# MexiQuebecois walks around Tijuana for the last time



## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Hey guys! I was thinking the other day that maybe I should take some pictures around Tijuana. I'm leaving on Monday to Mexico City and I possibly won't come back here for a good 4 or 5 years due to personal reasons. So I thought I'd take a phew photos before I leave.

Tijuana is by no means what you would consider a "pretty city" It has a terrible reputation due to the high amount of strip clubs, prostitution, and more recently for being the "battlefield" of those freaking drug cartels. Nonetheless it's still home. I was born here and lived here most of my life.

A bit of info:

Tijuana (pronounced /ˌtiː.əˈwɑːnə/;[2] Spanish pronunciation: [tiˈxwana]), is the largest city of the Mexican state of Baja California, situated on the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to its sister city of San Diego, California. Tijuana is the westernmost city in Mexico, however, the westernmost population center is located in Isla Guadalupe. Tijuana is considered by the Mexican government to be the most dominant regional center in northwestern Mexico.

According to the 2005 census, the Tijuana metropolitan area was the sixth-largest in Mexico, with a population of 1,483,992, and one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico. Tijuana forms part of the San Diego-Tijuana Metropolitan Area, the total population of which has been estimated to be just over 5 million in 2009,[3] making it the 19th largest metropolitan area in the Americas[4] and the largest bi-national metropolitan area that is shared between US and Mexico. It is estimated that the two border crossings in Tijuana account for 300,000 daily border crossings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijuana

Note: The pictures were taken with a cheap digital camera and almost at sunset, add this to the fact that I suck at taking pictures and you get a shitty quality, but at least you get the picture 


We begin at Avenida Revolución, which is basically the main tourist attraction of the city, and pretty much the only place where tourists crossing the border end up, so by default this is the main impression they get of the city, a street filled with bars, restaurants, cheap motels, donkeys painted like zebras (lol wtf) drugstores and annoying people talking you into buying something from their "curios shop"










Making bets at this place is very popular among locals and tourists.









A somewhat popular nightclub, don't expect to see the preppy kids of Tijuana here though :lol:









A statue in front of the former "Jai Alai Auditorium" where the sport of the same name was played, now it's just called the "Forum" and is mainly a concert venue.









Looking North on Avenida Revolucion.









A nice restaurant with the Forum in the background.



























The Forum


















Typical merchandise in a "Curios Shop" selling Mexican arts craft and leather items.


















The famous donkey painted as a Zebra, don't ask me why, these have been around for decades.


















You see one of these literally on every corner.









A nice clothing store and a gay club on the second floor.









Another gay club.









Another drugstore and a gay club on the second floor, oh how surprising.









Am I really in the most visited city in the world?









More Curios shops


















This alley doesn't inspire trust, especially at night..









A Carls Jr :drool: and the Caesar's hotel, where the famous Caesar's salad was invented.









A nice place to buy Cuban cigars.









A restaurant with a funky look.


















Indigenous art.









A Sea World bus, it's common to see buses like these offering sweet deals, like transportation and entrance to the park for a reasonable fee.



























lol.






















































A small Casino










Tourist Info booth.









Another creepy alley.













































:cheers:


















The Tijuana Arch



























An HSBC bank.









I've never really understood this thing.









The Arch.









Some Mariachi guys taking a break.









A small police station.









Some tourists ready to go home....









More to come :cheers:


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

This is fantastic! I've always wanted to see pictures of Tijuana, as I have not been. All those Mexican restaurants make me hungry! Hoping you post more, and hoping you take pics once you arrive in Mexico City!


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## DeNeza401 (May 17, 2008)

Not my best bet when visiting Mexico but hey 40 million people visiting every year, that must be something to think about it. looks like everything you described cheap fun. keep posting.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Taller said:


> This is fantastic! I've always wanted to see pictures of Tijuana, as I have not been. All those Mexican restaurants make me hungry! Hoping you post more, and hoping you take pics once you arrive in Mexico City!


Thanks TB!  There are so many restaurants here that sometimes it puzzles me and I just keep wondering how they manage to stay in business!

I'll definitely take pictures of Mexico City  I'm moving there because I've been notified by the Canadian Embassy that my Immigration file has arrived, so I gotta be close to the embassy in case I'm called to hand in more paperwork or for an interview  So that's good news as it means I'm one step closer to going back to Canada! :banana:

Some more pictures.

