ArcaMax

Jicaro's owner, Karen Emanuel, a successful London executive, came to Nicaragua to Morgan's Rock on vacation in 2006 and went home with an island and an idea to build an eco lodge with the little luxuries she appreciated on vacation -- good food, a good bar, bathrobes, yoga classes -- and just as important, the sustainable practices she believed in, from locally sourced food to supporting a local school and those who create handicrafts.

"The few things that aren't local are the yoga mats and the tea, which is from England," Emanuel says.

It's been a while since I've seen so many things on a menu I want to eat -- gazpacho or pulled chicken sandwich for lunch? Chimichurri steak, fresh fish with orange sauce or chicken cooked with local rum for dinner. There are freshly fried plantain chips; the salads with local organic cheese.

Forty percent of people in Nicaragua live in poverty, and Emanuel hopes she is doing her part, not only by employing her 30-person staff and supporting local farmers but also doing what she can to change people's perceptions about this country.

When she first told friends about Nicaragua, Emanuel said, "People would say they thought it was dangerous..." Now people say, 'I've always wanted to go there.'"

I'm certainly glad we did, following the kids for a change.

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