General Reports

[Sound7]

Reach of the law with international treaties is constantly changing. Recent case in Thailand resulting in deportation of US citizen for prosecution. This highlight some complex international treaty area of the law.

If there is a will, there is a way.

Be Safe in MEX & USA

[Coug X]

So has anyone gone to the Baby Blue massage parlor in Tijuana located in Zona Centro, or any other place in Zona Centro?

Anyone?

[Sgt Perv]

For extended stays, restaurants link is for something different .

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...2&source=embed

[Bunky]

I've stayed at the Good Nite Inn several times. It is your basic motel running around $40 a night with an expedia package. Motel 6 in the same area seems to have better prices if you don't buy a package through a travel website. However the distance to the trolley is just a little bit farther by a few blocks but not many.

Another hotel that's close to the trolley station is the Best Western South Bay. This is an older, exterior corridor property in the classic motel style. But it's very well maintained and the staff keeps the place spotless. The king rooms overlooking the pool are the nicest, with updated linens and furnishings that include a small refrigerator and a microwave. The bathrooms are laid out in the old style, with the tub/shower and toilet in a small room by themselves and the sink and (rather large) vanity in a separate area. They claim to have wi-fi, but I haven't stayed there since they installed it, so I can't personally vouch for how well it works.

In addition to being very close to the trolley stop, the Best Western South Bay is just steps from Aunt Emma's Pancake House, a Taco Bell and a Denny's that's open 24 hours a day. If you are the thrifty sort that likes to prepare at least some of your own meals a decent supermarket is also within walking distance. And there is a modest free breakfast included in the room rate.

As for rates, I've had good luck booking via Best Western's web site, and choosing the "best rate" or "internet rate" or whatever is cheapest.

Regards,

Bunky

[Bunky]

I would be interested in trying any of someone elses recommendations, especially food, whether street or restaurants.

My favorite street food is found at the southeast corner of Coahuila and Avendia Nino Heros. From the Adelita Bar, walk out the front door, turn left, walk past the front door of the Hong Kong Club, and then to the end of the block.

In my humble opinion, the tacos from that stand contain a larger portion of meat that is better seasoned than the competing places. I also prefer the salsas and sauces at that location.

Next to the taco stand is a stand that sells seafood snacks. My favorite is the oyster cocktail in a cup, "con todo." You probably won't be able to find this in the "non R months." But the rest of the year it's available and it's delicious. Ask for "crackas" on the side and you'll get saltines -- which I prefer to the tortilla chips.

Regards,

Bunky

[Sound7]

Hotel key card works for tourist if one is not driving.

The first thing they ask for is your paper work and your passport....thats on foot.

[Sound7]

Leave a twit track

Be Safe in TJ

I think this is a valuable tidbit of information. Anytime I go on any trip I leave a copy of my itinerary with either family or friends.

You can disappear very fast and nobody would have a clue where to look for you.

Sometimes if I feel uncomfortable about saying where I am going I will leave a note on my home computer just in case I disappear. LIKE TJ!

[Artisttyp]

But they can be enforced. If you do not have a Mexican vehicle permit($20.00 and a valid credit card), they can impound your car without cause. If you get into an accident here and do not have Mexican auto insurance($300.00+/full coverage/year), you will go to jail until you post bond. If you do not have a FMT($20.00), they can also theoretically imprison you.

In all likelihood, you will not encounter any of these outcomes unless you get into trouble or break the law.

However, if an individual is planning on driving from TJ to Cabo, one would have to be stupid not to purchase the required Mexican documents beforehand. You do not want to be negotiating your way out of a Mexican jail.

We're guests in this Country. Respect their rules and customs and you in all likelihood won't have a problem.

Absolutely. What about when the cops shake you down on revolucion. The first thing they ask for is your paper work and your passport....thats on foot.

[Precocious One]

Aah required but not enforced. Now I understand.

