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The town of Tijuana in Mexico is a rather unique place in the sense that it is located just before the border that separates Mexico and the U.S.. Here you can see souvenir shops boasting a wide array of merchandise. There’s everything from silver jewelry or wrestling goods, right the way across to authentic Mexican tacos. What’s more, the price of goods in Mexico is just one third that of America so it’s easy to see how they could appeal to potential visitors crossing the border. The number of people who come just to get a bargain alone is quite astounding.

Here at RocketNews24 our very own Japanese reporter, Yoshio, went ahead and checked out what all the fuss was about. He reported that of all the things that you’ll come across in Tijuana, there’s one particular spectacle that’s likely to catch your eye…

  • At the border

As Yoshio was approaching the border, he found himself caught up in a traffic jam the like of which he had never seen before. Rumor has it that once entering into the traffic congestion, it takes anything from one to three hours before making it clear again.

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Yoshio wasn’t going anywhere fast. It was just like the Japanese “Obon”, or “Festival of the Dead” holiday period, where traffic jams can be seen for miles and miles. It was at this point that the street peddlers appeared. There are few things better than a customer who can’t walk away!

  • Pushy sales tactics

There’s some advice that could prove vital if you happen to find yourself in a similar situation. Firstly, if you want to avoid any unwanted purchases, do not by any means attempt to open your windows as the peddlers will immediately draw near. Opening the window is almost equal to signing a legally bound contract that promises you’ll buy something, Yoshio laughed. If it gets this far, the likelihood of them taking no for an answer is close to zero. The next thing to avoid is making any eye contact. This will also cause them to follow you incessantly before making you concede to a sale.

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  • Some… interesting… wares for sale.

While the peddlers pushing their wares are admittedly all rather bothersome, there are in actual fact some interesting items up for sale here. From tacos, drinks and t-shirts right across to puppies (yes, actual living creatures), portraits and even sculptures. Admittedly, they are generally the type of items you could do without; and buying a puppy is hardly the most shrewd business deal you could make since it would only encourage more animals to be sold.

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Nevertheless, however much a pain the peddlers may be, the entire scene somehow appealed to our reporter, who could never in his wildest dreams imagine seeing such a thing in the middle of Tokyo. You can pick up a soccer uniform here for just 1,000 yen (US$10), or get your windscreen wiper replaced dirt cheap. Depending on how you look at it, the Mexican land that lies just before the border arguably deserves a bit of consideration as a place to pick up a bargain or two!

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Photos: RocketNews24