TJ

Day 33 - 20 miles (San Diego to Tijuana)

I reached my destination today. 20 pensive miles along the well-kept Bayshore bike path took me to the most Southwest point of the continental United States. All of the discomfort, pain, frustration, sacrifice, fear, doubt, anxiety, and uncertainty morphed into a wistful memory as I turned around the final bend. The satisfaction I felt gazing at the iron bars of the U.S.-Mexican border from the edge of Border State Park mixed with the surreality of the moment; I couldn't believe I was done. I made it from Canada to Mexico on a bike! It was odd staring at the contrast across the border; the U.S. side with it's pastoral valleys, the Mexican side with it's urban, hilly sprawl. 

I took a few moments to collect my thoughts, headed to a nearby beach and let reality set in. I was saddened by the end. I had been on the road for over 30 days, biking, camping, meeting new people, and suddenly I was no longer on my big adventure. Luckily, I had one more destination before I was officially done…

I made plans on Thursday to spend Friday night in TJ with Tiffany and Braden. They shipped their bikes back to Pittsburgh and I dropped my bike off at Sarah's brother's house on Friday afternoon after biking to the border. I took the bare essentials with me: a toothbrush, soap, passport, a leg roller, deodorant, and some other random items. I figured I should be as low profile as possible in case anything went sour.

Crossing the border was relatively easy. We crossed the pedestrian bridge, answered a few questions at the U.S. Port of Entry, pushed a button to see if we'd be 'randomly' screened, and stepped onto foreign soil. I was wary of the initial barrage of men, speaking quickly, offering goods and services I could vaguely understand, but we kept walking and the city unfolded into the crowded circus that is a metropolis.

We walked for a stretch and hopped into the taxi of a hyper-assumptive local who got us to our hotel for $7, which sounds like a good deal before you understand the cost of doing business here. I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice our hotel was. It was super modern and the desk help was top notch. Things were getting off to a good start. 

On the advice of the front desk, we walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner. It was delicious; one of the best meal experiences I've had on the trip. At any given moment, we had one or two staff members watching our table, ready to take away a dish we were done with or to offer any other beverages. I had a plate of enchiladas, chips and salsa and two beers for the equivalent of $16 (including the tip!). All of us were pleasantly surprised and ready for the rest of the night.

As we waited at the corner for a taxi van*, each of us shared the same sentiment: Tijuana is just as safe as any other major city. Numerous family members told me not to go into TJ, nonetheless spend the night there, but standing amidst the locals on a Friday night, smelling the street-side machaca and faint hint of coffee, fearing for our safety seemed suddenly laughable. 

*They have these taxi vans which drive loads of people around the city. It's similar to a bus, but you let the driver know where you're going and he eventually gets you there. It cost us each about $0.70!

We spent the rest of the night bar hopping along Avenida Revolucion, a Mexican version of New Orleans' Bourbon Street. Dollar beers, $3 margaritas, $3 tequila shots...the prices were so low! We watched a Mexican Band perform, saw the start of a boxing match at a street festival, fell into an empty 80's-themed night club, and finally found a cafe that didn't blow out our eardrums.

We took another cab home and arrived back to our hotel safely around 1:30am.

Tijuana, you are something else.

Day 34 - Tijuana to San Diego

Crossing over was interesting. After waiting in the pedestrian line for 20 minutes, we paid $6 to hop in a shuttle service across the border. They pack as many people in the van, drive us about a mile and drop you off in another line. We thought we had been cheated but then all at once, the dam gave way and swarms of people in our new line flooded the U.S. Port of Entry.

We were back. The adventure had finally come to an end.