Corn Island Rap-up
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008I stayed 2 days at anastacia’s by-the-sea. It may be better called anastacia’s soon-to-be-in-the-sea as it is on it’s way to crumbling there. But the a/c and cable worked (miraculously) and I actually watched the super-Tuesday results come in! and while it was quite run-down, I liked it for its great location and good restaurant over the water. It’s there that one can rent snorkeling gear for $5 or so and swim out to the decent reef. Lots of fun fishies to look at. It’s also a great place to lounge in a hammock while alternating activities such as drinking beer, reading and looking out at the turquoise water of the Caribbean.
At regular intervals I would update Anastasia (the owner’s 6 yr old daughter) and her friend Claudia, at their request, on what was happening in the scary book I was reading. They thought the idea of people-eating vines on a mayan ruin was pretty cool. Anastasia had told me the day before that she wanted to be a witch so she could eat people. Interesting career goal. But then the next day both girls wanted to be hanna Montana. I didn’t feel so far away at that moment.
In the evenings I ordered kabobs of kingfish in the open air restaurant and puzzled at the odd combination of entertainment: alternating bollywood and country-western music on the sound system, the movie “the gods must be crazy” projected onto the wall, and lots of moskito fishermen slowly getting drunk on tona beer under a disco ball that twisted in the breeze. I was the only tourist there. I never figured out how that combination came about but it was the same both nights. Well, the fishermen/beer combo is understood, but these are the mental pictures picked up while traveling that one doesn’t forget.
It’s hard to tell which way the corn islands will go: the way of roatan and bocas del toro or…well…the other way….into obscurity after overfishing its lobster and conch and allowing the few tourist resources it has to tumble into the sea. I’d say “to hell with the tourist economy” if I thought they had another long-term option, but I’m not sure they do. Well, if you’re out that way it’s worth a visit. But I suspect it’s a trip better done with company and not solo.
Peggy Rehm