Animal magic

WITNESSING the 'big five' on an African safari, watching humpback whales gleefully leaping out of the ocean, photographing an endangered bird in its natural habitat.
All the above are great, but if catching a glimpse of a Tijuana zebra-donkey isn't on that 'things to do before you die' list then it might as well be void.
Is it a zebra? Is it a donkey? Is it actually a horse with a seriously bad case of mistaken identity?!
Who knows... but the mystical creatures live on the streets of downtown TJ like four-legged gods walking among mere men.
In all seriousness if you're a tourist, no trip to downtown TJ would actually be complete without a picture of one of the hapless sun-baked animals.
And on visiting Avenida Revolucion you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid seeing one – not least being pushed onto one by its owners desperate to grab your cash for a photograph.
I'd heard about them before from Jacks but I didn't actually realise how famous they are. Their existence in the city is woven into the fabric of Tijuana's identity.
The zebra-donkey has become something of a cultural icon here over the decades and people actually travel from far and wide just to see one - even internationally.
Two or three of the animals are paraded around certain spots on a daily basis in front of a cart containing enough colourful sombreros, throws and rugs, to make your eyes water.

Stranger than fiction - behold the zebra donkey

Okay, kids if you don't want to know the truth look away now... the 'zebra donkey' is basically a white donkey which has black stripes painted on it. It's as simple as that.
And people love it so much they have even daubed huge neon pictures of them on shop fronts.

The 'zonkey' expertly presented by Jacks

When I first heard about the animal I thought it was linked to some bizarre legend Tijuana, or indeed Baja California.
But it seems there is no legend.
The truth is in fact stranger than fiction.
A quick scan of the internet states that the bizarre idea to actually paint the stripes on the animals came about in the age of black and white photography so that the animals stood out in the tourists' pictures.
Despite the invention of cameras which could take colour photographs, the animal graffiti stayed.

Personally I question whether back in the day the donkeys got on to their agents demanding more recognition for their role in the tourist trap?
They must be the laughing stock of the farm when they return home after a hard day's work!
What made me laugh even more was the discovery of some websites which are actually claiming that these animals are in fact a "unique breed" - much like the people who try to force you into having your photograph taken with them.

So is it too early to say 'Happy Christmas?!' Well, there you have it!

"... You can always go, downtown"

“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.

Standing tall: Tijuana's famous arch

Now THAT is a flag

Each shop on Avenida Revolucion pretty much sells the same chintzy assortment of key rings, guitars, sombreros, chess boards, 'I LOVE Tijuana' stickers, wrestling masks (Mexicans LOVE wrestling), and spectacularly bright ornaments which would immediately cheapen any mantelpiece.

Chintz anyone?

The entertainment

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.

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.

Banksy-inspired?

Street art

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.