jeans
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Fernando's Tijuana Tour
Last Saturday I took advantage of ftd's offer of a free tour. I was so surpirsed that I was the only one who showed up!
It had been at least 30 years since I had been on Avenida Revolucion. Some things never change...I parked in the same parking lot I remembered.
I got there early and as I waited under the arch for Fernando, I watched as the shopkeepers got ready for what they hoped would be a good day.
A group of mariachis, all dressed up, were handing out business cards, trying to drum up business. I was offered many opportunities to buy fine
jewelry...or gum.
I had hoped to bring some non-baja friends with me but they chickened out. Wasn't I afraid? Well...no.
Fernando's pride in his city is evident in the care he has taken to plan the route and show you the non-tourist heart of the city. He has a binder
with historical pictures of buildings as they were back when the city grew up.
There are stories behind the vendors on the streets that the ordinary visitor would never know and I was enchanted by it all.
I tasted candied Bisnago but passed on the dried crickets (with chile powder). I bought a softball-sized round of string cheese that is (was)
delicious, but I passed on the gross-looking pressed pork rinds.
The Historical Museum with the newspaper archives were amazing. Fernando said that the public would not have access to the newspapers for too much
longer...they were deteriorating, but you can go in and look up the month you were born, find the issue from your birthday and see what was happening
in Tijuana back then.
Then there was the Cow Parade. For reasons I don't quite understand, LALA, a large producer of dairy products, makes large
fiberglass (??) cows available (sells them?) to groups or individuals who then decorates/paints them and they go on display. They were all over
downtown.
The tour winds around the blocks near the arch (I probably could not re-trace the exact route), then circles back to Revolucion. This is where
Fernando lets his customers shop as they make their way the few blocks to LA Cetto winery where the tour normally ends at 2:00.
Well, I didn't need to shop so I offered to buy lunch then let him off early to get back to his family.
I took a few pictures...here they are.
Fernando's Tijuana
Thank you Fernando!
[Edited to fix the dang link]
[Edited on 6-20-2008 by jeans]
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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DianaT
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Looks great and a lot of fun. Love your pictures---there are just not enough of them---would love to see more.
Diane
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fishbuck
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Ya, does look like fun. I had a lot of fun with Ferna at the book signing. I sure he 's even more fun when he's showing you around "his" town.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Santiago
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This is definately on my list of to-dos. I did see a lot of the cows on my last trip - very clever.
Does essence predate existence?
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fdt
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jeans
Thank you Fernando!
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Your'e welcome, my pleasure.
Tours can be any day, but the next and last of the free tour saturdays is June 28.  
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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Woooosh
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The cow thing is everywhere and for different charities, promotions and causes. In Buenos Aires I saw them promoting the arts, in Chicago they were
auctioned off for cancer (Oprah bought one). I'd post a picture of Oprah next to her plastic cow- but they're hard to tell apart... again.
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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bajalera
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Thank you, Jeans and Fernando, for the great photos. I'm trying to think of where we might put a cow.
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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BajaGringo
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Having met Fernando and experiencing his passion as well as knowledge of Tijuana in addition to his kind nature, I would strongly recommend anyone who
has the opportunity to take one of Fernando's tours.
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DianaT
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Not sure it is clear to everyone, but Fernando, is FDT. And, I don't think anyone knows Tijuana as well as does Fernando.
Find his post in this thread and contact him either through his web site or a U2U.
How long ago did you wife leave Tijuana? Big, big city today.
Good Luck and have fun
Diane
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jodiego
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jeans
Last Saturday I took advantage of ftd's offer of a free tour. I was so surpirsed that I was the only one who showed up!
That is so sad.
Keep your spirits up Fernando, things have got to pick up eventually. You have a beautiful city that you should be very proud of.
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