I go to TJ often enough that the 4-8 hours I spend down there each week often seem non-eventful, but recent observations have stood out, and they aren't good ones.

To give you background, I've been going to TJ for 15 years now, at most three days per week, but over the entire period maybe an average of once per week. I've primarily visited the main bars of Adelitas (CH Link), Chicago Club (CH Link) (it used to be popular), and Hong Kong (CH Link). I'd never been very interested in the attractiveness, attitude, nor hygiene of most street girls, and the escort scene has never been quite my style. I've dabbled here and there with these as well as the massage parlors, but I've mostly stuck to the basics.

When I started traveling overseas, I started losing interest in Tijuana. That seems to be a common occurence among hobbyists that have sampled places in Asia and South America. There have still been a few that would still swear by Tijuana, but from what I noticed the majority moved on or just used Tijuana as a backup between trips, that was my story for a while.

As time passed and I became more seasoned in my observations and techniques, I started to appreciate Tijuana again. It was nice to be able to have fun without the hassle of preparing for trips or juggling my schedule, and my batting average of good sessions seemed to be improving, I was enjoying the best of both Tijuana and other places.

But as I've said, recent experiences haven't been as good. I've noticed some potentially disturbing trends, and they've affected me as well as a couple of my experienced friends.

#1) Girls That Don't Give BJs, Even Covered

I've never been one to negotiate the activities in a session much, many guys have and do with successful results, but I've always felt it lessened the experience for me. I might have to start, though, as I'm discovering more and more of the newer crop of girls, at least some of the better looking ones, aren't giving even covered blowjobs. In the past I had never been one to repeat with a girl much, I often figured, "why pay for a girl I've already fucked", but I'm doing it more and more recently. Even with what I thought had been a well developed interviewing technique, I've discovered more girls to be surprisingly poor upstairs. Maybe they're learning to fake it, or maybe they're getting help from PLM's who tell them how to fake it...which brings me to...

#2) Guys That Sit for Hours With The Working Girls

It seemed I didn't have to worry about this much in the past, guys weren't into spending a ton of money on overpriced drinks, and girls were more interested in actually working than earning drink tickets. It seems that more and more of the girls are going upstairs less and drinking more. Since these guys are buying so many drinks, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were also overpaying, maybe that's why the girls are willing to sit with them longer. This has always been a problem, but I swear it's gotten much worse recently. It also used to be confined more to Hong Kong and Chicago Club, but I'm noticing it everywhere now. These are WORKING GIRLS, be considerate to your fellow hobbyist and give them the opportunity to go upstairs with the girl you've been sitting with for the past couple hours. They have better things to do than getting drunk...which brings me to...

#3) Girls That Are Too Drunk To Fuck

In 14 years this didn't happen to me once, in the past several months it's happened to me twice and I know of a couple other instances. The first time I thought it was just a fluke, but I'm not so sure now, it could be a disturbing new kind of scam. In both cases, I had several drinks with a girl, but she appeared more drunk than normal. Still, she was lucid enough and had no problem walking. Once in the room, drunk and fun became drunk and ready to pass out, and attempts at sex were lightly resisted or in another case she was completely motionless. Friends have described similar experiences, although it only happened to them once. Of course, when it was time to leave they weren't as drunk as when it was time to have sex.

So What Now?

I'm still going, but I'm trying new girls even less. I've had to pay twice as much for parking quite a few times recently because I'm staying over eight hours due to having to wait for girls to free up because they're sitting with guys for extended periods of time and many are failing interviews. I've made it a new rule not to go upstairs with girls that appear more than a little drunk. One of the best things about TJ has always been convenience, but it hasn't been very convenient for me recently. I'm hoping it's just a temporary thing or perhaps a bad crop of new girls. Unfortunately, I think there are so many clueless guys going to TJ now that the girls can continue this trend and still make money from the expanding pool of new victims.

Maybe it's time for me to start traveling overseas more again.

Interesting observations. I think guys are more apt to get BJs if they are young and good looking. Guys on the back side of 50 will probably have to shell out more green to get it.

Put the shoe on the other foot--how many old gals are most of the guys on the board looking to bang, do 69 with? Not many I'd venture...

Another seasoned TJ pro admits that which can no longer be denied. And Dart was too polite to mention this, but the quality of the "girls" has gone to hell; they're much older and heavier. The TJ apologists are going to jump in and deny it, but all you have to do is look at the photos.

The TJ apologists by and large cleared out of Club Hombre 8-10 years ago. So, there won't be too many of them to complain.

Don't hesitate to go to the front desk if anyone suddenly passes out and appears to be barely breathing. There is always the possibility
of a bad reaction to "medication" mixed with alcohol. No "hotel" wants to face police and coroner
for wasting time in a possible emergency.

The solution is better Spanish and find hot FOB's at the smaller bars. Most guys will go into Trop for a few seconds or LC and just leave. Patience pays off. There are hot girls working all throughout zona norte and most of them end up working at Hong Kong. Why not get a hot prospect when she is working in the minor leagues before she turns into cunt working at HK. The three best looking girl I fucked in the last year worked at NY Bar, Amor Latino and Dolce Gabbana. 2 of the 3 work at HK now. There are a ton of hot girls in zona norte but the problem is the weekends have too many guys in the bars and 90% go there without fucking a chica.