*The Red Light District*

The Red light district or "Zona Norte" as we call it is not the place where you should be wandering on your own at night, especially if you do not know the area well. I wandered around trying to take pictures, but the whole situation turned very difficult as prostitutes started insulting and yelling at me and people were looking at me aggressively, I decided to just leave, not before being stopped and questioned by police as to "Why" I was taking pictures of Prostitutes, I was let go after half an hour but still not a very pleasant experience.

A "Hotel" if you wanna call it like that, you can rent a room for an hour if you want.


















A true ghetto right in the city centre.









Some seafood restaurant.









hno:









LOL @ this bar called "Failure"









Ok ok back to the safe spots, some more Mariachis chilling under the Arch, in Mexico it is somewhat common to hire these guys for what we call a "Serenata" which is basically going to your couple's place playing some songs at like 3am to wake him/her up  The problem is that the neighbours wake up as well  Their going rate should be somewhere around $100 USD per hour.









A Wax museum, I've been here before and it's pretty nice, the entrance fee is $1 USD and they have several wax figures of national and international figures such as Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, etc.










K I just don't get it, an imitation of an imitation? This gave me a good laugh, and for a moment I wondered how do these people stay in business, then I saw the Asian tourists enjoying some tacos there and that answered my question. Expect hardly any Mexicans eating there, or if they do, it would be just for the lulz.


















Heading towards the border.









A new development here.









Illegal? Prescription needed and you don't have one? NO PROBLEM! We have it!









Heading towards the border.









A comprehensive map of our financial district, our city centre and the beach (?)









You can see the "New City" towers here. They're supposed to build at least 5 luxury towers under this "Self contained inner city" concept of something like that, meaning they will have their own tennis and basketball courts, swimming pools, gym, bars, spa, daycare centre, private movie theatre, and many other things.


















Highway that leads to the Financial Centre.









Tijuana is all hills.









There should be a river here, but since it's all dry, the police uses it and in case of an emergency they have easy access to the main highways of the city from here.









Part of the financial district known as "Zona Rio" is shown here.









More hills.









A little square or "Plaza" just before reaching the border.









Some statue.









:cheers:









A nice clock.









As you could probably tell, Graffiti is abundant throughout the city, something should be done about it.









Never take these overpriced yellow cabs, in fact all public transportation in Tijuana is overpriced hno:









Maybe I will...









The Mexican Immigration offices right on the bridge that leads to the border.









Cars entering Mexico









Advertisement billboards as far as the eye can see.









The US-Mexico border, the busiest crossing point in the whole world.









More cars keep coming.









lol.









Time to go home, but not before having some tacos. :cheers:


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

DeNeza401 said:


> Not my best bet when visiting Mexico but hey 40 million people visiting every year, that must be something to think about it. looks like everything you described cheap fun. keep posting.


Definitely I agree with you, Going to Tijuana and saying you've visited Mexico is like going to Disneyland and saying you've visited the USA. It's not my best recommendation as a place to visit in Mexico with so many other interesting cities throughout the whole country.


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## corredor06 (Oct 13, 2008)

good pics


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

corredor06 said:


> good pics


Thanks


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I really enjoyed that tour, as I have always been curious what it was like there. It looks so much cheaper than Puerto Vallarta.. beer looks about 1/3 the price! That taco stand made me hungry! 
ps you were very brave going through that prostitute area with your camera.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Wow, fascinating. I have been there an this may sound strange. Going from Southern California to Tijuana reminds me of going from Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, MI. It is an eye opener. Or maybe it is like going from Niagara Falls, ON to Niagara Falls, NY. Such a difference in economic status, not culture because Mexico is very rich with culture. I think Tijuana is very much what Caifornia could have been like if it were not for the zoning laws. It looks a lot like Southern California but more dense.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Taller said:


> I really enjoyed that tour, as I have always been curious what it was like there. It looks so much cheaper than Puerto Vallarta.. beer looks about 1/3 the price! That taco stand made me hungry!
> ps you were very brave going through that prostitute area with your camera.


Thanks  Puerto Vallarta as well as Tijuana can have their overpriced areas, mainly geared at tourists.

