So how do you cross the border into Mexicali from the California town of Calixico?  There are many ways, but as a physical fitness buff and a dedicated street photographer, I prefer to walk, as you don't have to worry about your car getting stolen, you don't have to purchase Mexican auto insurance, and you get to mingle with locals face-to-face, up-close and personal, not to mention that you get to stretch your legs.

 

Left:  Cars are lined up on Imperial Ave. in Calexico, waiting their turn to cross the border.  Right:  I prefer to walk into Mexico whenever possible; the yellow speed bump that lies just in front of the red pickup tuck is the international boundary.

If you are in Calexico, and you plan to walk across the border, you'll want to set your sights on Imperial Avenue, which is the main north-south street in town. If you plan to drive across the border, just head south on Imperial Ave., as it will lead you to the border.  At Mexicali, Mexican customs are quite relaxed and it's been the author's experience to slow down for a narrow lane and a speed bump, and merely drive across the border.  If you're heading to San Felipe, keep you your right and follow the signs.  Relax:  Mexicali is laid out similar to a city north of the border so you should have no problem getting around the city.

 

Photos:  The border crossing at Calexico/Mexicali.  Notice the border fence in the right photo; the palm trees are in Mexico.

However, if you're like me and prefer to walk, if you're not staying at a motel, you should park your car in one of the many lots located in the vicinity of Imperial Ave. and 4th St.  Yes, you have to pay to park, but your car will be safe, you don't have to worry about a d.u.i. and you're helping to support the local economy.  From 4th and Imperial, it's about a four-block walk to "la linea."  Similar to driving across the line, you basically just walk.  I have never been stopped by Mexican customs in crossing the line to Mexicali, but you should be prepared.

Mexico is a different country from the U.S. and Mexican laws differ in many ways from those of what most norteamericanos are used to.  If you're detained by la policia for any reason, keep in mind that Mexican law is based on the Napoleanic code of justice, meaning that all parties are held until guilt can be established.  You're not innocent until proven guilty, as in the U.S. or Canada; all parties are held in custody until guilt/innocence can be proven.  Also, you can be held in custody indefinitely until your guilt/innocence is proven.  What what I've heard, time in a Mexican jail is not exactly a picnic.

 

Photos:  Windshield photos show vendors hawking their wares, as I wait to enter the U.S. along Av. Cristobal Colon, a.k.a. Blvd. Internacional.  Some of these folks can be rather aggressive, but you have to keep in mind that they're just trying to earn an honest living.  Mexicali's downtown is to the left of the photos and that's the U.S. border fence to the right.  Note the U.S. flag in the upper right-hand corner of the photos.

When you travel to Mexico, for goodness sakes, leave your guns and ammo at home.  Firearms are very illegal in Mexico and most border crossings have signs warning of the consequences of packing "heat" into Mexico.  It doesn't matter who you are in the U.S. or if you're legally allowed to carry a weapon, in Mexico, if you're caught with a singe round of illegal ammo, you could be facing a long prison sentence in extremely harsh conditions. Leave you firearms and ammo at home.

 

Left:  As I wait along Blvd. Internacional, I get a chance to snap a photo of the ugly U.S. border fence to the right of the photo.  Right:  Entering U.S. customs.  When I showed the friendly agent my U.S. passport and my California driver's license, entering the U.S. was a breeze.

If you're driving back into the U.S., unless you're driving during the morning/afternoon peak drive times, the crossing is a  breeze.  As you're waiting along Ave. Cristobal Colon, a.k.a. Ave. Internacional, just south of the border steel fence, you'll be accosted by street vendors, some of who can be quite aggressive as you wait your turn to pass through customs.  However, most of these folks are just trying to make a buck, so if you're not interested in what they're selling, just tell 'em a polite "No gracias" and if you have a few extra Mexican coins in your pocket that you want to get rid of, give 'em a coin or two.

Left:  The well-marked Av. Cristobal Colon, with signs directing you to your destination.  The vehicle in front of me was the one who purchased the CDs, in the story described below.  Right:  On the U.S. side of the border, and the ugly border fence is to the left.

Coming back into the U.S., at the end of a December 2004 trip to Baja California, I witnessed a funny spectacle as I was caught in stop and go traffic on Av. Cristobal Colon, as I was waiting to cross the frontier.  As I approached the U.S. customs, the traffic began to slow and then come to a stop.  Mexicans are experts when it comes to entrepreneurism, and the stopped traffic attempting to enter the U.S. aided the entrepreneurial spirit.  There were many souvenir hawkers, hawking just about everything you could imagine; junk jewelry, curios, clothes, statues of Jesus, and the list goes on.  If I was giving an award for tenacity, it would go the CD salesman.  This guy was carrying a cardboard box of CDs, and the guy in the SUV ahead of me took interest and started looking at them. What would happen is the traffic would stop for an unpredictable amount of time, anywhere from a few seconds to maybe a minute or so.  So when the traffic would start, this vendor would run alongside the SUV and when the traffic would stop, business would begin anew.  I watched this for over a period of nearly 15 minutes, and this CD vendor really got a workout.  By the time he sold his CDs, he was sweaty and appeared to be huffing and puffing. But, he made his sale!

 

Left:  At the border, there is a small mall that sells souvenirs from both sides of the border.  Right:  Here it is, as I'm standing in Mexico looking into the U.S.  The stone placque marks the crossing, as "la linea" crosses at a 45-degree angle from the walkway.  Border crossings always fascinate me, for some reason.

If you have a U.S. passport or a California driver's license, or any U.S. state for that matter, entering the U.S. is a breeze.  You wait your turn in line, drive up to the friendly customs agent, he/she will ask you a few basic questions and, poof!  30 seconds later, you're on your way north.  If you're walking across the border, it's basically the same thing, as you wait your turn in line, show your passport or drivers' license and you're asked a few basic questions, like, "Are you an American citizen, What have you been doing in Mexico, Do you have any booze on you, Do you have any fireworks?"  You know, questions like that.  Since all of the readers of my website are law-abiding citizens, crossing the border is almost as easy as a walk in the park.

 

Left:  As I cross the U.S./Mexico border, I can resist a sunset shot.  Right:  A sunset look at the U.S./Mexico border crossing, only 1 block north of the border, at Calexico.

So cross the border, enjoy the hospitality of friendly Mexicali and have a fun and safe experience!