Bill Robinson

"Mexico is hungry for American dollars "

But before you pack your bags and expect to find those dirt cheap bargains, be forewarned. Prices are down, but not on everything. Mexican border cities are pegged to the dollar currency and many businesses have felt the devaluation crunch only indirectly. A dollar is a dollar and prices here have not been lowered.

"Quality varies and you can haggle prices."

Bill Robinson

It still costs the same to play the horses at Caliente or to gain admission to the jai-alai games. The same is true for many shops along Revolucion, the busy, shopladen street that is the heart of Tijuana’s tourist business. “In Tijuana and Ensenada you may never see a peso,” writes travel author Roberta Ridgely. “In Tijuana the U.S. dollar became the predominant money of account before World War I.” That was half a century ago and nothing much has changed since then. Ask a merchant how much an item costs in pesos and you are likely to get a strange, quizzical look.

The big savings are reaped on goods whose prices are controlled by the Mexican government. Tourism is a major source of income for the Mexican economy, and most businesses catering to tourists are controlled. In fact, one reason for the peso devaluation was to make the country economically more appealing to the American tourist. Keep this thought in mind when you head south and your money will go a lot further— providing you plan your trip, whether it will be for shopping or leisure, in advance.

Weekend trips to Ensenada have never been cheaper. Toll charges on the highway have been cut in half and now a one-way trip costs just $2.40 in tolls. And gasoline, once almost a dollar a gallon, is down to around 45 cents.

HOTELS

Ensenada has many fine hotels and an equal number of good inexpensive restaurants. Room rates have not been slashed in half, but they are substantially cheaper than their American counterparts. Here is a list of hotel rooms in Tijuana and Ensenada along with comparable prices for San Diego hotel accommodations. All room rates are for two persons.

• Ramada Inn, Tijuana (formerly Royal Inn) $21.41-Up
• Royal Inn, Ensenada $20.20-Up
• Royal Inn at the Wharf, San Diego $33.00-Up
• Harbor Island Travel Lodge $36-Up
• Travel Lodge, Ensenada $15.20-Up

A word to the wise. Although you do not have to buy Mexican insurance when driving in Baja, it’s good to have. In case of an accident, your insurance policy will keep you out of jail. And that alone is worth the price of the policy. Mexican insurance is sold in dozens of places in San Diego and it is best to consult the yellow pages for the nearest agent. Insurance rates are set by the Mexican government. Lately, daily policy prices have increased somewhat, but still coverage is cheap. Liability insurance can cost as little as $2.35 a day. Full coverage on a $2,500 car starts at $3.52 a day. Policy holders get a 10 percent discount after 30 days.

RESTAURANTS

Like hotels, restaurant prices are controlled by the government. Prices are down since the devaluation, but are not as cheap as you might expect. Expensive restaurants are still expensive.

“I noticed that Reno’s was cheaper,” says San Diego lawyer Gordon Frevel, referring to his favorite eating spot in Tijuana. “It was cheaper and the service was better. I guess the waiters are more hungry for your money. Drinks, I noticed, were a lot cheaper. But since they cost less, I ended up drinking more, so the final bill was about the same, before and after the devaluation.”

Even if prices are down, sometimes it is hard to spot. At Le Gourmet, a quality Tijuana restaurant that is priced slightly higher than Reno’s, fancy entrees are still high. (Escorted ladies are spared the shock waves however. Their menus are unpriced.)

The price of tacos at the unnamed taco stand on Revolucion and Second Ave. in Tijuana are selling tacos at 25 cents a clip— not a bad price and the meat is charcoaled beef. But the real differences can be noticed at the thoroughly Americanized Tijuana restaurant.

Colonel Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken and Denny’s Restaurants have all made inroads and the food is comparable to that found in their American counterparts.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

• U.S./Tijuana
• 2 piece snack $1.15/$ .98
• 3 piece snack $1.55/$1.75
• 8 piece thrift $4.65/$3.16
• 15 piece bucket $7.29/$6.67

• Denny’s Coffee Shop
• Combination Denny $1.90/$1.40
• Mexican Burger $1.95/$1.35
• New York Steak $4.35/$3.55
• Coffee 30 cents/25 cents

Another word to the wise. Mexico is hungry for American dollars and in most restaurants there are both peso and dollar menus. Ask for the peso menu. Your waiter might try to discourage you, but by law restaurants must have a peso menu which often lists cheaper prices. Also be sure to exchange your greenbacks for peso bills beforehand. The current rate (this week) is about 20 pesos to one U.S. dollar.

This is the official rate though you will not get this other than in Mexican banks. Merchants will gladly exchange money, but at the more advantageous price. (The going street exchange is 19 pesos to one U.S. dollar.)

