Spanish word of the day

Quote: Wizard

Thanks for your comments, as always.

You're welcome.

BTW if you say "si llevas esta pulsera..." You're saying "if you carry this bracelet..." That can mean wearing it, but also putting in your pocket or purse and carrying it with you.

On the pother hand, if you see a man who wears ties but isn't wearing one, or a woman without makeup who usually does wear make up, you'd say "No lleva corbata/maquillaje" or "no trae corbata/maquillaje." That's because they often do wear them, therefore they use them.

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Cuánta cuesta?

¿Cuanto tienes?" :)

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Why isn't it por venta? Or maybe para.

Beats me, but it isn't.

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Here in Vegas you see signs on very-used cars that say, I think, para vender. If that is wrong, the mistake is mine.

You don't see many "for sale" signs in Mexico. on a used car, the custom is to use masking tape (it stays on but is easy to take off) in the shape of a peso sign ("$" The dollar sign has two vertical bars, and I do know why), along with a phone number. These days it's almost always a cel number, easily identifiable because it begins with 04455 in Mex City and the very large metro area.

On houses and apartments you'll see signs saying "Se Vende" and a phone number.

Quote: Wizard

Cuánta cuesta? Why isn't it por venta? Or maybe para. Here in Vegas you see signs on very-used cars that say, I think, para vender. If that is wrong, the mistake is mine.

I have seen “tengo un puente para venderte” on many blogs.

By the way, sorry about the very irregular schedule of the SWD lately. I've been very busy, but will try to return to a normal schedule next week. Meanwhile, if anybody else wants to introduce one, have at it!

La biblioteca esta cerrado en Lunes = The library is closed on Mondays.

Quote: Common Traffic words

bus stop — parada
crossing — cruce
curve — curva
danger — peligro
dead end — sin salida
detour — desvío, desviación
downtown, city center — centro
exit — salida
lane — carril
no entry — entrada prohibida
no passing — adelantamiento prohibido
one-way — de sentido único, sentido obligatorio
police — policía
prohibited — prohibido, prohibida
road closed — camino cerrado
slow — despacio
stop — alto, pare or stop, depending on the region
speed limit — velocidad máxima
toll — peaje, cobro
viewpoint — vista de interés
yield — ceda, ceda el paso


speed bump — tope

pedestrians — peatóns

parking — estacionamiento, aparcamiento

The tope is a particularly dreaded part about driving in Mexico. They are everywhere, and they are huge.They shake up your suspension.

The Spanish word piéton is derived from the French word piéton. Spanish words that are derived from French are relatively rare. Naturally there are many similarities in vocabulary because both languages came from Latin, but it is unusual for words to cross over. Cognates are peon and pawn.

Tolls in Mexico are called cobro as far as I know. I have never seen a toll booth marked peaje.

Quote: pacomartin

pedestrians — peatóns

That's peatonEs.

Quote:

The tope is a particularly dreaded part about driving in Mexico. They are everywhere, and they are huge.They shake up your suspension.

You get used to them. Even in my daily route where I run across a speed bump on average every 200 meters.

The real problem are the bumps they put up in the middle of a street for no reason, which slows down traffic to a crawl sometimes.

And, of course, if Mexicans obeyed stop signs, speed bumps wouldn't be necessary. As it is, stop signs are a dying breed, if they haven't died already. Even red lights are considered to mean "you may want to consider stopping here." <sigh>

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Tolls in Mexico are called cobro as far as I know. I have never seen a toll booth marked peaje.

Toll means "cuota." Toll booth means "caseta de cobro." "Peaje" is understood, but seldom used.

Quote: Wizard

La biblioteca esta cerrado en Lunes = The library is closed on Mondays.

"La biblioteca esta cerradA..."

Quote: Nareed

That's peatonEs.

I can't seem to shake English spelling, even if I know better.

This thread has gotten quiet. Too quiet :P

Let's try something different. Why doesn't someone, other than Paco, bring up a word or phrase they'd like to see explained?

<cuing crickets...>

Quote: Nareed

This thread has gotten quiet. Too quiet :P

Get ready for it to heat up. I don't like to announce publicly when I'm out of town, but I just got back from 11 days in Argentina and Uruguay. That is why it got so quiet here. Before I get to that, here are a couple of comments/questions relating to traffic.

1. In Argentina I noticed a lot of traffic signs with the word obra. This means worker, I presume to warn drivers of road-repair work, which seemed to be going on all over the place.

2. What is the word for a traffic circle/roundabout? I spent a few hours in Mexico City on my way back and noticed some huge ones. For example, the one shown here. It is hard to tell this is a traffic circle from the picture, but that yellow sculpture and fountain are in the middle of it.



