General Reports

[SleazySteve]

Thanks for the nice reports, TheCane. Are you sure you can take an Adelita girl to Cascadas? I've always used the hotel right at Adelita for those girls. I've used Cascadas for HK girls, LC girls, and street girls. I do believe it can be used with TB grils, though I've never done it.

Pretty sure this is bad info. I'm 99% sure that you cannot bring Adelita girls to Cascadas.

[SlickVick]

Thanks for the report The Cane, This is how it should be. A newbie would get a lot of helpful info from that. I too agree that those agents are just doing their job. It's not easy having a job to give people a hard time. Even though I still hate the ones that are dicks about it!

In any case, glad you had an overall good experience. I am heading down there in a few weeks and look forward to my new adventures. It has been WAY too long. If I was on the west coast I'd be broke.

I agree 100% with speaking spanish opening up doors. I speak spanish what I would say is well above average if not close to fluent (Even the slang terms etc.) and it has helped big time. Every adventure I leave with a lot of #'s but of course I am not trying to be a PLM so most stay in the trash in my Ticuan hotel room. But it is nice to be able to call back on a good session outside the club.

I usually stick with club girls or escorts. I have tried the SG scene a few times and it's been 50/50 which is why the guys that find a gem keep going back to them. Most are mechanical. Amazingly I would say my experiences are around 50/50 also. I think what makes me not so inclined about SG's is the rooms are dumps with nowhere to wash up. At least with a Club girl or escort you can wash up good and feel fresh and ready to go.

One other thing I agree is the order of clubs you like. Adelitas is my favorite by far. But I do love HK and Tropical too. A few of the smaller bars are fun for me too though because I have made some "friends" with meseros / bartenders and you can get some good priced drinks with little or no pressure from the girls.

DG is a place I like to go and watch some of the games, and with Football season coming up it is a ton of fun! I was even thinking of pushing my trip back to Sept. Just so I can see the games out there and bet on a few as well.

Overall, TJ may not be the best mongering spot from what I hear, but for me it is perfect as it fits all my needs. (Love the look of the women, the food, the language, the location and the atmosphere)

[The Cane]

Thanks for the nice reports, TheCane. Are you sure you can take an Adelita girl to Cascadas? I've always used the hotel right at Adelita for those girls. I've used Cascadas for HK girls, LC girls, and street girls. I do believe it can be used with TB grils, though I've never done it.

I thought I read somewhere here in another report that you could, but maybe I'm wrong. Remember, I'm the Tijuana noob here LOL! Sorry if this (or anything else) in my reports is a bit of misinformation, and I take no offense at being corrected. We want to be conveying accurate information to anybody interested in visiting Tijuana.

[HorseTrader]

All you guys bitching and moaning and complaining to or about Customs & Border Patrol about the long lines should just quit it. Those guys are just doing their jobs. With sentri it took me only minutes to cross back into the United States. Invest some time and money to get sentri yourselves and voila! Your long waits in massively long lines go poof! And are no more!

Well said, there is no point in giving those guys headaches.

If you are an occassional Tijuana monger, just wait out the lines and don't worry about it. If you go more frequently, the sentri is worth having. If you don't live in an area where sentri is easily available, just get the Global Entry and you get the sentri benefits and won't need to wait in long airport security lines any longer.

[HorseTrader]

I had the HK Club VIP card but didn't realize that I could take girls from Tropical Bar and Adelita to Hotel Cascadas too.

Thanks for the nice reports, TheCane. Are you sure you can take an Adelita girl to Cascadas? I've always used the hotel right at Adelita for those girls. I've used Cascadas for HK girls, LC girls, and street girls. I do believe it can be used with TB grils, though I've never done it.

