The Sunsets are Free
By Eric J. Fry 
The sunsets are still free...but the price of everything
else has doubled. When we last visited Nicaragua's Rancho Santana, in
December 2002, the locals did not own surfboards; the maids
did not own portable CD players; and the domestic beers did
not cost $1.20 apiece at the local market. Of course, back
then, there was no local market, nor any Internet access,
nor 300 uniformed employees. For better or worse, the infrastructure and amenities at
this Pacific Coast paradise continue to improve...as the
prices of everything continue to mount. But don't get us
wrong; we still adore the place. It remains every bit as
inviting and intoxicating as it did three years ago.
Perhaps it is even more intoxicating than before, thanks to
the completion of a new open-air bar that overlooks the
beach. The place not only serves a tasty margarita – at
least that's what Joel told me – but it also functions as
the social hub of the resort. We encountered a couple of
faithful Rude Awakening readers, as well as various other
rogues in and around the Rancho Santana bar and restaurant. Despite the arrival of modest modern amenities, a visitor
to Rancho Santana would never confuse the place with Miami
Beach. When gazing in any direction from any promontory on
the property, one rarely observes any item that God did not
place there himself. On several occasions, we found
ourselves utterly alone on vast expanses of white sand
beach.Occasionally, one of the locals might amble past
us...on the way to nowhere in particular, it seemed. Neither time nor humanity move very swiftly at Rancho
Santana...except for the local surfers. As Aussie-Joel, an
accomplished lifetime surfer would attest, the local boys
really know how to "rip up a wave." But once out of the
water, these guys seemed to drift through each day as
languidly as the small fishing boats that floated a few
meters offshore from dusk to dawn every day. In fact, a few
of the surfers informed us that they fish by night (then
sell their catch to the local restaurant) and surf by day.
They did not complain about their lot in life. Nor were we inclined to complain about anything at all at
Rancho Santana, except perhaps that we did not entirely
break away from our responsibilities back home. We arrived at Rancho Santana with the mindset of a somewhat
stressed-out New Yorker, but departed with the mindset of a
somewhat stressed-out Nicaraguan. We might have ended our
stay in an even more relaxed state of mind, were it not for
the Rancho's spiffy wireless Internet connection. This
dubious enhancement obligated all members of our party that
write for a living to continue writing for a living
throughout their stay. Thus, the writers among us spent the
afternoons pecking on laptops in the "corner office" – a
breezy corner of the beachfront clubhouse.
[Men at work: Eric Fry and Joel Bowman relax between stints
at the keyboard] From each morning's gorgeous sunrise to each evening's
breath-taking sunset, Rancho Santana delighted the five
senses. At meal times, the clubhouse restaurant very
capably satisfied the sense of taste. Every morning for
breakfast, Ethan ordered a big bowl of "the best bananas
I've ever had." On the second morning, after consuming a
mound of bananas and corn flakes, he declared, "You know
Daddy, bananas and corn flakes go really great together." For those who like "doing things" on vacation, Rancho
Santana might disappoint. The place caters to those who
prefer "doing nothing," except lounging on deserted
beaches, splashing or surfing in the waves, eating and
drinking. But this lifestyle seems to appeal to a growing
number of "part-time" expatriates. Many of the folks we met during our visit had recently
purchased property at Rancho Santana and were embarking on
the next phase of their Nicaraguan adventure: building a
house. In this case too, much has changed over the last
three years. The new homes tend to be much larger and more
architecturally impressive than the Rancho's earliest
homes. In short, the place is coming along nicely. Rancho Santana no longer offers bargain-basement property
prices, but it does still offer a spectacularly beautiful
and well appointed Pacific coast retreat. The "casitas"
(two-bedroom bungalows) that sold for $89,000 "pre-
construction" three years ago are now on the market for
$200,000. Perhaps Rancho Santana is hosting its own little
housing bubble. (After all most of the buyers are
Americans. So a change of venue does not necessarily imply
a change of behavior). Furthermore, many other resorts are cropping up along the
Nicaraguan coast. So if the supply of appealing beachfront
developments increases, maybe prices will dip just for a
while... [Ed. Note: In case you missed it, we profile a few of these
in past RAs. See our review: The Cadillac of Beachfront Communities:
www.the-rude-awakening.com/RAissues/2005/Sep/09-28-05.html Sunsets, Surf and Nicaragua's Best Burgers:
www.the-rude-awakening.com/RAissues/2005/Sep/09-23-05.html Three Homes for the Price of One:
www.the-rude-awakening.com/RAissues/2005/Sep/09-22-05.html
But to be fair, property prices within the Rancho remain
well below the prices of comparable parcels in the U.S.,
especially when one compares them to the closest comparable
parcels: those of the Southern California coast. Net-net,
for those individuals who operate on a short-term horizon,
property at Rancho Santana might no longer be a "screaming
buy." But for those individuals who relish a sunset on the
horizon – and can spend a few weeks each year viewing them
from the Nicaraguan coast – Rancho Santana remains an
enticing stretch of beachfront real estate.
[Joel's Note: While down in the land of the "best bananas"
and uncrowded waves, we made some great friends. For more
information on how to secure your little slice of
Nicaragua, simply send an email to our mates at address:
land@ranchosantana.com They'll have all the details for
you. --- Advertisement --- The global real estate market has never been hotter! ...and it's easier to invest in than you may think. You don't have to limit your investment scope anymore. Now
you can have the inside track on what many of the nation's
top investors consider... '...the most lucrative opportunity
of the new millennium.' Read on to expand your portfolio and take advantage of some
of the best deals on Earth right here: http://www.isecureonline.com/Reports/120SGRLK/E120G1NR/ ------------------------- [Joel's Note: Shortly after the sun retreats over the Nicaraguan
horizon, it rises over another splendid coastline. Cricket games, meat pies, the Melbourne Cup,
Barbie's on the beach, Triple J...one can think of a
million reasons why Australian's refer to their country as
"The Lucky Country." Forgive my nostalgic, teary-eyed
sentiments here, but I really must say something about my
wonderful birthplace on this day – Australia Day. From Kay Cottee, the first woman to single handedly sail
around the world, to Banjo Patterson, one of our most
famous poets, Australian's have much to be proud of. So on
this, the day when Australian's (including those abroad)
come together to celebrate what is great about being
Australian, I post a link, for all to see and read, to our
unofficial national anthem: Waltzing Matilda. Enjoy... http://www.imagesaustralia.com/waltzingmatilda.htm You can send your Aussie editor your thoughts, comments and
insights at aussiejoel@the-rude-awakening.com Happy Australia Day! Cheers, Joel | 
