Heading for the beach

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We got up early and headed to a Barcelo resort, at Montelimar, for a day at the beach. It does not get much better than this! All inclusive day and night. We had the beach to ourselves and the weather was perfect, so we walked a good distance then headed to lunch. Found a delightful table overlooking the beach and stuffed ourselves at the buffet and drinking various fruit juices (might have been a few beers too). Then off to the hammock.

As the sun began to set we grabbed a couple of chairs and sat in friendly conversation, listening to the waves crashing and watched as the sun disappeared...it's really amazing how fast it sets. I set my camera to video and planned to attach the video to this blog for you to share the minute (which is all it took for the sphere to dissappear) but the file was too big to upload.

Next stop was the casino (or the office) as the Cuadra's refer to it. We got hooked in Managua, but these machines did not seem as friendly, so we went to the restaraunt for a great diner and wine. There was to be a variety show out on the veranda, which started out pretty lame, but it was a nice evening. Then they selected four women to compete for Miss Barcelo Montelimar. Maria is a good sport and always up for a good time, so she joined three much younger women. After more dances, stunts, and skits than Maria cares to remember, the audiance was asked to clap for their favorite. The field was quickly reduced to three, and after sevaral recounts the truly deserving women was named Miss Barcelo...our own Maria Cuadra.

The show that followed truly surprised us...it was wanderful to listen to classic latin music and watch the traditional dances. It was fun to watch and listen to the audience participate as they sang along. Ruth and I were just about worn out, but Maria and Martin headed for the disco...they are truly young at heart.

We got up for an early stroll on the beach, more fruit and juices and local coffee for breakfast, then headed to the pool. We checked using the tractor draw wagon and headed for Leon. Boy were we glad to have Maria's parents SUV. Sealed tight, air conditioned and 4-wheel drive. Martin used every inch of the road as we dodged all the pot holes.

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