Days 137 to 140
Praia do Forte, Brazil
I wanted to head to this area North of Salvador because it is famous for Turtles. We love turtles....for those of you who don´t know....Rich and I were engaged on the beach in Australia on a night baby sea turtles were hatching and running for the ocean in the moonlight all around us. We have told Bryce the stories and he always gets angry...."I can´t believe you didn´t take me!" he says. The whole "You did not exist yet" thing does not seem to be a good enough excuse to satisfy......so I figured this was my chance to make it up to him.
I had read a magazine article about a new hotel here called The Iberostar. The magazine was in Pourtuguese.....so I did not understand it, but the photos looked great! I checked it out online.....no info......but I´m game....lets give it a try.
We should have known the moment we pulled up to the huge entry gates with the security guards with headsets, that this was not the hotel for us. Security guards with headsets might as well be men wearing t-shirts that say "You can not afford this." But, hell....we were here and now I wanted to at least see it.
Driving through the palms on the 3 mile drive to the hotel it became more and more obvious that my initial assessment was correct.......this place was bigger and more beautiful than the Taj Majal. Fountains everywhere, men in golf carts, colorful arched buildings in every direction.
Our cab pulled up and I walked into the lobby to "ask" about prices. The front desk told me.....I turned to tell Rich and Bryce to get back into the cab....but there was a problem.
Bryce was standing with stars in his eyes as a pretty receptionist explained to him the: kids club, kids pool, kids theatre, kids golf, kids competitions, ice cream parlor....need I go on. I turned the other way and Rich was watching the Gucci clad models go by while signaling the doorman to get our bags out of the car.
So....Welcome to the Iberostar!
I had most certainly be foiled!
"Two nights!" I told them.

I write to you on night number 4. Okay, Okay....I got hooked too. The beautiful ocean view roon, the big king size bed, the free margaritas and frosty pineapple drinks. Plus they have bingo everyday at 4. I love Bingo.
Ah yes.... The Iberostar. Or as I like to call it Club Med on Crack. This place never stops moving.
Rich has become the MVP on the water basketball team and he actually won the riffelry turnament.
Produce Broker my butt! He must have secretly been a CIA agent.
And Bryce.....Bryce who???? I have barely seen him since we checked in! He runs to kids club every morning after breakfast and then we hunt him down around 9:30 pm to put him to bed.
Last night however we were encouraged to go to the theatre right after dinner where we were thrilled to see our little bug staring in the mini club version of High School Musical.
Thanks Heather!....she´ll know what I mean.
After the show, Bryce told me "They always want me to perform....and sometimes they don´t even say please."
Ahhh...how quickly a star becomes a prima donna!
Yesterday we did manage to extract ourselves and Bryce from the hotel grounds long enough to go find what we came for......Turtles.We went to the Tamar Projecto Turtles. The largest sea turtle rescue project in the world. It was wonderful.....like a huge aquarium on the beach. They had tuns of pools of rescued adult turtles, pools of newly born and yet to be released babies and even "touch pools" where you culd stick your hands in and feel turtles, sting rays and various fish. Despite all the complaining to get Bryce out of the hotel.....he loved it.

They are such facinating and majestic creatures. I always find them so peaceful.
My book calls the project "Disneyfied"...which I assume is mean to be an insult....but I don´t really care what it take to bring awareness to the plight of this endangered species....I thought the project did an excellent ob of teaching both children and adults about this fabulous lifeform.
We also took a nice long stroll around town to do some shopping. Praia do Forte is a beautiful little village with great shops, restaurants, playgounds.....and Bryce´s need t0 make a city worthwild....tree to climb.
Overall....we have had a fabulous stay. A bit commercialized and probably more pampering and activity than we needed. But, its been fun. And fun its ultimately what it is all about.