We are a bit late to the game on our Tripbase My 7 Links post but here it is! We want to thank Christine from Christine in Spain for nominating us. I hope everyone finds something new or random that they missed before. Have fun browsing some of our most popular posts along with some of our lesser known travel bits.

Our Most Beautiful Post:

The Flames of Florence & Six Month Somewhere In Time Retrospective

Personally this was one of my favorite posts and the Flames of Florence is one photo that I am still in *Love* with. That photo along with the six month Somewhere In Time photo retrospective make me consider it our most beautiful post.

Our Most Popular Post:

Scenes From a Paris Market

I think hands down this was our most popular post. I’m really proud of the photos and this one logged the most comments to date for us on any single post. It was also Tweeted, Stumbled and Facebooked all over the place so I gather that a lot of other people also enjoyed these photos of Paris. If you missed it be sure to take a look.

Our Most Controversial Post:

Sh*ts on a Plane – What Would You Do If The Passenger Next To You Soils Their Pants?

I don’t know if this one was necessarily controversial but I felt a little edgy when we put it up. It was a funny post but I didn’t want to offend anyone that might have had this unfortunate experience themselves.

Our Most Helpful Post:

The Essential WWOOFing Pack List

A lot of our readers are interested in volunteer travel and in WWOOFing around the world. This WWOOF pack list was helpful for a lot of those readers.

A post that didn’t get the success it deserve:

Traveler Interview with RoadMonkey’s Paul von Zielbauer

Randy did a great interview with Paul about his company RoadMonkey. RoadMonkey is a travel company with a twist – a big twist. They combine adventure travel with helping those in need. He’s a bit of a visionary and we could see the potential in this type of travel so we were surprised when this post didn’t get much love from readers.

A post whose success surprised me:

Traveling Long Term – 8 Things I Learned on the Road

We liked this post when we wrote it but didn’t expect it to be so popular. I guess what they say is true – posts that include lists are always a favorite!

The Post We Are Most Proud Of:

My Arrival to Italy – Scenes From An Italian Train

This was a tough post to write but it came straight from the heart. I almost didn’t put it up for fear that I would look like an emotional head case. I had some very strong family emotions arise on the train from Paris to Italy that took me completely by surprise and turned me into a bawling mess in front of everyone on the train.

There you have it! As part of the 7 links love we are nominating the following bloggers because they put out excellent information and they definitely deserve a read. Be sure to check them out today and then after they post their 7 links.

Our Three Nominations:

Where’s My Toothbrush?

Ten Times One

Hidden Travel Treasures

Have you been nominated? Be sure to check the 7 Links list to make sure the bloggers you nominate haven’t already participated.

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

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Somewhere In Time is a weekly travel photo from around the world. Enjoy!

Ave Maria | Oaxaca Street Photos – Oaxaca, Mexico

There is no shortage of affection in Mexico, which is probably one of the reasons I love it so much.

If you’ve been following Beers and Beans for a while, you might have seen this photo before. It’s from our trip in 2009 to Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Oaxaca, Mexico. I was going through some photo files last week and saw it. I realized I never highlighted it the way it deserves to be highlighted, so I pulled it out for inclusion in the Somewhere In Time series. I almost got angry with myself for not including it earlier because this is Somewhere in Time – this is THE moment.

It was only a year and a half ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. In fact this entire trip had a very profound effect on me. In the short 5 days we spent in Oaxaca, I went through all the travel roller coaster emotions – from having a huge emotional reaction (read: crying my eyes out) to the festivities in the cemeteries to drinking tequila and becoming friends with our hostel mate, Jasmine. (BTW, check out her blog, Wander With Purpose – she’s awesome). I was also asked in the cemetery by some local women to photograph the graves of their loved ones – which was a huge honor. If you ever have the chance to visit Oaxaca for Dia de los Muertos you should go. Oaxaca is a stunning city, with a bustling town square (called the Zocolo) and the festival is beautiful in so many ways. Go! Go! You’ll love it, I swear.

This photo was taken during the week of the festival right along the Zocolo. Catedral Metropolitana de Oaxaca (Oaxaca Cathedral) is in the background and it is a very old & beautiful church. It is well known for it’s facade which has an ornate relief of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The original church was built in the 1500′s, I believe the one we see today was built in the 1700′s and at that time it was re-dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It is rumored that the bell rings on its own. I’m not sure how true this is but I love the idea of it anyway.