[The Cane]

I forgot to mention about room rates. That's important because in addition to paying the girl you have to pay for the room. I used Cascadas and the hotels associated with Adelita and Tropical Bar. All were fine and clean enough to hump in. To be honest, I don't remember the exact prices for each one, but I don't recall ever paying more than $14.00 for a 30 minute session. Remember to calculate the room charges into your budget when planning to monger in Tijuana. I had the HK Club VIP card but didn't realize that I could take girls from Tropical Bar and Adelita to Hotel Cascadas too. I thought Cascadas was only for HK Club girls and street tutes. Not only that, but I went with some girls who were on only their first or second day, and they didn't even know which hotels were associated with the puta bars they were working in! That led to some confusion at times when we were ready to go arriba and there they were asking the door man where they should go. And hell I didn't know because I was a Tijuana noob!

[The Cane]

Crossing the border back into the USA was easy and worry free. As it turns out, there was no reason for me to be concerned about long lines. On a Sunday morning around 7 am I took a taxi from the Ticuan to the border for $7.00. He tried to get me really close to the building, but they had blocked off the street that he wanted to take for bus use only. So basically, I had to walk from the point where the lines would start all the way to the building. It wasn't too bad a jog though considering there was nobody in my line, which was the sentri line. There was a long line for the general public, although not as long as the line that was there on Wednesday afternoon when I came in. Then there was the ready line that was relatively short compared to the general public line.

I have no idea what it means to be "ready" since that wasn't my line. The ready line and the sentri line start out as one, but then at one point they separate. What will happen though is that people standing in the ready line will block the path for the sentri line. I stopped at first and even asked the guy in front of me if we were standing in the sentri line. He said yes, but his answer was wrong, and I figured it out after a few seconds and started to move past the people blocking my way. Don't be shy and just start working your way through the crowd. If people don't want to get bumped then they should get their asses out of the way and stand single file in their line! What I did was just say "disculpe" and start pushing my way through, and people would get out of the way.

After I got past the "ready" people it was smooth sailing all the way. Before entering the building an official asked me if I had sentri, and I showed him my documents. I entered the building and kept right on moving past people standing in the general public line and the ready line. Eventually I saw a kiosk, and beyond that an officer waiting in a booth. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use the kiosk or what, so I just approached the officer in the booth with my passport and sentri card. He asked why I had been in Tijuana and where I was going. He also asked if I'd had a good time LOL! I gave straightforward answers to his questions, there was a little more small talk, and then he handed me my docs back without stamping anything. After that, there was a conveyor belt that everybody had to put their bags on to get x-rayed. And that was it! I purchased my ticket for the trolley and headed back to the City College Station where I caught the 992 city bus to the airport.

The hardest part of the whole journey back across the border was that the taxi's way was blocked due to road closures to support some morning long distance run or something that was going on in town. All you guys bitching and moaning and complaining to or about Customs & Border Patrol about the long lines should just quit it. Those guys are just doing their jobs. With sentri it took me only minutes to cross back into the United States. Invest some time and money to get sentri yourselves and voila! Your long waits in massively long lines go poof! And are no more!

[Reinaldo]

A good explanation of the difference between walkers and paraditas but it's worth noting that NONE of the walkers have health cards. That's why they have to keep moving and bribe the police because it's illegal to work without a health card.

SG is a Paradita. A girl that posts in front of a hotel she is "working" for. (Brings business to). She will be in the same spot when she works and "usually" has a set schedule. She will have a health card. (Legal) Mostly Mexican chicas.

A SW is independent. Not affiliated with a hotel. Moves around. (thus the name "walker") Lots of various types. Some cute, most skanky and drug addicts. Most will not have a health card. They run from the policia or pay them off to have them let them alone.

[GolfSexRroll]

So in Tijuana, it sounds like there's a difference between a Street Walker and a Street Girl. I did not know that. Can you or someone elucidate please. Here in Missouri, we have only Street Walkers (the good and bad kind). Sounds like in Tijuana if you're labeled a "Walker" you're automatically bad? Are Street Girls affiliated with a hotel and Street Walkers not? But CumberlandBlue's walker did have a hotel affiliation it seems. So I'm still left wondering what the differences are in Tijuana between SGs and SWs.

