Lisa's Letters from La La Land: Arribah !!!

So, prior to this trip, my only contact with anything Spanish or Mexican was Speedy Gonzales courtesy of Loony Tunes on the telly and burritos on a regular basis.

But today that was all going to change.

It was a very early morning and because of how late I’d stayed up chatting to my baby girl on the internet on the other side of the world, I was too sleepy to get up for the scheduled breakfast to farewell our only American traveller Jeannette. So that was the first order of the day, to say goodbye to a new friend who we’d all enjoyed meeting and sharing the magic with.

From here, the group split again and the ‘Mexico trippers’ waited at the spot for what seemed like an eternity.

Eventually the bus arrived, only to find out that there was confusion with our booking and the bus left without us.

I know, right?… breathe….

Luckily there was a bus not far behind and this one took us to the depot where Sandie sorted out the kerfuffle and the gringos were boarding the bus with the shady driver on our way to Ol’ Mexico.

Yes, our driver got us offside from as early as San Diego and it went downhill from there.

Arriving in San Diego I was struck by the very modern architecture mixed with some totally gorgeous vintage areas – in particular the original Gas Lamp district. On our drive around town there were these glass tiles that were popping up all along the streets of the older districts that fascinated me. In the shape of what I assume is a Hispanic mans head with a big smile, and after many attempts I managed to get a great close up of one. But despite my best efforts since I’m home, I’m yet to find out what they were in honour of so if any of my readers can tell me that’d be amazing.

Then it was down to the harbour where we saw lots of old skool tall ships which I’d like to research a bit more to see what ladies were moored there.

The Midway aircraft carrier, also moored at the dock, was MASSIVE and will also go onto my 'next time I'm in San Diego' list as its now a museum and would take some time to wander around.

The driver launched into a long and very patriotic description of how the Midway ship that we were currently parked out front of single handedly saved Australia by just turning up when Darwin was bombed.
Not all that sure her rendition was remotely historically accurate but anyhoo, on to Tijuana we go. And with little more than a cursory ‘don’t take photos at the check point’ as our guide, we were across the border with not so much as a passport check.

(Getting out was not going to be as easy as that, we were later to discover. )

So south of the border, with necks craning and all eyes looking left then right then ahead trying to see everything at the same time. This was after all, our first foray into Mexico and not one of us wanted to miss a moment.

The first thing that struck me was the colour… lots and lots of colour… the buses were apple green, walls everywhere were painted in a riot of colour, every shop ( more like garages) had colour pouring out of it and hanging from the roof of it. And not to mention the brilliant hues that decorated the Zonkeys along the streets.

So what’s a Zonkey you say? Well, it a donkey painted like a zebra and dressed up like a turkey dinner with backdrops that conveniently tell you at a glance where and when you visited and for a few bucks you too could be standing next to that odd animal for a holiday snap.

One wondered how much of a life this was for the Donkey but I was quickly assured that they were the best cared for animals in Tijuana because they brought in money. And they certainly looked to be in good condition.

So, before disembarking the bus, we were given a stern warning to only shop in designated shops because they were ‘the only reliable operators who wouldn’t rip us off’. So we dutifully shopped in the designated store, and again dutifully ignored the plaintive encouragements by neighbouring shopkeepers to take a quick look at their wares. And within 2 minutes of being in a store, I’d been offered and downed several very tasty tequila shots. Clearly a great way to get you to be less likely to bargain, but seeing as tequila is my poison of choice, they barely hit the sides and I tried the apple flavoured and the peach flavour to boot! Without feeling any ill effects.

So were the goods cheap and cheerful like we’d expected? Nope… quite the opposite… exorbitant would be closer. And did we get back onto the bus having been ripped off? Most certainly!!! On almost all counts…

Having bargained in many countries before, and it being a game I particularly enjoy, I think I fared much better than most, getting my delicious turquoise and silver bracelet down from a lofty $300+ to a much more palatable amount with the matching earring thrown in for less than 3 figures.

And tucked under my arm as I reboarded the bus, was a very large bottle of that fabulous peach tequila that I will have to return to Mexico to replace when its gone.

So it was only when the same dictates spouted forth from our shady driver at the next stop, that we cottoned on to how very ‘steered’ we’d been last time around and made a determined effort to shop around in the next place.

So as a group, we decided to head to our ‘only safe place to eat’ which turned out to be just the most quintessential Mexico dining experience I can imagine.

