Swimming with Dolphins

We were up again at 6 and soon out of the apartment (minus Gareth who had one too many cashasers the night before and felt too ill to stand) on a twenty minute walk along the beach whilst the tide was low as it's impassable when the tide is high.

We arrived at said beach and could instantly see two or three grey- silver fins in the distance in the sea.
Throwing off our clothes rapidly we waded in and very soon fins appeared in various places ahead of us, beside us - maybe twenty metres away. It was pretty special. I'm not sure I can exactly say I've now swum with dolphins but I've certainly swum in the same body of water as them!

But in half an hour they had gone. Sean and Caroline were disappointed as the dolphins had swum closer and stayed longer the day before. But I and the children were satisfied with our lot and commenced the walk back to the car.

A quick swim at the apartment, a hurried pack-up and a nice lunch miraculously prepared by Carla in what seemed only moments and it was time to check out.
As time was getting on, it was decided to forego the worlds largest cashew tree (I know, I know, that's another dream not realised) and we drove back into town.

A little shopping and a huge bowl of açai (an Amazonian fruit pulverised into a frozen yogurt topped with grenola or peanuts with banana and honey) which we were becomming addicted to and then back in the car to an ecological park where we saw monkeys, bats, a cayman and best of all, looking down from a cliff, sea turtles could be visualised bobbing up to the surface and disappearing again! It's been a great day for wildlife.
The stop off was a worthwhile one but for the horribly large amount of mosquito bites we sustained in the space of that our. I myself am sporting at least ten. I can hardly see my skin for bites! Grrrr!!!!

We climbed back in the car and finally headed back to Joao Pessoa with an air of gloom in the vehicle. Pipa had been a refreshing break from the growing frustrations of Joao Pessoa. But the problems before our departure were nothing to to the problems we would encounter on our return. Relations were about to take a decided turn for the worse...