In the town of Bahia Tortugas, there are many hills, as the town is built on hills that overlook the bay of the same name, but don't expect to find any mansions on the hilltops, as there aren't any.  Bahia Tortugas is a hardscrabble town, populated by average, working class people, and despite three full days of exploring the town, I couldn't locate a upper-class dwelling, similar to many of the houses found in Tijuana, or Mexicali.

Photo:  Looking west down dusty Calle Altamirano, toward the bay.  The closed cannery is on the left hand side of the photo.

There is only one paved street in town, and that's the main street coming from Vizcaíno, and Federal Highway 1, a little over 100 miles to east, as all of the residential streets in town are composed of sandy dirt, which makes everything in town very dusty.  All streets are named, but I dare you to find a street sign, as there aren't any.  If you want to know what street you're on, you must ask a local, but they all know the names of the unmarked streets.

Photo:  The side streets in Bahia Tortugas aren't paved, so it makes the neighborhoods quite dusty at times.

Photo:  This house is built in a gully, and I wonder what happens when the town receives the occasional cloudburst of rain?

Photo:  Motel Nanci is in the background, as I explore the residential area across Calle Independencia from the motel.

During my three-day visit to Bahia Tortugas in September, 2008, I spent time walking the streets of town, and photographing the houses, business, and lives of the local residents.  By American standards, the town could be described as dusty, dirty, ramshackle, and dirt poor.  By Mexican standards, the town is on the poorer side.  But if you're looking for mansions, Bahia Tortugas isn't your sort of town.

Photo:  Few people in Bahia Tortugas own clothes dryers, and everywhere you look, there is laundry out to dry.

Photo:  Speaking of laundry, on the way to breakfast Sunday morning, I photograph this housewife hanging out her washing to dry.

Photo:  Dust is everywhere in the residential neighborhoods, and it seems to permeate and cover everything.

Almost every house has a satellite dish for television, as the town is hundreds of miles away from any television station, and cable tv is non-existent.  Another thing that I noticed is nobody seems to have a clothes dryer, as almost every house had laundry hanging out to dry on a clothes line.  With the dusty streets, I wonder how the clean laundry stays clean, as it dries.

Photo:  This green house on the hill is actually quite pleasant.  Judging by the large propane tank, it looks like they heat and cook by propane.

Photo:  Two girls descend a steep residential street, in one of the nicer areas of town.  Although Bahia Tortugas is a generally a poor, working man's town, there are a few nicer homes.

Altogether, walking the residential streets of Bahia Tortugas was an interesting experience, and a reminder of how good I have it, back home in Roseville.

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