SEA SLATE SAMPLES

Here is a photo album of close-ups showing the diversity of color and design of the slate in this mammoth rock formation.

SLATE HEAVEN

About 2 miles south down the beach from our place is a massive slate rock formation. Approaching it from the north, it looks like a beached submarine. On closer inspection we were enthralled, consumed and amazed by the natural beauty, color, texture and intrinsic design of this work of nature. As builders over the years, natural stone has become one of our favorite building elements. So as you can see, we have gone alittle overboard on our slate photos. We have been scheming on how we could possibly mine this material in slabs to use in multiple surfaces in our dream home, but is just wishful thinking. It’s one thing to see pieces of beautiful cut stone and quite another to walk on massive natural slabs in “the wild.” Somehow this collection of photos just doesn’t do justice to the real thing, however it’s the best we can do.

PACIFIC SHORELINE GEOGRAPHY OF NICARAGUA

The west coast of Nicaragua is a seemingly endless chain of rocky points, secluded coves and beaches of unique contrast. The shoreline varies from rock shelves, boulders and cobblestones of slate, lava and sandstone. The beach sand comes in an array of colors, black, grey, brown, white and even pink. The following four slideshows are photo’s taken along a 3 mile stretch of coastline north & south from our house.

NICA BIRDS

Here's a sampling of some of the birds we see everyday. Sorry we're ignorant and don't know their names, we just think they are beautiful. The morning bird song when we wake up each day is a tropical symphony. The group of shore birds on the beach at the river mouth greet us on our daily walks. All the other birds you see were photographed from our back lanai.

BEST BEACH SPOT

Walking a few miles on the beach every morning and evening has become part of our regular daily routine. We’ve become compulsive shell hunter/gathers. We no longer leave the house without acouple bags to carry our bootie home. Within a few days of our arrival here at Playa Guasacate, we dicovered our current favorite “chill spot” just around the point at the north end of the beach. The point is a lava formation wonderland with tide pools, caves, inlets, rock bridges and a secluded cove we have named “Hernando’s Hide-away.” There is a large pristine saltwater pool where we go with our books & chairs. During our 3 day reprovisioning stay in L.A., we scored 2 great backpack beach chairs that we use daily on our lanai and take with us on our treks to the saltwater pool.

Our second week here Grey was the victim of a mysterious disappearance. He had just come into the house from the beach and left his Croc zorries on the step outside our front door. A few minutes later he went out to go next door and there was only one zorrie on the step. He then spent the better part of an hour searching the property for his missing zorrie, without success. Because we were at the tail end of the rainy season, the roads were ankle deep in mud with shin deep pools, making his only other footwear, tennis shoes, fairly dysfunctional. He can laugh about it now but he didn’t think it was funny then when he had to walk barefoot everywhere on tender feet. Two weeks later, after finally finding zorries large enough to fit him, he was again the victim of “the missing zorries,” only this time it was both zorries. We had gone walking on the beach and discreetly (we thought!) hidden our zorries under some driftwood near the beach access. Upon our return an hour or two later, we went to retrieve them and low and behold, there was only one pair, you guessed it! Pam’s. Grey was not laughing now, but luckily he had gotten 2 new pairs so now, if he’s not wearing them, he’s carrying them! Rule of thumb numba one, no leave slippa outside for da dog can get. Rule numba two, if you not wearing your slippa, put 'em on top your okole.

Olas

These photos don't really need much explanation. Waves pretty much speak for themselves.

Coastal Real Estate Tour – Day 3

On our 3^rd and final day we visited Las Fincas, a 450 acre residential Eco Reserve which is situated 5 miles south of San Juan del Sur. When we arrived, our host and resident owner, Donn Wilson gave us a tour of his personal residence, a classic reproduction of a Spanish colonial hacienda. Then we mounted up and went for a horseback tour of the property. Sorry cowboys, left the camera in the car so no photos to laugh at!

Donn is passionate about restoring natural wildlife corridors within his Eco Development and has already planted well over 50,000 indigenous trees on the property. Las Fincas is a solar powered community and they believe we should integrate with the environment, not conform the environment to us. They also believe in giving back to the local community and a portion of every sale is donated to the Nica Dev Fund to better the lives of those around them.

Las Fincas has hillside lots 1-4 acres, some with ocean views, ranging in price from $29,000 to $99,000. The Hacienda ranch lots range in size from 2 to 8 acres and are priced from $44,000 to $89,000. You can checkout Las Fincas at: www.nicadev.com

Each development that we visited had something unique to offer but what actually impressed us most was that all of them are committed with their time and money to helping the less fortunate people of Nicaragua in the communities that surround them. That commitment to the local community also includes our tour guide and host Brooke Rudle, an agent with Coldwell Banker in San Juan del Sur.