Mirador Las Tortugas

Have you ever thought that you knew exactly how something was going to pan out? Have you ever assumed that you will do something, and you know how it is going to make you feel? I think that this is fairly easy to do somewhat subconsciously, simply believing that you know how something is going to pan out. Yesterday, on my way to El Mirador Las Tortugas I made the mistake of absentmindedly assuming I was going to see the same view that I always see. I have lived here in Puerto Escondido for close to a month now, and I watch the sunset on most every day, and while I still appreciate every one, I guess I thought I had just gotten used to having a beautiful sunset before my eyes. Walking down the streets toward this lookout, I didn't expect much more than another nice, peaceful sunset. Let me explain what it's like.

As you are walking down the final street which leads to this lookout, this is when you start to see the water, and the horizon which continue to expand as you get closer. You keep moving forward, as the sounds of the ocean begin to pull you in. There are already other people who are settling in to one place or another, among the sand and rocks, looking for the perfect spot to say goodbye to another day. There is a bit of a decline, and you can descend toward a large rock formation, standing maybe 30-40 feet above the water. There is blue-green ocean on either side of you, crashing into the large rocks along the cliffside as you proceed onto this rock formation. A light breeze blows toward you, accompanying the waves, and you can take a deep breath of the subtly salty air of the Pacific. While I see this ocean most days, and the same sun every day, it was a totally new and beautiful experience.

I could not have foreseen this. This was that reminder that I do not know what the future contains, and the reminder of how beautiful that concept is. I sat down, and took this place in as best I knew how, slowly matching my breathing to the waves, and listening to all of my surroundings with my eyes closed. When I reopen my eyes, everything has this depth and beauty that is sometimes hard to grasp when you don't really take a moment to slow down and internalize it. Every ripple in the water, and the deep blues further out toward the horizon. Then closer to the shore, the practically turquoise water that turns foamy as it engulfs boulders down below. Each wispy cloud, absorbing the array of colors coming from the sun, framing the sky as the sun finishes it's time here with us for now. Even listening to the conversations that were slightly audible in the distance, beautiful souls from different parts of the world speaking whichever language they are familiar with, appreciating this moment together.

Go explore. Go see new places. Appreciate the Earth.