"Visiting Tijuana - A Travel Guide"
By James Knott

TRANSCRIPT

TIJUANA – LOCATED IN THE MEXICAN STATE OF BAJA CALIFORNIA – JUST ACROSS THE U.S./MEXICAN BORDER FROM SAN DIEGO.

BUENOS DIAS FROM TIJUANA MEXICO.  MY NAME IS JAMES KNOTT.  THE CITY IS JUST WAKING UP HERE AND WE’RE GOING TO SPEND THE DAY FINDING OUT WHAT THIS TOWN IS ALL ABOUT.

AFTER CROSSING THE BUSIEST INTERNATIONAL LAND BORDER IN THE WORLD, MOST VISITORS HEAD TO AVENIDA REVOLUCION, ALSO KNOWN AS LA REVO.  THIS MAIN STREET IS GEARED TOWARDS ENTERTAINING TOURISTS WITH SHOPPING, RESTAURANTS, PARTYING AND MUCH MORE.

IT’S DEFINITELY WORTH FEELING THE ENERGY OF THIS FAMOUS AVENUE, BUT TAKE YOUR STREET SMARTS WITH YOU. 

YOU CAN BARGAIN WITH THE SHOPKEEPERS AND FIND GOOD DEALS ON LOCAL TRINKETS.  BUT KEEP AN EYE ON THE EXCHANGE RATE.  WHETHER ITS PESOS OR DOLLARS, LOCAL BUSINESSES SEEM ALL TOO EAGER TO ROUND THE RATES IN THEIR FAVOR.

THE RESTAURANTS CAN BE FUN, BUT THE FOOD IS HIT-OR-MISS.  THE PEOPLE-WATCHING FROM THE BALCONIES IS ENTERTAINING, BUT I CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY WON’T SELL ME JUST ONE MARGARITA.  I ORDER ONE, AND SEVERAL “MEXICAN MINUTES” LATER TWO COME OUT.

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THE AREA HAS LOTS OF HOTELS FOR ANY BUDGET – ONE NOTABLE ONE IS THE HOTEL CAESAR, WHERE THE CAESAR SALAD WAS INVENTED.  THIS IS MY HOTEL.  THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR $24 DOLLARS A NIGHT – PURE LUXURY.

IT’S HARD NOT TO FEEL A LITTLE OVERWHELMED WITH THE BARAGE OF SHOPKEEPERS INVITING YOU IN AND WAITERS AND WAITRESSES TRYING TO GAIN YOUR BUSINESS AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREET.  YOU CAN GET A MASSAGE OR A PHOTO TAKEN WITH A ZEBRA… I MEAN A BURRO PAINTED LIKE A ZEBRA. 

THESE PLACES HAVE ONE GOAL IN COMMON – TO SUCK MONEY OUT OF YOUR WALLET OR PURSE SO HAVE FUN, BUT BE WARY.

ONE THING I NOTICED IS THAT THESE PEOPLE MUST GET SICK A LOT – THERE ARE PHARMACIES EVERYWHERE.  DISCOUNT PHARMACY, SUPER PHARMACY, DRUG DISCOUNTERS… THE LIST GOES ON.  IN ACTUALITY, THESE PHARMACIES ARE SET UP SO THAT GRINGOS CAN CROSS THE BORDER AND BUY CHEAP PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.  THE TIJUANA CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU PROUDLY LISTS THIS AS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS TO VISIT TIJUANA.

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TIJUANA ROSE TO PROMINENCE DURING PROHIBITION IN THE U.S. AS A DESTINATION WHERE AMERICANS COULD GO TO LEGALLY DRINK AND GAMBLE.

THIS TRADITION CONTINUES ON TODAY AS THE CLUBS ON LA REVO, CRANK OUT MUSIC AND OFFER UP SHOTS OF TEQUILA LIKE ITS WATER.  THE DRINKING AGE IS 18, AND ON WEEKENDS, THE UNDER-21 CROWD CROSSES THE BORDER TO PARTY.