During the festival week all sorts of things go down at the Zocolo – there are altars, parades, dances, musicians and sand paintings. The sand paintings are vast (a lot larger than what you see in this photo) and they are all done in front of the church. With the balloon vendors, giggling girls and strolling lovers – people watching in the Zocolo is out of control. You could spend days doing it. I know because we did.

This spot was hopping. I was walking around the area just watching events unfold around me and taking it all in. I saw people stopping over and over again looking at the sand paintings, just like Randy and I had done moments before. To top it off, there was the Mexican love oozing out of every crevice in the square. If you have spent any amount of time in Mexico you can see this love all around you. The people of Mexico are very amorous and since Dia de los Muertos is a huge festival in Oaxaca (I was told even bigger than Christmas) it seems to bring out all the love in everyone.

I took a lot of street photos in this area just walking around shooting discretely, hoping for a moment like this. Although to be honest, I never thought I would get one this good. I spotted this couple and it was like the seas parted just as they were about to kiss. It was a perfect, clear shot – no one in front of them and I had the added bonus in the movement of the people walking nearby. Then there was the pink & red hue flowing from each woman to the next throughout the photo – what luck that all the colors were so similar! To top it off there was a lot of passion in this kiss, much more than I expected.

In this brief second the anticipation of something amazing about to happen was almost too great.

I think I gasped aloud when I looked at this photo after I took it and that doesn’t happen very often. It was a quick shot and there were so many ways it could have been ruined but it wasn’t. It was just perfect. It was almost as if this moment was determined to have its photo taken and have its story told – all under Mary’s watchful eye.

*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

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assumption

Celebrating great value flights to Lanzarote, we have partnered with fly Thomas cook to offer you some cold hard cash to get out of the hum drum for some sun and beautiful beaches………

We’ve had a great year already at Beers & Beans and now we are super excited because we are hosting our first ever contest!! The best part?? It’s super easy to enter and there’s $100 CASH on the line for one of our lucky readers!! Who doesn’t want $100 big ones?? You can use it for anything you want!

Entry requirements:

1.       Follow @beersandbeans on twitter.

2.      Tweet the following:

WIN $100 @beersandbeans NOW with fly Thomas Cook and their great value flights to Lanzarote, To enter visit http://su.pr/26B322

3.       Leave a comment below letting me know you entered the contest

This contest is running for 1 week during which time I will check the comments with the tweets and put everyone’s name in a hat. Randy and I will do a video drawing next Sunday and announce the winner on the blog. If you win all you’ll need to do is give us your PayPal address and fly Thomas Cook will deposit $100 into your PayPal account! Easy huh?

Good luck everyone! We are really excited about this contest – be sure to check out fly Thomas Cook when you need a flight since they were so gracious to provide the gift of $100  – Good Luck!!

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

Disclaimer: A couple people have written to me thinking that I am mad at my mother. This is meant to be a funny story. I am not mad at my mom in any way and she is the best mom anyone could ever ask for. I have already asked her what she thought of me posting this story (to add some history to the post) and she said that she didn’t mind. Tomorrow is her birthday and I wanted to send her some flower pictures. Please don’t think I am mad at my mother or that I dislike her in any way. She is awesome!

Many moons ago when I was a photo student I was thinking of transferring colleges. I had an interview at another school and was asked to bring my best photography portfolio. At the time my portfolio was REALLY dark. I don’t mean the colors but the theme was dark. I was struggling with change, growing up and all the emotions that go along with that ball of wax. I was inspired by the likes of Sally Mann, Cindy Sherman, Julia Margaret Cameron and Joel-Peter Witkin to name a few.  My images weren’t happy ones but they were very real to me. I was really proud of my portfolio. My teachers and classmates liked it and I loved it. However my mother HATED it.

Anyway, she always used to bug me to take pictures of “something nice, like flowers” instead. This was something she asked me to do over and over again. So much so that now it is a joke between us. No way! I was an artist, I wasn’t about to spend my hard earned angst on freaking flowers! Gross.

Well she and my father drove me to my interview (at the new school) and I had all of my photos in a large envelope without matting, as requested by the school. I fell asleep in the back seat and my mother was holding the envelope, which I didn’t think twice about.

Until I got into the interview.

I went in and met with the Dean of the college prepared to show him my best work. After I described my portfolio I started taking out the accompanying photos. Imagine my complete surprise when I saw that, while I was sleeping, my mother had taken out ALL of the photos that I thought were the best. All of the ones with the darkest undertones. All of the ones she hated the most.