SG is a Paradita. A girl that posts in front of a hotel she is "working" for. (Brings business to). She will be in the same spot when she works and "usually" has a set schedule. She will have a health card. (Legal) Mostly Mexican chicas.

A SW is independent. Not affiliated with a hotel. Moves around. (thus the name "walker") Lots of various types. Some cute, most skanky and drug addicts. Most will not have a health card. They run from the policia or pay them off to have them let them alone.

[The Cane]

Well, I had what you can call a whirlwind trip to Tijuana and back. I had been poking around in the Mexico threads thinking about how I had been ignoring my own back yard when I unexpectedly came into some free time. Between that and a frequent flyer ticket plus a new found interest in Mexico, I decided to visit Tijuana. I extend thanks to both Chris Long and Tomjackin whose reports and PMs assisted me with preparing for and enjoying a successful trip. Here are some of my general observations:

Getting There:

I'm not going to cover this in detail because that's already been done elsewhere very, very well (e. G. , see Chris Long's Report of Distinction). What I will say is that it was incredibly easy to cross the border from San Diego into Tijuana. My plane arrived in San Diego twenty minutes early, and I found myself waiting for the 992 city bus at 1 pm To get to the San Diego trolley. By 2:30 pm I was standing in my hotel room in Tijuana. To take the bus it was $2. 50 one-way. Same for the trolley. If you have something called a Compass Card, then you can buy an all-day pass for the bus and the trolley for $5.00. Otherwise it was $7. 00. I just purchased one-way fares. You'll need exact change for the bus. You can purchase a ticket for the trolley at one of the stations (per Chris' recommendation I used the City College stop). I would recommend that you not bring a lot of luggage if you plan to take the trolley. The seating is tight, and if you have a lot of luggage, then both you and your fellow passengers will be uncomfortable. Things were worse during my trip because Comic Con was in full session.

Once I got to the San Ysidro station, which is the last stop at the Mexican border, I just followed the signs that pointed in the direction to cross the border. If you're unsure, just follow the multitude going in the same direction. It was at this point that I stopped worrying about looking too much like a gringo and worrying about what I was carrying with me (a carry-on bag and a small suitcase). People were dressed all kinds of ways and carrying items of all shapes and sizes. Two guys were hauling this giant cooler, and I wondered what the hell they had in it. Anyway, I crossed into Mexico without the Mexican authorities checking jack shit! My name could have been Al Qaeda with weapons in my bags and cocaine strapped to my body, and they wouldn't have known shit! Actually, they did make me press this button before I crossed and this light lit up green (saying "pase" so I just went ahead and they didn't check nada. No docs no nothing. Why did I even have to push the button? Must be the gringo buzzer button.

After getting past that point, I stepped outside and witnessed a massive, massive, massive line of people waiting to cross into the USA On foot. I mean, I hadn't seen a line that long in I don't know when, and at some points it looked to be 4 abreast deep! Damn! I just didn't know what I was going to do if I had to wait in that line on the way back. I decided to just forget about it and wait until the end of the trip to deal with that. I saw a sign pointing towards "taxis", so I followed that and it took me to an overpass that led to where the taxis were parked. Jumped in a yellow cab that took me to the Hotel Ticuan for $5.00. I gave the cabbie a $2. 00 tip.

The Hotel:

Once I got to the Hotel Ticuan and stepped into the lobby, I immediately gave myself a pat on the back for not choosing to stay in some dump just to save a few bucks. I was OK with the room, but not 100%. It was clean and all, but the lighting was insufficient and left the room looking and feeling too dark. Also, the AC in my room didn't do the best job of cooling things down. But it was clean and came with a safe, a TV with lots of cable channels, a comfy bed, and a shower that pumped out hot water reliably. That was all I really needed since I didn't plan to spend a lot of time in my room anyway. The restaurant was also decent, and I took a couple of my meals there. For the generous portion sizes served, the price was right too. Anyway, after I got myself squared away in the room, I was ready to head to La Zona around 5 pm On a Wednesday! I had those familiar butterflies in my stomach. What adventures will I find there?

