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Tiki Central / General Tiki

Barcelona!

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TC

Here's a brief, illustrated, tiki-related report about my recent weekend in Barcelona:

Tiki Emi & I based our tiki exploration on info found at this excellent site chocked full of groovy pics of barcelona's unique design & architecture (1950s - 1970s):

http://www.city-in-space.com

We even used the site to book our hotel, which had a funky stairwell:

According to the Cities in Space site, there were (at least) 3 tiki bars in Barcelona. However, we couldn't find the Aloha Bar ...

The other 2 bars, Kahiki & Kahala are very much thriving, bustling businesses though!

Here's some pics of Kahiki:

The best thing about Kahiki was its storefront & signage. However, the Aztec Calendar seemed out of place. Inside, there were large murals of Indonesian images & Balinese shadow puppets. Not many tikis.

The 3rd bar, Kahala was great. Tons of tikis, great music, fun drinks (my drink was called "DANCA DEL TERROR"!!!)

We left around 2 in the morning & people were still piling in!

The bar staff were really friendly & insistent on having their pics taken (see below).

In addition to tiki bars, there's all sorts of cool moderista architecture too:

[ Edited by: Tiki Chris on 2004-02-10 09:51 ]

Cheers for the report Chris, some prime stuff there!

It's a real pity that the Aloha has succumbed to the (hopefully) final echoes of the 80's Tiki death march. Spain seemed to be immune from mere bar-fashion.

But still, what's left look amazing. Is that really a tile display at the Kahala?!!! Stunning.

But what of mugs? Anything interesting?
I think there's a link between the Crane mugs and those found in Spain - any evidence?

Anyway, looks like too much fun.
Barcelona here I (We?) come!

Trader Woody

On 2002-11-07 15:56, Trader Woody wrote:

But what of mugs? Anything interesting?
I think there's a link between the Crane mugs and those found in Spain - any evidence?

yeah, cool mugs. from what i could tell different drink came in different mugs. i was reminded of crane's mugs too. most of them were light colours. i tried to read the bottom of my mug for clues, but it was just too dark to read.

if you look closely at some of the above pics, you'll see some mug-age. we tried to take pics of our drinks at kahala, but again, too dark.

later,
chris

Great photos Chris! Was the danca del terror the lady with the heavy eye-shadow?
And, what the heck does Kahiki mean anyway?

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2002-11-10 17:08 ]

KailuaGeoff,
According to the Kahiki webpage --
"To Polynesians, "kahiki" means "sail to Tahiti."

http://www.kahiki.com/kahikistory.cfm

According to Otto, who was there about two years ago, the Barcelona and Madrid Tiki Bars have there mugs made in Spain, so they are totally unique and not in American circulation. Otto counted around 15 (!) different designs, and I think he managed to obtain about seven.

Chris, I just looked at an invite from GUA-TIKI Parties (clubs) that were held at the ALOHA throughout this year (using all BOT images for their invites). This invite was from this October 4th.

The unlikelyhood that a running Tiki Bar would be replaced by a shoe store (!) within a month leads me to hope (for the bar's sake) that you might have been lost in Barcelona...

On 2002-11-20 18:49, bigbrotiki wrote:

...you might have been lost in Barcelona...

well, there are certainly worse fates!

i'm pretty sure i had the right street number written down & i'm positive i was on the right street, according to the cities in space site. maybe there are two streets called provenza?

i hope i'm wrong (trader woody, here's something to investigate) if only b/c it'll give me another excuse to go back to barcelona!! it would be great to know that the aloha bar still exists.

btw, what is GUA-TIKI?

thanks for the update!

any spaniards out there?

I'm certainly prepared to don my pith helmet and go exploring in Barcelona!

The 'Let's Go' guide still carries the following review, so it looks likes there's hope after all.
"Aloha
C. Provença 159 (93 451 79 62). M: Hospital Clinic or FGC: Provença. Barcelona's Hawaiian paradise---complete with exotic caged birds, leis, and plenty of bamboo. Pool table and wide liquor selection. Try the coco loco, coconut milk and rum (1000ptas/€6). Second drinks are half price. Open Su-Th 6pm-3am and F-Sa 6pm-4am."

Trader Woody

Well a week today, I hope to be knocking back a few at the Aloha. I've marked it on the map and will disregard any shoe shops that get in my way.

City in Space actually has a map on it's site. Did you use that Tiki Chris? I also noticed the Bagdad live sex show which must be worth checking out for it's, er, fascinating blend of 70's pop & Middle Eastern decor.....

Trader Woody

[ Edited by: purple jade 2006-03-20 21:10 ]

Explore well, Trader Woody, and leave behind markers for me. My weekend in Barcelona (which had BETTER happen!) is going to be my main tiki happiness during my Hukilau-killing June in Spain. Tell 'em a Texan wahine is in their future...

TC

woody,

ya back yet?

how was it?

please tell me that you were able to find the aloha!

later,
tiki chris

TC

On 2003-02-20 16:19, purple jade wrote:
I'd love to see more Gaudi pics if you have 'em, maybe in the Beyond Tiki forum. Don't suppose there's any more of that bartender next to the mask? Grrrr...

thanks. when i have the time, i'll try to look thru my pics again & post some more gaudi pics.

tc

T

Formikahini,
I too am trying to go to Spain Via the Hukilau.
I have never been there but for some reason I can picture the coast in the back of my mind.
You Euro travel boys will have to give more tips. Great Pics Chris!
Did some mugs grow legs?
What did you get Woody?

TC

On 2003-03-06 07:24, thebaxdog wrote:
You Euro travel boys will have to give more tips.

Bilbao:

http://www.traderwoody.iwarp.com/spain.html

Madrid:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2180&forum=1

Andalucia:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=67&forum=1

feel free to email me if you want some non-tiki info (i enjoy talking about spain about as much as i do about tiki & hawaii):

[email protected]

cheers,
tiki chris

[ Edited by: Tiki Chris on 2003-03-06 08:21 ]

I'm back!

Yep, I found the Aloha (plus the other 2 Tiki bars), took a heap of photos, got a few lovely mugs (and the world's finest Tiki ashtray) & was given a Moai pisco bottle by a friendly bartender.
Report to follow as I'm fuggin' exhausted and my liver is trying to leap out of my body!

Trader Woody

Z
Zeta posted on Wed, Feb 4, 2009 10:48 PM

Ahh... classic. Trader Woody, show some pics! What about that ashtray?

Woody ain't likely to reply, he ain't been seen round here in ages, but he posted the pictures back in 2003...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3076&forum=1&hilite=aloha

..but they have long gone.

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