All that was left was random filler crap. I was speechless. It made me look like an idiot and it made me look like I didn’t prepare at all for the interview. Now at this point I didn’t realize this was my mother’s doing, I was thinking that maybe I actually forgot to bring the right pictures. I was totally dumbfounded and my interview was a total bomb because of it.

I walked out back into the car where my parents were waiting and surprise, surprise what was in there – my missing photos! My mom decided (although she has absolutely no background in art) that she was going to help me out by removing the photos she didn’t like. She assumed that a highly ranked photography only art school wouldn’t like them either.  What?!!?? I was so pissed, as anyone would be. I mean can you even imagine! My blood, sweat & tears removed just like that. She really thought at the bottom of her heart though that she was doing the right thing and that she was helping me out.

Well long story short, because of my bombed interview and ridiculous photo presentation I didn’t get into that school. Which was probably a blessing in disguise. Instead I made the best friends a person could ask for at UMass Dartmouth and had an absolute blast in their art department. So it’s a long time coming but -

Thanks mom for bombing my interview! I made amazing friends who I still know today and you saved me thousands of dollars in student loan debt that I would’ve acquired at the private art school! In the end it was for the best – so thank you!!

Since tomorrow is your birthday and I’m not there in person I wanted to send you this little photo collection I made just for you. It took about 15 years for but here it is -

Flowers! Flowers! Flowers!

I still don’t like shooting them but I have come to peace with it since I love you so much! Plus the desert wildflowers are pretty nice aren’t they?

Wish I was there but I will see you in about a month. I Love You – Happy Birthday!!!!

Love,

Your flower-shooting daughter

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

Some of you may know Brooke of Brookevstheworld.com. Brooke is one bad ass traverler who has spent time in some hard parts of the world. Can you say 6 months in the Ukraine (during winter!) and an extended stay in Kyrgyzstan while learning Russian? Currently she’s trying out the ex-pat gig while staying holed up for a while in Sydney Australia.

Brooke and I have been pals for the past 3 years or so, trading traveling tips & the ups and downs of life. Now she has created a newsletter for women travelers with tons of her traveling tips in it!

If you are a traveling woman you will definitely want to check it out & sign up!
If you are a male – check it out & sign up but only if you dare!

Seriously it’s made for women specifically and deals with issues that women encounter on the road. Underwear and shaving the bits have been the focus of the two last newsletters. It has tons of tips to help get you on and through the road, feminine issues and all.

Did I mention it’s also hysterical??

I was lucky enough to contribute to it last month and you can check out my ridiculous story about de-hairing below deck on the last newsletter – When Hairy met Sally.

So go ahead, check it out and sign up for the newsletter. Feel free to contact Brooke too because she is always looking for new contributers – female or male!

If you are a travelin’  kinda gal you owe it to yourself to join the Underground! Why leave home without it?

Find Brooke and get in on the action:

Join the Underground!

Brookevstheworld.com

@Brookeshoenman

Did you like this article? If so, consider retweeting below or stumbling it. Better yet sign up for our RSS feed and get the goodies delivered directly to your inbox! Consider yourself hugged.

*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I love to share. Thanks!

t’s true, San Diego is an outdoor enthusiasts paradise. From surfing to kayaking to hiking and sailing there is always something to do in the great wide open.

But what is there to do in town if you are a fan of museums & the theater? Perhaps you are a gardener with a love for plants. Does San Diego have anything to offer someone who is more interested in the finer things?

The answer is YES! And the place to visit is Balboa Park.

Of course there are other areas of San Diego with great art studios and gallery openings but if you want world class art in a consolidated space than Balboa Park is your holy grail.

More good news: Planning to visit this February? Stop into any local Macy’s department store and you can get a coupon for half off of all the museums in the park!

A Little Background:

The land was designated in 1868 and now covers 1200 sq. acres smack dab in the middle of San Diego. It’s fantastic! Not many cities have such an amazing green space right in the center of the city. It is easily accessible by car, bike or by foot. Balboa Park has also been home to two world fairs and stands out in a crowd because of the amazing Spanish architecture detailing each building. A stroll through the park can feel like a step back in time. Most of the buildings are from the 1800′s and a visit around 4pm will bring out the most amazing glow in the adobe walls.

One of the many Spanish style buildings in the park.

Not only is Balboa Park one of the best parks to visit in California, or possibly even the U.S., but it is dearly loved by all local San Diegans. Home to December Nights (a sparkling holiday event), Haunted Trail (a Halloween event) and free summer concerts at the organ pavillion it is no wonder that it is so fiercely loved by the locals. If there is anything exciting & colorful happening in San Diego chances are it is taking place at Balboa Park.

