Americas

[Visited: December 2022/January 2023]

The domestic departures turn out to be in a small corner of the airport of Managua. We check in, and do not get a seat number on our boarding pass. After some time in the small waiting room, names are announced, and a plane departs. We turn out to be on the second plane. The small aircraft takes us straight to Big Corn island, offering great views of Lake Nicaragua, several volcanoes, and the jungle in the east of the country, before we reach the Caribbean coast. Once upon a time, this was called the Mosquito Coast, and it was a protectorate of the British Empire. This explains why the islands still have English names, which are also used by Nicaraguans. After landing, an agent takes us to a taxi, which brings us straight to the port. We put our belongings in a small boat, and then hear that we will have to wait for passengers traveling on a next flight. We buy a drink and watch men carrying stuff around to boats. Seeing them, and listening to them, it feels like we have arrived in a completely different country. Spanish is hardly spoken here.
When the others arrive, it turns out that the passenger who arrived with us has disappeared, and we waste time waiting for him. When we are finally on the way, a bright rainbow stands over Big Corn island. It is getting dark, the sky is full of pitch black clouds - fortunately, we make it safely to the other side before night really falls. We are in a rustic cabin on the northeastern side of the small island. A few months before, a cyclone has wreaked havoc on the coast, blowing away many trees. It means our accommodation cannot provide dinner, and we walk in the dark on a narrow trail through the forest. The trail is wet, and by the time we arrive in the small village on the other side of the island, our legs are full of mud. We meet a travel friend who happens to be here with his family, have dinner, and make our way back to the hotel. Before sleeping, we wash the mud off our legs.
The next day, we wake up under a sunny sky. We walk the northern coast, on small beaches crowned by palmtrees, and end up on Otto beach. Just after we install ourselves to finally get a rest after some intense travel on the Nicaraguan mainland, suddenly rain comes down heavily. We seek shelter, and are back on the beach as soon as it is dry. We have a yummy lunch, and walk back just in time before it is completely dark. Little Corn is much about taking it easy, and the laidback atmosphere certainly helps. We end up celebrating New Years Eve in the village, which offers a surprising amount of fireworks. We also go for a dive, during which we see an incredible amount of fish: small sharks, turtles, barracuda, smaller creatures, coral, and much more. It is only when we are on our way back to Big Corn that the boat breaks down, and we get a bit nervous about finding alternative transportation. Everything is solved in time, so we don't miss our flight back to Managua.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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Little Corn island (Nicaragua)

Little Corn island > Nicaragua > Americas

[Visited: December 2022/January 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks