Great story!

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Posted by RickFeliz on March 15, 2001 at 08:09:45:

In Reply to: Adventures of the uninformed... posted by Farsider on March 15, 2001 at 05:41:29:

Farsider,

Thanks for the interesting beginning. I'm looking forward to reading about the successful completion.

Even though I'd been living in San Diego for a few years I'd never gone to Tijuana. I had no interest in a place where "you had to worry more about the cops than the robbers."

It was the cover story on the Economist magazine 3 years ago that led me to ASPT and the Brocton O'Toole FAQ. After reading about it I was cruising around very late at night and wound up on the 5 headed south. I remember seeing the lights of Tijuana just as you come over the top of the hill in National City. I got off at the last exit to USA and successfully located the parking lot mentioned in the BOT FAQ and cruised home. I was a little confused as to where you walked to get to Mexico and had some concern about what you needed to get back in the USA.
A few days later I got a friend to go with me to check out the "reentry" procedure. We took the last USA exit, parked in the lot, walked south with the crowd, passed through the revolving gate into Mexico, admired the mural BOT had mentioned, walked straight through the second gate to the Yellow taxi guys, saw the bridge over the highway, did a left turn and returned to the USA. I wanted to "check it out" during the daytime totally sober and clear-minded. I was surprised at how easy it was to come back through customs. All you had to do is look at the guy, smile, and say "US citizen".

We next extended the excursion to include walking through the gate and when the guy said "Taxi?", saying "Si". I had carefully practiced saying "Ah-day-lee-tas, por favor" and after a brief ride, there we were on Coahuilla. I remember getting out of the taxi in front of Adelitas, looking up and down the street at the lights from all the bars, hearing the street bands, and thinking the word from some of the trip reports I'd read, "Surreal".

Pushing through the heavy curtains at the door and stepping inside Adelitas was like entering another world. It reminded me of Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone. Three years later and I still get a thrill every time I walk into the place. The first time we were there it was crowded, I was excited and nervous at the same time, and only managed to buy "una cervasa" for a "senorita de la fiesta". We stood around awkwardly. I didn't speak enough Spanish to carry on a conversation and I imagine she was new and was fumbling the same as us. She finished her drink and my friend and I walked through the bar and returned to the USA.

The next time we went it was again crowded. We were making our way in front of the girls sitting at the left bar when I wound up in front of the blonde Alicia. She smiled, put her knee in my crotch, and my life changed. ;o)

Regards,
RickFeliz

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