Surviving Tijuana -- without succumbing to stereotypes
Written: Apr 10 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: wonderful people, very cheap prescription drugs and cigarettes, and an atmosphere of fiesta all the time.
Cons: Border crossings can be painful -- take care to know the rules.
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| moderngypsy's Full Review: Tijuana |
Tijuana has a bad reputation. And it's not all just an urban legend. Recently, the police chief was murdered, execution-style, after hit men were paid by a deputy to knock him off. Bribes abound. It's a poor country with many desperate, destitute people who clamor for both your money and your attention. Strip clubs outnumber restaurants in the tourist areas.
However, the fact of the matter is -- we're basing our opinions on a flawed premise. The premise that the USA's standard of living is somehow better than anywhere else.
All socio-political ranting aside, there are some things you should know and understand before travelling to Tijuana and the other border cities. Some will seem like common sense, others are a little more obscure, but they're all important.
1. Take cash.
This is almost common sense, but it bears mentioning. Many of the vendors in the tourist areas prefer USD to the Mexican Peso, due to its strength. It's also helpful just in the remote case that you would be stopped by police. Bribes are not only common, they are expected. Keep that in mind.
2. Don't drink too much.
Despite Tijuana's bad reputation for having strip clubs with flowing tequila and donkey shows (if you don't know what that is, don't ask. Consider yourself lucky and move on with your life.), the fact of the matter is that drunken or immoral conduct is a prosecutable offense. This is on many of the signs you'll encounter on the Ave. de la Revolucion -- and one that many 18 year old servicemen with a check and a desire for flesh and alcohol will forget anyway. If you want to get toasted, do it on the US side of the border, or border crossing could be difficult -- if you're noticeably drunk, they CAN turn you away at the border check station.
3. Don't take firearms or ammunition.
Mexican prisons aren't fun, and the US Consulate will -not- help you. Guns are outlawed in Mexico, and let me tell you -- they take this one -very- seriously.
4. Bring along a list of your prescriptions.
Something that few people know is that you are allowed to bring back prescription drugs from the much cheaper Mexican pharmacies (often more than 75% cheaper) for personal use. This doesn't mean that you can stock up on Percodan and cross the border, though -- our border agents are a little wiser than that. Be smart with it.
5. Come in by Mexicoach.
The best way to "drive" to Tijuana is to not drive at all. Coming south from San Diego on either I-5 or I-805, take the exit marked with "LAST US EXIT", and park on the right in the "Border Parking" lot. It's $6 for up to 24 hours, and is worth the cost. If you pick up a San Diego guidebook, there are often coupons for $1 - $2 off the price, as well. In the southeast corner of the lot, there will be an information counter and a covered waiting area where several large red buses will dock. For the whopping price of $1 each way, the Mexicoach buses will carry you through Mexican customs to the Ave. de la Revolucion -- and will get you there much faster than driving over yourself.
6. If you're determined to drive in....
Remember this: you MUST have Mexican car insurance to do so. It is NOT an urban myth that there are certain criminal elements in Tijuana who WILL crash into your car for the money. If you don't have Mexican insurance, the policia WILL haul you to jail, where you'll remain until your bills are paid and all bribes taken care of. If you are hurt in the accident, they are NOT required to send you back to the US for treatment, and have been known to leave people with potentially critical injuries for hours until the red tape is taken care of.
7. Coming back through customs is not always fun.
If you've driven over without incident, the lines to come back to the US are often so long that you'll be waiting for -- literally -- hours. If you've come across by bus, the lines are shorter (there's a bus lane), but can still be long. Sometimes it is faster to exit the bus at the line of shops just this side of the US border, and walk across, catching the bus at the opposite side. Sometimes the bus drivers don't give you this option, however.
8. Remember your duty-free limit.
There is a $400 limit on items coming back into the USA. This includes items purchased on the US side at the duty-free malls and carried over the border (which you have to do in order to get them duty-free.). The exceptions to this limit are: only one liter of alcohol may be brought back, no matter the price -- and prescription drugs MUST be for personal use only. Other than that, it's four hundred bucks worth of stuff. Obviously, bringing back weaponry, drugs, or illegal aliens is a no-no.
