“BUY something you don’t need?” asked the ageing Mexican as
we walked past his magnificently chintzy tourist shop.
As far as sales pitches go, this one was pretty lame.
But you had to appreciate the apparent brilliance in its sheer
honesty.
Had we a penchant for buying over-priced rubbish then we
might have taken him up on his offer.
But we decided to venture on exploring Tijuana’s infamous ‘Downtown’ area.
I know I know, I can hear you asking… ‘it’s taken you six
MONTHS to go downtown?!’
Personally I’d much rather settle into an area and then do
the ‘norm’ and take in the tourist traps.
Avenida Revolucion (Revolution Avenue) is THE tourist heart of TJ. It’s the main
strip which plays host to most of the city’s bars and tourist shops and
stalls.
At one end is the famous Tijuana arch, and at the other is the huge Mexican flag. Both act as symbols of pride.
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| Standing tall: Tijuana's famous arch |
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| Now THAT is a flag |
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| Chintz anyone? |
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| The entertainment |
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| Wrestle-mania |
I’m led to believe its TJ's notorious drug cartels which have given the city, and indeed, Avenida Revolucion its bad name in recent years.
Sadly even at night the once bustling and chaotic downtown
area is now a shadow of its former self.
Promotional teams, bar and restaurant owners and even
waiters, almost go as far as to sell their souls to entice you into visit their
establishments.
Some sales pitches are obviously better than others.
It seems that even the sale of a couple of cold beers will
allow these establishments to open the next weekend.
When I ask whether it was the global downturn in the
economy that put paid to the once booming trade, Jacks tells me that it was
actually largely the fault of the US media which shot an arrow through its heart.
As I’ve mentioned before, you only have to watch a US comedy
starring Will Ferrell and you’ll hear reference to the slurs against ‘Tijuana’.
It has probably the worst name in Hollywood.
And while I admittedly wasn’t around here a few years ago to
witness the ‘bad times’, it’s hard to imagine a place so bad that it deserves
such a stigma which still sits heavily on its shoulders.
Even Jacky openly admitted after our night-time visit that
“it’s not as bad” as she imagined.
Sure it’s seedy, and it feels dangerous and edgy.
But we weren't offered any form of drug, not least an Aspirin, as we wondered around.
The air reeks of stale cigar smoke, cheap perfume and tacos,
and your ears are filled with the sound of The Doors, banda music and some sort
of techno – but isn’t that its appeal? It is what it is.
A few titty bars, drinking holes,
bric-a-brac tourist shops, and a zebra-donkey or two to have your photograph
taken with?
I mean, that’s Blackpool right?!
Nowhere here does a sign say ‘welcome to Tijuana, please
wipe your feet’.
Besides in life you have to taste the sour to appreciate the
sweet.
And I actually like it.
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| TJ - proud to be Mexican |
In between all that there is also evidence of an upcoming
art revolution in the street. A few new trendy and retro art gallery/shops have
opened and there are cool Banksy-style murals and designs on shutter doors and shops
fronts.
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| Banksy-inspired? |
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| Street art |
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| The famous 'zebra-donkey' |
Oh, useless fact for the day?
The concept for the traditional ‘Caesar salad’ was created
in Tijuana.
Fact.
Weird huh?
It turns out that an Italian restauranteur called Caesar
Cardini owned a restaurant in TJ and developed the salad at that establishment.
That was back in the 1920s.
Nowadays The Hotel Caesar and the associated restaurant on
Avenida Revolucion proudly continues the association.
Further food for thought eh?
Talking of which it didn’t half feel strange tucking into an
ice cream last weekend in 25 degree heat – especially because everyone back
home in the UK has been experiencing hell on earth with regards to the weather.
I’ve told Jacky that on second thoughts she’d best pack the
snorkel and mask and a few extra woolly jumpers.
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