Click on the picture for a larger version. I'd be interested to know what the yellow statue is supposed to be.

Quote: Wizard

1. In Argentina I noticed a lot of traffic signs with the word obra. This means worker, I presume to warn drivers of road-repair work, which seemed to be going on all over the place.

"Obra" = "work" as in construction work, an artist's work, etc. Not as in a job.

"Hay obras cerca de mi casa" = "There's construction work near my house."

"Las calles están en obra" = "The streets are being repaired."

"Trabajador" = "Worker"

"Obrador" = "Slaughterhouse"

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2. What is the word for a traffic circle/roundabout?

Glorieta :)

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I'd be interested to know what the yellow statue is supposed to be.

I don't know. The building behind you, with the Starbucks sign just to the right of your elbow, is called "La Torre del Caballito," or "Small Horse Tower." Currently it houses government offices, mostly belonging to the Secretaría de Salud (I've been there on business a few times). The "glorieta" is often called "Glorieta del Caballito." Draw your own conclusions (I don't dare to).

Quote: Wizard

I'd be interested to know what the yellow statue is supposed to be.

Another blogger calls it "the big yellow thing". The bright yellow metallic sculpture is by renowned Mexican artist Sebastián was dedicated in 1992. The modern statue represents the head of a horse and replaced a classical sculpture by Manuel Tolsá of Charles IV on horseback which stood there for 127 years, until 1979 when the street was altered.

Both sculptures are known as El Caballito.

Original sculpture.


The sculptor has only one work in America that I know of. It is located in San Antonio called La Antorcha de la Amistad . It was commissioned by the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos and was presented as a gift from the Mexican government to the City of San Antonio in 2002.

Quote: pacomartin

Another blogger calls it "the big yellow thing".

That's very apt.

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The bright yellow metallic sculpture is by renowned Mexican artist Sebastián

If that's a renowned sculptor, well, why?

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The modern statue represents the head of a horse

As much as this "2" represents a duck. Or maybe not quite that much....

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and replaced a classical sculpture by Manuel Tolsá of Charles IV on horseback which stood there for 127 years, until 1979 when the street was altered.

Ah, well, that does explain the name of both the building and the glorieta. Though the horse loks normal-sized, and the statue isn't exactly small. I don't see why the diminutive got used.

Quote: Nareed

Though the horse loks normal-sized, and the statue isn't exactly small. I don't see why the diminutive got used.

The statue was the 2nd largest in the world when it was cast in 1802. I sent an e-mail to an expert on the statue since I have no idea why the diminutive was used.

Quote: pacomartin

The statue was the 2nd largest in the world when it was cast in 1802. I sent an e-mail to an expert on the statue since I have no idea why the diminutive was used.

There's an unfortunate, not to mention annoying, tendency among Mexicans to use diminutives. I'd say they're overused. They also make everyone sound childish <sigh>

BTW "Obra" also means a stage play.

Good answers, thanks. To be honest, I prefer the old statue, at least for that location. What little time I spent in Mexico City I came away with the impression that the city puts an emphasis on public art, and most of it seemed very stoic and traditional. Then you come across that big obnoxious yellow thing. I could see something like that working better at an airport or shopping mall.

Quote: Nareed

There's an unfortunate, not to mention annoying, tendency among Mexicans to use diminutives. I'd say they're overused. They also make everyone sound childish <sigh>

Do you mean ending nouns with ita and ito? If so, I've noticed that too. You see that much more than isimo/a. My Mexican-American hair stylist (whom I cheated on in Argentina) named her dog cosita = little thing.

Quote: Wizard

Do you mean ending nouns with ita and ito? If so, I've noticed that too.

Exactly that. But there's more. Lately I've noticed a tendency for using baby-talk among adults. Like saying "quecas" instead of "quesadillas." It's awful.

Quote: Wikipedia

An interesting feature of Mexican Spanish, found throughout the country, is the frequent use of diminutive suffixes with many nouns, adverbs and adjectives, even where no semantic diminution of size or intensity is implied. Most frequent is the -ito/ita suffix, which replaces the final vowel on words that have one. Words ending with -n use the suffix -cito/cita. Use of the diminutive does not necessarily denote small size, but rather often implies an affectionate attitude; thus one may speak of "una casita grande" ('a nice, big house').

When the diminutive suffix is applied to an adjective, often a near-equivalent idea can be expressed in English by "nice and [adjective]". So, for example, a matress (un colchón) described as "blandito" might be "nice and soft", while calling it "blando" might be heard to mean "too soft".
Frequent use of the diminutive is found across all socioeconomic classes, but its "excessive" use is commonly associated with lower-class speech.

