[OT] Advice on visiting Mexican border towns

[eldiablito]

I'm finally going to visit Mexico and I'd like some advice. Actually, I'm driving across the US from DC to San Diego. My friends and I would like to go into Mexico for a day, but we're not sure where. Our options are Ciudad Juarez, Nogales, San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexicali, Tecate, or Tijuana.

Any info on these cities would be appreciated. We don't have too much time, so we don't really want to spend time waiting in line to get in or out. We're renting a car, should we park it and walk in? Any cool things to see?

thanks in advance

[Turk from Pigs Eye]

This should be a good thread.

[HalfManHalfAmazing]

Three words bro:

Tijuana Donkey Show

[BT in DC]

I haven't been to any of the border towns you mentioned, but I have been to Matamoros (just across from Brownsville in Texas). You should definitely park your car and walk across, if possible. Getting a car in and out of Mexico usually takes much more time and I believe there was a small fee ($10 or so). Walking across, we had to pay $0.25 and $0.50 when we returned.

Don't expect much in a border town. You can definitely get lots of cheap beer and tequila. You will also see lots of rugs/blankets for sale. Other than the bars, there was not a lot to do.

I was in El Paso and saw Juarez across the river. It didn't look like a place worth visiting.

Good luck and have fun!

[OBartleby]

These two phrases should help you out:

"Mas cervesas, arriba!"

"Donde esta la casa de púta?"
(Yes, I know there's no accent in púta, but the auto-censor evidently has a large library of words to omit....)

Need I say "don't drink the water"?

[Stogey23]

Cut your drive in half and just go check out Aurora, IL.

[Turk from Pigs Eye]

Here is a link to family fun in Juarez. There is a mall and three museums. You can go ice skating as well.

http://www.blines.com/page13.html

[empennage]

I've only been to 2 border towns (Nogales and Tijuana). I would definitely recommend going to TJ out of the two. Nogales is a pretty small town, so there's not as much to do.

Usually when I go to the bars in Tijuana, I park in one of the pay for parking lots on the US side of the border and walk across. From their I take a Taxi to Avenida Revolucion (the tourist district). This is where a lot of the shops and bars are located. The Taxi is usually about 5 or 6 dollars each way, but if you go in a group it's not bad.

And if you're looking to do the bar scene, I recommend a place called "Club Safari" on Avenida Revolucion. It's probably the wildest bar I've been to on both sides of the border. It's also very legitimate (ie. they check id's, take dollars, etc.) Anyway, I hope that helps.

[efren95]

Originally posted by BT in DC
I haven't been to any of the border towns you mentioned, but I have been to Matamoros (just across from Brownsville in Texas). You should definitely park your car and walk across, if possible. Getting a car in and out of Mexico usually takes much more time and I believe there was a small fee ($10 or so). Walking across, we had to pay $0.25 and $0.50 when we returned.

Don't expect much in a border town. You can definitely get lots of cheap beer and tequila. You will also see lots of rugs/blankets for sale. Other than the bars, there was not a lot to do.

I was in El Paso and saw Juarez across the river. It didn't look like a place worth visiting.

Good luck and have fun!

BT and BARTELBY:
I presume you crossed the border while on spring break on Padre Island.

Matamoros is a nice city. Lots of "Mexican Curious" and good food. Ditto same of Reynosa --across McAllen, Texas-- where there is excellent "cabrito" and probably better food than in Matamoros.

If like the poster next to you, somebody is looking for prostitution, no need to cross to the Mexican side. The American border is full of them --both female and male-- and instead of being concentrated on a district --where there is some sort of health control-- they are spread all over the city, risking contagious venereal diseases... but, hey, what else is new?

Being Mexican --now an adopted American son-- I have to admit the Pacific Riviera, the colonial jewels of San Miguel de Allende, Taxco, Queretaro, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Guadalajara, Morelia, Puebla, Oaxaca, etc., are not what you see along the border.

This is an inhospitable land, abnormally deficient in rainfall or natural moisture, with tremendous population growth from the impoverished Mexican interior and Central America, and flourishing despite the cruel environment. Probably the only benign spot might be the Rio Grande Delta that constitutes the Tamaulipas -Texas border.

Still, any part of Mexico will entice those who go with curiosity and open mind, ready to interact with another culture and language.

If your intellectual basis is reduced to "mental masturbation" you might as well stay on the American side.

Enjoy...

