About two weeks ago I was in Bethesda looking around at some businesses that are still around and businesses that have gone the way of the dodo bird.
KONA was a massage palor that housed many different woman of ethnic background. It is something I have seen since the early 2000's. Normally at a lot of the massage places I have been today, it is of one race only.
Now if I went to a Massage Envy or Hands of Stone, I would see women of ethnic backgrounds. However, I don't like to go to the traditional massage places to often.
KONA was located on the second floor and the stairs were all black back than. The door was located on the right hand side were Gilda Bridal Shop is now.
Across from Kona was some kind of law office at the time. Ahmed's Massage Therapy occupies the space there now.
Kona was a space I almost never saw empty. You would simply walk up the steps and knock (or use the door bell) on the door. Mama-San as she liked to be called would look at you through the peep hole (which is still there I might add) and decided if she wanted to let you In. 90% of the time I was let in, but there were times they were packed. The waiting area could only hold about 12 people. (Maybe less than that)
Mama-San was a voluptuous woman, but down to earth woman. She like to make jokes as; well, as practice her knowledge of the English language.
Only less busier days, you had a better chance of getting massaged by your favorite masseuse. Over time I had been massaged by Caucasian Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians.
Prices varied on the type of massages you wanted.$60 dallors was the cover charge. This means you get the basic massage without bells and whistles. This was not necessarily bad if you were on a budget. They preferred tips in cash.
You ask what the two other types of massage was? Lookup Avril Lavigne album Under My Skin- she about you pretending... Combine that with Eminem's Just Loose It Video with him running down the street and you get the message. Picking up what I am putting down?
Oh, this was a cash business, but they did take credit cards. They also made copies of your driver's license incase one tried to skip out on paying. (Yes, there were a few)
Kona even had table showers which was something of a new thing back then. I am sure the masseuses came across some very smelly men and women (not likely, but let's not discriminate against males only) at some point.
I don't really remember what the colors of the walls looked like in the place. It wasn't something I thought about back then.
Then one day I was coming there and I saw men leaving there with this look on their face. My spider senses were not going off until I walked into the building and up a few steps. I saw cops there grill patrons about what they think they were doing. I saw a man coming down the stairs with this same vacant expression I had seen earlier on. The cops did not see me and I turned around and left. I gave a few other people the heads up as I headed back to my car...or was it to another massage place?...i can't remember.
Kona never opened its doors again in this location that i know of. There was one other place in Silver Spring that had women of different races, but can't remember the name. I will try to do some back tracking on that....anyhow, Kona closed its doors and some time later, Gilda's Bridal Collection took its place. I have been in that shop once...maybe twice, but that is another story.
I had fun a Kona's and I would give it four stars for the Ethnicity masseuses Mama-San had. Good times but like Nelly Fatado said "Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end?" read more