The day before Pat's 68th birthday, she got a surprise gift: we were privileged to be present for a turtle hatch beside one of the beachfronting campsites.

We were told these are Loggerhead turtles. We know that all sea turtles are endangered. They get entangled in or drowned by fishing gear, chopped up by propellors, suffocated by pollution-induced tumors, and lose their beach-front nesting habitats.

Our trip to Mexico was worth it for this experience if for no other reason. And it wasn't even on the agenda.