(From this photo album)

2006.10.19 Thu - A Whole New World

An old swing friend and future hotshot dentist Estée Wang came to visit SD for a conference so I took the relatively short drive down a couple of times to hang out. The second time, Jimmy Chen came along as well and we headed to Tijuana, Mexico for a few hours.

It's weird that it felt like another country, and yet, didn't. Go to the album linked at the top for the rest of the pics, but some fun things to note:

Coronado Island in San Diego is beautiful, especially the Hotel Del Coronado. It's an open beach, so even if you're staying somewhere else, be sure to soak it up and check out the old geezer boutiques and yummy ice cream parlor underneath.

For a nice dinner, try eating at "The Sheerwater" on the beach front of the Hotel Del Coronado and get a table next to the outdoor fireplaces. *sigh*

Notice which direction the security cameras are turned in this pic.

It's cheaper to take the U-turn and park on the northbound side of the I-5's parking lot and walk across, than it is to park in the lot on the southbound side.

I heard on the news later that 44 murders happen a year in TJ. Be careful.

There's a long line to come back to the U.S. even if you're walking across (not sure whether the cars line is slower or not.

At least during the day, TJ's a really nice place with fun alleyways and shops to discover.

Bargain hard, but don't be a jerk. Not saving that extra $1 US probably hurts you much less than it does benefit the merchant you're buying from.

Be careful when picking your taxis and busses/shuttles. A lot of them are probably just gonna rip you off than really save you much time or money, not to mention risk your safety unnecessarily.

Check your car insurance policy before driving across. You may or may not be covered, and even if you are, there may be strange restrictions. For example, I was told by Allstate that I could hit only a U.S. driver and not a Mexican one, otherwise I wouldn't be covered. What the?!?

You should probably bring a passport or at least a photocopy of your passport. We only went in with our driver's licenses and only had to flash it when crossing back over. But if you aren't easily profiled as a non-Mexican, better to be safe.

I heard this on some late night show before, but seriously, those yellow signs on the highway warning you of people (families) running across the highway, what ethnicity do you think they represent?

(From this photo album)

2006.10.19 Thu - A Whole New World

An old swing friend and future hotshot dentist Estée Wang came to visit SD for a conference so I took the relatively short drive down a couple of times to hang out. The second time, Jimmy Chen came along as well and we headed to Tijuana, Mexico for a few hours.

It's weird that it felt like another country, and yet, didn't. Go to the album linked at the top for the rest of the pics, but some fun things to note:

Coronado Island in San Diego is beautiful, especially the Hotel Del Coronado. It's an open beach, so even if you're staying somewhere else, be sure to soak it up and check out the old geezer boutiques and yummy ice cream parlor underneath.

For a nice dinner, try eating at "The Sheerwater" on the beach front of the Hotel Del Coronado and get a table next to the outdoor fireplaces. *sigh*

Notice which direction the security cameras are turned in this pic.

It's cheaper to take the U-turn and park on the northbound side of the I-5's parking lot and walk across, than it is to park in the lot on the southbound side.

I heard on the news later that 44 murders happen a year in TJ. Be careful.

There's a long line to come back to the U.S. even if you're walking across (not sure whether the cars line is slower or not.

At least during the day, TJ's a really nice place with fun alleyways and shops to discover.

Bargain hard, but don't be a jerk. Not saving that extra $1 US probably hurts you much less than it does benefit the merchant you're buying from.

Be careful when picking your taxis and busses/shuttles. A lot of them are probably just gonna rip you off than really save you much time or money, not to mention risk your safety unnecessarily.

Check your car insurance policy before driving across. You may or may not be covered, and even if you are, there may be strange restrictions. For example, I was told by Allstate that I could hit only a U.S. driver and not a Mexican one, otherwise I wouldn't be covered. What the?!?

You should probably bring a passport or at least a photocopy of your passport. We only went in with our driver's licenses and only had to flash it when crossing back over. But if you aren't easily profiled as a non-Mexican, better to be safe.

I heard this on some late night show before, but seriously, those yellow signs on the highway warning you of people (families) running across the highway, what ethnicity do you think they represent?