The park is close to the hearts of so many that if you came to San Diego and did not visit it, you truly would not have really visited San Diego at all.

Map of San Diego. Balboa Park is the large green area in the middle of the city

Things To Do In The Park:

You could spend several days taking in everything that park has to offer. If you’re short on time then the best thing would be to pick the types of things that interest you the most and focus on those.

Balboa Park is home to:

13 Museums

4 Theatres

12 Gardens

1 Dog Park

11 Restaurants

Numerous hiking trails & activity centers

Balboa Tennis Club

Balboa Golf Complex (the city golf course)

The Ruben H. Fleet Science Center

The world famous San Diego Zoo

This is just a small sampling of what is available at the park. On top of that you can wine taste and take part in a class at Balboa Park food & Wine School. I once took  a wine class there that was really fun! Balboa park is also home to the WorldBeat Center, Spanish Village Art Center (where you can shop and buy some amazing pieces of art) and the Spreckles Organ Pavillion which has free concerts every Sunday and is extremely picturesque.

Paintings for sale at the Spanish Art Center.

Insider Tip: You can bring your own wine to the park! A really great way to unwind is to bring a picnic and settle in near the Japanese Garden and the Spreckles Organ Pavilion. On Sundays (June – Aug) at 2:00 you can listen to the free organ concerts and have a picnic with some sangria or wine. Don’t worry this is no regular organ – it has over 4500 pipes and sounds amazing. Fun!

Most of the local organizations also meet here including the Horticulture & Photographic Societies of San Diego. There are several International cottages that promote goodwill and different events. During December Nights they all open up and serve the most popular dishes, native to the countries, that the cottages represent. The tastings are usually just a couple of dollars. There are numerous fountains and street performers all weekend long throughout the grounds. The museums also host night mixers which typically involve D.J.’s, drinks and people mingling throughout the museum. It’s a really cool way to meet new people. Not many museums host all-adult, nighttime parties among world class artwork! The park is so beautiful that it is one of the most popular spots in San Diego to get married.

Waiting to get married, Mark walks through the Spreckles Organ Pavilion.

You’ll see a lot of groups meeting up here, families strolling about and people exercising in the park. Dogs are also welcome throughout the park.

Balboa Park truly is the IT spot of San Diego.

For more information, there are a lot of San Diego entertainment events that you can plan your next trip to America’s Finest City around.

If you want non stop sightseeing or you just want to relax and take a nap on the grass Balboa Park is a must see on your visit to America’s Finest City.

Chachy taking a stroll throughout one of the buildings in Balboa Park.

Stay Tuned! We will have a couple upcoming posts that will give some insider tips about visiting the museums and gardens so that you can get the most from your visit and keep yourself on a budget!

Did you like this article? If so, consider retweeting below or stumbling it. Better yet sign up for our RSS feed and get the goodies delivered directly to your inbox! Consider yourself hugged.

*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I love to share. Thanks!

To Read Part 2 click here: Blood, Drugs & Sangria – How To Vacation In A War Zone – Part 2 of a 5 part series.

To Read Part 3 click here: Blood, Drugs & Sangria – How to Vacation In A War Zone – Part 3 of a 5 part series.

To Read Part 4 click here: Blood, Drugs & Sangria – How to Vacation In A War Zone – Part 4 of a 5 part series.

To Read Part 5 click here: Blood, Drugs & Sangria – How to Vacation In a War Zone – Part 5 of a 5 part series.

Many readers of this blog already know that I have had an ongoing love affair with Mexico for a some time now. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mexico. In fact it’s one reason it is hard to even think about leaving San Diego. It’s only 20 minutes to the border and it’s hard to imagine not being able to just go there on a whim.

Twenty minutes to the border.
Twenty minutes to the warm Mexican sunlight.
Twenty minutes to unending nights wandering Mexican streets.
Twenty minutes to another language, another way of life and amazing food.
Twenty minutes to $1 cervezas and 3/$1 tacos.
Twenty minutes to welcoming strangers and beautiful beaches.

It’s no wonder that I consider Mexico my second home. From the minute I drove across the border years ago I fell in love. I even managed to work down there for a bit through my old job here in the U.S. There was a point that I was probably crossing the border every 2 to 3 weeks and I loved it. On our second date Randy and I ended up in Mexico together and after 4 months of dating we were back apartment searching in Tijuana (known locally as TJ) because we wanted to move there. That dream never came to fruition and it was a good thing because a year later TJ turned into a war zone.

