Last Thursday and Friday

Thursday:

I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but I tried to find something online that would convey the essence of what we saw. I actually couldn't find a picture of the Tijuana River canal with people in it, and I can't decide if that's good (because the privacy of the people who live there is being respected) or bad (because the problem is being hidden.) This was the best I could come up with:

(Photo Credit: Ngy Thanh)

Imagine this, plus lots of "houses" made of random refuse, lots of people, lots of syringes, and the overwhelming smell of marijuana and crystal meth. The men who talked to us were respectful and kind, but the undeniable despair of the situation was unsettling. I felt like I was at the end of the Earth.

Then we drove down through what I would suppose is the prostitution center of Tijuana. Prostitution is basically semi-legal there, and is never prosecuted. I was shocked by how overt it was, especially as we saw "clients" go up to the girls:

(Photo Credit: Frontera.info)

Friday:

We visited the Taylor Guitar Maquiladora, and that was a little more light-hearted:

Let's just say it was a whirl-wind two days!