to the isla and back again

So if you've checked out the album link below, you know that I spent the last 4 days with my roommates in a gorgeous place called Corn Island off the southeast coast of Nicaragua. Corn Island is actually 2 islands, Big Corn and Little Corn. Big Corn is about an hour flight from Managua--so in the madrugada Thursday the 3 of us set off for the airport, boarded a 20 passenger Cessna plane (with propellers!), and landed on Big Corn at about 7am. We met up with another friend of ours who was already there, walked along the white sand shore of the caribe's crystal blue water for a bit, and then the adventure really began.

So we knew we'd be taking a boat across from Big Corn to Little Corn, but we had no idea it would be a panga--a panga, for the uninitiated is an open 50 passenger speed boat with no roof and very little in the way of protection from the water or the shock of cresting waves. Needless to say, the 30 minute trip felt more like a roller coaster than a peaceful boat ride. Jolted from our seats every 2 minutes unexpectedly, Andrea and I could not stop looking eat each other and laughing uncontrollably while trying to avoid a neck or back injury.

It was well worth the wild ride, however. Little Corn island is so small there are no cars on the island--everyone gets around on bikes or on foot. In fact, the whole perimeter of the island can be walked in about 3 hours (and we almost did it when we got lost on a foot path later that afternoon). We wandered a little ways around the island to our hotel, a beautiful eco-lodge called Casa Iguana with bush lined trails, brightly painted casitas, and a priceless view of the beach. And don't even get me started on the food, which was prepared by a master chef trained at a NY Culinary Institute. My mouth is watering just thinking about the coconut french toast, the curried shrimp, and king fish with basil walnut pesto (homemade from their very own garden!).

Anyway, we spent a couple hours sun-bathing, then after lunch commenced what turned out to be a massive 2 hour hike exploring 80% of the island. Some cold showers followed by a delicious dinner and full moon watching capped off the evening. Day 2 was much of the same, with the fun addition of a snorkeling adventure, in which I learned how to breath using a mask and skinned my knee on some gorgeous coral.

On Saturday afternoon we returned to Big Corn, only to be massively disappointed in having to take taxis everywhere...and also in our hotel--where we were later scared out of our wits when we heard glass bottles breaking and people shouting well into the night right outside our window. So, the first order of business Sunday morning was to find a better place to say, which after having accomplished, we set out to make the most of the day, having a delicious Easter breakfast at a local joint called Nautilus, and then snorkeling in the afternoon. We saw a bunch of colorful fish and the ruins of several really old boats which now have marine life growing all over them. I think it was a lot more fun the second time, because I actually knew what I was doing and wasn't just thinking about breathing every minute.

All in all, the entire time was delightfully refreshing and such a wonderful break from Managua life. One cultural note--the majority of the population is of African-indigenous descent and they speak English Creole (I barely understood 10% of what I heard) and then Spanish as a second language. And while the islands are covered with palm trees and coconuts, the poverty was nonetheless still starkly present, reminding me that while I might be in a tropical paradise, life for some of these Nicaraguans is just as hard as it is for the people I know on the Pacific side.