Tijuana

'Oh no you only need your driver's license to get back over the border', said everyone.

So we hoped on the bus that takes you over each border 'easily and safely'. We got where we needed to go-- TIJUANA.

Before we walked down the tunnel to get to the shopping areas-- I was very glad that I did not have to go to the bathroom because I had no quarters and it cost 50 cents.

When we got to the end of the tunnel- the streets were not too busy with tourists--so that made us (mainly Cowboy Rick) a target with the vendors. 'Hey Cowboy!!! I got some boots for you.'- 'Hey Cowboy, I got a leather belt I can sell you--come look- I make you a good deal!' It got to be a little annoying, but for the most part it did not bother me- it made me laugh because they would say some funny things & each vendor would begin to start saying the same thing. 'We have free parking.' (for the stroller)-- 'We have free babysitting' (as they tried to tell Rick he should go inside the Nude Bar). My favorite was the man that said 'Come into my shop and spend money on something you don't need.' Then they would always try and guess where we were from. Basically the vendors were nice, fun, and did not get upset when we said 'no thank you'.

For brunch-- the boys decided to eat at a Mexican buffet. I chose to eat the snacks in our backpack. The little girls- chose to eat sugar and a bite of bread. The service was great & I am not just saying great for us (I knew they knew they would get a better than normal tip from most Americans), but it was great for the table that only gave them a $1 tip. The food......... looked disgusting, but then again I do not have an open mind with food. The boys ate it like it was their last meal! Needless to say- the food was cheap and no one got the 'runs'.

After brunch- the tourists started to pack the place. It was not overly crowded but enough to take most of the attention off of us. I loved negotiating with the vendors & I never tried to talk them down too low because I knew this was how they fed their kids and family. I did not buy myself anything but I bought the girls a Mexican doll. It is similiar to the one I was given when I was little and visited Mexico. Rick bought a belt, bracelet and a pancho. I also bought a couple of little items for a friend or two.

Most of the shops down each street looked the same-- bright colors, jewelry, trinkets, toys etc.. The funniest shops (to me) were the Nude Bars on each street. I think I counted 4-5 and I only went down 3-4 streets. So basically if you walk down one street- you can cross over to the other street and choose which one you like best. I kept trying to tell Rick to go in one to see what it was all about and he refused for fear of getting robbed. As we were passing a Nude Bar- we noticed a couple of ladies getting out of a car. They were going to the Nude Bar to get ready for work. I will have to say that our Nude Bar girls look a jillion times better. These girls were scary! I am very interested in how much they bring home doing what they do.

As we walked we saw a handful of Mexican police. I have to say that they are pretty bad at their jobs- unprofessional- not really serious (except for one that I saw directing traffic- he was working hard). I saw two ladies laughing as they were passing their cell phone back and forth. I saw one policeman talking to a beautiful lady on a bench having a great time. I also saw a couple eating and looking at a vendor site. I am very glad that I did not have to go to them for anything.

After we were done shopping we headed back to the bus. We waited about 15 minutes past the time that the bus was suppose to arrive and then got on board. We were so happy. I was taking pictures and the BOOM we stopped. I noticed a really really really long line of people. These people were waiting to get back across the border. I thought 'Certainly the bus will zip right past these people and we will be off the bus in no time.' Long story short- we were on the bus for 3 hours- mostly sitting idle! Once we got off we waited in another line, but it was fast. Then we were lectured by the immigration officier- which he was actually really nice. He let us cross. We got on another quick bus to take us back to the car - we loaded up and headed back to Texas!

What can I say-- I did it and I do not see ANY reason to do it again. I would also not tell my worst enemy that 'before you leave California, you just HAVE to visit Tijuana!'-- Rick had a lady at a gas station tell him that.