And yeah I decided to give it a shot and walk through the Red light district, but it's not something I'm willing to do again :lol:


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

philadweller said:


> Wow, fascinating. I have been there an this may sound strange. Going from Southern California to Tijuana reminds me of going from Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, MI. It is an eye opener. Or maybe it is like going from Niagara Falls, ON to Niagara Falls, NY. Such a difference in economic status, not culture because Mexico is very rich with culture. I think Tijuana is very much what Caifornia could have been like if it were not for the zoning laws. It looks a lot like Southern California but more dense.


You're right and I agree with you, there are many reasons as to why Tijuana looks the way it is right now, mainly due to the fact that it's a border city, the city just started growing in stupidly high proportions, add this to the fact that the government is very lenient when it comes to building residential areas and a poor infrastructure and you get ghettos created throughout the hills of the city.

Even up to this date, it is one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico, and finally we have someone doing something for the infrastructure. Close to 50 roads/highways have been reconstructed, something has to be done about zoning laws though. Another big problem here is public transportation, it really sucks, and due to the topography of the region it is also very expensive to come up with a mass transportation system, there are rumors of a light rail system, and feasibility studies are already being made. Let's hope something comes out of it as the city badly needs it.

I wouldn't compare it to Niagara falls ON and Niagara falls NY or Windsor - Detroit though, people normally claim that our ghettos were caused by immigrants from central America and southern states of Mexico, that they try to cross the border to the US, don't make it and seclude themselves to the eastern parts of the city. There might be some truth to this but I don't wanna touch on the subject that much because it always turns into a fight.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

If anyone is wondering why I'm not multiquoting it's because I think this page has been overloaded with photos so I'm gonna wait until page 2 so I can put some photos of one of Tijuana's CBD called Zona Rio. 

So I'll wait till page 2


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## Fern~Fern* (Nov 27, 2005)

MexiQuebecois said:


> A Wax museum, I've been here before and it's pretty nice, the entrance fee is $1 USD and they have several wax figures of national and international figures such as Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, etc.


^^Where's is this Museum at? I will be visiting TJ next week and I want to check this place out?











MexiQuebecois said:


>


^^ I believe we had a discussion on this matter before, Hm!


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Fern~Fern* said:


> ^^Where's is this Museum at? I will be visiting TJ next week and I want to check this place out?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Museum is on calle Primera (1st Street) very close to the intersection with Madero St. which runs parallel to Avenida Revolucion.


And yes we did, that place does not belong to the actual Taco Bell franchise lol, just some owners waiting to be involved in a legal problem if the real Taco Bell ever crosses the border down South. Plus, I wouldn't trust a place selling 3 tacos for $1 USD


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very nice, amazing photos from Tijuana @MexiQuebecois :cheers:


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

MexiQuebecois said:


> Plus, I wouldn't trust a place selling 3 tacos for $1 USD


I wouldn't mind a place that sells beer for 1 USD!! 

It is very cheap in Brazil... 50cents to a dollar max for a large bottle.

those concrete little pillars on the sidewalk may be there to prevent a car careening up onto the sidewalk.

I laughed at the WE WANT YOU ****** poster! :lol:


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## NEWWORLD (Feb 21, 2006)

never been to Mexico, much different picture than what you hear on tv. Great pics! Thanks


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

christos-greece said:


> Very nice, amazing photos from Tijuana @MexiQuebecois :cheers:


Thanks Christos  more to come on next page.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Taller said:


> I wouldn't mind a place that sells beer for 1 USD!!
> 
> It is very cheap in Brazil... 50cents to a dollar max for a large bottle.
> 
> ...


Damn that's cheaper than pretty much anyplace here.

There are some good spots though, for example there's this place here where you just pay for your drinks and all you can eat is free. They serve lots of spicy food in order to keep you drinking though, but the beer is cheap, around $2.20 for a litter.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

NEWWORLD said:


> never been to Mexico, much different picture than what you hear on tv. Great pics! Thanks


lol TV (especially Hollywood movies) will show you the small little towns, sometimes with dirt roads and everyone wearing big hats wild wild west style. The truth is, that the majority of Mexicans live in big cities 

And thanks for the compliments


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

*Zona Rio*

I went to the movies a couple of days ago and took some pictures of Zona Rio, which is one of the main financial centres of the city. Unfortunately the movie finished at like 6:00 pm and I didn't have enough time to finish taking pictures of the whole boulevard 

I'm going there in a few hours so I'll try to finish it up today 

Here's a few pictures in the meanwhile.

