General Reports

[Artisttyp]

[QUOTE=ArcherAim; 1290574 If it's just a couple pills, do the border agents just figure it's for personal use, perhaps I had them with me when I came south of the border anyway, and no big deal?[/QUOTE]

Archer,

Never bring prescription meds back to the USA no matter how many you have. I sometimes bring back an anti fungal cream that is prescription only in the USA but I declare it. If it is something like that just declare it and have no more than a 1 month's supply on you. According to the law it is allowed. Other meds need a mandatory doctor's prescription.

Having viagra on you without a script in Mexico is a grey area. While it may not be illegal a cop might try to tell you otherwise. If you don't handle the situation the right way it could be a hassle and / or costly. Depends on who finds it. Some people will argue that I am wrong. Better safe than sorry in my book.

I carry a letter from my doctor and the pharmacy receipts but I am still cautious. If I go to the zona I try to take any meds before I go down if I can. Even with my letter etc. I know I would have to play it off well enough if the cops did search me. Add two beers and red eyes to the mix and it may get even harder to explain.

I would suggest that you buy them on a per pill basis while down there and swallow them before you hit the zona or the street for that matter.

Paranoid like you.

Welcome to ISG.

Artisttyp

[Phordphan]

I caught up on my DVR viewing a couple of days ago. Did anybody catch the No Reservations episode where he went to Tijuana (and other parts of Baja)?

A few interesting shots of the streets, a few seconds of La Malquerida's neon, a few SGs.

But my question is, has anybody been to Mision 19? He loved it. I've looked it up on Google, and it's not far. Would a taxi driver know it?

Also, any experience with Dandy del Sur or Mezcalera? I know where they are on 6th, but never been inside. Maybe this Saturday I'll take my date and check 'them out.

Advice, comments, suggestions?

[TomJackin]

Started out in HK, go figure. Stay there for a couple of hours checking out some of the new girls and I was impressed with the lookers. Wasn't in the mood for HK prices, so I opted for the alley in search for alley buddies. I wasn't more than 30 feet (maybe 31) from HK, when I got attacked from the rear; it was my good pal Chunky. I had no real plans, so off to the store to stock up on adult beverages, and then off to the Five-Star Monitos!

I guess the exceptional hotel ran out of towels, because we were given an outstanding bar of soap and a sheet to use as a towel. I gave Chunky some serious shit about her footwear and asked her,"How in the fuck do you expect to get clients dressed like that?" She shut me up in a hurry with her response,"I have you here with me now, right bit@h?" I was more than humbled! But I did tell her,"Baby, after we get married, I will take you to Payless and buy you some quality footwear!" She seemed unmoved by the notion.

Afterwards I met my Tijuana friends at Chiki Jai and I was impressed with the food and service. When they served the bread, it came with a bowl green sauce, both were good, and the green sauce had a nice spicy kick to it. Although, I thought that the paella at Lorca Espanol was better, the food was still quite good and reasonable in price at Chiki Jai.

Once back in the Zona, I tried to track down Chunky so I could pop the big proposal question to her, but she was nowhere to be found. Unlike the other SGs, Chunky roams the Zona and is never in the same spot; it works for her. Stopped by CC and hung out a bit with Joe Arturo. For whatever reason, he was still wearing all of his clothes, but then again, it was still early. Made runs through some of the other clubs, but ended up back in HK so I could play with the twins! Love the damn twins!

[ArcherAim]

These medicines (not drugs) are legal in Mexico and you don't need a prescription to purchase them. I have never ever had a problem carrying them around with me in Mexico. I do have a prescription in my possession to bring them back into the USA. But I rarely do that. I think that you are being paranoid.

Paranoid. Hopefully! I'm only commenting on a few things I've read on the board. If I don't have a prescription to carry them back to the US, what happens if they find the other five of my six pack when I try to cross the border to come home? Wouldn't mind having them here in Phoenix for use over the next month but don't want to be caught "smuggling". If it's just a couple pills, do the border agents just figure it's for personal use, perhaps I had them with me when I came south of the border anyway, and no big deal? I'm not bringing back twenty boxes to distribute them on the streets. But I don't have a prescription. Otherwise I probably wouldn't need to buy them at a farmacia when I get there.

