"Right here lads!" - The Ideal Spot For A Drain.

Where to begin?

I went down in to the Barranca (canyon) that runs the length of a large portion of my area in the city. Scandalously, there is next to no public access and we had to 'abscend' using rope and a few prayers.

Once there we could clearly see how the construction (most of it illegal) that's happening along its sides is having a really poisonous impact on the land, animals and plants there. Really awful.

Made worse by the fact that the potential of the area is so abundantly obvious. With some small investment and a little care it could be a real treasure of the city. But the usual probems of corruption and vested interests do a very good job of minimising that possibility. A real shame.

To make things even more worse, the city in its infinite wisdom, a number of years back, decided to bulid a drain directly under the riverbed. I still can't get my head around this. It stinks of the Ministry of Silly Walks. Beyond absurd.

The logic (and I use the word loosely) is that, when the river floods and the water levels rise above the drainage holes, the water will be taken away by the drain running under it. To where or what real end I have no idea.

They sit about 3 metres out of the current level of the stream. They are dotted at regular intervals along the stretch of the Barranca that we walked. Not only are they immensely ugly and very poorly constructed, but also act as chimneys for the stomach-turning, retch-inducing stink rising up from the sewer below.

On the other hand, we also ambled through a lovely woodland trail that starts from a very well hidden horse-riding stables! My guides, Andrea, Liliana & Chloé told me that many people in the area don't even know that a river passes literally under the noses.

Here is a link to The Set Of Photos that I've posted from the day.

One of the great contradictions of Mexico is how passionately patriotic people are, how much they love and feel a connection to their country, but are seemingly willing to stand idly by as it is rapaciously denuded or consumed by short-sighted, self-interested, corrupt development. Go figure.