La Zona:

La Zona was just a short cab ride from the Ticuan. I always paid the drivers a flat $5. 00 each way. Once you get there, you will notice just how compact an area La Zona really is. At least that part of it that the mongers are interested in anyway LOL! You'll find all of the major clubs within easy walking distance of one another. Since the HK Club tends to receive most of the fanfare, I decided to go there first. Taxis aren't permitted to park in from of the HK club, so the driver dropped me off in front of Adelita, and then I walked a few doors down to HK club. I accidentally walked into Las Chavelas at first LOL! I decided to go ahead and purchase the HK VIP card, and I think that over 4 days it just about paid for itself. I didn't go with as many HK girls as I thought I would (only 2), but there were certainly benefits to be had. Each day my first drink was free ($5. 00 savings per drink), I never paid any cover charges (they started charging $5. 00 to enter at night), and I did get extra time with the two HK girls I did go arriba with. Half off lap dances were also available (I didn't do any), and you can bring street tutes into Hotel Cascadas if they will agree to go with you there (didn't do any street tutes). At night there would be a line at the door. With my VIP card I could always skip the line and not wait to get in. I think you need about 4 days in order for the card to pay for itself.

The Clubs:

I spent the overwhelming majority of my time in three clubs that make up what I call "the Iron Triangle" of La Zona. Those three would be Adelita, Tropical Bar, and HK Club. I preferred the clubs in that order too. According to my tastes, Adelita had the hottest number of girls per square foot of any other club in the area. It was also just more comfortable and a little bit more laid back than HK Club. HK Club was like a three ring circus that was so loud that at times I couldn't hear myself think. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't like HK Club. I did, and it was the place that had the largest sheer number of girls. It's just that I liked Adelita better. I also liked Tropical Bar better than HK Club. That place was even more laid back than Adelita! I liked it for that, but I also liked it because that club tended to have more young and inexperienced girls not yet jaded by the game. I spent considerable time in Tropical Bar and found my number one girl of the entire trip in there (more later). A big HK Club negative is that in the later hours it gets jam packed to the rafters and the "heat index" really rises. Some of my walks outside around the block and through the alley a couple of times were just to escape HK's sweltering heat. I definitely had my preferences, but if you go you need to see all three top clubs and establish your own pecking order. I stopped in on other clubs like Las Chavelas, Chicago Club, Playboy Club, and a few others but was not impressed by the offerings.

Prices:

I didn't discuss prices with any of the street girls, so I don't have any info to share on that. When it comes to the clubs, the HK girls typically would start out at $80 for 30 minutes. At Adelita it was $60 for 30 minutes, and at Tropical Bar $50. IMHO, considering that Adelita has the hottest girls per square foot of floor space, I think that $60 is a good deal. Only $10 more than the rookies over at Tropical and $20 less than an HK Club girls who typically didn't look any better than a hot Adelita girl. Now with that said, I have to admit that my bargaining skills with the girls on pricing were really, really rusty. Bargaining over price just isn't something I have to do at any of my favorite destinations (Brazil & Germany). I haven't had to do it in a long time. There the prices are set and the bargaining you do is all about what services the girl will perfom in the room at the set prices. I know I didn't do a good job of bargaining in Tijuana and in many cases paid too much. But damn it I wasn't there to hard bargain over every single penny! It was probably the only time that I will ever go to Tijuana, and I was there to have a good time and butt fuck me some tutes! Hahaha! Well, I'll let you guys be the judge, but take it easy on a Tijuana noob why don't you! Geez!

