Arriving at our hotel--Roca (the Rock) Sunzal,
we are warmly welcomed by Oscar who provides our hotel orientation. The
hotel has a Caribbean resort feel — brightly colored walls with bamboo awnings
and hammocks. Part of our group is on the Manglar side with views of a little
lagoon that is home to a host of white egrets nesting in the trees at night. Our
room is sparse, but bright, cheerful and clean. After making ourselves at home,
we head to the open-air restaurant, which will be our dining room for breakfasts
and dinners this week. Tonight a live band is playing American Rock and we dine
to the trills of Van Halen. It’s all a bit dreamlike—The beach is “right
there.” Tonight the Rock is silhouetted against the skyline with two smaller
neighboring rocks, reminiscent or Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, OR. The beach
is dotted with bonfires. Our party gathers at the picnic-style tables, cooling
down with our beverage of choice.
This idyllic place with its perfect beach
("fifth best surfing beach in the world") is our home during our stay in
Tamanique.
Mornings we awake to incredible sunrises; the crashing of the surf and the
humming and chirping of the local wildlife. At sunrise the resident rooster
sounds the alarm, heralding us to the awaiting breakfast buffet. The buffet
features an array of fresh fruit—pineapple, mango, grapes as well as a local
basic—Fried bananas—delicious with a honey like coating and piping hot
rolls. Our first morning, we are offered a traditional Salvadoran breakfast of
drunken beans and cheese, fried banana and fruit or Rancheros (eggs with fresh
tomatoes). A different specialty dish will be available each morning from peanut
butter crepes to omelets. To wash it all down is fresh squeezed O.J. and
Salvadoran coffee.
We are also introduced to Moe, the resident lime green parrot—who preens and turns his head this away and that as you hold him on your arm and admire his Verdi feathers. Another Roca resident is Simone the sweet white-faced Capuchin monkey. She waits for you to bring her treats and if you don’t produce an offering she’ll scamper off, turning her back on you to admire herself in her mirror. One morning she feasts on watermelon and fresh pineapple, making a happy, smacking “MMMM” sound with each bite.
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