On a rooftop, with mariachi band playing ( that another table had paid for), with a menu that was half written in Spanish and English on the flip side, with roving artisans plying their wares to a captive audience. The warm breeze just enough to take the edge off the temperature and make the strings of red, white and green flags flutter around us, we sat under enormous umbrellas and ordered freshly blended margaritas in both the lemon and then the strawberry and then the lemon versions all served in miss matched but beautiful Mexican glassware.

I ordered my first authentic Mexican Fajita which, apart from being one of only 3 things I recognised on the menu, was delicious, with all the components being placed on a big plate for me to assemble as I wished. With a steaming basket of fresh tortillas in the middle of the table, that was refilled as it emptied, we all eagerly tucked into our spicy delights with gusto. It was here that a very skilled artisan twisted from a roll of copper wire, bracelets and brooches in front of our eyes. Soon the whole table was awaiting their name or names for gifts being made to order.

After most of our group experienced our first ‘no paper down the loo’ type of toilet, and funny photos by the ‘doesn’t translate well’ photo-op board, we headed back to street level to start some serious shopping.

Now this was fun…

Here I bought ( at probably too much cost)2 divine Mexican blankets, a wildly coloured ceramic gecko, magnets, a little bottle of gift tequila and shot glasses to drink it in and other nick nacs…

The shops were filled to the brim with the most amazing stuff and I’d have loved to have brought home much more beautiful plates/platters/jewellery, but alas, the cash stash was dwindling.

So we wandered along, noting all the pharmaceutical shops that will make up your prescription drugs as long as you know what they’re called and in very large quantities… seriously.

The lolly shop we went into was just a plethora of options, but given that most of the goodies in there must have been sweetened with honey, the shop was also filled with bees trying to keep you away from said goodies, buzzing between all the piñatas hanging from the ceiling and the floor with frightening irregularity so I backed out pretty quickly and watched from out front, given that I don’t react well to their stings.

With no way to know what you were buying, a few sampled the wares and I bought a coke buddy for a huge 95 cents and we wandered back towards our meeting point at the bus. On the way, buying bracelets from a little girl purely because she looked like she needed a good feed and Sandie and I doing some superior last minute bargaining to purchase tops for both of us with literally the last notes in my wallet.

So back at the bus, with the entire bus load ready and waiting ( probably because we’d been parted with every American Dollar on us) and waiting and waiting for nearly an hour before the driver emerged clearly just having woken up - coincidentally from the back room of the same place we were urged was the only safe place to make our purchases…. Hmmmmm.

No one was overly happy with her clearly beneficial ‘arrangements’.

So, finally on the bus, it was with extra chagrin that we then endured the really bad mariachi singing from her ‘son’ who also coincidentally was the very same person that waved us through the US/Mexican border without so much as a howsya father.

And predictably, he then walked along the bus aisle with his hat out expecting to be tipped by his captive audience who were tired and getting grumpier by the minute.

Making our way back to the border was a more sombre feeling as we passed the long razor wire topped fence that divides the two countries and the many many crosses nailed to the fence in memory of those who had tried to make a run for a better life and didn’t make it. Driving through the slums was also a sobering sight as we in the west can’t imagine living in these conditions.

At the border, the bus driver put the fear of God into us in the last second before we had to get off the bus and walk through X-rays, finger prints and border security with exactly the same level of fear as when you go through LAX, juggling our purchases in our arms. Praying they let you through, more so here than anywhere I’ve ever been. Not a place for a gringo to be left behind with night falling.

But, luck was with us, and we walked several blocks back to the bus that was now on the other side of the border, and headed to San Diego for our dinner stop… that none of us knew we were going to be having. Which was an issue for some… like myself, who was down to the last dimes in my pocket at that stage. The worst part being, that almost every item we’d purchased earlier in the day, was here in the shops, but for at least half the price. And not having brought any cards with me, I was left to drool at goodies I’d dearly loved to have added to my stash.

Annoying much?

Back on the bus, an accident on the freeway stretched our trip out by almost 3 hours longer, and with our other travel buddies back at the hotel all but having coronaries, worried why we hadn’t returned yet.

I fell into bed without dinner, totally exhausted and keen to go back and explore much more of Mexico another day.

I loved it!!!

(Oh… and don’t tell my sisters, but yes, I did venture out into one back room to check out the handbags and sunnies they had on offer… and I survived. )