Advice Bus/Boat trip from Managua to Blue fields Then Boat to Big Corn

[timothycharnote]

Plan on seeing more of the Country than on Plane from Managua to Big Corn. I speak little Spanish and will be alone. Is this Safe??? Any suggestions??????

[cookshow]

Depending on how you make the trip you may not may not see much.

I would fly to The Islands then take a boat back.

The big boats leave Rama between 9-midnight (usually), the river all passes in the night. The other option is to take a panga down in daylight hours, but then you are figuring hotels and such.

The boats leave here (Corn Island) 9-midnight (usually) so daylight usually finds you around Bluefilelds or on the river (depending on the boat), the river is cool but the boats are slow and none to comfortable.

No safety issues and many people on the boats are Costenas and speak English.

Don't forget the weather, it is calming but for another month it can still get ugly.

I have to make the trip later in the week and I am hoping the wind will lay.

[timothycharnote]

Thanks!!!! Is Bluefields worth the Visit anyway? I want to catch Grpouper/Snapper on a shoestring budget/ Also on Big Corn can you recommend a bare bones place to stay that atleast has Air Con and hot water??

[cookshow]

Bare Bones do not equal Hot Water and A/C. Decent rooms here are available from $10, A/C and Hot water you better add about $40.

Bluefields is interesting for a day or 2, Pearl Lagoon and some of the communities up North from there are worth a trip, but damn sure you will not find any a/c nor hot water (or even running water) up that way.

[timothycharnote]

What are the names of the 10$ rooms?/ Last time I was not prepared... I enjoy the cold Tonas but no refrigeration... This time I am bringing a large cooler so as I can have a beer after closing time at the little stores. Can I get Ice? Thought maybe pesenic Fish complex??? Also I see your beautiful Dog is it part German Shep??? I breed them here in the States..

[cookshow]

You can look at Marlies' site for hotels. www.bigcornisland.com. You can bring all you want,anything over 30# on the plane is $1 a #, buy a Styrofoam chest in MGA and leave it. Ice can be easy or not not depending if the day ends in a "y".

The big dog, 1/2 Shep, 1/2 Rot, died, Island life ain't so sweet for working dogs.

[timothycharnote]

Is Island life bad for working Dogs due to heat?? Are you interested in a pure bred Shep Pup?/ Might be able to work something out? You have been very helpful, what about the Grouper fishing?? Last time hired a local guy used hand lines. Fun not that productive...Any suggestions ??

[cookshow]

Not the heat, the poisoning thieves. I am good for dogs, turning them away for now, I got a full house and a new pup too.

Fishing here is primarily hand lines, I had a few fishing canes (poles), but sold them off. Right now the bite is slow, I can find some guys to take you out that won't skin you too bad.

[cookshow]

Casey's site www.rightsideguide.com has a "schedule" of the boats and transport info to get from MGA to Rama. Keep in mind the schedules are very "fluid".

Some random thoughts about the bus/boat trip:

The bus trip is 6 hours or so at best, I have done it each way, the buses leave MGA from either the Mayoreo or Montenegre mercados, and there are night time buses that leave around 9pm. From Rama they leave from the Wharf area or on the Main Street.

Rama has lots of hotels, but be sure you understand check out times before checking in, they seem to operate more on transport schedules than any set check-out time. Was in a decent place last trip and stayed a night before going to MGA, made reservations for a night on the way back, Got back to Rama late at night, got to the hotel and of course no reservation and tried to turn me away, was tired and getting pissed it was the middle of the night, finally found me a room. 7am they tell me I need to check out as they have the room rented. So I was without a room from 7am until the boat left at around 9pm. The other time I was in Rama I had a similar problem with another hotel but managed to get it worked out.

The Port can be a mess. You can't just go to the boat, you have to go through a guarded gate and for some reason they only let people in when they feel like it, sitting on a rock in the blazing sun for a few hours is no fun, other times I have went right in, you never know.

The big boats leave at night and may or may not make a # of stops going down river, most stop in El Bluff, a few stop in Bluefields. Pangas go whenever they fill up (from a wharf in town, not the Port), they go to Bluefields.

From Bluefields the only "sure" day to catch a boat to the Island is Wednesday. Travel other days is possible from El Bluff but that is a panga ride from Bluefields and you will most likely need to sit around all night to wait for the boat.

From Corn Island the big boats go on Saturday or Sunday nights, usually 9-midnight, some stop in Bluefields some not.

The trip Rama to Corn Island can be take as little as 16-18 hours on the big boats, but they can also be a lot longer.

Some boats have bunks, some not, find some cardboard to lay on or take a hammock. July I made the trip to Bluefields, was a beautiful night, I laid my cardboard on the deck near an awning in case of rain, was a beautiful night and I figured I would pass it gazing at the stars. I was asleep before we left the dock, when I woke Bluefields was in sight as the sun was coming up, that was my best trip ever, the trip back was unpleasant to say the least, nasty weather and the inside of the boat was full so I (and dozens of others) rode outside on a bench and enjoyed 5 hours of rain.

Take food and drink, and like everywhere in Nicaragua carry some toilet paper, God forbid you would need it, the bathrooms are usually a nightmare.

Someone will be seasick, usually before you leave the dock, then it is like a chain reaction. The last trip in the rain I almost lost it, all I could think of was the ass kicking I was going to get, the wind was blowing so hard and nowhere to run to, if I unloaded everyone around me was going to experience it.

Casey's site has all the info you need, I think some of the prices may have gone up some though but not much.

[cookshow]

Fluid is an understatement. No boats are in route this week, no cargo to haul. I was planning to boat out on Sunday night but that is looking iffy. This Morning talked with one of the truck owners that hauls freight off the boats, he played out a few possible scenarios, maybe a boat to go out on Sunday or Monday night, maybe not.

There is no $$ here, thus no cargo coming.

[cookshow]

Could be that the crews shared up John Wayne's Beef, Cabbage, and Chicha he sent me but I never received, decided they better take a week or 2 to recover.

[Just Plain John Wayne]

Was enough to mess up the whole crew for a day or two I guarantee that if they partook to much...