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Corn Island Trip

The trip started early.  We were all looking forward to maximizing our fun and experiences and chose to take the first flight of the day to Corn Island.  Picked up at 4 by a shiny new van and off to Managua we went. At the airport Sandie met up with her seat mate from her flight from Atlanta to Managua.  This was not planned but was a possibility as they had discussed that they were both planning on going to the Corn Islands.  Small world and a nice surprise for both.  Much to the surprise of those that had flown to Corn Island before, we got on a new plane or so it appeared.  It held about 40 and was quite sleek.  On the inside it had the feel of a DC9 even though it was a prop plane.  Ride was really smooth and before we knew it we were touching down in Corn Island.

On our short cab ride to the hotel, we saw the progress on the new international runway.  They appear to be steadily working on it and the locals say that it should be finished in 9 months.  First impression of hotel – charming thatch roof cottages with chairs and hammocks on the porches and the water in front of the property.  We immediately checked in, dumped our bags in our rooms and went to have breakfast in the restaurant pavilion.  While having our fresh juice, coffee and a simple breakfast we sought information on lobsters.  It was the last day of breeding season and thus prohibited to catch but tomorrow they would be available and on the menu.  What timing!

The week before our arrival it had rained the whole week. We were prepared and expected some rain.  Normal rainfall for the month is a bit over 30 inches.  No rain for our trip or if it did sprinkle it was late at night.  The weather was perfect.  For two days we primarily walked, snorkeled, swam,ate and drank.  We did some things together and still had time to explore by ourselves.  We walked the beaches and just followed the curve of the land.  We would stop to take a dip or snorkel around a wreck.  Many of us fell in love with Arenas Beach and spent hours lounging, talking, laughing, eating and drinking.  Amy had told us how much she enjoyed Arenas and we couldn’t agree more.  Hours and hours were spent in the sea.   There was no strong current and no big waves to fight so we followed the beaches but swimming.  Every once in a while we would question being out so far when we were trying to avoid rocks but mainly it was a joy and something most of us had not done for a long time.

Late afternoon of the first day many of us were ready for a nap.  Waking up,  Sandie and I found no one around so headed for the restaurant.  I tried the Thai Soup on the menú.  I was amazed to see such an exotic dish on the menú.  The soup was fantastic and I was in Heaven.  The rest of the group had walked into town for dinner which they enjoyed.

Our second day, we primarily expanded on our exploration by sea and by land of the island.  We talked of talking a cab and having a tour of the island but decided to continue exploring by our own means.  We sought out the Golden Pyramid but never saw it.  Got lots of directions and enjoyed the experience but not the pyramid.  We saw a lot of boat and fishing activity since it was the first day of lobster season.  The boats are so picturesque and just add so much to the look and feel of the island.  The fisherman were excited and the excitement spread. For dinner of the second day, we enjoyed lobster.  We ate and moaned in pleasure.

Some of us planned to go diving on our third day.  We really were quite satisfied with just swimming and snorkeling but there was interest in going deeper.  Glenn did not feel well after breakfast, probably had to do with allergies to egg and being surrounded by people eating eggs.  Sandy and I didn’t want to dive without Glenn.  He is the dive master amongst us so we decided to go to Little Corn.  We found out the boat schedule by asking several people and receiving several answers.  Decided to go on the second boat of the day.  We walked to the boat dock, asking locals along the way for direction.  We found a nice new waiting area with wooden benches and a ticket window.  As you know, the boat ride to Little Corn can be rough.  It was as smooth as glass and a really pleasant ride in the panga boat.

Our plans for Little Corn were to walk around, take a swim and snorkel and have a lobster lunch at the Cuban restaurant.  We quickly determined we had not brought enough money with us to have the nice lunch and the restaurant was closed for the day.  We were sitting on a second floor veranda enjoying something to drink when we saw Bruce with his daughter and grandchildren.  We called down to them and thus began another adventure.  They invited us to see the new resort that they were building.  We walked to the north side of the island.  In order to get there we took a small footpath which took us thru a mango grove with trees so laden with mangos that they were falling and fermenting.  We had to watch where we were stepping.  We walked thru small neighborhoods and we walked by the baseball stadium.  We were amazed at the size of the stadium for an island with a reported population of 800.

They were doing a soft opening at the resort.  The cabins are beautiful.  The views are breathtaking and the feel is so very peaceful.    The construction quality is supurb.  They have done an outstanding job.  We were honored to have been asked to visit.  The beach was incredibly beautiful.  We enjoyed a swim.  We had been hearing at Big Corn and Little Corn that jelly fish were quite prevalent in the waters on this day.  Sandie had her snorkeling mask and was acting as our warning system and sighting jelly fish.  They definitely were active.  Made us thankful that we were not diving.   We cut our swim short to make sure we allowed plenty of time to get back to the dock and catch the 4 o’clock boat.

We arrived at 3 and waited and waited.  4 came and went and then 5 came and went.  We were asking around about the boat and were given many different answers – its coming, you missed it, you will have to stay over, you can hire me to take you back for $100 each.  Finally, we had a sign.  Someone put some gas barrels on the dock.  In another 45 minutes a boat comes in and looks like the “little engine that could”.  He pulls up to the gas barrels loads them on and takes us and 2 other passengers.  Suffice it to say – no speed records were broken.  Sandie and I debated if we could swim faster than the boat.  We were just grateful to be in a boat that was floating and going to Big Corn, after all, we had a flight to catch the next morning.  We got off at the Big Corn dock and made our way down the little beach road depending on a few flickering lights to light our way.  The thatch cabins were a welcome sight.  We headed directly to the restaurant for some delicious soup and were later joined by our fellow travelers and the stories of the days activities began as well as the laughter.

We had been perplexed as to the returns on some of our tickets and had tried to clear it up in Managua – who said we would have to clear it in Big Corn.  Big Corn said that they couldn’t do anything.  So the office was called.  Bottom line nothing changed.  So some of us came back in the morning.  The flight back was quite different for both groups.  We found ourselves in a 12 seater with no separation between pilots and the passengers.  We felt all that was missing were some hanging dice and a plastic patron saint.  All went well.  Those planes are a whole different experience.  You can feel the winds, bumps, changes in weather etc more.  It was fun and we were safe.  What’s not to like.

We had been given the wrong arrival time so waited for our ride.  It was fun to people watch for an hour.  Picked up in a gold chariot and taken back to Granada.

In summary, it was a great trip.  We loved the Corn Islands.  We all enjoyed our hotel.  It was Tucker’s suggestion and it was a good one.  We did not take Shirley and Chuck’s suggestion on the Italian restaurant because we heard that the chef was “off island” and there was lobster for us to eat elsewhere.  Those of us that had always stayed at Little Corn, really enjoyed being on the Big Island and exploring it.  We could not of had better weather.  It was an awesome group  of people.

Jeannie Koons