The mostly Latino community of Chula Vista, just north of Tijuana, once had a skanky reputation. “A somewhat downmarket Mexican town in the States,” as a friend put it last night. Now, like everything else, it’s been corporatized and all but drained of cultural identity. I miss the skank. It has a nice beach/marina area and a tourist-friendly area on Third Avenue (i.e., east of the 5), but otherwise it’s mostly a nondescript sprawl — bars, Mexican restaurants, Days Inn, Black Angus, Aunt Emma’s, Holiday Inn, McDonalds, 7-11s, etc. A lot of nocturnal drunks roaming around, to judge by the locked lobby doors and security windows at motels. (I had a room at the only old hotel in town, El Primero, but the wifi was crap so I cancelled. I had to try five places between midnight and 12:30 am before I found a room.) I’m heading to Tijuana on another dental mission. Spotty posting is likely due to the generally shitty Mexican wifi, no offense.