Tijuana Makes Me Happy

Two days before I arrived in Tijuana, a car chase ended with a pick-up truck crashing into the international airport. There was a shoot-out resulting in at least one death and from what I read there were drug dealers involved. I had no idea about this until I was back across the border in San Diego. Good thing, 'cause when I arrived at the same airport I already had all sorts of images of severed heads and duct taped federalis dancing in my head. Despite all of the negative press this town has been getting recently, I was determined to keep and open mind. I had a great time and now I'll have some street cred back in Calabasas.



I borrowed the title of this post from a song title from TJ's hippest export, Nortec Collective. If you want to understand this multi-faceted border town, you must listen to this electronic music collective. As their name suggests, they mix traditional Norteño music with modern day techno beats.

The Evolution of Nortec
1800’s – German and Polish farmers arrive in Northern Mexico introducing the accordion and polka to musicians.

1920’s -Prohibition brings American fun-seekers to Tijuana. The abundance of opportunity draws musicians from all over Mexico and exposes local musicians to new styles.

1962 A young Herb Alpert travels to Tijuana to watch a bullfight. He is inspired by the horns of a mariachi band and incorporates a live recording of the crowd into his hit tune “The Lonely Bull.”

1972 -Los Tigres del Norte release their first single "Contrabando y Traición" (Contraband and Betrayal). With more than 30 albums released since, the group is one of the most influential within the genre and continues to be a cultural force.

1980’s –Tambora, a form of norteño music from Sinaloa characterized accented horns, tuba and songs about the life of drug lords is popularized by the narco (drug-running) culture in Tijuana.

1999 - Electronic aritsts Fussible, Bostich, Clorofila, Hipoboreal and Panoptica join together to form the Nortec Collective.
Sources: Pepe Mogt aka Fussible, www.EMPlive.org, www.fonovisa.com

La Candelaria

Everyone I talked told me that I went to Los Cabos I just had to make a trip out to Todos Santos. Like, OMG you haven't lived till you've scene how AMAZING it is. Well I didn't make it quite that far, but thanks to Baja Outback Tours, I was able to make it to La Candelaria, a little pueblo oasis that's usually a pit stop on the way. If Todos Santos is anything like La Candelaria, I'll have to make sure I get there next time, too. Oregon native Lorna Hankins makes all of the expats living in gated communities in places like Lake Chapala and Loreto look like a bunch of amateur wussies. Not only does she live with no air conditioning and limited electricity, but she has also mastered a pre-hispanic ceramic ceramic style that involves digging up clay during certain phases of the moon, but she also passed the craft along to other local women. Maybe its just 'cause she's from Oregon.
La Candelaria was once known for its population of curanderos, or witch doctors. Hankins pays homage to this tradition with her choice of gate decorations.

This turquoise altar was a striking site among the brown and green hues of the desert landscape.

Did you know there was such a thing as an alpha cow? These cunning cattle have the distinct honor of being the smartest cow in the herd. When there's a fresh crop of little bovines the ranchers leave them out in the middle of the desert to see which one finds its way home first. The winner gets to wear a bell around its neck and answer, "yes" when the other cows ask,"Do you think you're the boss of me?" These guys were hanging out on the road we took through the desert. I couldn't tell which one was in charge.

San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo is to Cabo San Lucas is what Norah Jones is to Brittany Spears. You can only hit me baby so many times before you need to immerse yourself in some serious adult contemporary culture.

One of San Jose's many artisans working in sweatshop-like conditions just to fill the walls for EVIL gallery owners.


These were taken in downtown San Jose's burgeoning gallery district. For me, not being able to slow down and enjoy a coffee in one of the charming cafes was like being served up a steaming cup of no-fair trade coffee .

A Fresh Take on Baja

I recently returned from a research trip to Baja California where I was doing research for a chapter in the 2009 Frommers Guide to Mexico. Just as I suspected, there's a lot more to this tourist-friendly peninsula than Cabo Wabo and Zebra-striped donkeys. Taking a departure from the style of my earlier posts, these next few will let the photos do a majority of the communication. Enjoy!