In Mexico, the diminutive suffix -ito is also used to form affectives to express politeness or submission (cafecito, meaning little coffee; cabecita, meaning little head; chavito, meaning little young boy), and is attached to names (Marquitos, meaning little Marcos; Juanito, meaning little Juan) denoting affection. In the northern parts of the country, the suffix -ito is often replaced on informal situations by '-illo" (cafecillo, cabecilla, morrillo, Juanillo).

In Spanish, the "-ísimo" is used as a suffix to emphasize the original meaning of adjectives; it is equivalent to the Italian/Latin/Portuguese "issimo/íssimo". For instance, the word "grande", which means literally big, can be emphasized (grandísimo) therefore meaning "very big". Unlike many Spanish-speaking countries, it is common in Mexico to emphasize the adjective twice or three times: grandísimo, meaning "very big", can be emphasized again (grandisísimo), thus meaning "very very big"; and even again (grandisisísimo), meaning "very very very big".

The suffix "-ote" is typically used in Mexico as the augmentative ending; thus making nouns bigger, larger, more powerful, etc. For example, the word "camión" by itself literally means "bus"; adding the suffix, camionzote means "big or long bus". It can be repeated just as in the case of the suffix "-ito" and "-ísimo", therefore camionzotototote means "very very very big bus".

Nareed, do you agree with this commentary?

You force me to temporarily break out of my series of Mexico City pictures and show this this one from Buenos Aires.

This is the Caminito = little road.



You will see the Caminito mentioned in any book or web site about things to do in Buenos Aires. However, I don't see why it gets so much publicity. El lugar es una trampa de turisitos. It is surrounded by a slum, not within safe walking distance of anything else good to do, and is mostly stores selling cheap souvenirs that are easily found in other parts of the city worth going to. So the buildings are painted bright primary colors -- big deal.

Quote: Wizard

El lugar es una trampa de turisitos.

TuristAs

Quote: Nareed

TuristAs

Hmmm. I admit I would have blown that on a Spanish test. I know that with adjectives the gender should match the thing it is describing. However, in this case, we are using a noun as an adjetive. I thought in that case the describing noun didn't change. In this case I would have assumed trampa de turistas to mean a trap for female tourists only. Of course I'm not challenging you, but you wish to add any words of clarification, I'm all ears.

Quote: Wizard

In this case I would have assumed trampa de turistas to mean a trap for female tourists only.

A word of a given gender doesn't necessarily denote the gender of a person being described by it. In this case, for example, the word "turistO" simply doesn't exist. Another example is the word "persona" which means person. If two men pass by, say, you can say "pasaron dos personas." You wouldn't say "pasaron dos personOs" because that word doesn't exist either.

Quote: pacomartin

Nareed, do you agree with this commentary?

Not entirely.

Calling a mattress blando doesn't mean "too soft. It just means "soft." The 2nice and..." is more or less so, but it still seems infantile to use diminutives so often.

I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't talk down to children. Using cutesy words among adults, when it isn't even called for, is infantile and unseemly.

Quote: Nareed

A word of a given gender doesn't necessarily denote the gender of a person being described by it.

Thanks. I incorrectly thought the word for tourist was turisto, and you changed the last letter to a to match with trampa.

Here is the next picture from Mexico City. I believe this is the Mexico City Cathedral.



Sorry for this picture of myself. My last shower and shave was back in Buenos Aires.



According to Wikipedia, this is the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

I should probably introduce a word in Spanish. The current cardinal of Mexico City, who would reside there, is Card. Norberto Rivera Carrera. Carrera is Spanish for race.

Quote: Wizard

Carrera is Spanish for race.

So why do those Germans put a Spanish name on a Porsche? Seems atypical.

Quote: Doc

Quote: Wizard

Carrera is Spanish for race.

So why do those Germans put a Spanish name on a Porsche? Seems atypical.

The Carrera Panamericana was a border-to-border sports car racing event on open roads in Mexico similar to the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Italy. Running for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954, it was widely held by contemporaries to be the most dangerous race of any type in the world.

Porsche did so well, that they named their new sports car introduced in 1960 in honor of the race.

Wizard,
As you probably know, Mexico City has some of the worst groundwater subsidence in the world. The Cathedral has sunk something like 15-18 feet since it was built. It is amazing to me how the buildings stand up at all.

Quote: pacomartin

Wizard, As you probably know, Mexico City has some of the worst groundwater subsidence in the world. The Cathedral has sunk something like 15-18 feet since it was built. It is amazing to me how the buildings stand up at all.

