The Forgotten Middle

The Forgotten Middle
Culture, history breathtaking scenery and most of all the smiling faces have made Nicaragua our most colorful experience so far. We have seen and experienced so much in this wonderful country in the small amount of time we have been here. Before we tell you our stories about Nicaragua we want to share about a place we consider our little gem. This place turned out to be what we have been looking to see, experience, touch and feel ever since the day we pulled Gaviota away from the dock in Santa Barbara.
On the map it is called the Bay of Fonseca but it is more commonly referred to by sailors as the Forgotten Middle. It is a bay that touches its lapping waters upon the shores of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. The island Conchunguita sits in the Forgotten Middle and is owned by El Salvador but very much has its own identity.
As we slowly motored around the lush volcanic island we felt as if we could have been arriving in Alaska or Hawaii. The hill sides that have been mainly brown down the coast of Mexico had finally turned to lush and green as we watched them jet straight out of the ocean to form a volcanic peak. As we first rounded the island it looked as if no one inhabited it and we predicted we may be alone out here. Our prediction was quickly corrected as we turned the corner to find a city no larger than one city neighborhood block. We immediately noticed that the town was composed of nice small homes. Not the typical mud and palm frond huts of the area. They were sturdy and durable, made of concrete.
Unable to unglue our eyes and thoughts from the possibilities and stories that belonged to this tiny unvisited island, we fumbled the anchor into the mud bottom below and silenced the repetitive rumble of the engine. As we sat and listened to the workings of the town I think we may have felt similar to what a newborn baby might feel when they first enter the world. Frightened but safe, over stimulated but curious. Their were so many noises emanating from the shore compared to the repetitive workings of our diesel. There was one sound that distinctly stood out among the roosters, cows, pangas and as were to find out later even the slaughtering of a families swine. It was the singing and clapping of children! Muffled behind the towns everyday symphony of sounds were the voices of children rising up into the lush hills and out over the sea to our ears. They sang beautiful songs in unison for at least an hour as we sat and smiled feeling as if we had arrived in paradise. In all the anchorages we have dropped our hook at this is by far the most special welcome we have ever had!
The next few days at Conchunguita many children in dug out canoes came out to our boat to greet us. They were so happy and interested in us. We gave them the last of all our chocolate, baby clothes and school supplies. The first two boys that rowed out to our boat got the luckiest when it comes to gifts! Brandon gave one boy a skateboard deck ,generously donated to the trip by Alex White, and gave the other boy one of his last Brandon Yates hats. It was so special to see how excited they were to get real gifts and not baby clothes or a chocolate bar. Later we towed another dugout canoe of about five boys into the beach behind our skiff and they couldn’t stop laughing. When we got to the beach they all jumped out and along with two little girls helped us carry our skiff up to dry land. They showed us around town and then in our broken Spanish and their broken English we communicated that we wanted to go on a hike. There was one boy of the four that led the way. We walked on a random dirt road along the circumference of the volcanic island for a few hours. We stopped to share our water, look at snakes and try our hardest to have a conversation with the boys. We had given them all pads of paper that had the alphabet and some English words inside the front cover and during the hike all of them were practicing saying letters and words in English. It was the best feeling to see how grateful and appreciative these kids were just for a pad of paper. When we got back from the hike we said our goodbyes and thank you’s and went back to our boat. We were visited a few hours later by the little boy who took us on the hike and his family. They just wanted to say hi again. We invited the little boy on our boat and showed him our maps and electronics, gave them a few more gifts and said our goodbyes. That night we sat in the cockpit and looked at the lights of the little town and tried to store all of our memories so we would never forget this place.
What ever the true reason may be for nicknaming the Bay of Fonseca the Forgotten Middle we are confident this is one place never to be forgotten by us. Gaviota has for the first time since our departure reached the destination we have envisioned to find since the beginning of this dream. Gaviota was blessed to visit this tiny island that keeps its home safely tucked away in the waters of the Forgotten Middle. We will always be indebted to Conchunguita for showing us the beauty and simplicity of isolation that still exists out here!