But they can be enforced. If you do not have a Mexican vehicle permit($20.00 and a valid credit card), they can impound your car without cause. If you get into an accident here and do not have Mexican auto insurance($300.00+/full coverage/year), you will go to jail until you post bond. If you do not have a FMT($20.00), they can also theoretically imprison you.

In all likelihood, you will not encounter any of these outcomes unless you get into trouble or break the law.

However, if an individual is planning on driving from TJ to Cabo, one would have to be stupid not to purchase the required Mexican documents beforehand. You do not want to be negotiating your way out of a Mexican jail.

We're guests in this Country. Respect their rules and customs and you in all likelihood won't have a problem.

[Sgt Perv]

When you are in Baja, the tourist visa requirements are not enforced from TJ to Cabo, even though Baja California Sur likes to be thought of as a separate state.

Aah required but not enforced. Now I understand.

[Artisttyp]

if someone must goes looking for you, the info on that visa could be very helpful.

I think this is a valuable tidbit of information. Anytime I go on any trip I leave a copy of my itinerary with either family or friends.

You can disappear very fast and nobody would have a clue where to look for you.

Sometimes if I feel uncomfortable about saying where I am going I will leave a note on my home computer just in case I disappear. LIKE TJ!

[Desertratco]

Mostly true. While FS is hard to find in Vegas, there are lots of places where you can get HJ/BJ/BBJ for fee. Yeah, they're illegal, but the cops seem to be hitting the streets rather than the parlors where you can find lots of P4P. I was in LV in July and it was reasonable, though the selection and hottie factor is far better in Tijuana, IMO. Action in Tijuana is cheaper, too, though getting mugged might change the ROI factor.

I dunno. All in all, I'd rather play in Tijuana. I don't think I make a good mark anyway, since I try to be as unobtrusive as possible. I always hit Tijuana in jeans and a t-shirt or polo, so I don't exactly stand out from the crowd. Money stays in an interior pouch so even if my wallet disappears, I'm only out $30 or so. I just don't want the ignominy of getting mugged in the red-light district. In my line of work, that would be suicide. (and, no--I'm not saying).

Vegas has a plethora of p4p opportunities but none within the city limits. If you are caught with a prostitute you will most likely get arrested, or at least cited and given a court date. Legal Options are available outside city limits (Nearby Nye county) but you're going to pay anywhere from 300-1000 dollars for your session. For that price you could get laid for a week to a month in TJ.

If you need any vegas tips or pointers feel free to ask me. I can't PM anyone but I might be able to recieve them as i'm not a supporting member yet but I have gone to vegas for 3 days without spending more than 60 bucks on everything including a BBBJ from a girl on fremont. Thats one city you can do on the cheapy cheap with the proper planning.

Daytona

[Phordphan]

#1. Understanding Casa De Cambios.

Obviously Compra is Buy. But does this mean that YOU buy THEIR pesos for 12.58 or do THEY buy YOUR pesos for 12.58

Venta is sell. But do they SELL pesos to you at 12.78 or do you sell your pesos to them at 12.78?

The terms ALWAYS refer to dollars.

Compra = We BUY your dollars at xx.xx pesos per dollar.

Venta = We SELL dollars to you for xx.xxx pesos per dollar.

So, the Venta rate is always higher than the Compra rate. That's where the profit is.

Just [CodeWord140] away all your money so that you only have enough for cab fare to the border! Then you won't have to worry about exchanging pesos for dollars.

[Super Gato]

#1. Understanding Casa De Cambios.

Obviously ATM's offer the best exchange rates and it's wise to use an ATM to get pesos. But what if I've gotten too many pesos leftover after a trip and I'm not coming back to the zona anytime soon. How do I ensure I get the best exchange rate?

Obviously Compra is Buy. But does this mean that YOU buy THEIR pesos for 12.58 or do THEY buy YOUR pesos for 12.58

Venta is sell. But do they SELL pesos to you at 12.78 or do you sell your pesos to them at 12.78?

