The view from our veranda is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It's a vision of earthly paradise as painted by the Flemish masters. There are 20ft trees that would be no taller than a much-loved potted plant in the UK. Flame-red heliconias fringe the lawn, as red as the plumage of the tiny bird known as sangre de toro (blood of the bull) that darts in and out of the palm trees, dodging the hummingbirds and parrots.