Shaking the Snowglobe

Tili and Magui were my pets for a week during a recent vacation in Nicaragua. I stayed at a surf lodge right on the beach, and most mornings I took them for a walk up and down the half mile of coastline right outside our door.

One of the cutest sequences of events I’ve ever witnessed happened the night when friends and I walked south along the beach to grab dinner at a grill down by those green hills you can make out in the photo. Tili and Magui walked with us the entire way, and every five minutes or so were greeted by the next small strip of beach’s local doggo pair. Witnessing their familial barks and greetings was beyond adorable.

After a few run ins, it was obvious that Magui had all of the street cred, and that Tili (the beagle) was the rambunctious youngin’ who without Magui’s pretty reluctant hand holding might find herself barking up the wrong tree. Not every dog seemed happy to indulge Tili’s adventurous exploration of their beach territory.

Both dogs came into the restaurant with us, and I was jazzed that the owners were cool with that. Sadly, it all came crashing down when the restaurant’s cat jumped down from a shelf and both Tilil and Magui absolutely lost their minds. We had to bring them out to the beach and send them home, despite their puppy eyed pleading.

When we walked home from dinner, Magui joined us about half-way as she was enjoying some late night hanging at another surf hostel. Tili was waiting by the hammocks at our own home, and joyously jumped on Magui the moment we were in sight, playing around and biting her ear. I hope I get to come back to this surf town one day and see another episode of doggy sitcom. These perros were happy, relaxed, fed, and loved. There’s something to be said about living next door to your friends on a beach.