Actually, I did not know that. They still manage to build some pretty tall buildings there. Perhaps at some deeper point, that they dig to, the ground gets harder.

Does this groundwater explain where Mexico City gets its water from? I brought this up before, but I've always thought the placement of Mexico City was rather strange, being far from any natural source of water. At least as near as I can tell. Generally, most of the US population is close to the coasts and that of Mexico is inland. I've always been puzzled by that.

Quote: Wizard

Actually, I did not know that. They still manage to build some pretty tall buildings there. Perhaps at some deeper point, that they dig to, the ground gets harder.

Does this groundwater explain where Mexico City gets its water from? I brought this up before, but I've always thought the placement of Mexico City was rather strange, being far from any natural source of water. At least as near as I can tell. Generally, most of the US population is close to the coasts and that of Mexico is inland. I've always been puzzled by that.

Mexican cities are more dictated by Malaria than anything else. For much of Mexico's history, being near the ocean was to risk your life because of plagues. In the colonial period, Acapulco and Veracruz were necessary to keep the ships going to Spain, but disease was rampant. Although the diseases are now under control with modern sewage and air conditioning, very few ocean cities have developed (Cancun being a notable exception).

Mexico city was built on a lake which wasn't completely drained until the first half of the 20th century. Pumping groundwater for residential, commercial, and urban use has been the principal cause of the subsidence. Even the subway, which is only 40 years old, has some tracks that looks like they belong on a small roller coaster.

Quote: pacomartin

Mexican cities are more dictated by Malaria than anything else...

Thanks, I did not know that.

About the water, does Mexico City still entirely rely on ground water, or do they pipe up water from lower elevations?

Quote: Wizard

Thanks, I did not know that.

About the water, does Mexico City still entirely rely on ground water, or do they pipe up water from lower elevations?

They mostly pump it from deep wells, which are now failing because the groundwater level is so low. The additional pressure on the pipes from the heavier soil is putting so many holes in the pipes that they are losing 40% of their water before reaching the surface.

A Mexican essayist says that Mexico City is the world's first "post apocalyptic" city, where he defines the apocalypse as the population explosion from the 1930-1970 which was about 5% per year and saw the city grow from 1M to 9M. Mexico city was still smaller than Los Angeles in 1930.

Quote: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890623,00.html#ixzz1f25Vm9JZ

The reek of unwashed toilets spilled into the street in the neighborhood of unpainted cinder block houses. Out on the main road, hundreds of residents banged plastic buckets and blocked the path of irate drivers while children scoured the surrounding area for government trucks.
...

About five million people, or a quarter of the population of Mexico City's urban sprawl, woke up Thursday with dry taps. The drought was caused by the biggest stoppage in the city's main reservoir system in recent years to ration its depleting supplies.
...

It is perhaps unsurprising that the biggest metropolis in the Western hemisphere is confronting problems with its water supply — and becoming an alarming cautionary tale for other megacities. Scientists have been talking for years about how humans are pumping up too much water while ripping apart too many forests, and warning that the vital liquid could become the next commodity nations are fighting over with tanks and bombers. But it is hard for most people to appreciate quite how valuable a simple thing like water is — until the taps turn off.
...
Paradoxically, the thirsty city was once a great lake, where the Aztecs founded their island citadel Tenochtitlan in 1325. When the Spanish conquerors took control they drained much of the water, laying the basis for the vast expansion of the metropolis across the entire Valley of Mexico. However, as the growing population continues to suck water out in wells, Mexico City is sinking down into the old lake bed at a rate of about three inches a year.
...
With its own supplies evaporating, Mexico City relies on the Cutzamala system, a network of reservoirs and treatment plants that pump in water from hundreds of miles around. However, this year Cutzamala itself is running dry amid low levels of rainfall in the area. Its main basin is only 47% full, compared to an annual average of 70% for early April.

Many planners believe that it is vital to build a high speed rail link from Mexico City to Querétaro (roughly 130 miles) to encourage development in the relatively undeveloped state. It is also much more feasible than going through the mountains to Puebla, Cuernevaca, Tlaxcala or Toluca.

The USA is very fortunate that our society developed around so many different cities. Most countries have a dominant mega city or two mega cities (like Spain).

This map shows the city a century after the conquest. It is still largely an island.

Quote: Wizard

Actually, I did not know that. They still manage to build some pretty tall buildings there. Perhaps at some deeper point, that they dig to, the ground gets harder.

The newest 800' tower that is currently being built in Mexico city, has a substructure that reaches down over 160'. I don't know what the standard is around the world, as I assume it varies quite a lot depending on how deep you have to go to hit bedrock.


