Recently there's been flurry of activity here on TUSCL from mongers making their maiden voyages to the mecca of Tijuana and to Hong Kong club (also known as the dragon).
I'll admit, I love reading new reviews of the dragon. It's a dose of methadone to read another monger's description of the heroin high that is walking through those black curtains. And I'm sure my own enthusiastic reviews have played a very small part in encouraging other TUSCLers to take the plunge.
However, reading a few recent reviews and after some enlightening DM exchanges with a few people, I realize that some mongers aren't quite yet ready for the challenge. I think to take full advantage of Tijuana, and Hong Kong Club in particular, one has to level up one's mongering skills:
- Negotiating Skills. Before planning a trip to TJ, you should already be familiar with negotiations that happen in a strip club. You should know how to gracefully excuse a stripper you're not interested in, and how to approach one you are. You should know when to bargain, how to ask for extras and consent, and when to say "no". If you're not comfortable with those things in English, you'll stand no chance against in a fight with the dragon.
- Logistics. You should be comfortable with travel (including air travel if you live anywhere other than SoCal) and you should have a passport. You should probably have GE/Sentri too. You should be comfortable and self-sufficient mongering alone.
- Endurance. You don't want to fly across the country to bust a single nut.
- Constitution. La Zona Norte is gritty. It's safe enough if you're cautious, with the biggest risk being corrupt municipal police. But if you haven't already been to a few seedy areas that strip clubs often find themselves in, you might feel overwhelmed here.
- Spending Power. Part of the appeal of TJ is that it's cheap. But if you plan a 3 day trip here with only $300 to spend, you might feel like you're missing out, and that investment in your flight and hotel would've been better spent at your local AMP (level 20).
I think there's a normal arc that most TUSCLers take, and it goes right through Tijuana. Hong Kong is perpetually number 1 on TUSCL's top 40 list, with Chicago Club and Bar Tropical also consistently high up. If you're searching for the best strip clubs, you're going to find yourself reading about these Tijuana gems.
But imagine your mongering career as if you were a character in an RPG. As soon as you unlock TUSCL at level 10, the dragon is marked on your minimap, but you must remember that it's a level 70 battle. If you're new to the game, consider grinding up your skills on your local club. Before rushing in to battle the dragon, consider trying some domestic extras spots like Landing Strip DTW (level 30), Cheetah Pompano (level 40), or Tootsie's (level 50).
Or, if you're still an intermediate strip club goer with the fortune of living in SoCal, maybe you go to Tijuana, but first hone your skills at Bar Tropical (level 45) or Chicago Club (level 55) both of which aren't quite the pressure cookers that Hong Kong is.
I used to advise mongers that due to the rising peso (which has peeled back even if arriba prices seem sticky) one shouldn't wait, because chicaflation is only getting worse. Recent conversations though have convinced me there should be a balance.
There's also no doubt, the dragon's level 70 rating means it offers the best loot if you slay it. If you're playing New Game+, it might be a prudent stop in right out of the gate. Maybe you've got a reason to speedrun the game, in which case, rush in by all means. You'll probably do just fine.
But if you're on a new monger's career and you have the luxury of time, I would advise you to hone your skills elsewhere before trying to slay this legendary beast.