THE HARD-CORE PARTIERS MIGHT END UP NORTHWEST OF REVOLUCION, IN THE INFAMOUS ZONA NORTE.  STREET PROSTITUTION IS LEGAL IN TIJUANA AND IN THIS RED-LIGHT DISTRICT ON CALLE COAHUILA HUNDREDS OF PROSTITUTES LINE THE STREET.  IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE, BUT THE WEIGHT OF THEIR GLANCES MADE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE – TOO UNCOMFORTABLE TO VIDEOTAPE.

ACCORDING TO PEOPLE I TALKED TO, STRICTER U.S. BORDER ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE OF THE U.S. WAR ON TERROR AND U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY HAS CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS WILLING TO GO THROUGH THE HASSEL OF CROSSING THE BORDER.  BECAUSE OF THIS, BUSINESS ON LA REVO HAS BEEN DOWN RECENTLY.

(TRANSITION)

EVEN THOUGH LA REVO’S MAIN SECTION IS ONLY ABOUT EIGHT BLOCKS LONG, IT’S THE ONLY IMPRESSION THAT MOST VISITORS GET.

TO LEAVE THE TOURISTS TRAPS BEHIND, AND GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE CITY, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO LEAVE AVENIDA REVOLUCION.

ONE STREET OVER IS AVENIDA CONSTITUCION, A BUSY AVENUE WITH RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS AIMED AT THE LOCAL POPULATION.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND LA REVO YOU CAN FIND BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL PARKS AND INTERESTING MONUMENTS.  YOU ARE LIKELY TO FIND THE LOCAL RESIDENTS HANGING OUT.  AND YOU’LL FIND LIFE OUTSIDE OF LA REVO TO BE MORE RELAXING WITHOUT BUSINESSES CONSTANTLY HOUNDING YOU TO SPEND YOUR MONEY.

I’M CURRENTLY LOCATED IN ZONA RIO.  THIS AREA OF TOWN, LOCATED ALONG THE TIJUANA RIVER, IS GENERALLY NICER AND MORE CULTURED THAN THE PARTY ATMOSPHERE ALONG LA REVO.

ZONA RIO’S BUSY BOULEVARD, PASEO DE LOS HEROES, IS MARKED BY HUGE STATUES TO GREAT MEXICAN HEROES OF THE PAST – INCLUDING ABE LINCOLN.

ALONG THE ROUTE IS THE CENTRO CULTURAL TIJUANA – FEATURING, THE GOLF-BALL SHAPED, CINE-PLANETARIO – WITH A 180 DEGREE MOVIE SCREEN, A MUSEUM ON THE HISTORY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA AND PLAYS, CONCERTS AND DANCE RECITALS.

THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HOSTS A WIDE VARIETY OF RESTAURANTS OF ALL DIFFERENT ETHNIC FLAVORS.

AND, THERE IS ALSO A MALL.  THE PLAZA RIO TIJUANA IS ONE OF MOST VISITED IN THE REGION AND HAS A CINEPOLIS VIP MOVIE THEATRE.

OTHER DIVERSIONS, INCLUDE GOING TO A BULLFIGHT AT THE EL TOREO DE TIJUANA ON AGUA CALIENTE BLVD – NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH AGUAS CALIENTES BLVD.  DON’T OVERTHINK THIS INTERSECTION – IT WILL FREAK YOUR MIND!!!

FURTHER ALONG AGUA CALIENTE, DOG-RACING IS THE SPORT OF CHOICE.  AT THE HIPODROMO DE AGUA CALIENTE YOU CAN BET ON GREYHOUND RACES EACH NIGHT AFTER 7:45 PM.

OVERALL, REVOLUCION WAS ENJOYABLE, BUT I RECOMMEND VENTURING OUT AND SEEING MORE OF THE CITY.  THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN I COULD COVER IN MY SHORT TIME THERE.  ART, MUSIC, SHOPPING & CULTURE.  EVEN THOUGH LA REVO IS INTERESTING TO SEE, IT’S A SHAME THAT MOST VISITORS NEVER GET PAST THAT.

NIGHT HAS FALLEN ON REVOLUCION.  THE SHOP KEEPERS ARE CLOSING UP AND THE NIGHTCLUBS ARE JUST KICKING INTO FULL GEAR.  I’M GOING TO GO GRAB A MARGARITA ‘CAUSE MY TIME HERE IS ALMOST UP.  THANKS FOR WATCHING.  I’M JAMES KNOTT.  ADIOS.