“People who go to Mexico are stupid. Even the Mexicans don’t want to be in Mexico.”
I was in San Diego visiting friends close to 40 years ago, and wanted to go 20 miles to Tijuana, just to go to Mexico.
They said, “Don’t go. It’s dirty and unsafe, and only underage Americans go there to drink.”
I heeded their advice.
Like you I heeded good advice. In 1954, I was assigned to a large ship stationed in Long Beach, California.
On my second liberty weekend I mentioned to a buddy that I wanted to see MEXICO, so I’d planned to go to Tijuana. A real old, mid 30’s, First Class got up, marched over to me and, with a look in his eyes, said merely, “HELL NO!!”
As weeks went by, I heard enough to still feel a debt of gratitude for the advice, however sternly given.
You dont have to go to tijuana to see Mexico. You want to see Mexico, go to Los Angeles.