[Joe Arturo]

Looking for advice.

I know don't bring drugs to Mexico, I know you're opening a whole can of hurt if you smuggle substance. BUT you arrive in Tijuana and there's a farmacia and the ED drugs are available (or did they change that? Do you now need a prescription? Heard that was the case with antibiotics finally.) So you go in and buy one or a dozen. I read someone saying buy one pill and a soda, take the pill with the soda, make sure the wrapper is thrown away in the farmacia trash and only then step out into the street since police can start demanding your prescription if you have fresh pills in your pocket. But is that crazy paranoid? Likewise, buy a ten pack of ED and stuff 'them in your jockeys and bring them back to the us. It's for personal use, do they care? Do you declare them when you show up at the border so if they're pissed they just take them, or do you hide them and see if they're going to strip search you? ED drugs aren't weed or hard drugs, and you might have brought them with you from US when you came over in the first place. Or is this just plain too dangerous to even think about?

These medicines (not drugs) are legal in Mexico and you don't need a prescription to purchase them. I have never ever had a problem carrying them around with me in Mexico. I do have a prescription in my possession to bring them back into the USA. But I rarely do that. I think that you are being paranoid.

[ArcherAim]

Looking for advice.

I know don't bring drugs to Mexico, I know you're opening a whole can of hurt if you smuggle substance. BUT you arrive in Tijuana and there's a farmacia and the ED drugs are available (or did they change that? Do you now need a prescription? Heard that was the case with antibiotics finally.) So you go in and buy one or a dozen. I read someone saying buy one pill and a soda, take the pill with the soda, make sure the wrapper is thrown away in the farmacia trash and only then step out into the street since police can start demanding your prescription if you have fresh pills in your pocket. But is that crazy paranoid? Likewise, buy a ten pack of ED and stuff 'them in your jockeys and bring them back to the us. It's for personal use, do they care? Do you declare them when you show up at the border so if they're pissed they just take them, or do you hide them and see if they're going to strip search you? ED drugs aren't weed or hard drugs, and you might have brought them with you from US when you came over in the first place. Or is this just plain too dangerous to even think about?

[Party God]

I ALWAYS drive into Mexico. I have an annual Mexican insurance policy that I get from Lewis & Lewis in Beverly Hills. You can find them on line. My policy runs me about $300 per year. I usually stay at Hotel Hacienda del Santiago which has secure guarded parking and I have never had any problem in this parking lot. If I am not spending the night, I park in the parking area of Hotel Leyva which is next to Chicago Club. Once again it is secure and guarded and I have never had a problem there.

Let me know if you are going to drive and I will give you directions to get to and from the zona in your car.

Nice recommendation (even if unintended). I've always driving in to Mexico (since I have a Sentri Pass) but I hate the extra time to stop for insurance. I've been considering an annual policy. Looks like Lewis & Lewis is reasonable and I'd feel more at ease buying a policy with from a place stateside. Thanks.

[SuperSteve]

now wait a god damn minute! i thought i was the only old fart in the zona!

you should have also said to look for speedy pouring tequila down your throat, or if that wasn't happening to look for a lady attached to your face.

keep up the good work amigo.

[SeanBig]

For what its worth, here are my 2 pesos. Glad that you came to your conclusion in 7) , relationship / love / date / etc is all relative, what it means to us may not be the same meaning as it is to them. The common denominator is $$$ (and even that, the value is still somewhat relative, but less ambiguous, IMHO)

1) I had a girl who works on / off in the zona, only had me pay her once, but ever since then, always freebie, never asked me for money, and never calls / messages me unnecessarily. This is a great girl, but probably a horrible prostitute if she is doing the same for other guys (which I doubt / shrugs)

2) I have another girl who works very regularly in the zona, who was madly obsessed about me (ok fine, so was I to her) , but she is so full of crazies that she gets jealous when I even so much as hang out with other girls in the club, I have never directly paid her for sex, but have bought things for her (nothing expensive, and if you ask me, I am actually still ahead.). This is a decent prostitute, but a horrible potential gf.

