The
Mexican Mall Tunnel
Maybe six months or so before I ever got around
to exploring this tunnel, I noticed a set of drain grates, and intended
to check them out. I literally put this on my "to do" list, but didn't
get back out to the area for a long time. I know someone's going
to say it sounds racist to call it the "Mexican Mall," but this mall really
is like being in Juarez or someplace like that.
One weekend when
I went there, there was a 15 member mariachi band playing in the food court.
There are virtually no chain stores, just individual and family-owned businesses,
many of which are selling bootleg stuff (e.g., bootleg super hero action
figures that are obvious knock-off amalgams of two characters to avoid
a lawsuit) like you find in border-town tourist traps.
So, anyway, I happened
to pass by the grates again and decided to get out of my car and go take
a look down them. They were deep and there was a huge tunnel, so
I made it a top priority to get back out that way with Melancholy again
sometime soon... which was probably about a week later.
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Once you get in at the canal, it's pretty
dry most of the way through. Note the lack of graffiti... |
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...but it changes to an '80s rap album
cover not too far it once you get to this room with the aforementioned
grates above. |
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I think these walls are held together
by paint. |
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There were a few hatches to the surface,
but almost no side tunnels, which is likely part of the reason why the
main tunnel was so dry. |
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Other sections are completely free of
graffiti. It was strange the way it was clustered together, and not
where you'd expect (i.e., at the easiest places to access). |
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Just outside the end of the main tunnel
(perhaps a little under a mile from where we started) are these train tracks
at the top of a huge incline that these smaller tunnels run through. |
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Right by Melancholy's feet was this razor
and mirror that obviously belonged to someone who lived near here. |
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This canal continued on the other side
of the tracks, but we weren't able to check that area out very safely on
account of the fact that there are always homeless people near the tunnel
upstream from here.
We've never been able to make it back that
way without finding them there, and I generally avoid homeless people on
their turf if I can help it, even if I feel guilty about assuming the worst
about them. |
Alexplored 2/5/06.
