The View from Above

Here's a picture of the view from my balcony on the 13th floor [13 clearly isn't an unlucky number in Brazil, although Brazilians count floors the same way as do Europeans, so really I am on the fourteenth floor....]. The beach outside can be two completely different places depending on the tide. During low tide, the waves break on the outside of the reefs that line the coast and the ocean becomes a peaceful, clear, and refreshing pool. Great for families and kids and for enjoying a nice soak. During high tide, however, the water is higher than the reefs and the waves break rather violently right at the shore. Two totally different experiences depending on your mood! In the eight weeks that we have been here, we have only made it to the beach twice -- once during low tide and the other during high tide. It's almost like it wasn't even the same place!