Turtle Bay is the halfway point on the Baja between Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas.  The bay is huge and can safety anchor a couple hundred boats in 20 to 30 feet.  We Taco Runners are sharing the bay with the Baja Ha Ha rally flotilla, a group of mostly sailboats running from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. The flotilla runs annually and this year is estimated to have 140 boats. 

When we entered the bay (Bahia San Bartolome) we were greeted by pangas offering “water taxi” rides to shore, delivery of fresh water or garbage pick-up. Compensation for these services is what you offer to them. Cigarettes, candy, pesos, US dollars.  Gracias!

We dinghied into shore and were again met by young Turtle Bay residents helping us pull our dinghy onto the beach. They would point to their eyes meaning “we’ll watch your boat” for 2 pesos! The Mexican people are very industrious and helpful, and always polite! 

Scott and I walked the semi-paved roads mostly looking for some kind of internet service. After a couple of hours, we gave up and succumbed to a cold cerveza and fish tacos!

We heard that annually, the Baha Ha Ha boaters challenge the residents of Turtle Bay to a baseball game which was scheduled to begin this afternoon.  So we headed to the baseball field with Mike and Elaine from Partida.  Again, a young industrious Turtle Bay resident named Angel, 12 years old offered to guide us to the stadium in exchange for a few pesos!  Gracias!  We arrived a little early and watched the boys from Turtle Bay warm up.  We had a laugh when a young black lab ran onto the field and grabbed the baseball.  All the kids started running after the lab, which of course they couldn’t catch.  The lab was having a blast dropping the ball, then picking it up again and running a different direction!  The stadium began to fill up with Baja Ha Ha folks and the game commenced, starting with singing the Star Spangled Banner! 

The game is played like this:  Everyone takes the field (Baja Ha Ha boaters and Turtle Bay residents) at the same time, together.  A line of batters gather at home plate.  Again, Baja Ha Ha boaters and Turtle Bay residents. The commentator, a long-time Baja Ha Ha skipper introduced each of the batters in turn. The name of the batter may be correct, but what comes next was a hoot! The 9-year boy described as a prosecuting attorney working pro bono, or the 6-year old “socialite” from New York runs a glitter store, or the Turtle Bay teen who has just been drafted on the Nationals Baseball team!  The youngest player was a little guy of 4 years who eventually scored (base running proved challenging at first!) No score was kept and all batters hit the ball regardless of the number of pitches. 

And in the stadium was again, an industrious Turtle Bay resident, probably in his 70’s selling cold Pacifico Cervezas for 20 pesos (2 USD).  Muchas Gracias! Well played Turtle Bay! Well played Baja Ha Ha!