I am feeling really disgusting because I haven’t worked out this whole trip---but I hadn’t felt safe yet to go out on my own. But today I decided I would run on the beach---I went around 8 and it was already sweltering hot! The beach wasn’t very long so I just ran back and forth and did box jumps off a nearby pier. Then I went to breakfast---the cooks made me an egg white omelet with peppers, onions, and mozzarella. Again the food here is just outstanding. After breakfast a group of 6 of us went to go snorkel with a local Dive center. We took taxis to a house which I guess was the Dive Center and got our flipper and snorkel and then walked to the ocean. We were taken to a small (9 passenger or so)boat tied along the coast. The boat was pulled in and we got onboard. These two adolescents (maybe 17-20yrs old) were our drivers and navigators. We enjoyed the ride at the beginning and then the water started to get really choppy. The minute we left the shore, some dark cloud appeared and the waves seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. There was a lot of bouncing up and crashing down. Our navigators couldn’t find a good spot to snorkel, but we stopped in one place and Lorien and Carlos jumped in first. They couldn’t see anything because it was so deep and too choppy to breathe. They got back in the boat and we tried on more place. They said it was much shallower, but then Meredith and Karen both went white and started to get sick. I was about to jump in but I felt bad they were about puking on the side that I knew it would be better to go to land. Unfortunately I never got off the boat—but I wouldn’t have wanted to stay out in the water if I felt like they did so we headed to land.
Luckily we got half our money back because Carlos talked to them. About 5 minutes after getting back to the house (Dive center), it just down poured. The rain hit so hard so fast. We waited at the center for a taxi and then went back to the hotel for some lunch. I ordered a Seafood Pasta---had mussels, shrimp, and pieces of fish in fettuccine and tomato sauce. It was delicious. After lunch (the meals in both CR and Nic took a lot more time than in the U.S.—waiters are rarely by the table and they don’t seem to write anything down so you have to ask 3-4 times to get something and it takes about 1.5 hours for any meal-less rush and more relaxed and social than meals in the U.S), I got to lay out for about 20 minutes.Then had another hotel interview on the other side of the island. Carlos went with me in a taxi to Casa Canada. I learned: her water came from the hotel’s well and she said the biggest problem they have here is garbage. She shared that the garbage hill is only a few blocks away and it is a terrible problem. Because it up on a hill when it rains the rainwater rushed through all the garbage and puddles at a soccer field located at the bottom of the hill. Unfortunately there are kids that play in this field and play in the water pools too. She also shared that she gives her food scraps and waste to the farmers next door who have hogs.
Carlos wanted to tour this other side, so we took a taxi to wrap around the rest of the island. We saw the other coast—we saw this ship rocked on its side and the taxi driver shared that they went out and got drunk and then hit a rock and had to get saved and dragged into shore. There were quite a few people hovering around the shore and watching the boat—many laughing and smiling. It took about 10 minutes to go around the island and then we had them dropped us off before we hit the mud and then took the beach back. We found part of our group in the ocean and I decided to lie out and watch the sunset. It was such a beautiful sight—if I lived on a beach (which I hope I do) I would want to watch every sunrise and sunset because they are so refreshing and rejuvenating.
After the sun went down, I went back to shower (the shower is just two curtains around raised tile and the water had to be on for about 5 minutes before any hot water came out). We had a little more water pressure in this shower but the showerhead shot really close to the curtain which made it difficult to use. Then it was off to dinner. Tonight for dinner I ordered the whole fish. It was a snapper fish and it was huge, but delicious! They serve the entire fish on a plate and I had to be careful not eat any bones. This fish was pretty easy to eat because it slid right off the bones. I could eat only half of it and then everyone else had to help eat the other side. The meat was very thick and filling---nice juicy pieces. I also had some rice and veggies. The group had a very good conversation during dinner about the good and bad aspects of Corn Island. After dinner, it was time for bed.
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