Despite all the banter for and against Amigos existence, several hundred people found their way the the fundraiser for Amigos Boquete Panama. As was said at the event, despite any flaws Amigos has a function in Boquete. Amigos has historically been one of very few places that is open late and caters to the entire market, locals, expats and tourists.
Amigos Boquete Panama
We arrived about at about six and left before nine and in that time many people came, drank, ate and many made donations for the legal defense fund. The only uninvited guests were a truck full of police who arrived at seven thirty. I never had the opportunity to ask if was a normal patrol or a noise complaint. I can say that only live music was from people singing happy birthday to Stone and two other people who happen to be celebrating their birthdays yesterday and it was short and not amplified.
Many people voted with their presence and donations that they would like to see Amigos reach a workable solution with it’s neighbors and stay open. In my often voiced opinion Boquete needs Amigos and more places like it if it wants to build a tourist economy.
It was a lovely evening. My burger was very nice and the onion rings were delightful. And the company was, as always, varied and happy and friendly.
Solidarity. Amen.
Cool. Hey, Lee, your fotos always show the backs of people’s heads! Next time, yell, “HEY!”, then click. Just a suggestion from an ardent admirer.
Dav
Boquete needs more venues for life music! A tourist destination that goes to sleep at 8pm has no future…
For awryawry…here are few pictures of the fronts of folks’ heads:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112689591421008933330/albums/5746862854811850577
Nice foto gallery, Michael, thanks. Next: mandatory name tags — along with addresses and lat-lon so our drones will be better able to track everyone’s movements ….
Kudos for a worthwhile community effort!
In the last 4 months i have found amigo’s restaurant very boring place to hang out. some of the staff there are rude and unprofessinal. One of the staff that works at the bar is gay but does not show it . you can only see it when he is drunk.
The menu is boring . sometimes they have ribs which i can say are very delicious but other then that they need to lower the prices or change the menu.
Why do you care if a bar tender acts gay?
Lee, I, as a Panamanian and Boquete resident, am very dissapointed in all these writings in support of Amigos Bar Restaurant in complete disregard for the Panamanian neighbours. I know the neighbours of Amigos Restaurant/Bar, who are Panamanian, and who feel disgusted and desperate about what is going on with Amigos. It was extremely disrespectful to have such a place right below our Cemetery where it is supposed to be a quiet place for our Grandpas and Grandmas and quiet relatives. Second, last year they had a big bash with people dancing on tables on Holy Monday, again extremely disrespectful to our customs and laws applying on Holy Week, even the Police had to show-up and the door was closed on the Teniente with the owner saying it was a Private Party with a special permission. Third this is a RESIDENTIAL neighbourhood and when Lola had her Supermarket and small bar there, no one ever heard noise or the drinking racket that goes on now. My friends Hildelisa and Nieves have a small bed and breakfast and they had customers say that the service and price were nice, but they would not return because of the disturbing noise level coming from Amigos Bar. My friend Karim, who works at a bank, complained that his elementary school aged boy had often difficulty getting up for school on account of the noise and racket coming from Amigos Bar on school week days, before the complaints were placed at the MINSA and with local authorities. A Panamanian elderly grandma was also greatly disturbed by Amigos Bar and talked to me last year about what could be done about it. She is a humble lady and felt frustrated and powerless to do something about it. Also, it is well known by the Panamanian neighbours that they smoke drugs there because they can SMELL them on the street and coming in from their windows. The Panamanian neighbours say that it was a quiet and comfortable neighbourhood until Amigos Restaurant Bar came to disturb the peace. Even more, when the DRUNKS come out, most of them drive drunk (drink and drive) and have caused accidents in town, one being against my uncle. As a matter of fact, it is the Panamanian affected community that has called to complain on the Radio and the Mayor to do something. Opposite to what you all think the MAYOR does have authority, and they could not function without his Permit To Operate; and it is the Mayor´s fault for giving them the Permit in the first place. My Panamanian friends called me this weekend because of the high level of noise coming from Amigos Bar again. Besides I have been investigating because I am highly offended at having such a place disturbing my friends and disrespecting our Boquete Cemetery, and I found that these two people that are mentioned as Mark and Jenniffer, to whom everyone refers to as the OWNERS, do not appear as OWNERS on the legal paperwork, nor they appear on Government Public Records; they have a Panamanian front make-believe and they hide behind. I wonder if they have all the legal paperwork and permits in order to operate a business that we all have to have… How could they? When they do not even appear on paper? What kind of a dark business is this? What type of VISAS do they have? This is the type of things that angry us the locals. Some of their ex-workers have complained because they do not abide by all the laws of the Ministry of Work, or the Ministry of Health laws. Can you explain why they were for months operating as a small restaurant, when they were selling drinks and being a bar all along, but according to the neighbours they only got the BAR Licence in October? Is not this acting outside the law and regulations? They should have never opened this type of place in a Residential neighbourhood and much less near the Cemetery. This is a sore point with the Boquete Community, and as I read here, none of the expats supporters of this “antro de perdición” care at all about the patient Panamanians that have allowed them a place to live. The 98% Panamanian neighbourhood surrounding Amigos Bar is extremely grateful to Bert for acting on their side and supporting their plight. I tell you that if this were happening in Canada or the US, the place would have been shut-down and fined. It was my brother who said to the neigbours that it is a crime to cause harm to children, elderly and people´s health, physical and psychological, and economical wellbeing. It is said that Amigos Bar Restaurant tried to abide by the MINSA suggestions, but they did NOT. They had to build cement walls and COMPLETELY enclose the place if they planed to play music. They have NEVER DONE THIS. Amigos Bar Restaurant continues to disturb the Boquete Comunity and neighbourhood in a defiant and arrogant manner, offensive to us all.