Day Four Hundred and Thirty-Six

The Dolphin Lovers

Yesterday, we were really cuddly. I like cuddly. (Especially in Moorea). Adam is getting bigger and bigger by the day, which is totally acceptable to me…the bigger the cuddler, the better! We woke up to another stunning view off the deck of our bungalow and soaked up some precious moments together.  I don’t think I could ever get sick of this picture.

Directly behind us is the Intercontinental Dolphin Rehabilitation Center. Three slippery dolphins call the center their home, and they love it here. Not only do they get tons of attention from their trainers and caregivers, they also get a boatload from the island visitors. In small groups of 4 or 6, those who want the opportunity to swim with dolphins can…of course at a ridiculous price. 

Thankfully, our travel agent surprise-included it in our package when she booked us and we got to swim with them!!! It was incredible. Twice, both of us got an underwater “ride” from the dolphins, as well as multiple hugs, pats, and rubs from the beautiful mammals! They flipped in the air, underwater, and on the surface, swam 20 MPH, and splashed us flirtatiously. I even got to kiss one of them! And he kissed me back! It was a truly unforgettable experience and one that we’re forever grateful for. 

We made our way to the resort beach and found a cozy little cabana (if that’s even what you’d call this) to admire God’s impeccable and unmatched paintbrush.  The colors here are nothing short of absolutely stunning and surreal. What a peaceful way to enjoy time together!

The water here has a clarity to it that I’ve never before seen. We’ve been here 3 days and we’re still in awe of this wonder. Regardless of where you look, the blue is so clear that you can see all the way to the ocean floor. And that means too, that everywhere you look, fishies are on the move. Bright, colorful, beautiful fish. Not long after we sat down here, the fish started swimming all around us!

Back at the bungalow, Adam and I had a back flip contest - naturally. And naturally, because I'm the blog writer: I won. But he surprised me - well, he's always surprising me. But this time, I learned that my sweet husband can actually do quite the back flip! STUD!

Contest aside, I had some wife stuff to attend to after the fun: laundry, of course! Adam decided to only bring a very limited supply of clothing, so, equipped with my small packet of Tide, I scrubbed his dirty clothes clean while sitting in the bathtub. Good wife!

With the laundry finished, our next task was to find a local grocery store and stock up on some more-reasonably priced items. A can of Coke in our bungalow fridge costs $7. Fat chance. So, we started walking. At the very top of our hill, just outside the resort, a small orange store rests neatly at the foot of a huge mountain. (Speaking of huge…can you believe how big Adam is getting!!!)!! Here, we spent maybe 15 bucks and got a 6-pack of Coke and two liters of juice. A much better deal if you’d ask me! We kept walking and again came across another small store, 5 minutes away. We liked the other one better though.

Adam and I in our hats and Under Armor after the grocery store walk!

Finally, we enjoyed another gorgeous sunset – this time from the dock overlooking our resort on one side, and this view on the other. Then it was dinner (Adam has eaten the same hamburger meal every day since arriving here…he can’t get enough of them!) followed by a Harry Potter movie (we’re watching the entire series during our stay here!)! Such a beautiful day! Oh, Moorea. We're feeling blessed.