2014, Day 360 - Hatchlings

Just like El Salvador we found a number of small non-profits in Sri Lanka that gather sea turtle eggs to protect them from predation.  They are transferred to artificial nests in protected areas and the babies are kept in tiled tubs like the one below until they are three days old at which point they are released into the wild.  Here the babies are kept longer to allow their shells a little more time to harden before they brave the dangers of the world.  I love that places like this exist and while it was not quite as hands-on as the place we visited in El Salvador they do good work and deserve acknowledgment for their tireless efforts.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f2, 1/125 sec @ 640 ISO

2014, Day 261 - Bearded

Being allowed to release baby sea turtles into the ocean was an experience I had long been waiting for and last year that dream came true on the beaches of El Salvador.  This little guy is crusted with sand while struggling to freedom in to ocean.  Only a tiny percentage will make it to adulthood which makes me sad because they are such beautiful creatures.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/500 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 151 - Journey

This was a moment of pure joy, watching hatchlings make their way to the sea.  I've always loved reptiles and have been captivated by sea turtles so witnessing this was something I had waited decades to experience.  It was only after, when I thought about it, that I started to worry for the babies.  Their struggle to reach the ocean was the first of many.  Most would not make it to adulthood but it was a privilege to be there to witness the triumph of these little turtles and wish them well on their upcoming journey.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 309 - Spare a thought

Sadly we left Guanajuato this morning.  It would have been nice to have a few more days to wander the streets, alleys, and tunnels but the temples are calling so we packed our bags.  Once we were more-or-less together we decided to take advantage of the free continental breakfast.  Admittedly it wasn't much but that was fine with me, I didn't want to need the bathroom too urgently on our day of travel.

Initially we were planning on taking a later bus out of town but we were ready so we caught the earlier bus to Mexico City.  It wasn't as luxurious as the last bus we took and it was a lot more crowded but it was a bit cheaper than the last one we took to Guanajuato.

Once in Mexico City we had the option of taking another bus to Teotihuacan or take a taxi.  We opted for the taxi thinking it would be quicker.  That was true and when we arrived in Teotihuacan we discovered that the bus is really just a van and felt a bit of relief that we didn't try that route because it would have been difficult with our bags, especially considering that they were packed in.

After a little confusion our taxi driver found our hotel.  The proprietor wasn't around but they was a group of locals using their common area and one spoke English well enough to help us find a room.  I suppose he will leave a note for the owner to let them know we're here.  We also asked about where to eat and he brought back a nice woman who was cooking for the group who said she would make us dinner for forty-five pesos each (that is less than four dollars).  She even brought a little sample which helped to seal the deal.

Fifteen minutes later we were sitting in the common room sipping glasses of guava juice.  Soon we were presented with plates of rice, a big bowl of beans, a stack of hot tortillas, and I was given a bowl of nice scrambled eggs while Francene and Araceli got beef stew.  To finish it off was a slightly sweet and spicy salsa that was delicious.  It was a lot of food and we pretty much cleared our plates.  All was excellent and very filling; a steal at forty-five pesos.

With dinner completed we went for a walk through the town.  There are metallic buntings that crisscross the streets and in the evening light they sparkled.  I don't know if they were part of their Dia de los Muertos celebration or for something else entirely but I liked the effect.  As we wandered it quickly became obvious that we're the only foreigners around town but it seems safe in a small town way.  We even found a bakery that was still open and bought some pastries for breakfast tomorrow.  Given that it was a long day of travel we headed back to our hotel to play on the slow internet and get ready to turn in early.

Below is another one of the baby sea turtles we released in La Libertad.  These little guys are so cute and I keep hoping that they all made it safely past the predators to the open ocean.  That is probably as close as I will ever come to praying.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/500 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 299 - Fraught

We awoke early this morning to some impressive rain, it was dumping.  To make matters worse we had a day trip out to the coast planned, but we're Portlanders and a little rain isn't going to scare us off.  So we got dressed and went downstairs to meet our guide Stephanie.  She was ready to whisk us away and so we set off, windshield wipers frantically trying to keep up.

By the time we reached La Libertad about half an hour later it was sprinkling heavily so we grabbed our stuff and went for a walk along the waterfront out towards the pier.  The current pier is one made of concrete but the old pier was an incredibly long affair, three times longer than what currently exists, and it had railroad tracks running the entire length to make the transportation of goods faster.  Today it is used solely for fishing and at the end of the pier they have two cranes that raise and lower fishing boats from the pier to the water and vice versa.

We wandered the length of the pier looking at the morning's catch which ranged from dorado to snapper to shrimp to calamari to sole.  Many of the fishmongers proudly showed us their wares.  When we reached the end we were treated to the lowering of a boat into the ocean which is a slightly harrowing process, especially when the wind picks up.  But the fishermen made it safely and headed out to try their luck on the choppy waters.

After exploring the area around the pier we returned to the van and headed south down the coast for a little breakfast on the beach.  We had a nice view and after placing my order I walked down to the water to take a few pictures, nice long exposures.  Soon I heard breakfast arriving so I decided to cut my shooting short to eat breakfast since we didn't have time before leaving San Salvador.

Our bellies full we headed further down the coast to a could nice viewpoints before turning around and traveling back north past the pier to up a narrow road between beachfront homes where were stopped at an anonymous alleyway.  Stephanie led out down the alley to the beach where we were greeted by a smiling gentleman who runs a turtle sanctuary.  With the support of the community and donations from visitors he buys turtle eggs from local fishermen and places them in artificial nests in a large enclosure to protect them from predators.  After forty-five days the babies hatch and he collects them to release into the ocean.  While we were looking at the enclosure one little guy managed to squeeze his way out so we named him Wilbur and followed his journey down the beach and into the ocean.

We are lucky because it is the height of turtle season and after showing us around his facility we were allowed to release about thirty babies on the beach and follow them as they made their way to the ocean.  Thirteen years ago when I was in Australia my brother and I were supposed to go out to a turtle sanctuary to help release the hatchlings but a spill at the docks meant that no one could leave so we missed that opportunity.  Now, more than a decade later, I finally got the chance to watch these amazing little creatures find freedom in the ocean.  While I know that only one in a thousand will actually make it to adulthood I hope all of our little friends beat the odds and live long happy lives.

Happy with our morning we decided to return to San Salvador.  Even though it hadn't been very long since breakfast we stopped at a roadside restaurant because they are famous for their sopa de gallina, hen soup.  Francene ordered a bowl while Tim ate a sweet Salvadoran quesadilla and I had a couple pupusas.  The soup was declared delicious and in short order we were back on the van.

Once back at the apartment we had a nice afternoon of relaxing and settling Tim in a little more.  Art was hung, furniture was moved and then moved back, laundry was finished, and it is even possible we cleaned up a little bit.  Although I don't think any of us were that hungry we did go out to dinner at a Salvadoran seafood place.  The servings were massive and what we thought would be a light dinner turned out to be a copious amount of ocean-dwelling creatures.  A huge platter of fried calamari, crab, clams, shrimp, onions, jalapeños, and potatoes started the meal followed by a grilled fish covered in garlic and grilled chicken plus a couple more gourmet pupusas.  I tried a bit of everything and ate much more than I had intended and I get the distinct impression that is a common affliction in our group.  Oh well, it was delicious.

Disgustingly full we returned to the apartment to unwind a little before getting some sleep.  I think that might come sooner rather than later.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/640 sec @ 100 ISO