A Walk to Tijuana
I’m excited to be sharing more about my personal travel, adventures and photos.
Looking through old photos has led me to realize that I rarely reflect on the trips I’ve taken. So, I’m making a new goal to share more through my blog… plus the BOLD, VIBRANT and COLORFUL images of Tijuana are always a joy to look through!
Last January I found myself in San Diego. Besides the perfect weather and West Coast vibes, I was able to visit one of my favorite friends, Lex! While I was excited to see her I was double excited to see her sweet, honest to goodness the cutest baby ever, Drew.
Lex had Saturday, “mom free”, so she whipped up a fun adventure of crossing the border for a day! Lex found a great travel company through Airbnb Experiences called, “Walking Tours of Tijuana”. The trip consisted of meeting our tour guide, eating Tacos and exploring various parts of Tijuana. Our friend Anna joined us and off we went with a small purse, passport and camera.
Lex’s husband, Mike dropped us as close to the customs point as he could, (which conveniently happens to be a large outdoor shopping mall that sees many visitors from both the USA and Mexico visiting daily). A block from the shopping mall is a large bridge that led to customs. The line was longer than normal for a Saturday but only took about 35 minutes to get through.
Thankfully, we had no issues. It was my first time walking across the border and cool to gain an understanding of just how many USA citizens cross over to work in Tijuana and vice versa.
Our tour guide Marcia was waiting on the other side just as planned. The tour was set up to take us to three unique taco joints in various areas of Tijuana. We had been told to expect to walk about 3-5 miles but ended up walking closer to 8, as Marcia graciously extended our tour so we could see as much as possible! Stopping to take photos every two minutes may have also extended the trip… but it was worth it…look at those colors!
The colors of Tijuana were amazing, markets were packed full of bright fruits, vegetables, and friendly faces.
We tried traditional Mexican candy and stopped to buy coffee to take home at female start-up coffee shop. (Gotta support that!).
Each taco spot was delicious, and each one different from the next. It was hard to pass any stop up despite being super full!
In between taco’s, Marcia walked us to the USA/Mexico border near the ocean. It was a powerful moment to see the tall steel wall and mere yards that separate country lines, especially knowing the very minor differences between the humans living on either side. The Mexico side was painted in bright lively colors and portrayed key messages of hope and perseverance. After spending a few moments absorbing the various art and messages, we walked on a beautiful boardwalk with colorful art sculptures and food vendors.
Almost eight miles into our day, we settled down for our final taco and Tecatè. Marcia walked us back to the customs point and we said our goodbyes. This was my first experience with Airbnb Experiences and I would highly recommend checking them out in the next city you travel to!
I’ll admit, I might not have ventured into Tijuana without a scheduled tour or going with someone who had been there before. We felt safe the entire day, but with my minimal understanding of the Spanish language, it was a much more comfortable experience arranging a trip this way. I’d recommend trying to go the next time you can!
Until next time!
Emma