The Paseo de Reforma is built on a section of Mexico City that was not underwater in historical times. I suspect it would be impossible to build a skyscraper at all in the reclaimed sections of the city.

The construction of the Drenaje Profundo began in 1967. It is a network of several hundred miles of tunnels, at a depth between 100 and 800 ft. The central tunnel has a diameter of 21 ft and carries rain water out of the basin. This work allowed the development of the subway system, which began service on September 4, 1969.

In 1629 a massive flood kept most of the city underwater for five years. The Indian population had dropped from an estimated 25 million before the conquest to 1 million by 1605. Had the Spaniards relocated the city in 1629, then the future might have been different.

This is all very interesting. Is anyone worried a huge section of the city might fall into an enormous sinkhole? It seems to be dangerous to suck water out of groundwater if it isn't necessarily being replaced.

Where is Nareed? Certainly he knows a thing or two about this.

Quote: Wizard

Does this groundwater explain where Mexico City gets its water from? I brought this up before, but I've always thought the placement of Mexico City was rather strange, being far from any natural source of water.

As Paco pointed out, Mexico city was a source of water.

But the part the Aztecs built up as Tenochtitlan occupies only a small portion of today's city, expecially given the Metro area in mexico State. As you get away from the center, the aquifers come to an end and the soil is solid bedrock. The quake of 1985 did very little damage in the solid areas, while it leveled the ground-water areas. I'd like to see an overlay of Tenochtitlan vs the 85 quake damage maps.

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At least as near as I can tell. Generally, most of the US population is close to the coasts and that of Mexico is inland. I've always been puzzled by that.

It is rather odd. Most cities are located alongside rivers or lakes. The only "rivers" left in Mex City are thsoe carrying sewage out.

Did you have a chance to see the Viaducto Miguel Aleman? It's on one route to the airport. It's a very narrow freeway three lanes wide each way, but the lanes are narrower than they should be. The median is an an enclsoed sewage river.

Quote: pacomartin

The Paseo de Reforma is built on a section of Mexico City that was not underwater in historical times.

Parts of it. The office tower in the Wizard's photo is in a dangerous area. So is the Torre Latinoamericana, which until recently was the tallest building in the city. It suffered no damage to speak of in the 85 quake.

The current tallest building is La Torre Mayor, also in Reforma, but much farther northwest and in a very stable area (near Polanco)

Fecha: 29 de Nov., 2011
Palabra del día: Zócolo

Here are some more pictures from the Zócolo in Mexico City.


Based on the way the sun is hitting at this early hour, about 6:00 AM, this should be the west side. According to my map this is different adjacent buildings, two of them hotels.


The building on the left is a department store. The one on the right is the mayor's office.

As you can see the area in the middle of the square was closed, for putting up Christmas decorations.

The word zócolo means "stand." Stand for what?, you might ask, it looks like an empty square to me. According to Wikipedia, the official name is Plaza de la Constitución. The reason they call it the Zócolo is there were plans to build an independence monument there, but they never got past the zócolo (base). So, I suppose that is what people called it, and the name stuck. When I was there I didn't even notice a base for anything. Perhaps they gave up, removed it, and just made it an empty square. I thought every city in Mexico is supposed to have an empty public square anyway, generally with a church on one side.

Quote: Wizard

According to my map this is different adjacent buildings, two of them hotels.

I thought every city in Mexico is supposed to have an empty public square anyway, generally with a church on one side.

Gran Hotel and Holiday Inn zócolo are both decent hotels where rooms are often below US$100. The Zócolo is very noisy all night long, and when it rains it becomes very wet. The Zona Rosa is the other primary tourist zone, and the squares are more intimate. The well off business traveler probably always stays at Polanco, north of Chapultepec park.

The colonial cities all have a central square. There has been discussions of building one in Tijuana, with arms wrapping across the river to connect the principal shopping and hotel zone to the government center.



While a zócalo does have the architectural meaning of a "base", it primarily means "plaza" in Mexico.

In Spain, (and I am sure in Argentina) a square is called a Plaza. The word is taken from Latin which was taken from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateia), shortening of πλατεῖα ὁδός (plateia hodos, “broad way”). In English the word was adopted directly from Spanish.

I went into the Holiday Inn Zocolo where they were kind enough to give me a map and guide me a restaurant that was open (at 5:30 AM). They could use a more attractive entry into Tijuana from San Ysidro.

Quote: Wizard

They could use a more attractive entry into Tijuana from San Ysidro.