Service:

I'm really torn about what to say regarding the overall service level in Tijuana. For me, topnotch service includes an hour-long (or more) session with a massage option, a BBBJ with an option for CIM, straight sex in multiple positions, kissing, and an anal option in a high number of sessions (I butt fuck 70% of my tutes in Brazil and 40% of my tutes in Germany). Now, you're absolutely not going to find this in Tijuana on a consistent basis. At least not if you're somebody like me who's just blowing in for a quick vacation with no relationships or regulars built up at all. I don't care what any of you Tijuana vets say. If you don't have the relationships, then you're just not going to get that high level of service I'm talking about on a consistent basis. It's not going to happen. As a matter of fact, I came close to it only once (actually turned into a fiasco in the end, which I will detail later). That said, I still had a great time in Tijuana! And I think it's because I decided to accept Tijuana for what it is and what it has to offer, and not get all caught up in comparing it too much with my favorite destinations. If you like the GFE, you're very unlikely to get it from a club girl who you're with for the very first time. That's just the facts. You have a much better chance of getting the PSE, which is what I prefer. If you're going to Tijuana for the first time, just accept it for what it is. That's my message here. I didn't find any of the girls I was with to be "mechanical" in bed, and they almost all got into it with passionate sex. I just think that there's a lot of potential there that's not being realized with the Mexican girls. And that's sad for a monger.

Food:

As noted earlier, I only ate a couple of times at my hotel. The food was good there, but I preferred eating off the street in La Zona. The guys on the corner to the left when you exit out the front of the HK Club had the best tacos man! I had eight of them during my 4-day stay LOL! That's 2 a day. I also had a spicy shrimp taco from the guy around the other corner, but I didn't go back to him afterwards because I think he ripped me off on the price. There were other little restaurants and carts and places to eat all around, and you can order food in the clubs too. I know that at least in the HK Club you can. And as other posters have noted, there are plenty of good restaurants outside of La Zona if you wish to venture away from ground zero for mongering in Tijuana. I spent all of the limited time I had in La Zona or at my hotel. When I got hungry, I liked to walk to the corner and order a couple of tacos "con todo" (with everything). There was a little storefront restaurant just behind me and to the left where I would go and order a coke, and they would let me sit there and eat my tacos and drink my coke at the counter. Yum!

Communicating:

I know that a lot of guys have concerns around the ability to communicate with the girls. I don't know how it would be for somebody who doesn't have any Spanish because my conversational Spanish is pretty good, and virtually all of my conversations over the 4 days were in Spanish. The Mexicans in Tijuana aren't used to gringos who can speak good Spanish, and plenty expressed real surprise at my ability. They would be like, "Where did you say you were from again? You even speak with a Latino accent"! Hehehehe! One taxi driver was telling me that my Spanish was so good that I needed to make sure that if I went shopping that I didn't get the gringo prices LOL! He said tell them that you're from Veracruz so no funny business on the price! Hahaha! I tried to see if I could get some of the girls to go for it (being from Veracruz), but no dice LOL! Well, I didn't try very hard. But the thing is, being able to speak Spanish opens up a whole new world that allows you to interact with the girls, the meseros, the taxi drivers, and everybody else on a whole new and deeper level. I had a mesero trying to push a girl off on me and I said, "No quiero chica en este momento (I don't want a girl right now)". He responded, "Quieres chico (Do you want a boy? I said, "Si Senor yo quiero tu (Yes sir I want you! He fell out laughing, and after he led the girl away he came back to shake my hand LOL! Another time I was staring at a girl's luscious fat ass and a mesero said, "Quieres esa chica (Do you want that girl? I responded, "No pero me gusta ver ese culo. Es como un burbuja (No, but I like to see that ass. It's like a bubble! Again lots of laughter LOL!