[eldiablito]

Originally posted by efren95

Still, any part of Mexico will entice those who go with curiosity and open mind, ready to interact with another culture and language.

If your intellectual basis is reduced to "mental masturbation" you might as well stay on the American side.

Enjoy...

Thanks for the info. Just so you know, my motivation is the first part, not the second mental masturbation part. I'm not offended by your comments, I just wanted to clarify. Originally, I had hoped to drive further into Mexico, maybe see Ensenada, the beaches, or some of the nearby Mexican National Parks. I now understand that that idea is a bit foolish with a rental car. (Please correct me if I'm wrong).

That's why I wanted advice on which town to visit. I was hoping to visit one with more Mexican flavor.

[Various Styles]

visit. I was hoping to visit one with more Mexican flavor.

No border town has Mexican flavor. They also give the country a bad name. As a kid my pops would take me down to Tijuana to visit his sister and the sceneray was awefull. It looks as if a nuclear bomb laid waste to the town and they are trying to rebuild it. When i got home i would go to the back yard and build my very own shanty home from tires, discarded wood and card board boxes. All this inspired by what i had seen in TJ the most crossed border in the world.

Now if you want authentic Mexican you must go to Guadalajara the pearl of the occident. It is the most Mexican of all citys. It is were Mariachi music, Tequila and Chivas Rayadas come from :)

[Rafael Hernandez]

Originally posted by eldiablito
Originally, I had hoped to drive further into Mexico, maybe see Ensenada, the beaches, or some of the nearby Mexican National Parks. I now understand that that idea is a bit foolish with a rental car. (Please correct me if I'm wrong).

That's why I wanted advice on which town to visit. I was hoping to visit one with more Mexican flavor.

Yeah go to Rosarito and Ensenada. Its a lot better than Tijuana eventhough its not some huge important and very mexican towns.

[Turk from Pigs Eye]

Rosarito info: http://www.sanbachs.net/cgi-bin/mexico/mexico2.cgi/City=ROS

Ensenada info: http://www.sanbachs.net/cgi-bin/mexico/mexico2.cgi/City=ENS

[NacionalTJ]

Originally posted by Various Styles
visit. I was hoping to visit one with more Mexican flavor.

No border town has Mexican flavor. They also give the country a bad name. As a kid my pops would take me down to Tijuana to visit his sister and the sceneray was awefull. It looks as if a nuclear bomb laid waste to the town and they are trying to rebuild it. When i got home i would go to the back yard and build my very own shanty home from tires, discarded wood and card board boxes. All this inspired by what i had seen in TJ the most crossed border in the world.

Now if you want authentic Mexican you must go to Guadalajara the pearl of the occident. It is the most Mexican of all citys. It is were Mariachi music, Tequila and Chivas Rayadas come from :)

Hey I happen to live in that "Nuclear dump" your talking about. Sure, we are not the best city in Mexico but I can assure you that more than half of us dont live in shantys.
Anyhoo, other places worth visiting in TJ are the Tijuana cultural center, home to the best IMAX theater in the region (a lot better than San Diego's IMAX). There was a cool "Medieval instruments of torture" exhibit there a while back, but its gone now :(
There are nice shopping centers and classy clubs in that area which is called La Zona Rio, five minutes from crossing the border.
Th new Foxploration theme park, or "mini universal studios" like we call it is also a cant miss place.

[GoHawks4]

Pick up Sammy Sosa some La testosterona.

Package can be mailed to:

Wrigley Field
1060 N. Addison
Chicago, Illinois
60614

Attn: Sammy Sosa

[Rafael Hernandez]

Originally posted by NacionalTJ

Anyhoo, other places worth visiting in TJ are the Tijuana cultural center, home to the best IMAX theater in the region (a lot better than San Diego's IMAX). There was a cool "Medieval instruments of torture"

Yeah, la bola de Tijuana is pretty cool.

[fdp]

Originally posted by NacionalTJ


Hey I happen to live in that "Nuclear dump" your talking about. Sure, we are not the best city in Mexico but I can assure you that more than half of us dont live in shantys.
Anyhoo, other places worth visiting in TJ are the Tijuana cultural center, home to the best IMAX theater in the region (a lot better than San Diego's IMAX). There was a cool "Medieval instruments of torture" exhibit there a while back, but its gone now :(
There are nice shopping centers and classy clubs in that area which is called La Zona Rio, five minutes from crossing the border.
Th new Foxploration theme park, or "mini universal studios" like we call it is also a cant miss place.

