Corn Island Rendezvous
Monday, February 4th, 2008We set out for Managua early. There are nice microbuses that make the leon/Managua/Granada circuits. they stop less frequently than the regular buses and are only about 25 cents more. In Granada they pickup just south of the square and we caught one just as it was pulling away.
Not sure where we got dropped in Managua but we caught a cheap taxi to the airport and soaked up some air-conditioning over in the international terminal before our flight. Once there, the taxis on big corn are cheap but we caught the 5 cent bus that circles the island and eventually found a $15 room to share at “beach view hotel”, a crumbling place but with a stellar view of the light blue carib from the huge back verandah. At the time water and electricity were almost non-existent during the daytime. I was told they are doing a major upgrade to these utilities. I wonder.
Food is not cheap on the island but we had a really good meal at nautilus and the live creole music was cool. The next day we checked out many different parts of the island (called BIG corn yet is pretty darn small) but I was pretty eager to get to little corn so I made my plans to leave after 2 nights. I had also decided to splurge a bit for a hot shower ( I hadn’t had one since costa rica!) and air-con once there. I found this at los delfines after a back-battering panga-boat trip across to little corn.
I had heard many accounts from people who came to corn island and stayed for weeks so I had rather high expectations. There are no cars on little corn, only one small, rambling town that runs along a paved sidewalk. This is where los delfines is located. My plan was to cross the island (10 minute walk) the next day to check out the string of beach shacks and cabanas and pick one out.
I visited the four places to stay over there. The accommodations range from $6 shacks (not secure) to the bit more upscale cabanas at casa iguana with shared bathroom and screened windows ($35) or private bathrooms and more amenities for $60. It is breezier on this side of the island and there are good beaches and lots of hammocks. it’s ALL backpackers. I ran into several people who’s paths i’ve crossed before and we chatted. In the end, tho, I decided to keep my place on the village-side since it’s a huge room with a/c, private bath, hot water and cable tv ☺ for $35. it’s only 10 minutes from the other side and has more restaurants and local flair! Yes, this tactic is contrary to the feedback you’ll receive from just about every visitor to little corn, so do with it what you will.
The string places offering beach shacks reminds me of a place I went to in turkey about 7 yrs ago: Olympus. It’s a well-known backpacker haunt famous for its “tree houses”. I was there with Margie and christophe and we talked to a traveler who was staying for several weeks. We just couldn’t see the appeal, hanging out in the middle of nowhere, in tree-houses, with a bunch of other backpackers when you had an amazing culture and wonderful little towns to explore just down the road. He said because I was American and only had a few weeks to travel I wouldn’t understand – people who are on the road for months at a time appreciate these places and I would too if I had more time. I doubted this at the time but had no way to know. Now I know it is not so. Good to know.
After 2 days on little corn I will go back to big corn and stay at anastacia’s, which is nicer than the last place I stayed on big corn before and has snorkeling right off the dock. It will also be easier to coordinate the flight back to Managua from big corn.
Peggy Rehm