Common sense would probably say that the lower price is the one they pay you am I right?

The big banks get the best rates and so money you get in an ATM will have a great exchange rate... BUT you need to watch for the fees. Some banks will charge you a fee for not using their machines (even though they have no machines in Mexico!) and a foreign transaction fee up to $3%. Then the Mexican bank whose ATM you're using may also charge a fee. All these fees together add up and can sometimes be worse than if you used a casa de cambio.

For example: I used the ATM at the Pueblo Amigo to get 2500 pesos. $195 or so came out of my bank account for the withdrawal (including 7 or 8 pesos from the bank of the ATM), my bank charged me $1.95 as a "international transaction fee", and $5 for not using a BofA ATM. So all the sudden the good rate isn't so good. So if you have to get money from an ATM, make sure you get a lot to offset those fees.

Some banks don't charge fees and/or will reimburse you for them. Bank of America will not charge you a fee if you use the Santender ATMs in Mexico. The trouble is they aren't nearly as convenient as HSBC or other banks in TJ.

Casa de Cambio: You are buying and selling dollars which is what the price is 1USD=12.78. So you're selling your dollars when you enter, and buying them when you leave. I'll usually try and spend only what I think I'll need but last time I had about 2200 pesos on me. I thought there were more casas de cambio at the linea but didn't want to backtrack. So I ended up using the casa de cambio that is next to the McDonalds at the trolley station. The rate wasn't terrible but it wasn't interbank either. The worst case is when I find foreign currency after I've gotten home (hidden so well from rateros I couldn't even find it!) and am far from a casa de cambio and have to change money at my bank (BofA, Wells Fargo). They'll buy your pesos but at a terrible rate (around 10:1) but when you need the USD you'll bend over and take it.

#2. Hotels in Tijuana.

I stayed at the Fiesta Inn at the zona Rio on my second trip to tijuana and I enjoyed the hotel it was clean, comfortable, safe, had free internet access, and was a great place to stay. Obviously some of the hotels on la revo appear to be frightening dives. I saw the hotel nelson I believe was offering 350 pesos a night. You could get a room at the alaska with the other ratero's for 200 pesos a night. Where do you guys like to stay and WHY do you like staying there?

I'd like something close (within walking distance) to the zona, safe, CLEAN, with at least some creature comforts (Air Conditioning, Hot and Cold water, My own toilet in the room) and I guess hotel nelson might be able to fit this bill.

I almost always stay at the Pueblo Amigo. It is a short walk from the border and usually I will have a flight to catch early in the morning so that's important. It is an decent hotel -- rooms like I remember the IP in Vegas had (used to be a Holiday Inn or something back in the day) with a large atrium inside but might be more $ than you're wanting to spend. Many of the rates include a breakfast buffet. There's a small casino inside for those Mexican slot-video poker-like machines with an ATM that will give you dollars or pesos. It is in a development with nice restaurants, a larger Caliente casino, the Luxor massage parlor and a strip club or two. You can bet on sports and dog/horse races from your room and the TV has mostly the gaming channels. It is chica friendly. It is a $5 taxi ride to Adelita.

[Precocious One]

I've read online that time periods of over 72 hours needs a tourist visa and I've seen 7 days. At this point I am confused.

Yes I believe you are correct when you say there is an exemption if you go south down the coastline to a certain distance.

At the border I remember passing a little immigration office with a guy checking bags on a fold up table in front. I assume this would be the office to go to. Hopefully I can just do everything there.

I am thinking of staying south of the border for 2 weeks that is why I am asking about it. An average TJ monger would not have to bother.

A FMT is required past 72 hours. The distance of the "border zone" varies and are generally designated at highway inspection points. You do not need a FMT in Ensenada, Mexico, which is some 70 miles from the US border.

For whatever it is worth, in the two years that I have lived here, I have never been asked for my FMT Visa nor have I been required to show my Mexican vehicle registration in the six or seven times that I have been pulled over for traffic violations.