Ed Note: We’ve all had some unique travel experiences. Please send along pictures and notes for the blog!
Standing in Mexico on the Tijuana beach, I look north toward Coronado, Point Loma and San Diego. Having crossed the border at one of the busiest crossings in the hemisphere, I saw the sign above “Aqui Empieza La Patria” where the border fence ends in the ocean. The official translation by the government is “Gateway to Mexico” but it more literally means “Here is the Start of the Homeland.”
Nearby is the now closed “Freedom Park” which used to allow friends and family to speak to each other through the fence/wall. The park has been closed now being dubbed “Hatred Park” by the locals. Tijuana has slowly recovering tourism and nearby Rosarito will be packed with students on Spring break. We felt quite safe in both places and were able to easily buy some meds at a local Farmacia for 20% of the cost at home. Many San Diegans cross the border for dental care and love the results!
Surprisingly Tijuana is a bedroom community for US citizens who work in the San Diego area. About 20,000 American commuters brave the border to work for higher wages while enjoying a much lower cost of living in Tijuana. The two border towns are linked for work and trade and are indeed Sister Cities. The hostility of our President toward Mexico is a thorn and a source of derision but the hospitality we experienced was most gracious.