In my mind's eye, I picture a 3 mile extension on the San Diego Trolley down the border towards the Tijuana airport. This last segment is raised (like the Mission Valley portion of the San Diego Trolley), and access is controlled to Americans with the passport card (with RFID chip) and Mexicans with the Border Crossing Card (also with an RFID chip). Both these cards currently exist and millions of people have them.

At the final trolley station, Americans have easy access to both a bus station and to walk to the terminal to the Tijuana airport where they can catch flights to the rest of Mexico or South America. Mexican commuters from the Tijuana area are dropped off by bus, to board the trolley. Also Mexican air passengers arriving into Tijuana airport can easily board the trolley to head towards center city San Diego.





The two types of cards are for people who are pre-screened. There needs to be a minimal space where people are randomly chosen to be searched. Pre-screening doesn't mean that someone won't set up a heroin smuggling operation if they never face the possibility of being checked.

The airport in Tijuana is extremely underutilized, while San Diego airport is the busiest single runway airport in the USA. The Tijuana airport parking garage is 140' from the border.


PS: Don't let the portraits on the cards fool you. The state department chooses a light skinned woman to represent the Mexican citizen, and a somewhat Latino looking man to represent the American citizen.

Posts de hoyos negros e estrellas de neutrón fue mover a Difference between a neutron star and black hole.

Quote: Wizard

The building on the left is a department store.

Was it El Palacio de Hierro?

That was my father's biggest customer for decades. For a very long time they had three stores. The opening of the 4th was like a major milestone for fine retail. The 5th took some time, but after that they opened up several more... Funny thing is I've never visited the one in el Centro.

The other big deparmment stores are Liverpool, Sears, Suburbia and, lately, Saks Fifth Avenue.

Quote:

The word zócolo means "stand."

That seems so wrong, I thought you were mistaking the word. After all, the proper term to begin with is ZócAlo. But the dictionary agrees with you. Still, the dictioanry also denotes than in mexico it means the main plaza in a city.

Quote:

I thought every city in Mexico is supposed to have an empty public square anyway, generally with a church on one side.

Not every city, but many do, especially those going back to colonial times. For certain I've seen only the one in Toluca.

Quote: pacomartin

The two types of cards are for people who are pre-screened.

I have an expired B1/B2 Visa. It's the common visa/border crossing card issued for limited business and leisure travel. I don't think they're being issued any more. From what I've heard, now they're printed on a blank passport page, but still valid for ten years.

Anyway, prior to that I had a laminated border crossing card issued in 1970, with the legend "valid until revoked" on the back. They were revoked en masse in 2000. To get the new one, I had to present my passport, fill out an application, pay a fee, and spend some hours at an embassy annex mostly waiting for my number to be called. I had a short interview, too. They took my phtoto and one finger print. When entering the US, four times over the past six years, they always check my passport, visa and fingerprint, ask some questions, and let me in. My lugagge has never been searched at customs.

Quote: Nareed

From what I've heard, now they're printed on a blank passport page, but still valid for ten years.

Border Crossing Card (BCC) applicants at the consular sections in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Merida receive a B1/B2 visa/BCC foil that is affixed in the applicant’s passport instead of a card. BCC applicants at all other Consulates receive the new BCC.

The problem with San Ysidro is they tried to keep the same logical layout that they had in the 1950's, when you could run across the road and it was all fields.


The photo is facing northward, American border control is on the right, and Mexican border control is on the left.

Npw with about 40 lanes of traffic, and a virtual commercial center of souvenier shops, liquor stores, sweet shops, tacos stands, and betting parlors grown up in the intersection it is nightmare. Even with a BCC, you still have to walk through a labrynth of passageways, connecting gates, for hundreds of yards. On the American side you can catch the trolley

Vision
On the US side they have set up the Otay Pacific Business Park ( 32° 32.916'N 116° 58.386'W) right across the border from the parking garage of the Tijuana airport. What they need is permission to build a border crossing, and a development plan. On the US side would be hotels, conference rooms, check in terminals, office, parking garages, taxi stations, bus stations, and potentially a trolley stop.
On the Mexican side they have primarily the airport. What there wouldn't be is an automobile border crossing.

In the 20 years they have been discussing this idea, they envision a security controlled passageway across the border (probably a tunnel) where they would take you directly to the gates of the jets. The problem with this concept is that there are simply not enough air passengers to justify building this elaborate infrastructure. Security controlled spaces in airports are not that big, and this would be a lengthy tunnel. So the idea has remained in the planning stages for over 25 years.

