Chilling out in the Corn Islands
Trip Start
Dec 2007
1
14
30
Trip End
Feb 2008
Big Corn Island,
Nicaragua
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Originally we decided we would be adventurous and take a night bus from scary Managua to an outlaw and very scary town called Rivas. From Rivas we would catch a panga (small boat with big engine!) to Bluefields (another scary town which the Colombian drug boats use) and then take a freighter or cargo boat over to Big Corn Island. After reading a few blogs and working out that we would arrive in Rivas at 3am and that others had trouble there, we opted to fly.
The Corn Islands are very basic and we didn't book accommodation and found our 1st and 2nd choice was full and we ended up at the Picnic Center which is basically a few rooms, some beach huts and the beach 40 yards from our front door. It is run by a chap from Mississippi but really the local women seem to have taken control and their service is very much island time. It has turned out to be a great choice as it is very laid back and the beach is one of the nicest we have found.
Our first night there seemed to be only another couple staying and we sat on the beach having a quiet rum.
Next morning we were up with the sparrows (well for me this was 9 am!) and immediately went swimming. Most of the morning was spent lounging around and I have turned a little pink. Jus was smarter and sat in the shade with her clothes on.
We decided to take the walk to the big smoke, Brig Bay We headed off along the beach and soon found ourselves in a not so nice shanty town where everyone came out to look at us. The town is very small and we wandered along through it before decided we needed to head home for a siesta. Walking through the town was odd as everyone was looking at us like we were the tourist who were lost and have somehow got out of their resort.
That evening we meet two mad Norwegians, Heidi and Wynn and a very pleasant night was spent drinking rum on the beach. (is there a pattern occurring here!)
The next day Wynn and I headed off diving and did a dive on one of the reefs with lots of fabulous corral but not huge amounts of fish life... no sharks or turtle (and i was ready to begin my turtle counting!). The vis was ok, 30 feet.
That night we were at our hotel having a drink (wine this time and not rum!) when the gals at the hotel decided at 7:15 they would close up. We had just decided we wanted to play poker but none of us had playing cards and there weren't any to be found. We all laughed at Wynn who decided we could make some, and make them we did out of paper. We headed to the veranda to play cards, where the mossies were vicious. Wynn and I knew how to play poker somehow Justine and Heidi won, that despite me borrowing and stealing money from Wynn who was doing very well for a while. Next Internet stop i will upload the photos of the card making.
I am off diving again on Boxing Day. Then on the 27th we are heading back to Managua for another night before taking the bus to San Salvador.
Life is good.
Comments
CARDS
I want to see the cards... hey I gave you a pack of cards, some dice and backgammon......