen.
However I'm not worried. Whatever happens, the place will still be there in form or another. Odds are the name will have changed, if it already hasn't but not much else will have.
Oh one final point worth noting. Dancing wildly on the large speakers on the dance floor is allowed. Drunkenly falling off into other dancers and knocking over the speaker is frowned on for some strange reason.
Bringing fifty feet of climbing rope into the bar and rappelling off the second floor balcony onto said crowded dance floor is also out for some inexplicable reason. The numerous bouncers at this place are all ex Colombian Marine Commandos. Fortunately they all seem to have a good sense of humour.
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Member: James Smith
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