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Going to Tijuana

CgarDan

CgarDan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2006
Messages
6,689
Location
Brooklyn, NY
I am going to visit Tijuana in a few weeks. Anything besides LCDH that I should check out ? For those who know the city what else is there to do there? Seriously, my first time going there so any advice will be much appreciated

Thanks

Dan
 
Have a good and safe trip, Dan. :) I look forward to hearing all about the various kinds of crazy counterfeits you'll encounter.

Wilkey
 
Be safe. TJ isn't the nicest city in Mexico. Make sure you stop by a Tacos El Gordo stand and try a carne asada taco. They're great. The churros from the street vendors are also good, but avoid the hot dogs at all costs. Also, they aren't real zebras. You'll see what I mean.
 
Dan,
I pass through TJ several times a year on my way to race in Baja.
I can tell you that I have been going to Baja since 85 every year at least 3 times for racing and other times for fun.
I NEVER stop there.

The exception was last summer with some friends. We did a Saturday night stay over just to hang out.
I did see the reasons for me not doing anything there all these years.
I did have some fun and we found a couple great bars that had a 20 dollar cover but that was for all you can drink.
I think I got the best of them that night :sign:

You might be better off staying around Ave Revolution. More gringo friendly.

If you have a car (GET INSURANCE GET INSURANCE GET INSURANCE) Here is the place that all the racers use. Very good linky

If you have time during the day head down the toll road toward Ensenada to a place called Pourto Neuvo. Fantastic lobster!

Watch your back. There have been some bandito's getting people more and more lately.
I have a good friend that was on his way back from the Baja 100 and they pulled him over and forced him and his wife and kids at gunpoint into the back of the motorhome and drove them up in the hills.
Took his motorhome, box trailer, and his 100.000.00 race truck.
They had to walk to the border.

Just be careful man. Baja is my absolute favorite place and it has much to offer but be careful.
Not trying to scare you just trying to help.
Feel free to PM me if I can hepl you in any way

and remember 99.99% of the ISOM's will be fake.
 
Will you be driving across the border or walking across and hitching a cab into TJ? If you're driving, a popular spot is the small town of Puerto Nuevo for lobster. It's about 30 miles in and just past Rosarito - a popular party town for the college set.
 
I plan to park near the border and just take a cab or bus into town to check it out for 3-4 hours not goingto stay there much longer than that
 
beyond the band gave some great advice. DEFINITELY GET MEXICAN CAR INSURANCE. Plenty of places sell 'em by the day. When in TJ, if you don't speak Spanish, you're best off not leaving Avenida de Revolucion. That's important advice for your safety. In fact, and not to sound like a sourpuss, but I wouldn't recommend going into TJ anymore. It's gotten so bad for American tourists that the Mexican police is prohibited from stopping Americans in certain stretches of roadway in the TJ area. The lines to get back into the USA will be mind numbingly LONG and boring. It's honestly just not worth the hassle anymore, in my opinion.
 
CgarDan said:
I plan to park near the border and just take a cab or bus into town to check it out for 3-4 hours not goingto stay there much longer than that
Click to expand...
Plan for it to take you about two hours or longer to return. It ain't the quickie trip it used to be. The lines used to be long before, but not oppressively long as they are now. Things changed considerably after the 9/11 attacks.

If your heart is set on going, and you'll be walking through, here is something that may get you back quicker: Along the walking path back into the USA, look for vendors that rent bicycles. They go for about $10. You'll get some beat down wreck of a bike. It could even be a bike meant for a little girl - doesn't matter. You walk by the side of the return line into the USA with that bicycle and you'll be able to (relatively) breeze through. There is a special line just for handicapped and bicycle riding tourists. You dump the bike at a designated dumping spot after you pass through and the vendor has people to pick it up afterwards. A real time saver if the line is long - if you wanna drop the dough for it.
 
Have a fun and safe trip Dan! I've never been there but I've also heard some similar stories.
 
CgarDan said:
I am going to visit Tijuana in a few weeks. Anything besides LCDH that I should check out ? For those who know the city what else is there to do there? Seriously, my first time going there so any advice will be much appreciated

Thanks

Dan
Click to expand...


Buy some Spanish Fly, then find some senoritas. :laugh: :whistling: :rolleyes:
 
Make sure you have your passport! You can't verbally declare you are a citizen anymore. Avoid the temptation to check out the strip clubs or Adelitas. It's not worth it...
 
You don't need a passport for land crossings into Mexico yet. A government identification card and birth certificate are sufficient. I believe the passport requirement for land crossings will not take effect until 2009.
 
Dan - my buddy, my pal, DON'T GO to TJ! Sometime last year they took the guns away from the Policia and the murder rate went DOWN! No the Federales and the Policia have their guns back and the murder rate is skyrocketing. It is simply not safe. Think Odessa, midnight-2am, all day long.
I grew up in San Diego and even my most hardcore surfer buddies won't go thru TJ right now. One had their casita in Rasarito ransacked last month by Federales and "others" in broad daylight with 50+ people standing around. They took two of his vehicals and as much cash as they could find. One of the trucks was found in a ditch just outside of town. God forbid you need medical help, the Federales will keep you out of the hospital.
Better people, food, music, stores, beaches, cigars... in San Diego and North County.
 
I vowed I would never pass thru that sh*t hole again, and I never even stopped there. Just passed thru on the way to Ensanada and back. Took us nearly 2 hours to get back across the boarder( this was pre-9/11). Be prepared to see children as young as 2 trying to sell you chiklets or such as you sit in your car not moving. In those 2 hours I saw a border crash of about 50 nationals, a dog that appeared to have not eatin for a month get hit by a car and yelp for 30 minutes b4 it died. Also be prepared to see some of the most abject poverty you will ever witness.


...or maybe it was just me. Please let us know your thoughts when you return.

Lou
 
Ok No Tijuana for me I feel very much convinced that going there will have negative long term effects :blush:

Thanks everyone for your posts you might have just saved me from some very unpleasant experiences.

On that thought anyone who is near San Diego LA or San Francisco please check out the HERF section As I am going to be driving the whole coast and would love to meet whoever feels like meeting up :thumbs:
 
Frankly, I am not sure why everyone's so affraid of TJ. Since you're not driving, you wouldn't go far enough to get yourself in too much trouble. If you go there during day time or ealier hours and stick to the more touristy areas, you will be fine. Just make sure to use common sense and precuations. Of course, if you have no idea what they are, or have any experiences in such areas, it might be good to avoid it. Personally, I think it's quite an experience for someone who's never been before. Heck, I've eaten at quite a few restaurants there and never had any problems.

What's your time frame for the visit to SD? We might be able to arrange a herf.
 
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