CHRISTMAS GIFTS, LEATHER GOODS AND ALCOHOL

The nameless stalls on both sides of Revolucion Avenue between Fourth and Seventh Streets sell the bread-and-butter tourist fare: leather goods, handicrafts, imitation peasant blouses, pottery, and jewelry. The booths are nameless, perhaps because one looks exactly like another. These merchants are on a dollar economy and the peso devaluation has affected them less than businesses controlled by the government. Still, leather goods such as coats, shoes and handbags cost from one third to one half what they would in a stateside clothing store. Quality varies and you can haggle prices. A man’s leather sport jacket was priced by one shopper at $85 in Tijuana. A comparable coat at Bill Gamble’s, May Company or the Broadway would be $125 and up. Mexican-made shoes, particularly the Canada brand, come in a selection of styles, are well made, and cost a third of what they do in U.S. shoe stores. Old-fashioned saddle Oxfords (the trusty wing tips) with leather soles and stitched lining are $17. Loafers are $12, platform shoes go for $9, while the so-called “earth shoes” cost about $9.

Liquor has always been cheap in T.J. The trick however has been to get it back across the border. Under federal law, a U.S. citizen can bring back a quart of liquor duty free. But the liquor lobby has put a crimp in the law so that Californians have never been allowed their one quart privilege. You can bring out booze only if you’re on a “common carrier.” For a while there were no “common carriers.” Now two bus lines operate “common carrier” trips to and from the border to downtown San Diego. Considering how much you save, on both Mexican and domestic liquor, the inconvenience of a bus trip might be worth the hassle.

Liquor Prices

• U.S./Mexico
• Smirnoff Vodka $5.35 (quart)/$4.25 (liter)
• Gilbey’s Gin $5.49 (quart)/$4.25 (liter)
• Bacardi Rum $6.59 (quart)/$4.90 (liter)
• Jose Cuervo Tequila $6.25 (quart)/$3.90 (liter)
• Kahlua $9.25 (quart)/$4.99 (liter)

Remember that Tijuana sells liquor in American fifths, quarts, and in liters, which are 34 ounces or slightly larger than a quart. Also brands like Jim Beam come in 80 and 86 proof bottles. All brand name liquor sold in the U.S. is 80 proof, unless otherwise noted on the label (usually in big, bold letter print).

If you are a tequila lover and don’t mind paying four bucks and up for the stuff, try El Herradura. It is hard to find, but tequila connoisseurs say it is well worth the money and time to look for. Other popular brands are Jose Cuervo Sauza and Orendain. Make sure the bottle says “Anejo.” This means the tequila is aged and is smooth to the taste.

THE SUPERMARKET

The biggest savings are found in the supermarket where you can buy meat, sugar, coffee and other basic commodities for a fraction of the price you pay in San Diego.

At the Cali-Max, the bustling supermarket at three locations in Tijuana, meat prices were quite low, often doubling your dollar’s worth. On one day for instance, T-bone steaks were selling for 90 cents a pound, compared to American prices of about $1.88. Filet mignon, when bought uncut, costs around $1.30 a pound.

Slabs of packaged jack cheese are sold for about $1.25 a pound, compared to $1.69 a pound here. And coffee—stronger and to some more flavorful than the American counterpart—costs $1.17 a jar (8 oz.) while it goes for $2.86 a jar (10 oz.) in the local San Diego supermarket.

There is a limit to what you can bring across the border. Detailed information is available at the border crossing and at the tourist information booth at 4th and Revolucion.

Buying food can be an adventure, as Mexico uses the metric system. Liquids are measured in liters and kilograms for solids. It’s helpful to carry conversion tables with you or bring a trusty calculator. Remember a kilogram is 2.2 pounds and a gram is equivalent to .04 ounces. A liter is a shade over a quart or 2.11 pints. Examples of other supermarket items:

American Supermarket/Cali-Max

• Ajax 28 cents/19 cents
• Mazola corn oil $1.37 (32 oz.)/66 cents (34 oz.)
• Tomato sauce 15 cents/8 cents
• Flour (about 5 lbs.) $3.19/$1.32
• Green stuffed olives $1.25 (10 oz.)/$1.17 (20 oz.)

There are three Cali-Max supermarkets in Tijuana: Km. 10 1/2 on the Tecate Rd.; Agua Caliente Blvd. at Avenida Abelardo Rodriguez; and Calle 2, seven blocks east of Revolucion.

Oh, yes, drugs. Pharmaceutical prices are regulated by the government and are ridiculously cheap by American standards. Often the same drug is used for the Mexican-made drug with a Spanish twist. So Benzedrine becomes Benzedrina. It’s helpful, though, to know the generic term for a drug your doctor has prescribed to you. Prices vary, but you will save up to 50 percent on prescription drugs in Mexico. The catch, of course, is getting the drug through customs. It is as illegal to bring back a prescription drug as it is to smuggle heroin. So you have to dump out whatever drugs you have or risk a nasty confrontation with the customs agents. Can’t win them all.