New Mexico

We took I5 south and passing the signs that said "Last US exit""To Mexico" signs, we went to the Boderstation parking. We were told that we could park our car there, walk to Baja shopping complex, or take a bus to Tijuana and come back..

I wanted to go to Tijuana.. We took the bus, and crossed over- not the there were many changes immediately, but within a mile, I could see old pickups and old cars.. People driving without seat belts. Small babie travelling in the front seat, on mother's laps. Our bus was going in what you can call center of two lanes, not the center lane.

We heard a lot of sirens, lot of cop cars that looked just like US cops. I wondered if law and order was restored in Mexico!

We got down, entered a mall. I could see lot of Mexican local art on display- but the price was same as dollars- nothing less that what I would pay in China town. A small Pooh Bear toy was more than 12$ and so on..

We went out, saw people flocking us and the other people who got down from the bus. There was this little guy who handed over a toy to some woman and refused to take it- he said she took it and now he wanted money! We were on alert after that- didn't touch anything we wouldn't buy.

There was this guy selling beautiful necklaces. A glance at them, and he was following us to sell it! Started from 12$ and came up to 5$- we wondered what the real price would have been! And above all he gave the special price only for you statement! Remembered those sariwallas who would say Behenji, sirf aap ke liye ye special price hai to our moms and aunts who gathered around to buy the saris..

Then we crossed a disco/ pub. There was a woman who invited us in and said "Babies are okay"!!! Goodness gracious, I didn't faint! I myself never stepped in a pub/ disco yet, how dare she ask me to come in and bring the baby inside!

Now I know why Mexican girls grow up so fast- they are exposed to this dirt very young, and they have no choice except to live with it.

My daughter was already tired looking at the crowded streets, people shouting.. screaming, all that noise. I asked her to lean back and take a nap- luckily "No"was not the answer- perhaps she was bored or scared.

There were traffic lights, but people crossed over on red. Pedestrians just stood watching them for a while. Then a cop came, he controlled the traffic as in desi towns. But people were not listening to him. A guy crossed over when he was not supposed. The cop stopped him and lo! He fought with the cop.

This was the introduction to Mexico police power.

We do make fun of cops in India, but rarely we do it on the face- we still respect the "Saheb" when we talk to talk to him!

Then we went to a Gucci- jeans were not cheap as some people said- everything was the same price except for the tax..

I saw my husband- eye to eye- we smiled. "Shall we?" he asked, "Yes, please" was my reply.

We returned to our bus stop.

The guy said that there is a bus every fifteen minutes, but turned out that there was one every half an hour- but we waited.

I just wished my daughter doesn't wake up- I didn't want to take her pee-pee in this hell.. with those rough people around, I wouldn't dare to..

First time in my life, I respected Indian men- all of them for what they are..

I swear, I will never call a desi guy MCP in my life!!

We sat in the bus, with the stroller folded out and carried it inside- no ramp opened up to push it in. The bus was crowded- people were literally over each other. Just like a KSRTC bus, sans the good people..

Young or old, they had only one look- hunger. You know what I mean.

Two hours in the bus at the customs, we wondered what was the wait to get out of customs!

My daughter woke up and grew restless- it was a pain trying to play with her in the two seater- all of a sudden her elbows were hard and shoes were big/ wide and she was strong to control!

Customs was easy as I didn't buy anything..

At last we crossed over..

I felt safe. I didn't check on my daughter every second, I didn't hold my purse that had my passports close to me. I didn't care about my credit cards.

Speaking of it, I forgot my purse that had all my info/ cards near that ET show in LA. I realized it almost after an hour- we thought it would be gayab by then. My husband said he will go, check if its' there and then report to cops. But it was there- exactly where I left it.

We felt free- free to be ourselves and not to worry about anything.

As we sat in the car, my husband said he was worried about us all this while..first time in our married life!

I was so sorry for ruining everyone's day, but then, made it up to them by taking them to La Jolla..