WALKING TO MEXICO

It is the most used border crossing in the world. About 300,000 people cross the border between San Ysidro, USA and Tijuana, Mexico every day. Today there are 4 more people: 1 American, 1 Italian with a green card and 2 Swiss! H-P and I have been to Mexico 4 times. Once by plane to Cabo San Lucas for a vacation, once by cruise ship in Ensenada, and once by car with Mary and Gio for dinner in Tijuana and Puerto Nuevo. Today's fifth time is very special because crossing the border on foot is so exciting that I'm really itching to do it. 

From the car we walk about 1 km to the ominous wall, where we pass the American customs building through a revolving door and then through a corridor to the border control of the Estados Unidos Mexicanos. That is the official name of Mexico. The border official asks H-P how long we will be in Mexico and prints out a visa for today. Then he runs across the hall looking for a stamp. Luckily he finds one! We now have a nice green souvenir in our passports!

We continue at a lively pace, passing people asking for money and food, vendors selling food, and taxi drivers trying to lure passengers. There are an incredible number of the latter. I have never seen so many taxis in one place.  

Our "superpower" Mary, aka Maria, walks ahead of our mini tour group. Why "superpower"? Maria grew up in Tijuana, knows the city, and is a native Spanish speaker. She has small food packages in her backpack to hand out to the needy along the way. I love it and think it's a wonderful and kind gesture.

Within a few seconds we are in another world. The streets and buildings are different. The climate feels different - hot and oppressive. It is no longer miles, but kilometers as in our country, and I suspect that the road signs do not interest anyone. From a safe distance we watch the traffic from the Mexican side of the border. To me it looks like an impressive chaos, but somehow it works. Maybe because of the gentleman who occasionally walks across the street to tie a rope across the road to slow down the traffic. We look for our UBER driver and as Gio bravely runs across the five-lane road to see if the driver is on the other side, I can barely watch. Spectacular!

We ride UBER to the Mercado Miguel Hidalgo, which was founded in 1955. It has been in its current location since 1984. About 80 shops or stalls are arranged in an O-shape and frame the market's parking lot. I find this place to be an oasis for the senses. It is brightly colored, smells of delicious food, and the Tijuanenses are incredibly friendly. The fruits and vegetables look as if they were picked just a few minutes ago. The selection is impressive. The heat has taken its toll on us and our two insiders suggest we buy a coconut to drink. Los caballeros with the machetes open the young coconuts and it is a real treat. So refreshing! Wow! When we are done drinking, we return the coconuts and they separate the flesh for us. This is refined with Mexican spices and each of us gets it back in a plastic bag. We don't eat all of it, we keep the rest for tomorrow at home. We spend over an hour at the market. I do not see any other tourists.

Tijuana is the largest city in Baja California, with a population of just over 1.8 million, and an important industrial and financial center in Mexico. In the past, the city had a bad reputation for things done by drunken gringos, the influence of cheap tequila and other shady characters. The city is in the process of shedding its seedy image and becoming a popular tourist destination. Of course, you still have to walk the streets with your eyes open, preferably during the day, and avoid certain neighborhoods altogether. But I think our trip would not have been possible 10 years ago. The change is very positive. It is impressive that we see several times armored vehicles of the special unit Federales, with masked and heavily armed policemen on patrol. Mary waves and they wave back. 

Our next stop is Restaurant Lorenza, located in a neighborhood with many new buildings. If the food is as good as the interior is beautiful, then Aiaiaiai! That's exactly how it is! We feast on the very best, chat happily, and the service is incredibly attentive. What a wonderful experience!

The Museum of Mexican Wrestling (Mullme), which opened in 2017, describes itself online as the first and only wrestling museum in Mexico. The ground floor houses nearly 13,000 items from private collectors. The objects on display have nothing to do with wrestling. There are posters, magazines, Polaroid cameras, chairs, key chains, photographs, superhero figurines, Barbies, historical merchandise and much more. I find it very exciting to compare and see if there are things that we had. For example, I spotted the Fix and Foxi magazines.

When we reach the second floor, euphoria sets in. We have definitely reached the heart of the museum. Here, wrestling is not just a sport, but a culture that is deeply rooted in the country. The wrestlers with their colorful masks are the heroes of generations. On display are wrestling masks, figures, capes, original wrestlers' hair (what?) and bloody photographs. This private collection of about 7,000 items belongs to the museum's director, Mauricio Pino. Gio used to watch a lot of wrestling and shows us some moves. Incredibly exciting and the highlight is the moment when we all get into the ring and the museum employee takes a picture of us. I can hardly stop laughing as Mary climbs up the rope marking the ring and stands like our figurehead. When I see the photo, I have a laugh attack! My goodness, so cool! OMG! I'm going to frame that picture back home in Switzerland! H-P is thinking about a new hobby, he would like to take the champion belt with him right away!

 We walk to the most famous and notorious street in TJ, Avenida Revolución. There is a concert in progress. No kidding: the world famous Caesar salad was invented here in the Hotel Caesar. A little further we see the Tijuana Arch, officially called Reloj Monumental. The attraction is 60 meters high and 33 meters wide, about the size of a 14-story building. Impressive! The sun is so perfectly positioned right now that it looks like the arch is illuminated. Evening is approaching and Mary wants to leave the area before it gets dark. The red light district is right next door and that is one of the areas we prefer to avoid for safety reasons.

Another UBER ride and a 30-minute walk brings us to the Mision19 restaurant. When I see the Michelin star sign on the door, I think about my comfortable "travel outfit" and whether I can go in like that. The doubts are quickly forgotten when we are greeted by the restaurant staff. At the moment we are the only guests. The selection on the menu is unbelievable! All four of us are thrilled. As the food is served, we can't hold back our ahhhs, ooohhhs and mmmmhhhhs. I can honestly say that it was one of the best meals I've ever had. The food scene in TJ is absolutely amazing!

Later I read that the name Mision19 is a reference to the 18 Catholic missions that exist in Baja California. The mission of the restaurant is a little more down-to-earth: to celebrate the food of the region. Located on the second floor of a Minergie building, the restaurant strives for sustainability by using products that travel no more than 200 km from farm to table. Once again, I am impressed.

A taxi takes us to the border and we walk all the way back. It has become chilly and we are glad to have an extra layer of clothing with us. The entry goes smoothly and faster than expected. It takes us about 30 minutes to enter the USA. To be honest, my heart was pounding a little. On the way back to the car we see the unbelievably long traffic jam that happens every day. Mexicans who work in the US are going home and need a lot of patience. After dropping off the Sagratis, we drove into downtown SD, overjoyed and full of wonderful impressions. For over an hour we talked about the day and enjoyed the experiences. Then we went right into a deep sleep. It was just terrific!

Dear Mary and Gio

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inviting us on this trip, taking time off work, and organizing everything. It was one of the highlights of our voyage and we will never forget it! It's a privilege to have friends like you! MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TODO!

A