Day 5, Oct 5, 2012 Friday

We need to get to Tijuana today to get Mexican wifi cards so that we will have communications when we are in Mexico.  As usual, it took longer to get going than I had planned so it was well after noon before we set off on foot to find the Tijuana Trolley.  The trolley took us right to the border   When we got off we saw a high bridge with large Mexican flags in the distance and lots of people walking across, so we set off in that direction.  At the other end of the bridge however, it was clear that we were still in the US, not Mexico.  When we asked how to get to Mexico, we were told that the path started behind McDonalds at the other end of the bridge.  Back across the bridge a sign that we had missed earlier informed us that  the new pedestrian path to Mexico begins behind McDonalds.   Sure enough, behind McDonalds we found a narrow cement path, cement walls toped by a steel fence, turning and twisting with the backs of buildings on one side and barren brown hills on the other, through a turnstile and we were in Mexico.  No immigration, no customs, just one bored looking guard who nodded as we passed.  There is something wrong with this.  Should there not be a more official border crossing than “behind McDonalds”?

We had been told to tell the taxi driver to take us to “the Telcel store next to Starbucks”.  A short taxi ride later there was Starbucks with the Telcel store next to it.  An hour and $30 later we had a sim card for the iPad and a wifi stick for the computer.  I am still not quite sure how all of this works, but Alan assures me that this means that we will be able to get internet while we are in Mexico, although I believe there is some sort of caveat like “ as long as there is a hot spot” or “when we are close to shore”.  We shall see.

It was still early so we decided to check out the shops.  Interestingly, directions to the shopping mall were given in statues instead of blocks.  “Go three statues down this street”.   Sure enough, every other block there was an enormous statue in the middle of the street.  3 statues later there was a very american looking shopping mall with a Starbucks and a Telcel store next to it. 

Time to head back.  When we came into Mexico, the  line of people waiting to go the other way looked to be at least a mile long and not moving.  We hoped that it would be shorter when we were ready to go back, but it still stretched down the block and around the corner.   It was getting late, we were tired and hungry and still had a long walk back to the boat from the trolley.  There must be a short cut for Americans.   Yes!  The nice policeman said to just go around the corner and there is a van that will take you straight   to the border.  No standing in line.  Around the corner and down a short alley we came out onto a dirt road.  Vans were lined up, people were being hustled into them and off they went   Five dollar!  Five dollar!  We paid our five dollars and were packed in tight.  Off we went, feeling like we were being smuggled, past the line of people waiting, onto the highway and then we stopped.  And there we sat inching along.  At one point several more people were added to the van, even though I was sure we were already fill.  And still we just crept along, a baby cried, kids fussed, the driver got off and washed the van and Alan started to get that look in his eyes that he gets when he has not had anything to eat for a long time.

 An hour later, the tour bus in front of us finally pulled away and the of our van opened doors opened.  A border guard came out and inspected the van, under the hood, in the luggage compartment, in the wheel wells.  Finally we were told to get out.  We walked a few feet into a building, showed our passports to the guard and we were back in the US, right next to the McDonalds  First order of business was food for Alan.  It was amazing to see the change, almost like the incredible hulk morphing back to the sweet man I am used to.  Since I often forget to eat, I tend to forget that others need food on a regular basis, something I am going to have to remember on this trip.

We caught the trolley and found a taxi at the station and made our way back to the boat and bed.