So why am I thinking about a place that has not one of those necessities? And dreaming of going back there?
I spent last week in Muelle de los Bueyes, Nicaragua. It cost me $1,900 to go to a place without a pool or a swim-up bar or a tennis court .... or drinkable water. But honestly, it might be the most unforgettable vacation I've ever taken.
It wasn't "fun."
It was "rich."
What a weird way to describe this experience among the poor.
There was Julisa, who badgered me for candy or chapstick or tiny plastic bracelets. Man, that kid's hug would knock you down! She ran so fast to reach you that you could feel her little heart beat against you as she hugged and would NOT let go.
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| Julisa, center, holding her red bag of goodies. |
Then there was Perfecto. Age 102. What a lovely, smiling angel of a man, waiting outside the eyeglass clinic and grabbing my damp hand with his cool, strong tanned one.
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| Perfecto, left, with Blake Lawson |
And teenagers? My favorites! Senorita Jurielka painted my toenails in vivid white and coral and invited me to her home. She took me down to the river, where the brown water creeped in rain forest beauty, contrasting with the crowds and litter of the village.
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| Teens Jurielka, left, and Jury, on the veranda |
My friends said I would be forever changed by this trip.
May it be so, hermanos and hermanas of Nicaragua.
May it be forever so.
