More Art, Less Tequila in Tijuana on Spring Break Shereen Marisol Meraji - NPR.org | |
go to original April 23, 2014 |
Turista Libre's street art tour takes people around Tijuana to check out the city's murals. Mexican muralists Glow and El Norteno accompanied the group and spoke about their pieces. In this photo, Norteno's work is on the right and Glow's is on the left. (Brenda Delgadillo Canett)
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For decades, Southern Californians thought Tijuana was Spanish for "spring break." The streets of TJ used to be packed full of spring breakers pounding shots of tequila and taking drunken photos astride donkeys painted like zebras. That is, well, a thing of the past. The rise in over the years caused tourism in this border city to plummet. But now tourists are trickling back, and I was recently among them.
A group of more than a dozen Americans met up in front of a McDonald's in San Ysidro, Calif., to follow an Ohio native, and now Tijuana transplant, Derrik Chinn of Turista Libre, across the border into Mexico. I'm from California and I'd never done this before.
"Today is your first time?" asked the spunky Chinn, his English slightly accented from spending so much time south of the border. "Awesome! This is going to be so great. I'm so happy that this will be your experience!"
The tourists were mostly from San Diego and ranged from boomers to millennials. All were armed with cameras and smartphones. And our fearless guide, Chinn, was double-fisting two plastic bags filled with Tecates as he led us, on foot, into TJ. We breezed by the long line of people waiting to cross into the U.S. No pat-down, no passport check, no nada. And, once in Mexico, we stepped aboard what looked like an ancient school bus (parked by another Mickey D's).
It was barely noon and we were drinking cheap beer, sipping tequila and dancing in our seats to cumbia en route to the beach.
But this wasn't your typical Tijuana party bus.
Read the rest at NPR.org
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