Some Like It Caliente We traipsed throughout Latin America so that others might enjoy the fruits of our labors

Se habla espanol? Well, if you don't already speak Spanish,
you're probably going to wish you did by the time you finish
flipping from this page all the way back to Rick Reilly's column
on the last page. The theme this year is Latin America--the
beautiful landscapes, the beautiful bodyscapes and, uh...oh
yeah, those fabulous suits. We went as far as Brazil and stayed
as close to home as Spanish Harlem; we braved the hot sands of
Costa Rica, chased unchaste gauchos and had Molly Sims trade
leather with three-time boxing champ Felix Trinidad. And if
that's not enough to perk you up, we put Shakara in a suit made
of coffee beans. (Fine grind?) Ready for your first Spanish
lesson? When someone asks if you enjoyed this year's swimsuit
issue, smile broadly and say, "SI? Si! Me gusto mucho!

COVER: YAMILA DIAZ-RAHI
Swimsuit by Calvin Klein Swimwear ($92)
JEWELRY BY DAVID SAITY JEWELRY NEW YORK CITY ($38,970)
TURQUOISE PENDANT BY CHAN LUU AT FRAGMENTS ($80)
BLANKETS BY PAULA RUBENSTEIN LTD. (BY SPECIAL ORDER)
PHOTOGRAPHER: JEFF BARK
TYPOGRAPHY: JEFF WONG
HAIR: PETER BUTLER FOR ARTISTS BY TIMOTHY PRIANO
MAKEUP: TRACY MURPHY FOR NARS COSMETICS AT JED ROOT INC.

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY WALTER IOOSS JR. EHRINN CUMMINGS Swimsuit by Margo Hotston for Bondi Bathers ($90)

COLOR PHOTO: PETER BERSON (CIGARS)

COLOR PHOTO: WALTER CHIN SPANISH HARLEM Yamila (right) went on one of our cheapest trips ever for a swimsuit shoot--$1.50 on the number 6 train.

COLOR PHOTO: STEWART SHINING ARGENTINA It's not the Old West, but they do have cowboys and Indians on the pampas, which is where Heidi Klum (above) agreed to demonstrate for all the ranch hands on hand the best way to ride bareback.

COLOR PHOTO: INDEX STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY INC. BRAZIL Beautiful beaches, even more beautiful models, skimpy suits? Toucan play that game.

COLOR PHOTO: PETER BERSON

COLOR PHOTO: ENRIQUE BADULESCU MATERIAL EXCESS Daniela Pestova (right) looks extra tart in her lime suit, while other models do their best to cover up with bottle caps, cigar bands and peppers.

COLOR PHOTO: PAMELA HANSON GUATEMALA Chandra North (left) shows off an attractive pop-top combination.

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID A. NORTHCOTT/CORBIS COSTA RICA Don't jump to conclusions--that's a frog (right), not a swimsuit model. But in either case, no kissing, please.

COLOR PHOTO: STEVE ERLE BETTER HALVES Laffit Pincay Jr. (left) came up with the perfect way to do a swimsuit shoot without getting his wife jealous: Have her pose too. COLOR PHOTO: PETER BERSON PUNCH JUDY SHOW The challenger: supermodel Molly Sims. The champion: Felix Trinidad. The stakes: rare.

COLOR PHOTO: JEFF BARK MEXICO Guitar legend Bridget Hall (below) goes south of the border and doffs more than her sombrero.

"I made it a rule to cock both BARRELS OF MY GUN WHENEVER I MET
ANY GAUCHOS."

Molly Sims had promised TO DROP THE THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMP LIKE
A CHEAP BOYFRIEND.