We arrived at the Cathedral in Leon in time for mass. It appeared the Bishop was in residence and was just starting to conduct Mass when we got there. It is an impressive church, very grand with beautiful statues throughout. I was impressed with its size. Apparently in 1860 the Pope named it a Basilica and that the church is the largest in all of Central America, I think it was built in 1745. Surprising there were a number of tourists (pretty well all Nicas) taking photographs in the church. The famous poet Ruben Dario id buried inside the church and is marked by a golden lion.
We then walked around the central park and met a street vendor selling post cards of Leon, she offered to take us on a walking tour of the significant revolutionary sights, and since Lilliam speaks perfect Spanish I said ok. She lead us around to look at the wall murals and to point out significant sights such as the spot (marked by crosses) where the National Guard executed protesting university students and then into a building that had been Samoza’s favourite restaurant to show us the bullet holes. Afterwards we walked to the Park of Poets and then the Park of Heroes and Martyrs.
Afterwards we got into the truck for a city tour to a 300 year old tree where the last tribal chief (Adiact) was hung by the Spaniards. We then went to a large older cathedral , Los Catedral de Subtavia, that is referred to as the indigenous church where the priests placed both Christian worship items and native worship items (a large sun god) inside to draw both crowds in the same time. It predates the main cathedral by 160 years. Afterwards we visited the ruins of another church (Las rainas de Veracruz) built in 1560.
Afterwards we went to a restaurant in an area I was not sure of but it turned out to be a very large restaurant and very nice. I police man looked after the parked vehicles outside (for a free meal!). It seems that a number of local families come to this place (Lobito Bar) on Sundays. There were at least three mariachi bands coming in and out of the place asking for $3 Cordoba’s per song (15 cents). It was pleasant and different. The food was excellent. Afterwards I dropped off the tour guide and we then tried to figure out how to get out of the city. I continued to follow a road south and we ended up in a small town on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. A number of people were in the water as the waves were quite high. I went in up to my knees and the water was very war. Lilliam does not know how to swim so she refused to go in! The beach was nice and clean and the local people friendly. After a while we started to head back north.
We then walked around the central park and met a street vendor selling post cards of Leon, she offered to take us on a walking tour of the significant revolutionary sights, and since Lilliam speaks perfect Spanish I said ok. She lead us around to look at the wall murals and to point out significant sights such as the spot (marked by crosses) where the National Guard executed protesting university students and then into a building that had been Samoza’s favourite restaurant to show us the bullet holes. Afterwards we walked to the Park of Poets and then the Park of Heroes and Martyrs.
Afterwards we got into the truck for a city tour to a 300 year old tree where the last tribal chief (Adiact) was hung by the Spaniards. We then went to a large older cathedral , Los Catedral de Subtavia, that is referred to as the indigenous church where the priests placed both Christian worship items and native worship items (a large sun god) inside to draw both crowds in the same time. It predates the main cathedral by 160 years. Afterwards we visited the ruins of another church (Las rainas de Veracruz) built in 1560.
Afterwards we went to a restaurant in an area I was not sure of but it turned out to be a very large restaurant and very nice. I police man looked after the parked vehicles outside (for a free meal!). It seems that a number of local families come to this place (Lobito Bar) on Sundays. There were at least three mariachi bands coming in and out of the place asking for $3 Cordoba’s per song (15 cents). It was pleasant and different. The food was excellent. Afterwards I dropped off the tour guide and we then tried to figure out how to get out of the city. I continued to follow a road south and we ended up in a small town on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. A number of people were in the water as the waves were quite high. I went in up to my knees and the water was very war. Lilliam does not know how to swim so she refused to go in! The beach was nice and clean and the local people friendly. After a while we started to head back north.
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