Does Tijuana deserve the bad rap?

Tribune Media Services) -- A year ago I was excited about Tangier in Morocco and wrote in my blog, "It's no longer the Tijuana of Africa." I didn't realize my comments would understandably touch a nerve with people who like Tijuana.

As locals know, Tijuana is more than cheap sombreros.

So recently I went to Tijuana -- a Mexican town just across the U.S. border from San Diego -- to give it a second look. OK, I admit, I'd never been there ... so I gave it a first look. Working on my upcoming book on the value of travel as a political act, I also wanted to visit a rough border town where the First World meets the Developing World.

I had a great time. While Tijuana isn't a main destination town, it's fun to visit as a side trip from San Diego or a stop while heading south. And if you want to observe the cultural and economic riptides created when two worlds collide, it's a fascinating case study.

At what locals claim is the busiest international border in the world, 24 lanes are busy with traffic -- 24/7. It's easy to get out of the United States -- and tough to get back in. A handy trolley zips tourists from San Diego right to the border for $3. It also brings Mexican workers into San Diego on a daily commute that thousands make.

Drivers can park within 100 yards of the border for $8 a day. Pedestrians step right in without showing a passport, power past the trinket stalls and aggressive cabbies, and head for the towering arch that marks the start of Revolution Avenue and all the fun.

Getting out of Mexico is different. Pedestrians shuffle fairly quickly through an officious passport check. Cars are generally stacked up for a several-hour wait. As taxis are dirt cheap, there's no reason to drive if you're just visiting Tijuana.

Tijuana, barely a century old, thrives today with 1.5 million people. A local explained to me that there's a big