Inside Plaza Rio, which is one of our oldest malls, it was recently renovated so it looks pretty nice.









A San Diego Padres baseball team official store. Due to the proximity to the US, baseball and American football are very popular here, and locals support the San Diego teams like if they were from here 









Plaza Rio's parking lot. I used to work inside that building in the background.









Tijuana has been putting some effort recently in promoting culture, this building is part of a complex that includes a museum and our Cultural Centre, affectionately called CECUT which houses, as they say "one of the most technologically advanced IMAX screens in the whole world" That CECUT building is basically a city landmark.

This is the newly built museum.









The entrance to the Museum.









The CECUT and some low-rise in the background.


















This is the CECUT.









Some statue in front of the CECUT.


















You can spot the New City towers here.









A nice little shopping mall they recently built. I like it but I think it's too small.









Liverpool is a nice store something like "Sears" this is the first one in Tijuana though, they're mainly found in the central and southern states.


















Gelato :drool:









New City.









Some restaurants along the boulevard.



























A Government building.


















:cheers:









Monument to Mexico.









It's getting late.









This is where "Plaza Fiesta" or as locals call it "La plaza" starts, right across the street from Plaza Rio, this place is full of bars and nightclubs, mainly locals come here, although you do see one in a while some adventurous tourists :lol:









Plaza Fiesta.









A Nightclub called Pancho Villa, it mainly plays Banda and Norteño music. Not really my favourite spot but hey, they got clubs for all tastes.


















Leaving la Plaza.









Some nice bars and restos.









An Irish pub.









A bank.


















The hotel Camino Real and a monument to an indigenous hero.


















More to come tonight hopefully.


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

Really interesting. Have only seen the city during the night so far.


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## diseñador86 (Nov 25, 2007)

Muy interesantes las fotos en definitiva, sacas a relucir la esencia de Tijuana, sigue con mas fotos de diversas zonas para que mucha genta la conozca.


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## Yörch1 (Oct 31, 2006)

Nice pics! 

The Revo! So tacky yet so funny! Love it! I used to live in Rosarito and have good memories of Tijuana. The most kitschy city in Mexico...


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## Parte del mundo (Sep 24, 2007)

MexiQuebecois, mes felicitations a toi pour les photos. I congratulate you for your pictures. You exposed your city in a very honest way through the eyes of a local, showing day-to-day people. I say this because I have seen threads that only show the nicest parts or tourist areas of their cities. 

This thread is very sincere like saying "Look, we have all the big problems, but we keep living every day.":cheers: Keep bringing this special touch on your pictures, and the fact pictures are not photoshopped makes them real. 

Just take care in Tijuana.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I had to Youtube some examples of Banda and Norteño music, but now I know what they are called!


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Great work mate - having visited San Diego a couple times I have always wanted to kick my self for not visiting Tijuana too..

Thanks for sharing - very interesting


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

goschio said:


> Really interesting. Have only seen the city during the night so far.


Partying eh? 



diseñador86 said:


> Muy interesantes las fotos en definitiva, sacas a relucir la esencia de Tijuana, sigue con mas fotos de diversas zonas para que mucha genta la conozca.


Muchas gracias! Desafortunadamente me mudo este lunes así que no podré tomar muchas 



Yörch said:


> Nice pics!
> 
> The Revo! So tacky yet so funny! Love it! I used to live in Rosarito and have good memories of Tijuana. The most kitschy city in Mexico...


lol I live like 5 mins away from Rosarito 



Parte del mundo said:


> MexiQuebecois, mes felicitations a toi pour les photos. I congratulate you for your pictures. You exposed your city in a very honest way through the eyes of a local, showing day-to-day people. I say this because I have seen threads that only show the nicest parts or tourist areas of their cities.
> 
> This thread is very sincere like saying "Look, we have all the big problems, but we keep living every day.":cheers: Keep bringing this special touch on your pictures, and the fact pictures are not photoshopped makes them real.
> 
> Just take care in Tijuana.


Merci beaucoup!  I'll try to add some more pictures before I leave.