3) then there is this ultra flaky girl, whom sex with is always so-so, but everything else, is a complete GFE (ok maybe not that much) , but the shit that she says, really makes me think that she cares about me (which, big head is telling me that it is all just words, and these girls should know by now what is it that mongers love to hear). This is a decent prostitute, and a potentially interesting gf.

4) and then a SW, whom I never have to haggle with, provides increasingly better service each time I am with her, but even when I don't take her upstairs, she always greets me with a big smile and ask me in a friendly manner how my day has been and whats up. This is a fucking great prostitute, and will never be a gf.

5) and on and on.

Anyway, my point is, given long enough time, and close enough distance, you will probably experience many more different personalities to come, and for your sake, I really hope you go through this painful (but necessary experience) in the quickest and least damaging way (both financially and emotionally) because it seems like you already reached your own conclusion, but whether you truly believe what you say, is another thing.

Incidentally, zwane does stand out in the crowd (at least to me) , never paid for her services but bought her a drink before, I would say, given how she talks to me about my regulars, I would say she is not a 'bad' person per se. Ie, I don't think she is maliciously scheming anything, but you will most likely find that whatever way she intends to guide this relationship, may not be something you will be able to cope with.

Stay healthy, stay sane.

So based on your numbers would this girl I am obsessed with be somewhere.

Between 2 and 3?

We are still talking emailing daily but suspect it will wither away after a month

[Joe Arturo]

Thanks for the Roxette update. She was unique and had amazing skills on stage with a beer bottle. I never knew Laura or the other friend. They were simply company for a trip down to La Bufadora. But it's ironic she ends up in Chicago Club.

This Wednesday I head out to Mexicali. Depending on the heat and the company, I will be back to SD Fri or Saturday. I'll come down to CC in the late afternoon one of those days.

I will arrive in Tijuana Friday evening about 5 PM and be in Chicago Club shortly thereafter. I will be in Tijuana until Sunday morning when I am heading for some adventure in Mexicali and then some parts of Sonora. Hope to see you Friday or Saturday!

[Magic Rancher]

Thanks for the Roxette update. She was unique and had amazing skills on stage with a beer bottle. I never knew Laura or the other friend. They were simply company for a trip down to La Bufadora. But it's ironic she ends up in Chicago Club.

This Wednesday I head out to Mexicali. Depending on the heat and the company, I will be back to SD Fri or Saturday. I'll come down to CC in the late afternoon one of those days.

I will be at Chicago Club at about 10:00 or 10:30 tonight. I will be the (censored!).

[KC Questor]

OK, so Friday afternoon I drive into Mexico.

1) I make sure I have two days of Mexican auto insurance. Either purchased at a kiosk at the border or online in advance ($20 at http://www.mexinsure.com).
2) Drive to Hong Kong and check in at Hotel Cascadas and park in their secured lot.
3) Have fun Friday night.
4) Saturday morning get up and drive to Ensenada, paying $10 in tolls each way.
5) Enjoy Ensenada, returning to Tijuana Saturday night (maybe stop back in zona for some fun, especially if it is still early)
6) Wait in line at border and then drive to SD hotel Saturday night.

Sounds totally doable! Thanks.

I'll probably post in a couple of weeks to see if anyone wants to get together for a drink or chat on 6/22. I haven't been to the zona in 7-8 years, so it will be awesome to see how it has changed.

[Joe Arturo]

I will be arriving at the border on a Friday for an overnight stay in Tijuana. I was planning to park my car on the US side and take a taxi to a hotel (Cascadas or Ticuan, probably) and then taxi back the next morning. However I was thinking about visiting Ensenada on Saturday afternoon. I know there is reliable bus service, but I would love to be able to stop along the way to look at the view or have a snack. Which of these options would you suggest?

