Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Canal de la Perla

The Canals in Torreon, Cuahuila, Mexico

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Currency Conversion

Who would have known?

If it hadn't been for a truck losing control and falling into a ditch in the pavement covering thereby breaking a vault in 2003, these canals would not have been re-discovered.

They were built in 1893, so that's a lot of time in between and the townspeople had simply forgotten about them!

We wanted to find out more, so we took a taxi for 60 Pesos (about $3USD) to get to the entrance of Los Canales de la Perla.

Map of the Tunnel

The original Canal diverted water from the Noas River to the farming land and neighborhoods of Haciendas de la Perla.

When fortunes changed, these Canals were used to collect rainwater.

Afterwards, they were used to move discharged sewage.

Over decades, this water channel gradually filled up with silt and organic matter until it finally was covered with earth.

They no longer looked like Canals nor used as Canals, so people forgot about them.

Entrance to the Canal

After our taxi dropped us off, we descended down these stairs where we met some uniformed women at the entrance.

It was free to go in, but the ladies in charge were both strict and humorless.

They took our temperatures, made us get gelled up and have our masks over our noses.

Then, without warning, one woman sprayed me with some kind of liquid. Since the boys went in ahead of me and they didn't get squirted, I was surprised, and let out a loud squeak.

Ms. No-Humor just looked at me blankly and told me she had spurted me with a sanitizer.

I must have looked more contaminated than the boys, and was really grateful that I wasn't wearing silk. It would have been ruined with whatever was in that bottle...

And honestly? It felt invasive. No one could have done that on the street without permission and been considered polite society.

Cultural and historical sign from the City

We meandered away from the posse at the entrance into this beautifully wide, clean tunnel.

The rockwork was gorgeous and I must say, impressive.

Inside the Canal

These Canals were opened as a tourist site in 2014 and we were very dazzled with its cleanliness.

Thinking of its history where it used to run river water to far away neighborhoods and farmlands, it was easy to imagine fish, moss, water snakes and who-knows-what that flowed through here.

The idea of it collecting rainwater, sewage and then silt and dirt brought all sorts off images to the mind.

But these tunnels were in good shape.

Walking through, we thought there might be a coffee shop, or art displays or night concerts, but it was fairly barren.

LALA cow

There was, however, a small display of the LALA dairy company which was founded in 1949 in Torreon.

It expanded into the United States in 2008, and now LALA is the largest dairy company in Latin America.

The company name comes from LA LAguna, an area in NW Mexico where the Mayran Lagoon is located.

Another LALA cow

We could only walk through a partial portion of what the tunnel map showed in the first photo.

Apparently more renovation is to be done in the future.

We read online that there are mysterious legends surrounding these Canals, perhaps sheltering people during the Mexican Revolution in 1910. Also, that conferences and concerts have been held here.

But meanwhile, there wasn't too much evidence of activity on the day we visited.

Walking underground in these Canals was a welcome relief from the desert sun. Rather than leaving the tunnel at the end of the short walk and having to roam around in an unfamiliar place in the heat, we turned to leave from the entrance where we came in.

Nope.

Couldn't do that.

We had to leave at the one-and-only-exit that was marked "Exit."

Ah well.

I imagine that if I worked underground and never saw the light of day that I might lose some creativity and flexibility as well.

The tunnels are worth seeing and perhaps when you go, there will be more distinguishable renovations!

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Open daily, from Monday to Friday 9 am to 7 pm

Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm

For more photos and stories on Torreon, Mexico, CLICK HERE

For more photos and stories on Mexico, CLICK HERE

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