Mima has the raggedy bunch which is the canine population of Gran Roques attending nightly training sessions on the beach outside our posada.
When we arrived at the beginning of the week dogs would appear totally at random, doing the usual dog like stuff. Fighting, chasing, a lot of rear end sniffing and other less savoury pursuits.
Since she has been involved in their welfare they now appear on the beach after supper and line up in descending order of height sitting calmly looking into the middle distance awaiting instruction from their leader.
There is even a junior division of puppies that arrive, somewhat unrully granted, but now even they seem happy to be cuddled for an extended period of time, even to forgo the use of their legs for a while. I seem to recollect from my Psychology Degree that this is a technique called habituation….. to repeatedly expose an animal to a new experience until it ceases to be alarmed or even to struggle.
I also applaud the zest with which our eldest has embraced ‘the wild’. Most kids I suppose if sitting on a boat in the middle of an unknown ocean, were the Captain to yell ‘Manta’ and make appropriate flapping movements with his arms, would go and have a peek over the side. Mimes grabs her mask and snorkel at lightening speed and dives in head first to get an up closer sort of experience.
But the piece de resistance has to be the disappearing lizard. I have never ever known anyone provide a safe haven for an animal in need in their own hair, albeit inadvertently. The tiny creature emerged unscathed from the sleeve of Mima’s t’shirt good couple of hours after its mysterious disappearance from Monty’s clutches. It seems it had been living happily at the top of one of her plaits.
Spiders are scrutinised, conches poked, turtles pursued, parrots befriended, pelicans painted, hermit crabs raced….. I’m fully expecting a crocodile to be wrestled before the end of the holiday.
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Finally got some internet her in Caracas so here are a few choice shots of life in Los Roques.
Windsurfing with the family
The lizard
The girls
The teacher and her pupils
Spontaneous swimming in the sea
The kids on Francisqui
Relaxing in the sea.JPG)
Playing guitar
Girls being creative
The headmaster
Local crab
