Travel Talk

No Power, Fry Pig and Barracuda on Little Corn Island

Greetings from the dark,

Power has been an issue of sorts. Woke up early today and was feeling industrious until my battery died an hour into a session. Went to the local cafe and it didn’t open for another 2 hours, lovely. Briefly had odd fantasies or delusions of grandeur involving Matagalpa, an amazing breakfast and 24 hour power. Had some time to kill before the cafe would open so went for a walk that turned into something more…

As it happens this gent had a massive pig head while a friend was cutting pork like he was possessed. Knew one of them vaguely and a brief conversation started. Next thing you know we’ve been hanging out for a few hours and eating some of the most delicious pork I’ve had anywhere. On top of that the best gallo pinto I’ve tasted, it all started with some pork then morphed into this massive meal. Where else do you run into a fry pork party getting going at 8:30am? Asked what the occasion, no occasion.

Writing this from the dark as the power is out, again. It was live briefly 4 hours late and now off again after 30 minutes. This is starting to remind me of Arusha, Tanzania where it was all too common. A lady who has been living here forever told me they once went 10 days without power, huh!? This is when I wish I had one of those portable solar panels that lets you charge a few basic necessities. That or a Mac Book as they tend to hold a battery charge infinitely longer than their degenerate PC cousin.

While I’m hanging out in the woods with these gents, a man carrying a large barracuda strolls by. We start talking and I ask who he is, “Alphonso” he replies. Suffice to say, going fishing with him at one point before I leave. Also, catching a fish that large with just a line seems like it would be a painful experience with lots of rope burn. He has signs up all over the island that just say “Contact Alphonson”, I guess this is how you meet him. He also comes recommended by a reader, fyi. On the topic of rope burn…

Met this gent who we shall call Winston who fishes down by the dock. He claims it’s home to a nurse shark and is determined to catch it. I like his style and let’s be real about something, if no fish here – where? I went the other day and had a tug that gave me rope burn. While fishing saw two leopard manta ray’s and a school of fish big enough to be dinner. Besides that, constant schools of little fish constantly swarming everywhere. To say its teeming with life is an understatement. Supposedly 25-40 pound barracuda have been caught off the main dock.

Enough rambling for now, still stuffed from that fry pork as they call it and have three lobster tails to negotiate as I skipped lunch and breakfast. The lobster tails make up for the power but it’s still problematic to the name of productivity. Will note with all the politics in crises going on around the world,easy to get stressed. When you’re frying egregious quantities of pork in the middle of a Thursday morning on Little Corn Island, none of it seems to matter, at all.

In closing, today is two full months in Nicaragua. Time flies, yes? Also this is the mosquito coast, my feet are being eaten alive right now but it’s dark and not much I can do. Also when the power goes out if you don’t have a lot of ventilation, your room becomes a perspiration station that reminds me of Kuta, Bali.  Now to find a candle and get to that lobster…

Tips hat,

P.S: This photo has little to do with today’s update, iphone dead and of course the constant power issue.

 

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