A lot of people in San Diego won’t go near Mexico – Baja in particular -  because of the crime.

Map of Mexico - Baja is the part of Mexico directly below California. The main border crosing is Tijuana.

I’m not going to lie, things have changed there drastically. A once vibrant, exciting city, Tijuana is now a virtual ghost town with shop keepers and restaurant owners drained to their last penny without the tourist dollars. The main Tijuana drug cartel, the Arellano Felix gang, is slowly becoming dismantled after the arrest of the main king pin, Benjamin Arellano Felix, in 2007. The cartel is still doing business but has since weakened enough so that other cartels are now trying to fill the leadership void and gain the ever popular border city as it’s own.  The war for turf has been going strong  with the citizens paying the price – not only by losing the tourists dollars but also with their own lives.

In 2007, Presidente Caldron vowed war on the drug cartels and the bloodshed has continued ever since.  In that time over 12,500 people have been killed due to the drug wars.

To put this into perspective:

That’s 4,167 people a year, 347 people a month, 12 people every day.

Every two hours for the past 3 years someone has been murdered because of  drug violence.

Those are not good statistics. Far too many people are violently murdered on a daily basis.  Another sad fact is that many bodies have been disintegrated in acid and their bodies were never found.

The drug wars are literally out of control and to make matters worse almost all the cops are crooked. Of course you probably would be as well if you were only making about $400 a month protecting the streets of an extremely dangerous city.  In late 2007 Calderon  actually took away all the guns from every cop in Tijuana. This was the only way they could test the guns to see which were involved in crimes. He couldn’t leave the cops completely defenseless so he hooked them up with sling shots. You think I’m kidding but I’m not. I’m dead serious.

The cops of Tijuana had sling shots instead of guns.

Tijuana police show off their slingshots. (photo courtesy dailymail.co.uk)

Fortunately along with the slingshots he also sent in the Mexican army to control the city. The truly unfortunate news is the fact that most Tijuana cops were fired after their guns showed they were involved in drug crimes. Almost every cop was on the drug cartels payroll. New cops have been hired, fired and new ones hired again over the past couple of years. I have no idea if their income has increased. I can only hope it has.

The drug lords simply won’t back down – they continue to fight for territory and to get the new cops on their payroll. Almost every new police chief is murdered shortly after taking the job. The  police chief always has his own bodyguards that protect him 24/7. I’m not talking about 1 or 2 bodyguards either, try 20. It is obvious that a war is being waged when even the chief of police has so many bodyguards. The current police chief,  Julian Leyzaola, travels everywhere with his bodyguards and lives alone. His family lives elsewhere in Mexico because it is just too dangerous for them to be in Tijuana. Taking on this type of position and facing the daily threat of death requires more than just passion, it requires enormous dedication. But dedication to what? With Mexico’s deep seeded history of government corruption we can only hope that he truly envisions a Tijuana  free of the cartels cast iron grip.

It goes without saying that many, many cops are killed in Tijuana as well. To get the message across, the drug cartels usually leave their heads on the beaches outside of town with a threatening note screwed into their skulls.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Anyone opposing the cartels is kidnapped, tortured and/or murdered. The violence against journalists has risen drastically. Just less than a month ago on December 30, 2009 Jose Luis Romero, a radio station reporter, was forced at gunpoint out of a restaurant where he was eating. His body was discovered shortly after stuffed into a black bag with both of his hands broken & bound, one bullet wound in his shoulder and 2 more in his head.

Even popular Mexican music groups have to watch what they sing about. Numerous musicians have been murdered for anti-drug messages in their music. In 2007, Sergio Gómez, one of Mexico’s hottest singers, a headliner for the band, K-Paz de la Sierra,was kidnapped. Police found his body the next day. Also in late 2007 Zayda Pena Arjona, the lead singer of Zayda y Los Culpables was gruesomely shot dead in her hospital bed. She was recuperating from surgery after being shot the day before. The assailants entered the hospital, found her room and shot her 4 times in the chest, ensuring her death this time around. This past August, Mexican singer Carlos Ocaranza Rodriguez, (El Loco Elizalde) was shot dead on the street after leaving a bar in Guadalajara, Mexico. He had performed a concert earlier that night. These are just some of the stories, certainly not all of them.

The cartels don’t like anyone reporting or singing about them in negative ways. Death is their way of discouraging these actions.