And of course, it helps with the girls too. One tute was rubbing on dick, and I told her, "Tengo verga (I have a boner! Hehehehe! As those who have been to Tijuana before know, you can pretty much grope girls, stick your fingers up their muffins, and do all kinds of shit for a mere dollar tip! Well, in the HK Club at night the girls can get really aggressive like the street girls can be. If you enter the front of the club and walk towards the back where they have the soapy suds shows, you will come to a railing with a staircase to the right and a ramp to the left. I call going up the stairs "running the gauntlet" because you will be groped, pinched, have your arms and shirt pulled, ass slapped, and everything else by the Mexican tutes. I can't tell you how many of them felt up my dick! "Hey, she just rolled the head of my penis around with her fingers! That's harassment man hahahahaha!" But anyway, if I didn't want to "run the gauntlet", then I would use the ramp. One night I was coming down the ramp walking towards the front of the club after a girl had groped me on the way up the stairs going towards the back. She was still standing along the railing, so I leaned over to her and said with a smile on my face, "Mira no me toques. Si me toques entonces tienes que darme un dolar (Look don't touch me. If you touch me, then you have to give me a dollar)"! I stuck my ass out at her with a kind of "go ahead" and she just died laughing LOL! The ability to speak the language allows you to have this extra level of fun communication with la gente (the people). Learn some Spanish if you can. It will add to and enrich your overall experience.

The Verdict:

Tijuana isn't close to being the best mongering destination I have ever been to in my life. But, it's not close to being the worst either! Although the Mexican girls showed me lots of passion during our sessions, the world-class level of service found in other places simply wasn't there. There also weren't enough decent clubs to go to. To be honest, I think that 3 days in Tijuana probably would have been enough. By day 4, I can admit that I was starting to get a little bored with "the Iron Triangle". And maybe HK Club wouldn't get so damn crowded if there were other places for the girls to work in La Zona. There were certainly many beautiful girls there, but after awhile too many of them all began to appear too much alike to me. I like the diversity in appearance I can find in places like Brazil, Germany, and even Costa Rica. Tijuana had a very "local" feel to it. The scene is dominated by San Diego. I'm not saying that's bad. It's just that it's not the kind of place that a guy in Oslo, Tokyo, or Sydney is longing to take a dream vacation to. The mongering menu (in La Zona anyway) isn't strong enough for that, and there just aren't enough other things to do to make it a dream vacation. I'm glad I went. If you have the time and it's convenient for you, I'the say that you should give it a go too. It's worth it at least once in the career of every international monger. In conclusion, I don't vote thumbs up for Tijuana. And I don't vote thumbs down either. I give Tijuana a thumbs sideways LOL! It's much better than I thought it would be, but not good enough to make it a top international mongering destination. At least not for me. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

[Rosco2]

From what I got out of CumberlandBlues report the girl sounded like a walker type.

So in Tijuana, it sounds like there's a difference between a Street Walker and a Street Girl. I did not know that. Can you or someone elucidate please. Here in Missouri, we have only Street Walkers (the good and bad kind). Sounds like in Tijuana if you're labeled a "Walker" you're automatically bad? Are Street Girls affiliated with a hotel and Street Walkers not? But CumberlandBlue's walker did have a hotel affiliation it seems. So I'm still left wondering what the differences are in Tijuana between SGs and SWs.

[Baxter Slade]

CumberlandBlue mentioned his SG was 27. That's why I was surprised the Cascadas front desk asked to see her ID. Do you or anyone think a $5 or $10 propina to the gatekeeper at the front desk would have gotten the SG into CumberlandBlue's room? The SGs I bring to motels in the St. Louis area never get asked for their ID by the office at check-in. I think the front desks here wouldn't care if you brought an armidillo in with you.

From what I got out of CumberlandBlues report the girl sounded like a walker type. And through past experiences the hotel clerks can usually recognize this type, which many times are associated with problemas. But these girls usually know where they are welcome and not welcome. One time I was going to take a SG up to Cascadas. She was standing right next to the entry to Cascadas by the Prago restaraunt. So I tell her I have a room at Cascadas, and she says there is some kind of problem and she can't go there. So it turned out what ever the problem was it had to do with the clerk at the back entrance. We ended up cutting through Las Chavelas and going through the other entrance to the hotel and nobody tried to stop her.

As far as Id's not sure they have all that much to do with age. One time I was going to LC bar with an amiga, and she was denied entry because she didn't have an I'd. She was 20 some years over being of legal age. So I figured the door guy was just being an asshole, so we went around to the other entrance and ran into the same problem. The guy at the backdoor did explain that they had been recently raided and it doesn't matter how old the girl is if the Policia find any female in the bar without an I'd the bar will be fined. A few months later I went back to LC with the same lady and they never asked for an I'd. So the ID thing was just fresh on there minds due to the raid.

