Beach Daze - The Coconut Chronicles: Two Guys, One Caribbean Dream House - page 140

Although the maneuver was (duh) predictably effective, the beach has never looked the
same. These antics might have been excusable had there been a real war; but as a mere ex-
ercise, the destruction of so many beautiful trees is much harder to forgive.
Even so Blue Beach isn't exactly what one might term an eyesore. Its long strip of sand
unfurls like a white carpet between a thick crop of dark green seagrapes to the north and
the sparkling sea to the south. At its far end the beach curves outward towards a flat pebbly
point that provides an ideal spot for lounging and general navel-gazing.
Blue Beach (Playa La Chiva)
The dazzling view is punctuated by a small, densely-vegetated island—La Chiva, or
the goat—which lies in the center of the bay a couple of hundred feet from shore.
For the faint of heart or pale of skin, Blue Beach provides a number of concrete and
timber pavilions that seem to be more popular with locals than visitors. We generally avoid
them unless rain seems imminent, in which case they provide a deliciously cozy haven.
Generally we just drive along the main road until we come to an empty turn-off, then
swing in, unpack our stuff and wander out to the first perfect-looking patch of sand ( never
closer than fifty feet from the nearest occupant, of course).
This particular day we were in luck—our favorite parking spot was empty. We pulled
into the shallow driveway and maneuvered the car around to face outward, taking care not