Leon, Nicaragua

Today started bright and early with a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast. We are all now fans of gallo pinto (a mixture of rice and beans), queso frita (fried cheese), chorizo, huevos, and tortillas.

The Contempo chefs impressed again with a beautifully prepared plate of traditional favorites.

Roberto and Sergio picked us up on time and we headed north to Leon Viejo (Old Leon). Leon Viejo is a UNESCO heritage site that once served, in the 1500s, as the capital of Nicaragua. The old city was the scene of many power struggles between Spaniards which resulted in bloody battles and beheadings. The town was eventually abandoned in the early 1600s and soon after was covered by the erupting volcano Momotombo. We learned about the history of this beautiful country and enjoyed sweeping views of Lake Managua.

From there we headed towards Leon City but not without a stop for a local specialty. Quesillos are a popular snack in Nicaragua and there are quesillo stands/restaurants throughout the country. A quesillo consists of a corn tortilla stuffed with a big slab of mozzarella cheese, a mixture of onion and chiles, covered with crema. It’s wrapped up and shoved into a plastic bag. You hold the bag tight at the top and shake it until the crème is covering the entire concoction. Then you eat it like a popsicle, right out of the bag. Yum!!!

The afternoon was spent exploring Leon with our guide Roberto. He showed us the Centro de Arte Fundacion Ortiz Gurdian. La familia Ortiz Gurdian owns the fabulous hotel we’ll be in for the next two nights, El Convento.

El Centro de Arte is their own private museum showcasing their extensive collection of European and Latin American art. Sam was in heaven and we were pretty impressed too. The art is displayed throughout an amazing colonial home that used to house the family. We’re not sure where they live now, but if it’s anything like the place where they display their art, it’s probably the biggest mansion in Central America. From there we wandered to the Parque Central and the third largest cathedral in the Americas, La Basilica de la Asuncion. It’s the burial place of lots of Nicaraguans, most notably Ruben Dario, the famous Nica poet. They are crazy about him here.

By the time we finished our tour we were spent. We headed back to El Convento where Roberto attempted to book our Volcano Boarding tour for tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, everything was booked. Just when we were about to give up, Roberto came up with a 7AM trip, but by then, we were tired and hungry and out of the mood. So, we passed. Tomorrow we’ll spend a leisurely day in Leon, exploring the market and neighborhoods on our own. Roberto and Sergio will be back to pick us up on Saturday to drive us to our next destination: Granada.

Tonight we wandered through the festive streets of Leon, dining at a great restaurant and enjoying a few local beers. From there we went back to the Parque Central and the Basilica for some holiday entertainment.

The square was packed with families enjoying folkloric dancing and music. There were vendors everywhere selling fruit, toys, and just about anything else you might want. We can’t confirm or deny the vicious rumors, that after a few beers, Steve is now sporting a Che Guevara tattoo on his ****. We finished our excursion with a little Nicaraguan ice cream, which Sam declared, “not as good as in the USA.” He didn’t realize it but he ordered Mint Tea ice cream…???

As we finish today’s post, we are watching ASU play Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Devils are down at half-time but we (okay, just Marnie) have hope! Go Devils!

More tomorrow!

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Our Nicaraguan adventure has gotten off to a good, but uneventful start. After an early flight from Phoenix to Miami we met up with our great friend Sam. We had just enough time for a beer and a snack before we boarded our flight to Managua.

All of our American Airlines flights have been on time and the skies have been clear. We were even able to juggle our seat assignments so that the three of us could sit together for the 2 ½ hour flight south.

Upon arrival in Managua we were met by Roberto (Bobby) who will be our guide for the next few days and Sergio, who will be our driver. Both men are English speakers and appear very professional. We feel like we’re in good hands. We’ve got our own van and Bobby and Sergio will accompany us to Leon and Granada, which are our first two stops.

Tonight we are at the Contempo Hotel Boutique, which is a gorgeous, modern hotel in Managua. As soon as we checked in we headed for the restaurant where we enjoyed dinner of brie, goat cheese salad, and sea bass.

Our server Carlos was full of great suggestions and quite a pro. If all of our meals in Nicaragua are like this, we’ll be ecstatic. We even like the local beer, Victoria.

We’ll post pictures and updates tomorrow. We are having trouble staying awake after our big day of travel.

Buenos noches amigos y familia!

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