Walking across the border from San Ysidro to Tijuana...

I love to walk! Not only is walking a natural, healthy excersise, but it is the best way to get an up-close, intimate and personal look at people, places and things. If you're tooling around in your dad's Oldsmobile, you just can't see the expression on that pretty senorita's face, smell the fragrance of tacos cooking on the grill, or hear the laughter of the pedestrians passing by. You'll miss that special taco stand or puesto if your encased in your steel and glass cocoon. If "street photography" is your thing, you know the only way you're going to get those prized images is if you're on foot. Not to mention when you're driving your primary preoccupation should be safe operation of your vehicle, and not sightseeing. When you pay a visit to Tijuana, consider walking across the border.

Photo: Vehicle and pedestrian crossing into Mexico, from Interstate 5 at San Ysidro, CA. The diagonal fences on both sides of the photo mark the international boundary. Photo taken from the pedestrian crossing, over the interstate. Note the new, as of 2007, MEXICO arch.

I only drive in Tijuana when I have no other choice, as it's very congested and the infrastructure is inadequate and quite outdated. Before you say "What about your chapter of driving across the border?," read the chapter in this article about driving across the border, and you'll find out my techniques for crossing the line in my car. I DO NOT drive in Tijuana proper, as the streets are narrow, full of potholes, poorly marked and the traffic is horrible! The vehicle law of the jungle prevails in Tijuana traffic. Tijuana drivers aren't any worse than their counterparts in San Francisco, Seattle, Calgary, or any other large North American city, it's just that Tijuana, like most Mexican cities has a small footprint compared to a norteamericano city, and that makes for horrific traffic congestion.

Photo: Close-up of the first turnstile that pedestrians encounter, to prevent unauthorized return visits. The guy wearing black, in the upper right hand corner of the photo, is stepping over "the line" into Mexico, which is painted yellow and white.

If you don't want to walk, you can catch a shuttle bus from one of the border parking lots and for only $2.50 or so, and the bus will take right to Av. Revolucion, the heart of Tijuana's tourist and shopping district. But you don't get the exercise and you won't get the experience the border crossing, up-close and personal as you would if you were walking. I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend my $2.50 on a couple of beers.

Every years, literally millions of people walk across the border, from San Ysidro to Tijuana, with the destination for most visitors, an eight-block section of Av. Revolucion, the heart of Tijuana's tourist district.

Photo: I'm just about ready to go through the turnstile, and this is your last chance to turn back before entering Mexico. After that, you must negotiate customs in order to return to the U.S.A.

Photo: The international boundary is made by a diagonal, yellow and white line, and a marker, to the right of the photo, marks the line as well. The guy with the backpack is poised to step into Mexico. Note the updated green-white-red pedestrian arch.

Now this may sound strange, considering that I've been rambling on about the joys of walking, but I prefer to drive to a parking lot adjacent to the border. If you're tooling south on I-5, you'll want to take the exit that is proclaimed as the "Last USA Exit" and you can go either left or right to find a place to park. I prefer to go to the right, as it will lead me to Camino de La Plaza. If you head about 3 blocks to the west, you'll find a shopping center and a large McDonald's restaurant. If nobody is looking, you can park at McDonald's, if you're only going to cross la linea for a couple of hours or so. If they catch you and figure out that you're not a customer, your car can be towed. I usually park, go into the restaurant, chat with one of the counter persons, excuse myself and then use the restroom. At least if you get your car towed, you have your photo on camera and you can at least say that you were in there.

Photo: I've just stepped into Mexico, and am following the brick road to Tijuana. Mexican customs and immigration is located in the first building, at the left of the photo; that's where you'll obtain your tourist card.

However when I plan to visit Tijuana for long periods of time, I like to park at the Baja-Mex Insurance company's parking lot. It is a small lot, on Camino de La Plaza, 1 block north of the border and about 4 blocks from la linea. They charge $5.00 to park for 24-hours; $2.00 less than everybody else, and they are really nice people. If you're planning to drive into Mexico, they sell Mexican automobile insurance, which is their main business. If this sounds like a commercial, please forgive me, it's just that they are good people to do business with if you're planning to walk across the border.

Photo: I've walked past Mexican customs, and am on the way to Tijuana Zona Centro. The folks in line, at the left of the photo, are applying for Mexican visas.

If you've parked at Baja-Mex Insurance and you're walking to Tijuana, you'll head east on Camino de La Plaza. After only a couple of blocks, a side street to the right will appear, that's called Caminones Way, which will lead you to the border. Caminones Way is unmarked, but it is very close to I-5 and across Camino de La Plaza from a very busy border parking lot, where shuttle busses originate from. Turn right on Caminones, and just follow the crowds, as it makes a lazy "s-curve" towards the border. You'll know when you reach the border, as the ugly fence is now painted an off-white, and you can see the east-west metal fence in front of you. As you're walking, you push aside one of those ugly steel revolving gates, which only will turn one way, to allow you to walk south into Mexico. Before you go through this gate, it's your point of no return. If you decide not to enter Mexico, you'd better turn around, as once you've gone through the revolving gate, you're in Mexico. Anyway, about 10 feet past the gate there is a yellow, rather scuffed, painted line on the asphalt. Cross the painted line, and BINGO! You've crossed la linea and you're now in Mexico! Congratulations. If you're a gringo, or a typical Canadian or Japanese tourist, you'll want to stop and have your companion snap your photo as you cross the frontier. Hey, I do it too!

Photo: The Tijuana Tourist Information office. Note the turnstile to the left of the photo, which will take you to the bus station, numerous taco stands, and the Zona Rio.

As you cross to the Mexican side of the line, you'll note that Mexican customs is to your immediate left. (Prior to 2007, customs used to be to the right, the building is still there, but customs are now located in the first building to the left.) If you're venturing south of the border zone, this is where you'll need to pick up your tourist card. The bank is next door as well, and most of the folks speak enough English to be very helpful. If you're just visiting Tijuana, continue walking straight ahead, under the covered walkway, known as "corredor turistico," due to the fact that it's the main conduit for north-of-the-border tourists who care to walk to Av. Revolucion from the U.S.A. You'll soon arrive at Mexican customs, and you'll get acquainted with the red-light, green-light approach, but in reality, they screen less than 10% of the visitors into Mexico.

Photo: I've turned to the right, and am about ready to pass through the second turnstile, which will immediately put me in Mexico. Although you're only a few yards south of the border, make no mistake about it: You're in Mexico! The famed Tijuana arch can be seen in the right-rear of the photo.

After you've passed through Mexican customs, you'll see the Tijuana Visitor's Bureau, which is staffed by friendly English-speaking folks who can provide you with brochures, pamphlets, maps and information - free of charge. The city fathers of Tijuana love tourists, and the information center will do everything possible to make sure that you enjoy your visit.

Photo: When you negotiate the turnstile, to the left of the photo, you're in Tijuana, on Ave. Amistad, and you have many taco stands to choose from, on your way to downtown Tijuana.

At the visitor's center, you can either head straight, which will lead you into town via the bus station, or you can turn to the right, and after walking about100 yards or so, go through a second revolving gate you're immediately thrust on the corner of Av. De la Amistad and Av. Jose M. Larroque, in the Zona Rio, and you'll get your first taste of the real Mexico.

Hey dude, you've arrived in Mexico... Bienvenidos a Mexico!

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