4 photos
Mondays don't suck in Tijuana!
Because my travel plans changed for the Thanksgiving week, I decided to spend more time in Tijuana; not a bad option. Monday afternoon, I had some cash, so I was checking out the three cambios closest to the walk-in border entrance. I stood where I could see all three cambios, all within rock throwing distance, and I noticed that the one near Mac Donald's and the other near the immigration exit were both at 13.34. But for whatever reason, the one closest to the walking path, in the market, was at 13.46. But still there was a line of people at the one near Mac Donald's; WTF? Guess where I changed my money?
Checked in at the Ticuan, got the room, and then waited in the bar for my "Better late than never" favorite girl. After about 30-40 minutes, she called in a panic saying that traffic was bad and she would be later than ever. But, I was in a nice bar watching Monday night football, so it was no big deal. Once she showed up, we settled in the back corner. She explained that her taxi driver got stopped for speeding, but he was lucky enough to pay Tijuana's finest for the ticket.
We had a couple of drinks while looking for a new restaurant on Trip Advisor to try after rack operations in the room. She liked the pictures from Villa Marina, so I wrote down all the information for the taxi driver. After a great session in the room, she tells me that she was hungry, but I already knew that. It's Monday night, why not have a taxi fiasco night? I asked the driver if he knew where the restaurant was, and he kind of said that he did. The key words: kind of.
It was clear that he did not have a fucking clue because he walked over to talk to another driver. The other driver gave him precise directions, I knew that because he was using his hands and pointing! So the adventure started! We traveled over the mountain and through the woods to find grandmother's restaurant; no luck! Soon the cabbie was stopping people on the street and asking for their expert advice; no luck again! So I just happened to have an idea, I thought, "Hey, why don't we just call the fucking restaurant!" The restaurant gave directions to the driver on my cell phone; BINGO!
We finally get to the restaurant and I gave the driver the agreed amount, and no more! We both liked the restaurant and the food. My girl got a butt load of seafood soup and I got the stuff chicken (not a seafood fan) with a sweet mole sauce. I also had the black bean and shrimp soup. With three adult beverages and tip, it was less than fifty bucks. She called her driver and headed back home after he arrived. I grabbed a different cab and headed to my second home; la coahuila.
For a Monday night, I was surprised of the amount of chicas available in la coahuila; clubs and streets. There was a lot of talent in HK and AB. I met a couple of new girls in BT and Playboy. Usually I don't stop in PB, but I decided sit at the bar and check out the girls. There were a couple of lookers in the bar, but not enough to keep my attention. Final stop was CC, and yes, it was quite deader than normal; if there is a normal. Just chatted with who I think is the best bartender in the cantinas, and headed back to the Ticuan with my designated taxi driver that sits outside the club.
Just a reminder to all, this is the holiday season and the folks in la coahuila become more desperate than ever; this includes the girls, rateros, and the wonderful police officers! Watch your back and never let your guard down! And for christ's stake, do your best to think with your BIG head!
So IMHO, Mondays don't suck in Tijuana!
Phordphan's Guide to Tijuana Exchange Rates
PHORDPHAN wrote 09/10/14: "All of the bars in the Zona are extremely gringo-centric and they watch the exchange rate like hawks. ".
Phordphan, either you have some basis for your statement or you're an idiot just making stuff up just to hear yourself talk. Let's examine:
Where exactly are these eagle-eyed finance gurus employed by the puta bars that so closely monitor FX rates? Does each bar's delegation monitor independently or do they work in collaboration? What floor does HK's finance dept occupy in One World Trade Center? Or perhaps HK's delegation is too and important for NY so they are HQ'd in London's Canary Wharf? You must know them personally in order to make such a statement, right? They must be so important their identities must be kept in secret because not one of Tijuana's 1. 4 million residents / tourists have ever seen or heard of these guys. So who are they? Are they friends of yours? Surely they must have PhD's or at least MBA's right? Harvard educated? Or perhaps Oxford or Yale? Do these finance gurus have any influence in the global FX markets? Do they send a delegation to Wall Street? Or perhaps Central District of Hong Kong? So that would be a delegation from the Tijuana puta bar Hong Kong in the city of Hong Kong. I wonder if it leads to any "Who's on First" moments. Or does HK just utilize a more economical but just as effective strategy and just pay a homeless guy 20 pesos to sit in front of the nearest casa de cambio and report any changes?
On December 9, 2013 the peso traded at 12.85. And today it trades at 14.36. With countless fluctuations in between. HK's rate was 12.5 then and, hold on, let me make sure this is right since it changes so much. Ok. 12.5 now! So since then the dollar has appreciated 11.75%. So, exactly how many thousands of times has HK adjusted their tipo de cambio since then? 1000 times? 5000? Wait! I know the answer! It's ZERO times! They so closely monitor the FX rates "like hawks" so they can adjust their tipo de cambio ZERO times? I must be blind but I've never seen the FX rate ticker at HK. They must have one because they are so sensitive to FX fluctuations that they conduct all their business with real time calculations, right?. Where exactly is it posted? Have you ever paid for a drink and when the mesero returned with your change, which of course you counted correctly with relish, was more or less than you expected due to the FX rate fluctuation in the previous 2 minutes? Or have you ever taken a chica upstairs and she demanded more after the encounter due to the amount the peso depreciated during the session?
Please, Phordphan, enlighten the board on HK's FX rate policies since obviously you are an insider with tons of valuable knowledge. Or is Phordphan just a phrivolous dumb phuck who lives in a phantasy world phull of phiction who's phorte is writing phake phables? Quite phunny.