threeperfectdays
nicaragua
crashingwaves.Iorder aplateof fried
dorado
(mahimahi)withasideofsweet
plantainsandNicaragua’s famous
gallo
pinto
(mixedblackbeans and rice).As
Ieat,I seea flurryof flashlightson the
beach. Some diners are abandoning
their meals to see what’s going on. I
putmy forkdown and follow.
Surreally, wonderfully, the beach
is filled with hundreds of baby sea
turtleswindmilling theirway into the
surf.We stand and
watch the spectacle
in silence. Back at
the restaurant our
meals are grow-
ing cold, but that
doesn’t seem to
matter. All of us
have everything we
need right here.
though I suspect our relationship has
already soured.
For an hour or so, we ride narrow
pathsflankedbytoweringtrees inwhich
Ispotobservanthowlermonkeys.After
passing through a fieldof saddle-high
weeds—eachmore enticing than the
last for the peckishCappuccino—we
climbahillanddescend to thedeserted
PlayaElYankee,agoldenbeachbrack-
etedby jungle-swathed cliffs.
Undera jicaro tree,wedismountand
pass around cold beers.Blue offers a
Tupperware container of sticky, dark
brown logs. “I knowhow these look,”
shesays.OnceIgetpast theunappetiz-
ing appearance, I find that the chewy
bars,made of tamarind and shredded
coconut,are sweet and tangy andpack
aniceburstofenergy.“Now thatyou’ve
had some liquid courage,”Blue says
while I lick the last of the tamarindoff
my fingers,“let’s run thesehorses.”
I walk Cappuccino out into the
middle of thewide beach.Blue gives
somebasic tipsonhow tokeepyourself
in the saddle at high speed.We trot,
canter, then break into a screaming
gallop (the screaming is coming from
me). My hat, having had enough,
leavesmy head and skitters down the
beach. “Again!”I saywhenwe finally
come toahalt,surprisingmyself.Later,
backat theranch,wekickoffourboots
and throwback shots of Flor deCaña
rumwitha squeezeof lime.
Reluctantly, I saymy goodbyes (to
Blue andCappuccino) andmakemy
way back to San Juan del Sur,where
I meet my ride to
Aqua Wellness
Resort
, a resort of treetop villas scat-
tered through the hills around Playa
laRedonda.
My suite, the Kinkajou, has what
the concierge says ishis favoriteview.
Stepping onto the room’s wooden
deck, the first thing I see (yay!) is a
plunge pool, and beyond this awhite
beach,rockycliffsanda stretchofblue
PacificOcean.“Do you see that?”the
conciergeasks,pointingat anunusual
rock formation. “It’s called Pie de
Gigante: theGiant’s Foot.”
Inside, the two-story villa is all
burnishedwood, sliding screendoors
andneutral tone linens.After aquick
rinse inmy teak shower, I headdown
to the beach.From the sand, I watch
the sun blaze before it dips into the
sea.Dopeople get used to this?
When thedark finally settles,Iwalk
back to the resort’sopen-air restaurant,
where soft music mingles with the
TREEHOUSE
The treetop
bungalows atAqua
WellnessResort
PICTUREPERFECT
Playa laRedondawith thePie
deGigante in thebackground
Hemispheres associate editor
ERIN
BRADY
actually, almost, kindof criedat
the sight of baby sea turtles hatching.
Nature, man!
Get themon
thego,with
our
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Formore information, forschedules, or tobookaflight, visitunited.com.
Ahowlermonkey
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