Taller said:


> I had to Youtube some examples of Banda and Norteño music, but now I know what they are called!


lol not really my favourite kind of music, but of course once you've had a few beers everything sounds just fine :lol:



FREKI said:


> Great work mate - having visited San Diego a couple times I have always wanted to kick my self for not visiting Tijuana too..
> 
> Thanks for sharing - very interesting


Being the adventurous and well-traveled guy you are, it does surprise me you've never been there  Don't miss it next time, I'm sure you'll find something of interest there


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## Jesús E. Salgado (Aug 20, 2008)

More pictures of Tijuana




Playas de Tijuana (Tijuana Beaches)














USA and México border at Playas de Tijuana (Beaches)












Tijuana Bull Ring by the Beach












Exterior of Tijuana Bull Ring by the Beach













Tijuana Beach with Coronado Island in the distance


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## Jesús E. Salgado (Aug 20, 2008)

City of Tijuana

Zona Del Rio in Tijuana















That Tower used to be part of a high school














Tijuana Cathedral















Revolution Street














A tourist nightmare the crossing at the gate


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Thanks for the contribution. Some pictures are a bit old though, like for example that one overlooking skyline, that Bull Ring was demolished like 2 years ago.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I don't know why... but I have a sudden craving for a Tecate!!!! :lol:


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## Mariachi (Nov 4, 2006)

Great pictures! I hope you put soon pictures of green tower, twin towers etc


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## Ukraine (Apr 2, 2009)

Merci MexiQuebecois!
These pictures are really nice but i don't feel this city. I don't know in which category it falls, some parts of the city are nice but some really make me feel like its ugly. The city has a certain ghetto feeling...maybe its just me.
Thank you again!


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## Jesús E. Salgado (Aug 20, 2008)

Tijuana is not a pretty city, it has like all large metropolises of the world it s share of beautiful buildings and also of slums.

I know the city real well, I have visited Tijuana many many times since the 60's. By the way this border city has a population of over two million people.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Taller said:


> I don't know why... but I have a sudden craving for a Tecate!!!! :lol:


At least where I live, Tecate is like trailer trash beer lol. Except for Tecate light, that one is pretty good, oh and Sol kicks ass 



Mariachi said:


> Great pictures! I hope you put soon pictures of green tower, twin towers etc


Thanks! Unfortunately I'm leaving on Monday, so I only have like two photos 




Ukraine said:


> Merci MexiQuebecois!
> These pictures are really nice but i don't feel this city. I don't know in which category it falls, some parts of the city are nice but some really make me feel like its ugly. The city has a certain ghetto feeling...maybe its just me.
> Thank you again!


Lol I feel ya, I lived here for about 18 years and I can tell you it is not a pretty city, it's a border city that is growing rapidly but you're right, the city does have some ghettos and it lacks those awesome colonial buildings you normally see in cities down south. The topography and lack of zoning laws doesn't help either.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

LOL! Yeah, I got that feeling in Puerto Vallarta as well, that Tecate is trailor-trash beer! hehe.. my favourite is Pacifico, but I don't think it is everywhere in Mexico. Also I love Dos Equis, and Sol, too. Sol has the best bottles.
It might not be the most scenic town, but I love Mexico, and probably would get a kick out of visiting it!


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Probably my last batch of photos since I'm moving in a day.

New City and some ugly low-rise commie blocks.









Our City Hall, I personally think it's a disgusting, boring building hno:



























New City Towers


















Our Twin Towers, lol.










You can see the Greenview tower under construction here.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Taller said:


> LOL! Yeah, I got that feeling in Puerto Vallarta as well, that Tecate is trailor-trash beer! hehe.. my favourite is Pacifico, but I don't think it is everywhere in Mexico. Also I love Dos Equis, and Sol, too. Sol has the best bottles.
> It might not be the most scenic town, but I love Mexico, and probably would get a kick out of visiting it!


You're actually right, you can find Pacifico here but it's hard to come by, I like Dos Equis Ambar as well.

Tijuana might not be the best city out there  but there's stuff to do there, and many places of interest are nearby.


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## MexiQuebecois (Sep 22, 2008)

Well guys these are the last photos I'll post of Tijuana for a few years, since I now moved to Mexico City.

Basically just a few aerial shots. It was a bit cloudy, excuse the quality.































































































































That's all I have for you, hope you enjoyed!

Don't forget to take a look at my upcoming thread of Mexico City!


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