Spent this weekend in TJ and the following is my trip report and basic observations. Left LA about 12:20 PM, on Friday the 23rd, and pulled into the parking lot of my usual hotel just north of the border about 3 PM. After unpacking and settling in, I headed for the border at about 4:30 PM and jumped on the bus headed to Revo since I was looking to price some medications figured this would be a good starting point. Bus dropped us off at Revo and Cinco. Poked my head in a couple places and asked for availability and price but did not buy anything. This was my first time back to TJ since Sept. 11th and I wanted to see what the border crossing back on foot would be like before making my purchases. As I worked my way north on Revo and then onto Constitucion I could start to see the street girls manning their usual posts. Walking by several of them yanked at my sleeve. I would turn and smile at them but kept walking toward AB. I walked into AB at around 5:30 PM and the place was half empty. I go grab a beer and have a seat near HC. Since I was going to hookup with my ATF who works nights at CC and we always do it twice, I was in AB only to have some beers and take in the scenery as well as enjoy the music. The music was way too loud BTW. Saw many familiar faces. One of those faces belonged to Jessica (formerly of Mazatlan). She really slimmed down and looked hot which I mentioned to her. For some reason she no longer asks me to go upstairs (maybe all those times I told her no when she had the big ass had something to do with it). Anyway, we chatted for a short while and then both went our separate ways. Another face a saw in AB which was a total surprise was Michelle (formerly of CC). She told me that she now works days at AB. She didn’t really go into why the change of venue but I later found out that she had a fall out with her girl friend(s) at CC. She works everyday except Sun and Mon. She was a no show the following day on Saturday when I was there BTW. After a couple of hours of this it was time for some tacos at my favorite street cart. I have previously mentioned this place but gave the wrong intersection. They are located at Coahuila and Martinez. I think their tacos are the best and they go for 8 pesos. Be sure to have pesos with you. After five tacos and a Squirt, I head back to AB to grab a cab back to my hotel to shower and change my clothes since I’m wearing jeans and an older sweatshirt that all reek of cigarette and are too casual for CC. I walk up to the cabs in front of AB and ask “cuanto a la linea” and they reply $10.00 and justify this by saying the lines are long and we’ll have to go the long way. I shake my head and start to walk toward the cabbies in front of CC. Meanwhile they immediately lower their price to $7.00 and then ultimately to $5.00. Fuck them! The damage was done. Why didn’t they just quote me $5 from the beginning? Right on the corner between AB and CC was one guy who said $6 and we were off. We go the long way around and he drops me off next to the sidewalk on the other side of the line of cars. The ped line was LONG. It ended up taking me one and one half hours to get across on foot Friday at 8:00 PM. Those god damn “rent a cops!” Just because they carry a gun and work at the border they think they have any kind of authority. There was one fat ass that would continuously walk up and down barking instructions at everyone and making sure you were SINGLE FILE. This one time there were these five kids who had a bit too much to drink and stuff and one of them starts taking pictures of each other and fat ass comes running over yelling at them to STOP otherwise he WILL confiscate their film. Then one of the guy’s buddies gets on his cell phone and fat ass again comes over give them shit. It was like the Gestapo, you couldn’t do shit. Finally pull up to the metal detectors and they have one guy taking off his jacket and emptying all his pockets and they’re wanding him. They took him away to some back room for further probing. I get through with no damage despite having pockets full of keys and coins. Finally get to my room, watch some TV, get cleaned up and head out to CC. Take a cab for $6 and run into my ATF about 5 minutes after I arrive. It’s about 11 PM and things are starting to pick up (although nothing like previous levels). There were lots of hot chicas showing off their cleavage. One of those was Patricia of DF. She looked hot as she too lost all the excess weight. Another was Alma and several others. Anyway, spent the next four and one half hours with my ATF before asking those famous words “Cuanto a la linea?” It was about 3:30AM and the line only took half hour this time. I was in bed by 4AM. Part II tomorrow.

Harry