My personal feeling is that they should broaden the concept to a pedestrian walkway only open to holders of passports and border crossing cards. They could service the area with buses instead of having automobile pickup on the Mexican side. You could use the pedestrian walkway, and then you would also have the option of walking over to the terminal to board a jet.

At present a significant fraction of the passengers at Tijuana airport live in San Diego county (mostly Mexican Americans). With a less cumbersome border crossing, then the Mexican airlines would add flights to resort cities in Mexico, as well as South America, Asian, and European destinations. A flight might go from Guadalajara or Mexico city with a layover in Tijuana, and then a mixed group would fly overseas.

If it works smoothly enough, it may even make sense for residents of southern San Diego county to walk over to TJ to take a flight to a hub airport in Chicago or New York. It might beat going to the overcrowded San Diego Lindbergh Field. I think the jury is out if people would actually leave the USA just to fly back to the USA. It all depends on if the overcrowding at San Diego airport gets as bad as predicted.

I think everyone can agree that Tijuana was just not planned out well, especially the border zone. The enormous car traffic does make it difficult for any kind of attractive pedestrian crossing. Maybe what might work is developing a traditional Mexican plaza somewhere further inland with a free monorail going back and forth, also connecting with the airport. Perhaps that is similar to your idea.

One bit of advice I can give is there is a nearly free bus that goes from the McDonald's parking lot on the US side to Avenida Revolucion on the Mexican side, that doesn't even stop at the border. I'm not sure what it does going the other direction because I ended up walking back.

Before I was in Mexico City on Friday, Tijuana was the only major Mexican city I ever knew. Based on TJ, my expectations were not very high for MC. I must say I was very impressed with MC, and don't know why Tijuana can't be as nice.

Quote: Wizard

I think everyone can agree that Tijuana was just not planned out well, especially the border zone. The enormous car traffic does make it difficult for any kind of attractive pedestrian crossing. Maybe what might work is developing a traditional Mexican plaza somewhere further inland with a free monorail going back and forth, also connecting with the airport. Perhaps that is similar to your idea.

One bit of advice I can give is there is a nearly free bus that goes from the McDonald's parking lot on the US side to Avenida Revolucion on the Mexican side, that doesn't even stop at border. I'm not sure what it does going the other direction because I ended up walking back.

Before I was in Mexico City on Friday, Tijuana was the only major Mexican city I ever knew. Based on TJ, my expectations were not very high for MC. I must say I was very impressed with MC, and don't know why Tijuana can't be as nice.

Tijuana
Every proposal drowns in controversy and political protest. Tijuana clearly needs some kind of trolley or monorail, but even plans to replace the thousands of station wagons with buses are met with huge protests. People don't want to lose their jobs, and every new system means a loss of a traditional job.

Pictured is a now dead proposal for fairly elaborate pedestrian gateway from the shopping mall called the International Gateway of the Americas.


That proposal also met with huge protest marches, because people were afraid men would use it to give them even more convenient access to the notorious prostitution zone (Zona Norte). The idea that the bridge might give the economic impetus to clean up the Zona Norte was met with wide incredulity. The Zone is a huge moneymaker, since many people who would never go to a prostitute in California, feel freer to do so in TJ. Mexican shopkeepers are also acutely aware that American stores are cheaper, even for goods that are made in Mexico. They fear anything that would make it easier for the Tijuanese to walk across the border and shop. There is also the fear of teenagers who find it easier to drink underage in TJ. If crossing the border means free parking in a shopping mall, and walking across a bridge, they will find it even easier to get smashed.

Bus from McDonald's
There are two McDonalds in San Ysidro, one is near the trolley stop. It's about a mile from the McDonald's to the Avenida Revolucion. I find it easier just to walk, as the route is fairly clear. If you take the bus, you should walk back and see some of the stands at the "Mercado de Artesanias".



Mexico city
Mexico city is one of the world's great cities, but it can be intimidating. The natural geography with the mountains on three sides, means that the air quality can be very bad. Visitors from northern America are usually suffering from the altitude anyway. For a big city, Guadalajara is a little more maneageable. But the colonial cities are often fairly small, and in many ways equivalent to going to small cities in Europe for a lot less money.

I meant the McDonalds at the last trolly stop. Anyway, let's go onto something new.



This the Palacio de las Bellas Artes. A lovely looking building, if I may say so. Too bad it was not open yet when I passed by. It is next to a nice park as well. I am really going to have to return to Mexico City for a legitimate trip; I really liked what I saw last Friday.

About the air quality, it wasn't that bad when I was there. I'm sure it wasn't exactly good, but my eyes weren't burning as they do in major Chinese cities in winter.

Quote: Wizard

This the Palacio del Bellas Artes.