However the people of Mexico are trying to change things and surprisingly there isn’t a shortage of someone else volunteering to be the next chief or penning the lyrics to the next revolution song.

The drug problems, illegal border crossings & the human trafficking have made Tijuana look like a very scary place to locals and outsiders. Truth be told, it can be – but not for the local tourist. However the danger of being caught in the crossfire is still scary enough for most people to even consider heading south of the border these days. Even with all the ongoing issues I still love Mexico and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Most people can’t see beyond the media hype but I have been fortunate enough to experience just some of the beauty this country holds.

Mustard seed blowing in the Mexican breeze.

I’ve made so many good memories in Baja and I have met some really outstanding people there.

One such person was Luis, an older man I befriended through my work visits. One day we took a walk through the desert while he identified all the flora that was at risk for extinction due to all the real estate development in the area. That walk was during a point in my life where I was constantly sick. He asked me why I hadn’t been around the past few weeks and I told him I had been under the weather. After hearing my ailments he said that he thought I had cancer. Of course I thought he was crazy. But it turned out that he was right. What all the U.S. doctors had missed for 2 years he picked up on after seeing me on a lazy Sunday afternoon. He turned to me during the same desert walk and randomly said ”One day, you will walk in diamonds.”

For the past couple of years I’ve been hoping that he was right.

I’ve wondered what has become of him and I hope he is well. I will probably never see him again but I will never forget him and his role in my life during such a strange time. The people of Mexico and the landscape are equally beautiful and something that I wish everyone could experience.

Tijuana used to be such a fun place to pop into on a random night and I’m really looking forward to times like that again. But with all the crime you have to wonder:

Does Mexico have a bloodless road?

That being said we were in Tijuana briefly in October (on the way to Oaxaca) and it really seemed liked business as usual.  It’s still an interesting place to visit  although most people reading this won’t touch foot in the city until things are under control. Even if you’re not staying in town you still have to drive though TJ to get to the most beautiful areas of Baja. In most other areas of Baja the crime is low, the cervezas are cheap and the sun is warm. Most tourists in Cabo or La Paz now stay at fancy resorts and have no idea about the drug war being waged on the city streets.

But if you’re a budget backpacker with a quest for adventure an all expense paid resort vacation is not your thing. You’re in it for the journey and the local flavor. That’s why we are writing this series.

Having hung out in one of what is considered to be one of the most dangerous, dirtiest cities in the world  for longer than even I care to remember we have learned a lot about having a great time and watching your back. You don’t want to be an outsider in Tijuana if you can help it and we can help you navigate the ins and outs of one of the busiest border cities in the world.

This post is just the beginning of a multi segment post that will elaborate on my top three tips that are listed below.

Tip #1 – Don’t look flashy
Tip #2 – Don’t drink the water
Tip # 3 – Don’t drive without protection, extra gas or at night.

We want to share our insider tips for hanging out in or just traveling through Tijuana and northern Baja. Stay tuned because following along with the posts will give you all the confidence you need to embark on a journey through any Mexican border town without being scared out of your mind.

Plus if you’re brave enough you might just have yourself a unforgettably good time while you’re there.

Bridgette & Mike relaxing at Coyote Cal's Hostel in Erindira, Mexico.

Did you like this article? If so, consider retweeting below or stumbling it. Better yet sign up for our RSS feed and get the goodies delivered directly to your inbox! Consider yourself hugged.

*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I love to share. Thanks!

Editors note:  The following is an entry from Randy’s Oaxaca travel journal.  This is the first in a number of posts that will detail our trip to the Mexican state for El Día de los Muertos or All Soul’s Day.

(A mariachi band play their hearts out on at the grave of a loved one.)

Sullen sad-eyed women sell skinny wooden plank bookmarks, while their daughters moonlight as cigarette girls in the inky night.

Scenesters sit on stone curbs sipping beers and Mexican reds leaving the remains on the street as an offering to eternal youth.

Brass rules the city.  Mixteca jazz permeates the balmy night air of the Zocalo under the loud silence of the catholic cathedrals.

Demon warriors, young and old, fill the streets with mescal visions of dead celebrations only to wake in the morning to find the city one day older.

Cafes line the Zocalo like a monopoly set–from which tourist scramble with their pastel Dinero and pigeons wait for their confusion over exchange rates to steal peanuts.

Marigolds glow bright orange and exacerbate childhood autumn memories opening the door to a dead day’s night.

(Local youngsters in costume dancing on a large family plot. Shot from behind two guitar players in the band.)

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I love to share. Thanks!