Turtle Bay gets its name from the turtles that used to cruise the waters, before they all got hunted into oblivion. The shape of it is kind of Tortuga-ish as well. Makes me think that one of the great ancient turtles who carry the world upon their shells maybe passed on one day and all the gods and angels and ancestor ghosts placed it just so, halfway down the coast of Baja, where it could more perfectly reflect the grandeur and insane scope of all the heavens and earth. And I don’t mean literally reflect, although when the wind’s not up and the water goes smooth as glass across the bay it does make a pretty fair mirror. No I’m talking about the way Bahia de Tortugas wraps its rocky arms so far around both sides of the entrance that it seems like you’re anchored in a huge sapphire infinity pool, with only the gorgeous desolation of the desert to warm you and the vastly more populated dome of stars wheeling not far overhead. Looks like you could just reach up and pluck one down. When you’re sitting there, in an anchorage like that, the whole rest of the world falls away and all of the parts of your brain that were so busy worrying about the passages to come or the bills that need paying or whether or not the weather will cooperate with your plans…all that grey matter goes quiet. You start to consider larger things, like, “Why are we here?” and, “How did I get so lucky to be right here in this beautiful place?” and you start to think about where you might fit in to the whole of existence and I’m thinking that that is the kind of reflection they had in mind.
Sooooooooo tired--we got the boat anchored and then came right to town to take showers.
You pay for the showers and get your room key across the street at this restaurant.
$5 each bought us the temporary use of this hotel room so we could take showers.
Actually got a picture of Eli not scowling at the camera because we're taking a picture of him again.
Experimenting with the erosive properties of water across sand.
There were all kinds of prints in the sand on the back bay beach--everything from the tiniest mouse prints to an enormous bird stalking around the shallows.
As the sun started going down, it lit up the hills all golden and threw everything else into shadow.
Setting sun just slipping behind a low hill at the very back of Turtle Bay.
Beach at the very back of Bahia de Tortugas.
Blue sky reflected onto the wet sand of the outgoing tide.
Steve and Nala looking at all the cool stuff along the beach.
Nala having a blast.
Strange, gel-like extrusions we found all along the beach. Anybody know what they might be?
Abandoned kiosk, down on the furthest back beach in Turtle Bay.
The roof is gone and there aren't any doors left.
Inside view of the kiosk, looking out at the bay.
Out behind the back of the kiosk, there were all these bottle caps crushed into the dirt.
Eli climbing up one of the hills that flank the back bay beach area--the rock was super crumbly.
Going around the point into the back bay beach area.
One of our favorite houses in the town.
Another favorite house--love the neon lime green.
Pretty sure the Shirlee Too used to run out of Morro Bay, California.
Eli changing the flow of the water across this stretch of beach.
Eli and Steve as we head back to the dinghy.
Feathery star-shaped impression left of the sand--again, anyone know what this is, we'd love to hear about it.
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Utterly Holy, Tamiko–looking up at the stars that way. I think if we all did that once a week, all war would cease. // Great pix of Steve, Eli & Doggie. // As for the photo of “strange gel-like extrusions”…well, something did come to mind but thankfully I kept it to myself. (Unpleasantly perhaps, someone else did not). // Who knew bottle-caps in the sand could be so beautiful. Thanks for lovely post.