Leon

Today was almost easy. Woke up early, after having to put up with a bunch of drunks around the hot tub next to the kitchen, next to our room, but they shut up about 9:30 so we only had to listen to the noisy air con and a couple of screeches from the two huge scarlet macaws around the corner. Breakfast was included, tough eggs and ham, and gallo pinto - rice and beans, along with some white cheese and some well done toast and Butter! Haven´t had any of that for about two weeks.

We caught a taxi outside our hotel door to the bus terminal and the shared microbuses. We were almost the last to arrive, so we took off early, although I was crushed between two guys in the back row, and had to bend forward because there wasn´t enough head room - and I had my pack on my lap. Thank heaven my pack isn´t like the other backpackers around Central America. I can hold mine on my lap.

The ride might have been uneventful, except that the radiator on the van over heated and the driver had to walk up the road, twice to get water for it. The first lot boiled off I think - it was like being in a sauna for awhile. The people in the first three rows had to get out because the engine was under the seats. That took about 15 minutes and while we waited another van came up and the driver and about six passengers came over to act as sidewalk supervisors for the last bit.

But we got to Leon before 9, less than an hour, so I guess the guide book was wrong about its hour estimate, It would have been less than 45 minutes without the road trouble.

Leon is actually quite nice. We have a lovely hotel, although a little expensive for us, but it has air con, two beds, and a lovely sitting area outside our door with about four rocking chairs. Nice for reading of a late afternoon. We also asked for a lamp because again the light in the room is about 15 watts. I told the woman that we needed to read a lot, so had to have the lamp and she brought it right away. Very nice.

We´ve done a walkabout, had a rather weak coffee con leche, and now Geordie is back in the room, waiting for me to show up so we can go out again for lunch. I´m feeling a little peckish, but the choice of restaurants is much better than yesterday. Where we ate last night I ordered ribs with garlic and it came out with about a half cup of garlic spread all over. It was inedible, the fries (supposed to be mash) were cold and there were no "steamed vegetables". Geordie had some delicious deep fried chicken breast though so I shared his tasty food instead.

We´ll probably be here two nights. Apparently Saturday afternoon and evening there is action in the square, food, entertainment, people, so we will wander over to check it out. There are also a couple of museums including the one to Ruben Dario, the poet hero of Nicaragua. Apparently Nicas revere their poets above all. You can even by poems on the street wri