Tijuana aka: Tía Juana, Tia Juana

Sad to say the first trip I took that far south into Tijuana was with an old co worker of mine who is now in Phoenix Arizona. We figured wth we’d take the trip and see how much fun can be had. Carrying maybe 150 between the both of us in USD we figured it would be a great experience considering the Currency Exchange.

It was a long trip down, but once we past the border, it was clear we were in a very different place, as all along the road into Mexico there were young girls, fathers and mothers on the side of the road, apparently trying to do all they could to make money from the drivers coming from the States. I started wondering what kind of things could occur but figured I should focus on the experience.

It was to bad it was cut short though, as the roads of course are not to clearly marked and we take one wrong turn and ended up going down the wrong side of the road, moments after that to Motorcycle Officers Stopped us, they did not ask for License or Registration, just said that the ticket was about 50 dollars USD. Willingly we paid but it put such a dent in the spending that was budgetted that we nearly turned right back around, took the 14 hour trip back into Salinas and never again went that far south.

So though it was not the best experience I would still be interested in going down again, just don’t know when, though guess it could also relate to 10,000 Miles By Bike and Riding My Bike More that would certainly be an amazing journey on two wheels and by human power.

All in all Tijuana is clearly a border town, but you cannot help but be surprised when you see so many people on the side of the road, or run the risk of corrupt officers stopping you and charging you cash for a ticket.

As with all things in life there is lessons to be learned, it is a matter of making a choice to gain the insight through the lesson and not repeat the same. Through that you know the lesson was learned.

Took a short road trip to T from Long Beach shortly after I graduated college. What a despicable place! Between the flies and little children following me around trying to sell me juicy fruit gum packs without the gum, me and my fellow friends bought a tacky sombrero and left after less than an hour vowing to never ever go again – Border towns in Mexico are all the same – dirty, noisy, polluted, and sad.

I went here to build a home for a family that was poor. It was very rewarding and fun and it was great to get to know the kids and family around the area. Also it was fun to go shopping in the market.

I asked a cop in San Ysidro where exactly I went to cross the border. The guy was friendly enough and told me not to get in any cabs, especially if I was going downtown. I crossed the border, which was eerily empty of any kind of border guards and suddenly I was in Mexico. There was a ton of folks waiting there for me to give me a cab ride, and I said no to all of them. They were kind of pushy. I walked maybe not even two blocks and was suddenly right in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. So the cop was pretty helpful after all.

Ok, so my wife told me that I’d be grossed out by Tijuana. When I told my cousin I had gone, he couldn’t believe I had wasted my time like that.

They were mostly wrong. Yes, Avenedia Revolucion is loaded with lots of people trying to get you to check out their stuff. Cuban cigars for a buck? Come on, I wasn’t born yesterday. No, I didn’t care for Av. Revolucion.

The rest of the city that I saw from my pedestrian jaunt was really enjoyable. No, scratch that, better than San Diego in some ways. Sure, there’s obvious, grinding poverty here. But here’s what no one tells you about Tijuana: it’s pleasant to walk around. You don’t need a car. There’s shade under the trees lining the Paseo de los Heroes, a pleasant boulevard. Street vendors are conveniently located to sell you water and treats when you need a break. In short, this isn’t the USA. You can have a totally foreign experience within a long walk of the border.

The CECUT museum is worth checking out for 20 pesos (as of June 2008). The city was filled with decorated cow sculptures. The food was amazing in flavor and price (just make sure you stop at a place that smells like food and not anything bad—look for locals eating there). The Federal Police, seemingly stationed everywhere, were helpful when I asked basic questions. One of them, whom I asked for directions to CECUT, saw me later and asked how I enjoyed the museum.

Truly a fun place, if you bring a bit of Spanish, a sense of adventure and a dose of common sense.