Now that you're up to your ears in rules and your head is swimming with the border crossing issues...
Tijuana is a great place to visit.
Even though it has a horrible reputation, and in some cases, deserves that reputation -- it is NOT just a dirty border town. Over one million people reside in the town of Tijuana, and the Avenue de la Revolucion is not indicative of the entire city, nor of Tijuana residents as a whole. It -is- a poor country -- or at least poor by the opulent US standards -- but it doesn't seem to phase the vibrant residents, who live as they've always lived.
There are a few places that you won't want to miss on your trek south of the border.
Escape Club is a theme restaurant on the Avenue -- during the day it is family-friendly with clean accomodations and extremely friendly staff who don't mind taking a few moments to talk to you about anything you'd like. Drinks are 2-for-1 all the time, and they -will- make them "virgin", if you ask. The food is fantastic, and it's open-air windows allow you a view of Revolucion that borders on idyllic. I'd recommend going there on a weekday, when things are slower, and talking to Conchita -- the owner's daughter who waitresses during the days. She will tell you the history of Escape Club, it's motley collection of American artifacts that are displayed on the walls, and recommend the best food on the menu -- often for a discount. A travelling guitar player is at the patrons' beck and call, and plays a beautiful rendition of "Besame Mucho" that will bring tears to your eyes and draw stares from outside the windows. If you sit in a window seat, the flower-women will also sell you large, brightly-coloured crepe-paper flowers from the sidewalk below for a whopping $2. Prices vary, but for two people with dinner and drinks, it cost us about $10, $12 with tip. It's more than worth it.
Amigos del Arte is on a side street, and I wish I could tell you which one. Past the big red pharmacia on the north side of Revolucion is a small alleyway that leads past a large Aztec stone head and a Mayan calendar (which our own calendar is based on, I may add.). On the right side is a strip club with tuxedoed ushers leading male patrons in and taking their cover charges without so much as a smile, but on the left is an inauspicious storefront with painted on words: The Amigos del Artes. One may be tempted to pass this storefront by -- it is certainly more reserved and less ostentatious than the surrounding hullabaloo of the rest of Tijuana -- but don't let appearances sway you. The Friends of Art is a museum, art gallery, and community cultural center that is -free- to passing tourists (they do ask for donations, and I'd recommend highly leaving some of your money here -- it's a worthy cause). Inside, a very friendly Juan Carlos will take you on a tour of the building -- which is much larger than it appears on the outside -- and tell you what the Museo's purpose is. They display historical photos of Tijuana (and a few rare ones of Pancho Villa make it into the collection, no less), show you the art of locals (some of which is very good), and tell you about the All-Purpose Room, where local residents can go to learn about art and culture, and take classes in English.
The first time I went to Tijuana, I took pictures at this place. The men inside were friendly and animated, and the pictures came out well. (They can be seen at http://www.moderngypsy.com under the link in the "outdated" section called "Border States") I found out, the last time I went down (yesterday), that one of the men in my photos died recently. They have cordoned off his section of the studio as a tribute and have left his unfinished painting standing on the easel, in a silent reminder of his celebrated life. I barely knew him and I miss him.
One last tip before I close up this review:
Respect the culture you're walking into. You, not they, are the outsider. Tijuana residents do not "speak Mexican". They speak Spanish. They do not need your sympathy or your handouts. They are not "rude" by trying to get your attention to come into their shops -- this is the culture. Fish tacos are not "gross! How do they EAT that?!", they are just not your preference. They do not need you to tell them that their lives are devoid of material wealth -- they are rich in a myriad ways that we can't possibly understand.
I've heard all of these conversations on the way back on the Mexicoach, and each time, I wanted to hop up and poke the person speaking. Sometimes, our ignorance is a detriment to our own learning.
Take the time to get to know Tijuana. Overlook the "potholes in the sidewalks" and the camp that surrounds the city. Talk to people. They don't bite.
Oh -- and for the record: The zebra-painted donkeys are an American invention.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
moderngypsy
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Member: Elizabeth Badurina
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Reviews written: 140
Trusted by: 93 members
About Me:
Just a rain-soaked writer, climbing mountains and creating art that matters.
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