La cuenta del dia dos

"This is why we came!" - statement of the day from Nicolas, waist deep in waves off of Playa Hermosa (Pretty Beach), our destination resort.  We arrived by a shuttle, meaning the back of a truck with benches and sideboard type railings, which picked us up at the stop 25 minutes late and then did another lap through town after picking up six of the resort's employees.  The employees spoke Spanish so rapidly I couldn't even pick out words; they had no interest in conversing with us either.  However, when we got out of the truck bed at the resort, I still complimented one woman with turquoise eyeshadow and matching butterfly earrings on her turquoise tiger striped toenails.

Even though I considered the fact that I should have taken some Dramamine for the high speed 25 minute passage on a narrow, winding dirt road, when we got to our room at Playa Hermosa and shortly thereafter walked the 100 yards to the beach, it was clear:  peace on earth was found.

The beach here is absolutely incredible - soft sand, a perfect temperature water, swimmable, beginner surf waves, and minimal crowds.  This is not to mention the fact that it's just a short walk out our front door, past a number of hammocks, shaded tables, and outdoor restaurant and bar!

We spent the majority of the afternoon IN the water: Nic bodysurfing, me floating over the crests of the waves, and both of us laughing a lot.  We enjoyed some beachside quesadillas, a smoothie, and muchas Toñas (one of Nicaragua's two domestic beers).  Since the kitchen closes at 7pm, we showered around 5:30 and had an early dinner, I had fish ceviche served with plantain chips and Nic had a beef kabob with fried mashed plantain cakes and rice.  The food is simple, but satisfying.  Of the local hot sauce "Lizarro", I said tonight "This is JUST the vacation I needed..." of course after applying more than necessary to my food.

We have not had much discourse with fellow travelers, one reason simply being that we have not come across many Americans.  There have been Russians, Germans, Austrailians, and many Spanish speaking tourists.  However, I feel we may further a relationship tomorrow with one European couple who was present at dinner when Nic, while fingering the key to our room, accidentally let it slip from his hands and through a crack in the wooden patio.  While he was repeatedly lighting matches to illuminate his retrieval tool - two straws slid together and bent up at one end - the European man brought over his phone and asked if we would like to use the flashlight to aid the effort. Shortly after the addition of the light, Nic impressively hooked the key, gently pulled it back through the crack, and thanked our compañero with a cold Toña.  We will see if this is how you make amigos tourismos on holiday in Nicaragua.

We laid in hammocks after dinner and are now reflecting on the patio.  As previously mentioned, Nic says it may be possible to find peace right here in Playa Hermosa.