Nacional TJ, I couldn't agree with you more.

I attended a beautiful wedding several months ago in La Zona Rio. Also a friend who lives in Tijuana has taking me to many clubs where very few toursists and sailors from san diego are found. One place I like to go to have a beer is the Sotano Suissa.

eldiablito, this is a day trip I took several weeks ago, If you are going only for the day you might want to try this...

Just several weeks ago I went to Puerto Nuevo (which just happens to be several miles down the road from Rosarito - eldiablito) to have some of their famous lobster with beans rice and homemade tortillas and of course cerveza. After eating and walking around Puerto Nuevo, on the way to Rosarito I stopped off at The Fox Exploration and for just a mere $10 adult entrance fee and no parking fee my friends and I had a blast at the mini-universal studios. I would describe it as a hands-on experience. I did some more shopping in Rosarito which has more variety of goods than Puerto Nuevo. Making my way back to the border I stopped off at a taco stand that is at the very south end of the tourist section of revolution street (cant remember the name, but just look for a red building with no facade and cars double parked one behind another. The tacos and mulitas are great and you wont get sick) This excursion should take about 8 to 9 hrs. at a leisurely pace. If you are looking for something a bit more traditional and have to time spend the night in Ensenada. There is a hotel there that is in mission style with very rustic amenities. It allows you to step back in time. Also IMHO Ensenada itself is a somewhat Rustic City itself, a nice break from Southern California and the border town Tijuana.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip. Check Yahoo travel for hotel.

[OBartleby]

Originally posted by futbol de primera
Just several weeks ago I went to Puerto Nuevo (which just happens to be several miles down the road from Rosarito - eldiablito) to have some of their famous lobster with beans rice and homemade tortillas and of course cerveza. After eating and walking around Puerto Nuevo, on the way to Rosarito I stopped off at The Fox Exploration and for just a mere $10 adult entrance fee and no parking fee my friends and I had a blast at the mini-universal studios. I would describe it as a hands-on experience. I did some more shopping in Rosarito which has more variety of goods than Puerto Nuevo. Making my way back to the border I stopped off at a taco stand that is at the very south end of the tourist section of revolution street (cant remember the name, but just look for a red building with no facade and cars double parked one behind another. The tacos and mulitas are great and you wont get sick) This excursion should take about 8 to 9 hrs. at a leisurely pace. If you are looking for something a bit more traditional and have to time spend the night in Ensenada. There is a hotel there that is in mission style with very rustic amenities. It allows you to step back in time. Also IMHO Ensenada itself is a somewhat Rustic City itself, a nice break from Southern California and the border town Tijuana.
Thanks, futbol de primera, for the description of your recent trip. I've copy/pasted it into a Word file for future reference.

It's a shame that so many Americans have the view that Mexico is a place of only squalor and abject poverty, when many parts of it are quite beautiful and have a rich history. Looking forward to experiencing Rosarita y Ensanada!

[chapulincolorado]

Originally posted by Various Styles

No border town has Mexican flavor. They also give the country a bad name. [/B]

Los de la Frontera. Those from the Border. No somos ni de aqui ni alla . .we are Sons and Daugthers de la Frontera. Orgullosos Norteños. Barbaros. Ineducados. Spanglish Speaking Motherf*****s. Gracias A Dios No Somos Chilangos.
Somos Quienes Somos.

Go to Reynosa. Visit la Zona Rosa. Discos. Visit the Zona Roja. Discos and prostitutes. Get Drunk. Get Laid. Visit the Downtown and buy all the pirated junk you want. Go to the Tourist Curious Shops and buy all the Neo-PseudoFolkloric-Crap. Go with the Winter Texans and Overdose on Viagra. Checkout the Beisbol games. Got to the night clubs. Go to the newest strip bar with all night buffet. Hang out at the river and check out the human traffic trying to make a buck in the ol' USA. Come to Reynosa.

Como decia el Obi-wan . . .

"Obi-Wan: Reynosa spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "

Ha,ha,ha,ha, ha, yeah . .we're villanous scum! Ha,ha,ha,ha,

el chapulin colorado

[LMvCP]

Originally posted by chapulincolorado


Gracias A Dios No Somos Chilangos.


Pues estoy de acuerdo contigo... gracias a Dios que no son Chilangos...

una cosa es ser Norteño Norteño... o otro cosa es ser pocho... por favor no hay por que confundirse....no son de la misma categoria... :D