Palacio DE LAS Bellas Artes.

I've never really looked into it, but I'd bet it was built int he time of Porfirio Diaz, the last formal dictator. He had a thing for French culture that begat Reforma avenue and other things. A Palais de Beaux Arts would fit his style. No doubt Paco will disabuse me of that notion :)

Quote:

I lovely looking building, if I may say so.

I can't make fun of bad typos. So I'll mock the building instead: One of the ugliest eye-sores in Mex City.

But it is nicer inside. The concert hall is amazing and has really, really, really good acoustics.

Quote:

About the air quality, it wasn't that bad when I was there. I'm sure it wasn't exactly good, but my eyes weren't burning as they do in major Chinese cities in winter.

It's improved a great deal since more cars are made with catalytic converters. The local government will say it's becasue of their silly rules, but mostly it's better cars with converters and higher fuel efficiency. Also mid-late Fall is windier than normal, and pollution is usually lowest early in the morning, getting worse til it peaks in mid afternoon.

Quote: Wizard

One bit of advice I can give is there is a nearly free bus that goes from the McDonald's parking lot on the US side to Avenida Revolucion on the Mexican side, that doesn't even stop at border. I'm not sure what it does going the other direction because I ended up walking back.

Tijuana is a free port. There are no restrictions at all for entering. No passport controls, no customs. When you leave, either through the US or Mexico, you do ahve to undergo a customs check at the least.

Quote:

Before I was in Mexico City on Friday, Tijuana was the only major Mexican city I ever knew. Based on TJ, my expectations were not very high for MC. I must say I was very impressed with MC, and don't know why Tijuana can't be as nice.

Oh, well, if your standards were that low.... BTW do not EVER go to Chilpancingo in Guerrero state. Not that there's anything to see there, as it's just an adminsitrative state capital city. But it's the ugliest city I've ever seen, and one of the places where it's harder to catch a cab.

Quote: Wizard

Posts de hoyos negros e estrellas de neutrón fue mover a Difference between a neutron star and black hole.

BTW: "hoyos negros Y estrellas de neutronES." "Posts de hoyos negros y estrellas de neutrones FUERON MOVIDOS a..."

But then it's Spanglish, not Spanish.

Quote: Nareed

Tijuana is a free port. There are no restrictions at all for entering. No passport controls, no customs. When you leave, either through the US or Mexico, you do ahve to undergo a customs check at the least.

I've crossed lots of borders and the only two I can think of that were no questions asked were walking driving into Mexico (at various crossings) and from France to/from Italy. Do you know why they stamp your passport if you fly into Mexico but not walk across, or take a cruise ship? Almost the same goes for Canada. If you drive across they don't stamp, but if you fly, or take the Seattle-Victoria ferry they do.

Quote: Nareed

Oh, well, if your standards were that low.... BTW do not EVER go to Chilpancingo in Guerrero state. Not that there's anything to see there, as it's just an adminsitrative state capital city. But it's the ugliest city I've ever seen, and one of the places where it's harder to catch a cab.

Duly noted. Ugliest city I've ever been to? I've been to Russian Moscow and Lenningrad in Feb 1986. Aside from some of the major sites they were extremely drab and boring, just endless boxy apartment buildings for miles. However, since Communist Russia doesn't exist any more, I shouldn't count them. If forced, I'd have to say the ugliest city I've been to, that is still ugly, is Detroit. Hopefully nobody from Detroit in the forum will find this.

I should say something in Spanish, so let me ask an idiomatic question. The book I'm reading (in both languages) says:

In English: This whole thing is ridiculous.
In Spanish: No tiene ni pies ni cabeza.

I would translate that as "I have neither feet nor head." Come again? I'm sure it is some kind of idiom, but what does it mean?

Quote: Wizard

Do you know why they stamp your passport if you fly into Mexico but no walk across, or take a cruise ship?

Usually the passports aren't stamped in border zones. I've never had my passport stamped either at Laredo or McAllen, or even San Diego. the only times they did was when I said I was staying for several weeks, or intended to travel well beyond the border zone.

Quote:

In English: This whole thing is ridiculous.
In Spanish: No tiene ni pies ni cabeza.

I would translate that as "I have neither feet nor head." Come again? I'm sure it is some kind of idiom, but what does it mean?

"Tiene" is third person. So "it has no feet nor head." it means "it makes no sense," and is a fair translation for "this whole thing is ridiculous." I'd ahve translated it as "Esto es ridículo," or "Esto no tiene sentido." But translation depends heavily on context. Sometimes you need more complicated or idiomatic expressions to preserve the feel of the overall work.