Little Corn Island
Back in the wired world again. But I've spent the past week making sure that a coconut doesn't fall on my head while I in my hammock on the incredibly isolated, windswept beaches of Little Corn Island. It's not easy to get there since Moskitia (anyone ever watched the Mosquito Coast?) makes it impassable by road to get to the harbour town of Bluefields. So I flew. And what a plane it was! LOL! So nice yet so completely not what I'm used to. It was a little twin engine and we stopped in Bluefields before hopping off the coast to Big Corn Island.
First, you just show up at the airport and buy a ticket. They weigh your bag, then you and then you go out to the plane. There are no assigned seats (there's only a couple dozen seats anyhow) so you just pick one. I picked the very front one since I could see what the pilots were doing and could put my feet up on their little step up. It's a far cry from the pilots being locked up front behind bullet-proof doors!
So we bobbed and dipped our way quite low over the Mosquitia region and its meandering rivers and thick jungle and then there was Bluefields and a long tarmac airstrip. So we landed and taxied to the building that was, I guess, the airport, and then there was a 15 minute layover. So they popped open the emergency exits for a bit of fresh air, which gave me a window where I could hang my elbow out of, and the pilots went to stand outside for coffee. Then they came on again, pulled the emergency exits closed and we flew out to Big Corn Island.
You would think my exciting day of transit was over, but indeed it was not! LOL After a quick taxi ride to the dock, we clambered into a panga (little boat) with big engines and headed out onto the sea towards Little Corn Island. I giggle to think of that ride! The waves must have been at least 20 ft. and we rode the crests like a surfer as they hurled about. When we dipped into the trough of the waves, there was nothing but a massive wall of blue grey water for 360 degrees around us and then we'd skip up to the crest with a roar of the engine and balance there before sliding with a massive splash down the other side. There was a little girl behind me who exclaimed, �this is better than Disney World.�
For an hour we worked our way through the wind and waves and eventually pulled into the tiny bay and onto the beach (there are no docks). It was dark by then so I took a nasty little room until morning.
It took me no time to settle in and I have spent the past week chilling in their many hammocks watching the waves come over the reef. Snorkelling was great and I saw ocean sun fish, which I've never seen before.
I meant to dive there however the incredible winds created currents that were becoming quite dangerous. In fact, I came in on the last boat for days. When I went into town I'd usually take the long way along the empty beach.
As the sun set, the fireflies would be visible and flitted around in droves. When I went to sleep at night in my triangular grass hut, I could hear the slam of the coconuts falling from the trees in the high winds and crash of the surf.
The only down side was the lack of food on the island, especially for vegetarians. I�ve been sustained primarily on cheese and crackers and cookies. Twice I had a nice egg breakfast though.
Oh, and I�ve redefined my concept of what BIG SPIDER means.