Today was our final day in Little Corn, Paradise. We woke up exhausted, feeling a bit sick and with a thick humid air from all the wet clothes, that made me feel claustrophobic. I looked outside our very tiny window and it was raining. It was the kind of slow, cold rain that silenced the birds and would have been perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon somewhere in the US; but not today, not for our last morning in paradise. I had read previously on the internet that when it rains, the Pangas (the little boats) that carry us over to Big Corn don’t operate. This is a lie. From what I heard from the locals, there has to be a Hurricane in order for them to not operate. We hurried to get ready and ran to the Panga that was already boarding. And just like that, we left Paradise. In reality, we were sad to leave, but ready. The trips across the jungle and the diving really took a toll on us, physically. We were tired and burnt out.
Here’s a brief recap of our experience in Paradise, by the numbers:
• 7: trips taken across the mosquito battlefields of the jungle
• 4: times getting lost(always on the way back to Derek’s Place)
• 5: total hours lost.
• 2: Impromptu sunset walks along the beach (While lost)
• 9: Combined dives we took.
• 7: Sharks seen
• 407: minutes total time underwater (combined)
• 1: (and first) underwater fight with the wife
• 1: very unsuccessful “fishing expedition from hell” where I almost threw up my entire stomach
• 8”: size of biggest fish caught during above mentioned failed expedition
• 3: Beaches visited
• 1/2: Population of Island that has Downs as last name.
• 0 Regrets!
When we got to Big Corn Island, we took a taxi directly to Casa Canada. There we were greeted by Don once again. We took a room and man, it was sooooo nice! It looked even nicer since we were used to our humble love shack made of straw and wood. We were back to civilization! Satellite TV! A refrigerator! King sized bed! A/C!!! Woohoo! And even some leather couches! The first thing we did was take a HOT shower and then pass out like we hadn’t slept in days. If little corn had these types of accommodations, it would be perfect; but then again, it wouldn’t feel like that raw, virgin island that it is. Casa Canada is possibly the best place to stay at in Big Corn Island. It has plenty of beautiful details that make it a pleasant stay. It’s very clean and very well kept.
One of the many little statues that adorned Casa Canada
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Our really old Plane, La Costena
We woke up at 4:45 and called La Costena, the regional airline that would be taking us to Big Corn Island, because we hadn’t made any reservations. They said that there were some spaces available but that we would need to get there ASAP. When we got there, our equipment was weighted and then we were weighed. Yes, you read it right: we were weighted. The plane is an old plane, maybe from the 1940’s, I don’t know, I could be wrong, but it’s definately old. We boarded the plane along with many europeans, and a couple Americans. We flew to Bluefields, where some got off, some got on, but most stayed in the plane. There was a drunkard that tried to board the plane but when the stewardess apparently smelled his breath, reeking of alcohol, she alerted the pilot. The pilot, an old lady with an authoritative presence, came out of the cockpit and told the drunk that he couldn’t board the plane because of his drunken state. He started yelling that Nicaragua was a “disgrace and that there should be war!” at which point all the passengers watched as he was carried away by security guards. We flew once again. When we arrived to Big Corn Island it was raining 
We hurried across the runway and into the very small room where we were to pick up luggage. In effort to emphasize how old this plane really is, I’ve opted to put a pic of it in Sepia tone, just like the pics our grandparents use to have..
We took a taxi to Casa Canada. The taxi driver was very mellow young guy. He spoke a broken English with a Caribbean accent, almost Jamaican-like. The rain had ceased when we arrived. This place is the best hotel in all of Big Corn, and I say this in literal terms, not figuratively. The staff was very welcoming, the place very clean and furnished and talk about prime real estate! All rooms where within spitting distance of the beach. It had a very nice “infinity pool” overlooking the ocean, a restaurant and subtle details all around. Once we were given our room we fell asleep since we hadn’t slept much. When we awakened, the sun was out and you could see the beauty of the clear waters as well as the dark spots on the water indicating the corals that lay beneath. Monica went to the restaurant and ordered a chicken sandwich, which was good, but not worth the $8 it cost, not here in Nicaragua at least.
All rooms in Casa Canada where within Diving range off the beach!
Casa Canada had one sick Infinity Pool!
After we hung out, we decided that we should take a tour of the island, so we rented a taxi for an hour to drive us around. We drove around the entire island in less than an hour; it took us that long because we stopped at every corner to see if it was a good moment for a photograph, but unfortunately gust of rain and dark clouds dampened our hopes in making a Kodak moment. Our driver told us that the island was torn to pieces about 10 years ago by some hurricane. He also told us that I may be inheriting a piece of the island, really. Well not exactly but he did mentioned, as Monica found out earlier, that the biggest family in the islands are the Downs. We made to the other side of the island, the “Picnic Beach” and the water was serene, like a lazy lake. It was very beautiful and soothing. The beach was deserted and the sun was setting behind the gray clouds. We took a few pictures as Mr. Downs Downs, our taxi driver, took us back to Casa Canada.
The sky and the water were absolutely beautiful!
Monica contemplating the serenity of the beach.
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