The biggest new group in the last 5 years are Vietnamese and Arab weekends warriors coming from LA and OC. Asians in particular like sitting for hours playing pretend gf at an obvious whore house. Ficha fucking used to be relegated to the small bars but the Asian invasion is ruining the TJ hobby because they enjoy sitting in the bar for hours buying the girls fichas and tipping them for sitting with them. The Chino drinks water while his "date" gets too drunk to fuck and pukes.

IMO it is a mixed bag of things that have occurred during the last 15 years that perhaps affected TJ. I would say two of the biggest are a post 9/11 world and the tanking of the economy.

These events have certainly reduced the amount of monger traffic and weekend warriors. Other contributions would be bad press regarding crime and violence in TJ. Even though it seems the number of tourists going to TJ has reduced the length of time it takes to cross the border is quite long. etc.

But I actually like the reduced monger crowds and now Fridays and Saturdays are bearable. Before Wednesday and Thursday runs were ideal. But the reduced monger traffic has also affected the chica quality. The chica selection is at an all time low imo. There are beautiful chicas working but it has gotten boring for me to repeat with the same chicas.

When chic selection was at its best, repeating was the last thing on my mind because there were so many hotties to choose from and the average session is better than the average session than I come across today.

I remember the days when CC was actually better than AB. And HK was hole in the wall. Now HK has the best selection. At one point AB took the lead but the HK expansion and renovation and their proactive promoting took the thunder from AB. CC is off the map. Places like Tropical Bar and Las Chavelas are better than CC now.

I have only experienced a drunk chica one time and I have to say it was actually a fun experience. And I have found it rare that a chica doesn't at least provide a CBJ. As far as chicas sitting with guys for a long time, it happened at CC with the asian mongers. It seemed to be a status thing for the chicas to have asian clients. I think the trend has increased at HK because of the edecanes. Back in the day i think it was competitive for chicas to see who could go up the most because it mean that particular chica was popular and banking more money. It seems chicas are competitive for the other end of the spectrum... who can go up the least but bank the most money that night.

Overall my TJ runs have reduced drastically and it more has to do with chica selection and not the economy etc. I know there are hot chicas still working that meet my criteria but the only way to avoid repeating is to go less.

I have made the switch to HK because it seems this is where the new faces can be found.

I've spent too little time in TJ in recent years to comment on the current state of affairs with any authority (though in my case my absence from TJ is NOT by choice but by circumstance).

I do have to say that Blazers correctly stated the general rule: The actually NEW new chicas are rarely at HK or AB. Yeah, there are some. Most actual pre-spoiled FOBs are at every other bar where you guys aren't hanging out. When they get comfortable with the idea of hooking high volume in the gringo lineup, they move on to AB and HK and their service generally begins sliding downhill as their price rises if you're dumb enough to negotiate with them up front.

I will say that my few experiences doing zona short term in recent years, I'm finding the level of service higher than ever before in AB and CC. I've always found it good in HK if you don't jump like a horny dog on the hottest chica with the hardest tits in your field of vision.

My sample is small but whatever, my zona experience hasn't been different except that I'm mostly anonymous and happily so whereas I was once too well known. More than enough chicas within my range of attraction but a challenge to find exactly what you need to make it special. Every day is different with good and bad surprises.

Shit, one night last year I venture with an amigo into the Black Bull bar across from my Hotel Ticuan for a nightcap cerveza when we're already both too drunk at close to 5AM to justify such a venture. But once inside we see that the adjacent Maria Bonita massage parlor has unleashed a crew of roughly a dozen absolutely scorching hot and fresh looking 18-20 year old chicas into the bar to sell the business while the sun makes its first appearance of the new day. The bar and MP are clearly intertwined businesses. I'm too done with the last day to think about a hookup at the beginning of this new one, but I can't believe how alluring all these young chicas are. So of course I have to check it out on later trips this last year and I see quality now and then, but never anything like that pre-dawn lineup a year ago. I'll continue to keep an eye on it. That's TJ!

Well that made my return to Club Hombre worthwhile. I suspected something worse and dire just before I head to SD tonight. Will only get Sunday and Monday in la Zona and I will be the tourista type who will overspend because I am rarely able to make the trip across the border and circumstances in life make it such that I need to be very discreet, such that I wish to go find the Black Bull bar and Maria Bonita but will take a taxi from HK to make the trip. I know it is not a far walk, but taxi is still safest. I got stopped by polica checking for drogas just because I was enjoying the walking sites between CC and the alley and HK many years back. No drogas on me but was I panicked about trying to explain why I got stopped/arrested in Zona Norte and how to even get out if arrested? No basis, but still that don't matter if you got to get in that wagon and make that ride.

