Tijuana, a taste of Mexico
Tijuana boasts a bullfight ring, racetracks for both dogs and horses, a jai alai fronton, golf courses, museums and cultural centers, a beautiful beach nearby, and other attractions not found in other border towns. Tijuana can be the perfect budget town, too.
For those who want "a taste of Mexico" and can't travel farther south or don't want to commit to a longer stay, visiting a border town is a great option. In fact, if you are contemplating a long trip to Mexico or Latin America, I recommend a two or three day visit to a border town first. This will allow you to discover whether you are ready for a longer trip. You will be able to practice your Spanish and find out how much at ease you are with the country and its people. Pack as you normally would so you know what it's like lugging those bags on and off buses. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn in those two days - and how much stuff you'll be willing to leave at home next time.
Of all the towns along the 1,400-mile-long border between the US and Mexico, Tijuana offers the perfect opportunity to " mojar sus pies" - get your feet wet. It's the most logical place for such a trip if you live in California or Arizona. Tijuana boasts a bullfight ring, racetracks for both dogs and horses, a jai alai fronton, golf courses, museums and cultural centers, a beautiful beach nearby, and other attractions not found in other border towns.
Tijuana can be the perfect budget town, too, provided you stay away from the common tourist traps and remain reasonably cautious. It's close to Rosarito Beach, where you will also find bargains on rooms and restaurants. But you can save even more money by staying in Tijuana and traveling to the beach, if you don't mind the short travel - a 10-minute cab ride there will cost only a couple of dollars.
In fact, a cab to just about anywhere in town is under $5, and you can eat really well for $15 to $20 a day. If you want to dine like royalty, just double that figure. An American style hotel will run about $40, but you can get a comfortable room with TV for about 20 bucks.
Many people complain that Tijuana is poor and unlovely, and that Mexico's fluctuating economy has left it with unfinished streets, urban sprawl and some citizens living in extreme poverty. Indeed, there are many dirt streets in some outlying areas and, as in any developing nation, there are people living in poverty. But while Tijuana has all the limitations of border towns everywhere, there is much beauty to be found. There are grand buildings and public monuments, museums and churches to see and admire. Most important, there are the people, who represent the true beauty of Mexico. A traveler who chooses to go from golf course to golf course, from luxury hotel to luxury hotel can completely miss the local color, the warmth of the people, and the reality of the land through which he or she passes.
Vistas de Tijuana
Avenida Revolucion is the main tourist spot of Tijuana. I recommend a quick ride down this famous street, just to see it. But do not linger here - you will be wasting valuable time. At the north end of Revolucion, you can listen to mariachi music in the Plaza Santa Cecilia (Tijuana's oldest street, Boulevard Arguello) and walk around El Arco Reloj Monumental, the gigantic metal arch that is the bright symbol of modern Tijuana. Additionally, you can see Tijuana's oldest church, the Cathedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, as well as the HSBC Bank building, one of the oldest buildings in the city.
At the south end of Avenida Revolucion is the Torre de Tijuana, a striking tower built in 1928 as the landmark edifice for the Aguas Calientes Casino and Spa. In the late 1920s, successful folks from California discovered "the waters" and a spa was born at Aguas Calientes (hot waters). Soon investors were pumping money into the area to build a gorgeous complex for everyone from politicians to Hollywood stars. Limousines lined up to cross the border, and Bing Crosby was just one of many actors who kept their racehorses in Mexico. The legendary Seabiscuit was discovered at the Aguas Calientes racetrack.
If you are going from one end of Revolucion to the other, you can stop to view the magnificence of the old jai alai fronton at the center of Revolucion. Perhaps you'll want to go inside to watch players practice and soak up some history from some of Tijuana's later glory days in the 1950s, when Caesar's Grand Hotel ruled in "the most popular street in Tijuana." Named for the Mexican Revolution in which General Emiliano Zapata and his Dorados (Golden Boys) distinguished themselves, Avenida Revolucion has now fallen on hard times. It's a sad image of its former self, and one can only hope that it is rebuilt with some class and elegance to recapture some of its glory.
From Revolucion, a short cab ride will take you to Zona Rio, where you will find the spherical art deco building of El Centro Cultural Tijuana, one of the most important cultural centers in the whole country. El Centro Cultural contains a concert hall where some of the world's most famous artists perform, as well as an Omnimax theater showing Spanish cultural films, and El Museo de las Californias, a museum dedicated to the history of the Californias from Sacramento to the southern tip of Baja. Along Paseo de los Heroes there is a series of wide roundabouts, each presenting at its center a heroic statue: the Independence "Needles," Chief Cuauhtemoc (Montezuma), Abraham Lincoln holding the broken chains of slavery, and General Zaragoza on horseback. At the end of Paseo de los Heroes is the beautiful tile-work of El Torre Minarete, a true Moorish minaret covered in white tile with blue and green designs.
If you are a true traveler - one who goes to learn and connect with people - you will find much to love about Mexico and about Tijuana. Baja California's biggest city, it is a center of commerce and tourism, and can teach you much about the country and its people. I hope you find whatever you're looking for when you travel there.
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