1) Drive into Mexico, find a secure place to park in Tijuana Friday night, then continue on to Ensenada in the morning, returning to Tijuana in the evening, driving back across the border Saturday night. (easiest, but least secure?)

2) Park in the US, taxi to zona on Friday, taxi back to border on Saturday morning to get car, then drive to Ensenada, driving back across the border Saturday night. (pain to have to cross the border multiple times)

3) Forget about driving in Mexico. Taxi to zona, taxi to bus terminal, take the bus to Ensenada in the morning and back in the evening, then walk across the border Saturday night. (I'd feel stranded without my car).

If it matters, my car is pretty old, but would be full of luggage and some electronics that I need for a trade show in San Diego the next week. It won't be conspicuous, but it would suck to lose it.

I ALWAYS drive into Mexico. I have an annual Mexican insurance policy that I get from Lewis & Lewis in Beverly Hills. You can find them on line. My policy runs me about $300 per year. I usually stay at Hotel Hacienda del Santiago which has secure guarded parking and I have never had any problem in this parking lot. If I am not spending the night, I park in the parking area of Hotel Leyva which is next to Chicago Club. Once again it is secure and guarded and I have never had a problem there.

Let me know if you are going to drive and I will give you directions to get to and from the zona in your car.

[Sock111]

I will be arriving at the border on a Friday for an overnight stay in Tijuana. I was planning to park my car on the US side and take a taxi to a hotel (Cascadas or Ticuan, probably) and then taxi back the next morning. However I was thinking about visiting Ensenada on Saturday afternoon. I know there is reliable bus service, but I would love to be able to stop along the way to look at the view or have a snack. Which of these options would you suggest?

I will give you some advice.

1. You must buy mexican insurance. YOU MUST BUY MEXICAN INSURANCE. It doesn't matter if your US insurance covers you in mexico, the cops won't accept it. If they decide to pull you oer and you don't have insurance, it is just one more "ticket" they will make you pay for. It is very easy to buy mexican insurance, there is even a drive through insurance place near the border.

2. Crossing back is a pain. It is always a pain. If you really want to drive, try to plan your return across with your car between 1-3 am. That way your wait will only be 30 mins max. Any other time, expect the car line to be 1.5 to 3 hours.

3. Make sure you use the toll roads. It is very cheap. The roads are much nicer and I have never seen a cop on the toll road. If you are driving to Rosarito you will only pay the toll once. Driving to ensenada, I think it was 3-4 tolls. Still very cheap. The toll was like 26 pesos or something like that. They take US dollars.

I have gone to Ensenada during the day. Came back to Tijuana at like 6pm and spent the rest of my time in HK til it was time to drive back. HK has a parking lot and so does chicago club. The prices are fair, and they usually have attendants watching the lot so you won't have to worry about someone breaking in to it. I really recommend those lots, you don't want to park your vehicle far away.

As for the shit in your car, if you have a hotel room on the US side, leave it there. Try not to carry anything over that customs might take a second glance at. I know its a bit paranoid but it is best to avoid attention and cross smoothly. If they decide to pull you in to a secondary search, that 30 min wait just went up to 2 hours.

Be honest when you cross back. You are a single adult male coming back in an old car. Tell them the truth, you went to Ensenada to site see and spent the evening at HK. They will waive you right by.

[HorseTrader]

I will be arriving at the border on a Friday for an overnight stay in Tijuana. I was planning to park my car on the US side and take a taxi to a hotel (Cascadas or Ticuan, probably) and then taxi back the next morning. However I was thinking about visiting Ensenada on Saturday afternoon.

Every time I walk across the border I'm glad that my car is on the US side. Even on a good day, those car lines look like they would take hours. Not to mention that Tijuana drivers can be very aggressive, I'd worry about having an accident. I'd have to be staying in Mexico for several days before I'd consider driving.