As far as your question about a propina it is very posible that would have worked. In Mexico money does talk.

[Rosco2]

unless the chica is associated with cascada, or others that have a recurring client / puta recognition the desk will not ask for i'd. usually girls from the general area, near cascada or across the street ie eduardo hotel chicas they won't ask. walker for example they will usually ask, chicas they don't recognize and any that look **** they will.

cumberlandblue mentioned his sg was 27. that's why i was surprised the cascadas front desk asked to see her id. do you or anyone think a $5 or $10 propina to the gatekeeper at the front desk would have gotten the sg into cumberlandblue's room? the sgs i bring to motels in the st. louis area never get asked for their id by the office at check-in. i think the front desks here wouldn't care if you brought an armidillo in with you.

[GolfSexRroll]

why would cascadas mess up your plans by asking the sg for her id? is that standard operating procedure at cascadas? (asking the sgs for their id's)?

unless the chica is associated with cascada, or others that have a recurring client / puta recognition the desk will not ask for i'd. usually girls from the general area, near cascada or across the street ie eduardo hotel chicas they won't ask. walker for example they will usually ask, chicas they don't recognize and any that look **** they will.

[Phordphan]

I too am always looking for good places. I have tried some of those listed but things a little hidden or further out would be good as well. I don't usually wander too far from Revo for food. Except the time I went to Los Arcos (Which is amazing BTW) I love seafood.

How far out of the way?

I know a killer breakfast / lunch place (Chilaquiles) where the food is good and the presentation is amazing, next to the Ensueno motel in Otay, a great local seafood place (Chewin's) on Industrial in Otay, a cool little taco shop that also serves good baked potatoes and nopal "steaks" near 5 Y 10, the best Thai food in this hemisphere in Mexicali, a great garlic butter crab place in Popotla. However, one must have a car to visit these places, so I rarely mention them.

I was down there yesterday and remembered your mention of the taco truck. We spotted it on the side street right by the Office Depot. Flipped a you turn at the traffic circle and just as we were pulling up the truck drove away. Do you happen to know the hours the truck is there or does it just come and go.

On a side note do you drive in Tijuana phordphan? I refuse. I can never figure out the traffic regulations, nobody stops at stop signs, the place we made a you turn at had a big no you turn sign but yet there were 10 cars in a row waiting to make a you turn. So how does it work do you just disobey the rules unless you see a cop around or what.

I asked the truck guy once, but I don't remember well. I know they are there every weekday from before lunch to somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00, IIRC. They are also there on Saturdays, roughly the same hours. They are not there on Sunday.

Yes, I do drive in Tijuana. I had to start because it seems most of my faves live in or around Otay. Otay's a ***** to get into and out of on foot, and taxis are a PITA. I was extremely nervous the first several times, and I've related getting jacked up by the Mexicali fuzz and being made to submit to a breathalyzer in Tijuana, so it hasn't been a walk in the park.

The basic rules seem to be the same as California, although none of my faves know if a right turn on a red is legal. I think it is because I saw a sign somewhere that forbade it at that particular intersection. Traffic lanes seem to be more of a suggestion and the glorietas (round-abouts to us English-speakers) tend to be a cluster-fuck. The blowing stop sign thing scares me and I still haven't figured out how you tell which ones to obey and which ones to ignore. The "No xxx" signs are a bit confusing. A red circle with the particular symbol inside of it means that is it OK to do that thing, I. E. A you-turn. A red circle with a red slash through it means that it's forbidden. Which, as you pointed out, may or may not actually be obeyed.

Overall, it's been worth the hassle. The thing I'm overcoming is the natural timidity of driving in a foreign country. It's being replaced by local-style aggressiveness and things seem to be going smoother. One big hangup is that I really don't want any big dents in my car, and the locals don't seem to share my sentiments.