RandyMacSC/SO
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Crocodylus acutus: 25 foot crocodile on Baja beach...
Photo below:
Crocodylus acutus on Cerritos Beach
The young girls eyes bulged in complete amazement as I described how Merlin the Magician prophesied that a 25 foot long crocodile would come out of
the ocean depths that evening to perch and protect the sand castle that they made earlier that day. As I completed the story, the oldest of the two
young girls said: "No way! Are there really crocodiles that big in the Baja, mommy?" After the parents put their three young children to bed, they
thanked me for telling the Merlin and the Crocodile bedtime story. I said to the parents just before making my way back to camp: "You do believe that
a huge Crocodylus acutus is down there protecting their sand castle, don't you?" They smiled as I wandered away in moonlight that January evening
2003. Magic and story aside, they must have thought I was truly off my noodle.
As I sat on the beach trying to remember the magic spells of Chorea Gigantum and the Giant's Ring that Merlin taught me, a brilliant beam cast down
from above.
Within four hours that January full moon I was finally able to summon the giant slithering 7 meter pebble worm out of it's subterranean cave just off
the ocean depths near Los Cerritos point, just as Merlin had suggested. As prophesied, Vortigern would be slain before dawn, and a giant crocodile
would appear out of the western depths to perch in his moat to protect Arthur's castle and push back the Saxons to protect the young Baja campers and
their parents.
True to the prophecy, the young family from Nelson British Columbia awoke to find in total amazement that Merlin truly had spent all evening mustering
his powers to make everything in the story come true.
For the next two weeks Merlin's crocodile protected the young girls sand castle on Los Cerritos beach before slithering back into the Pacific ocean
depths grain by grain; awaiting a future magical spell to summon his necessary guard.
Crocodylus: derived from the Greek krokodeilos meaning literally "pebble worm" (kroko = pebble; deilos = worm, or man)orappearance of a crocodile.
> acutus: meaning "sharp" or "pointed" (Latin), referring to the shape of the snout.
No sense telling a story in the Baja if you're not going to use your magic powers to make it come true. No wonder my other alias is Slightly
Offcenter. I like to play in the sand on full moons. And who else would tell such myths to Baja campers.
RandyMac
[Edited on 3-3-2004 by RandyMac]
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RandyMacSC/SO
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Nothing better than a Baja Crocodile...
Ten tons of sand and 4 magic spells later, I finally rested to watch a family have fun in front of their camp at Cerritos beach Baja January 2003.
Sand carvings. Best exercise I have had.
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RandyMacSC/SO
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Nothing better than a pet croc?
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RandyMacSC/SO
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Full Moon Crocodile:
Necessary items to perform Crocodile magic:
1) 5 gallon white bucket
2) small garden scoop
3) one hundred tons of Baja beach sand
4) 6 pack of ice cold Tecate
5) Full Moon
6) lawn chair
7) Must be completely off noodle before starting
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RandyMacSC/SO
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Hour three:
Take another break for cold one.
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Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
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Good stuff. Looks like you were a little above the tideline.
A little less ephemeral that way. At least it'll last a few hours longer than the 6 pack. The ultimate temporary art, huh. We ought to devote a
whole section to sand art. - Stephanie
When the goin' gets tough, the wierd turn pro
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Debra
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Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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TOO COOL!
You and the girls should come up for the Augest 'sand castle' building contest here in Long Beach Wa.!
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RandyMacSC/SO
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Special Sand sculpture thread with photos?
Stephanie and Debra:
Great ideas.
Just before the full moon the waves were so - so massive, they carved away huge tracks of beach like it was butter. This type of temporary art and
hiking helped me lose 60 pounds in 3 months. I was a bit of a 'fat whacker' before heading to the Baja. Put on weight from years of high tech industry
stress and no fun filled exercise. That's a great idea to devote a whole section (message and photo thread) to Baja sand art. I'd like to see what
others have created in Baja sand.
I don't know if you can see it, but I was wearing a multi-colored neck tie in the photo. I became known as a bit of a weird excentric on Cerritos
Beach, because I camped a kilometer down the beach away from all the other motorhomes, and wore a different dress suite tie losely tied around my neck
every other day. Got them in Cabo when I was buying a used surf board at a segundo (second hand store. When I asked for some rope to tie the board on
my Tracker roof, the lady thought I meant ropa (clothes) and gave me a bag of ties. The ties came in handy. Besides adding to my attire, I used my
daily necktie to wipe the flying sand and foam off my Tecate when needed. I carved many a sand castle figures (creatures, fantasy art) over 5 months.
They became a bit of a habit and conversation piece for the many campers that walked along the beach.
I think the last time I made any sand castles was 15 years earlier at a lake in Canada. It definitely is a creative form of art expression, and best
of all, the canvas gets renewed over and over again.
"There's that Slightly Offcenter guy again, moving tons of sand."
I used to live in Vancouver, and the authorities cancelled the WhiteRock BC Sand castle competitions just after I moved to Vancouver. Bummer.
The little girls and family in the photos are from Nelson B.C. Never met them before, until they camped beside me for a few weeks in January 2003 at
Los Cerritos Kilometer 67.
If there is a 'sand castle' building contest in Long Beach Washington, I'm not that far away. I might check it out. I live in Trail, BC near the
famous Rossland 'RED MOUNTAIN' ski hill, on the BC/Washington state border above Colville WA.
Take care,
RandyMac
[Edited on 3-4-2004 by RandyMac]
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RandyMacSC/SO
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There's a Turtle on the beach!!!
My friends Renata and daughter Sumara and the amazing Blackberry from the big green 'BC Poptop Bus' got in the sand exercise act to make a bulbous
snapping sea turtle on the beach at kilometer 65. Blackberry couldn't wait to make sure the turtle didn't dry out so quick.
March 2003 - Playa Los Cerritos, Baja
[Edited on 3-4-2004 by RandyMac]
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RandyMacSC/SO
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YAT- Los Cerritos, March 2003
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