Anyone ever eat at Cesar's? seems like it is a halfway point between Ticuan and HK. I'm gonna be real stupid and join the HK VIP club even though I get 3 days at most or 2 days probable. I am counting on my sense of orientation returning rapidly but it must be 8 or 9 years since walking the streets in TJ. I am gonna look like shit at a meeting that I am obligated to make appearances for on Sat, Sun and Monday in SD. Can't share my fun with my friends there and can't compromise my obligations, so I am just gonna be the guy who buys fichas looking for someone like Adrianna whom Dart thinks is conservative and unfriendly? cold? she might be just what he describes, so I will contribute after the fact. Will make Trop, HK, and AB appearances along with Maria Bonita for certain. Glad to know current perceptions and will happily buy any CH member in this thread a drink if met on this adventure.

I've had my share of encounters with the police - cost me some time in the back of their cars but never paid a peso or spent a minute in jail or in front of "the judge". The worst police encounter I had involved being hijacked out of a taxi libre on the way to the Villa de Zaragoza (close to Ticuan) after leaving the zona in the middle of the night. Long but amusing story. But the real point is it happened years ago and this kind of dance with the TJ cops is much more history than current events. The city was actually successful in extremely toning down police criminality towards tourists about 5 years ago. It can still happen but whereas once it was almost routine, it is now rare. But its TJ - you never know. It could be routine again a year from now.

Hotel Ceasar's restaurant is my favorite serious dining spot in El Centro - probably not difficult to say that it is by far the best you can find around downtown. It is now operated by a family of the most famous chefs in TJ who are largely responsible for turning TJ into a destination for "foodies". Ceasar is a moderately priced place and a very appealing casual environment with the vintage photos of TJ back when the hotel opened and the "Ceasar Salad" was invented there. The food and service are simply fantastic. Be sure to order the famous Ceasar Salad made to original recipe at your table. You won't believe that a few thick leaves of Romaine could be such a special eating experience. You won't want to eat Ceasar salad anywhere else when you realize how inferior they are to the real thing at this restaurant.

If you have a room at Ticuan or other local hotel near Maria Bonita, keep in mind that the chicas will go to your room for the same price or less than the price of an hour session in the MP. Instead of a fake massage followed by sex on a skinny massage table high off the ground, you can do it in your luxurious hotel room on a comfortable King bed. They'll probably ask for more but $100 US should get it done and maybe even 1000P which will save you $20 or so.

Black Bull is deserted most of the time but often a chica or a spotter there to shark up dudes who seem to be looking for action. Point is that you can just walk into Maria Bonita itself to see whose working at the time if the girls aren't parading around the bar in their schoolgirlie outfits (wow this is a tired cliche in TJ). Please report back if its anything good. And incidentally if you enjoy the MP action, both New Body and Mermaids are further west on Calle 8. All 3 joints opened 24 hours and all 3 now have attached bars. All 3 also are happy to let the chicas go back to Ticuan with you.

Watch your mouth if you go to the Black Bull:

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/fulano_de_tal/2013/jan/15/american-killed-in-downtown-tijuana/

Black Bull is a place you do need to worry about. We don't know the story at what happened. The guy was killed and that is for sure, and the story in print is for sure not the truth. An American sex tourist will be just fine there.

It is generally staffed with 5 or so Maria Bonita chicas, but someone comes over to get them when they must return for a line up.

A guy was shot & killed at Hong Kong, also.
The murder hasn't stopped gringos, Asians or locals from going there.

Yeah, that's because people who incorporate going out on the town into their lifestyle in virtually any "town" worth going out on realize there are dangers lurking in nightlife - particularly in any red light district in the Western Hemisphere.

A few weeks ago a PLM shot and killed a stripper at the Spearmint Rhino in Rialto, CA it was said because she wouldn't be his girlfriend. Then he shot himself to death. Only too bad he couldn't torture himself before he shot himself.

About 18 months ago another guy willing to trade in his life for the illusion of love entered the VIP Strip club in North Hollywood and shot at least one person (a paying customer utilizing a stripper's services) and maybe the stripper too who was reportedly his girlfriend. Don't recall if they caught or killed the killer - where are the TJ cops when you need them?

What the hell. Go out to a chic club in Hollywood or Beverly Hills and you could get run over by Lindsay Lohan when you walk outside! I saw Ms. Lohan hanging in a Salsa club in Hollywood in 2004. I feel lucky to be alive!

It's a risky life for sure for party people, though not as risky as being a child attending public school in the USA.

Another knee-jerk retort that anything in TJ is better in every way. Erip, are you on the Tijuana Chamber of Commerce??

Check out the LA Times this morning (Sunday), because this is going to make you cream. Right there on the front page: "TJ IN FULL SWING" and "ARTFUL REVOLUCION." You've been vindicated.

Too bad TJ's not in full swing hobby-wise.

Actually Costar, it was not any kind of retort. Just stoking the point Earthy made that lurking danger doesn't keep the boys away from the show - most mongers hopefully understanding that visiting the whore store on the bad side of any town with an open sex industry is not expected to offer the safety equivalency of visiting the public library in Appleton, Minnesota.