The time I remember is when I went with Bob, Tom, and Tom Mingy. We drove Mingy green Plymouth Valiant from Scottsdale to Nogales, Arizona. I was surprised we got the old piece of junk up to 100 mph.

We parked on the Arizona side and walked into Nogales Mexico which is in the Mexican state of Sonora.

All the Mexican border towns I have been seem like Scottsdale. They have an area that caterers to tourists and they sell a bunch of over priced krapy junk. While we American may think the stuff is cheap the Mexicans know it is overpriced because they are selling it to us. Since then I have also been to Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez.

They also have a lot of good things that you can get for bargain prices compared to the American prices because the Mexican government does not tax or regulate them as much as the American government does. Brad Williams used to go down there and buy 50 pound bags of sugar because it is much cheaper then American sugar which I think is taxed or propped up with government rules in the USA. Also legal drugs are usually much cheaper.

Back in those days you could legally buy speed, reds in Mexico at the pharmacy with out a prescription. One person I was with bought a bunch of white crosses and tossed them over the fence. He got away with it. Although in the current American police state I doubt if that would work.

We bought a bunch of fire crackers and took them across the border. That is illegal but many people do it because fireworks are illegal in Arizona.

Also at the time Mexico did not have a drinking age so anyone can buy liquor or go into bars and drink. None of us are drinkers so we didn’t do that despite the fact that we were not the legal drinking age. Hell I don’t even know if I was 18 the first time I went to Mexico.

Also prostitution is legal and on the main drag where tourists go they are always trying to sell you the services of hookers. Again I have never used a hooker so I can comment on Mexican hookers.

You do not have to pass thru Mexican customs to enter Mexican border towns like Nogales, Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez. But if you go farther into Mexico there will be a customs check point a little bit outside of the border town and Mexican Customs Officials will inspect you.

In all the times I have went up until 2006 you did not need any ID to get back into the USA. They just ask you if you have anything to declare and then let you back into the USA. I have never been searched or anything even though I look like a hippie drug dealer terrorist. But I suspect the do search many people. But when I went to Japan I did get searched by the U.S. Customs inspectors after I got off my plane in Los Angeles. The guy was a complete asshole. I was surprised because when I entered Japan they didn’t even search me. I was just waved thru, despite the fact that I look like a hippie drug dealer terrorist.

Once after I had gone to Nogales Mexico I was stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint which was maybe 10 miles inside of the USA. I was by myself in a small Datson 210B economy car. I slowed down, but they waved me thru. I guess since I was by myself and the car was a tiny economy car they figured I didn’t have any illegals to smuggle into the USA. I believe they have similar checkpoints in the USA after you leave San Diego.

I was scared shitless that time because I didn’t have a driver’s license.

I guess if you hand out in these Mexican border towns where the American tourists don’t go they are pretty nice places. I know that a large number of American live in Tijuana which is part of the San Diego metro area. Housing is much cheaper in Tijuana compared to San Diego. And there are a bunch of beach cities that have lots of apartments which they rent to Americans.

Also I would like to check out Mexicali another border town. It is on the California, Baja California border. I here the place is more like China because of the large number of Chinese immigrants that came here to work on the railroads a long time ago. And that there is Chinese food everywhere.

Since they cater to tourists the border towns tend to have an attitude of ripping off Americans. Once you get into the country the Mexican people will really treat you nice. I have been to a lot of cities on the Pacific side of Mexico and really like the country.