It's been a while! For the last week and a bit, I've been on the go (or, more accurately, thoroughly enjoying island living, with no computer access, no cars, no shoes, and no worries).
But let me back up a bit! After I last wrote, I decided to spend another day in Leon. Since I had seen most of the city, I decided to go on a half-day trip to Leon Viejo, which is about an hour bus ride out of the city. It includes the ruins of the original city of Leon, which was destroyed by the eruption of Volcan Momotombo in the early 1600s.
I wasn't one hundred percent sure where I needed to go to get to the site, and got onto a "Chicken Bus" (a brightly painted schoolbus, which is one of the main modes of transport in Nicaragua!) out of Leon. As it turns out, the transport, while a bit frenetic at bus stations, is actually quite efficient. I got off the bus in La Paz Central, hopped on another bus to Puerto Momotombo, and was good to go! The bus stops less than 1km away from the site, and the clearly marked signs make it an easy, if not hot and dusty, walk. I highly recommend the trip for the scenery alone. Not only was the bus ride absolutely stunning, but the walk through the tiny village was beautiful, and it was pretty cool to see older homes, chickens and dogs running free in the dirt streets, and kids biking around without a care in the world. It was definitely a nice change from the big city!
If you head to the ruins of Leon Viejo, definitely don't expect it to be a Dr. Jones-esque saga. Most of the ruins are about 1 meter high walls, and signs marking which parts of the city they would have been. It's a bit of a stretch of the imagination to picture a thriving city here. The best part is walking up a small hill near the end of the ruins and having a phenomenal view of Volcan Momotombo, and Lake Managua. As an added bonus, because it is low season, I was able to explore at my lesure, as opposed to battling tour groups just to have a quick look at the signs.
The history of the area was pretty interesting. There is a small museum on the site portraying Indigenous life, and another showing how life changed post-Columbus. When the Spanish colonizers took over Nicaragua, they built their homes, governmental houses and churches over the Indigenous land. They ran Leon (then the capital of Nicaragua) with a cruel fist, including the practice of setting wild dogs on the Indigenous people in the town square (as entertainment?) This is why it is believed that at least some divine intervention played a part in the massive eruption, which caused the Spaniards to flee, and settle what is present-day Leon. Although Leon Viejo isn't the most exhilirating activity in the area (volcano boarding, anyone?), if you fancy a nice half-day trip, and a beautiful drive, it's worth a go.
After Leon, I just couldn't wait any longer. I took a bus to Las Penitas (near Leon) to get my surf on! I hadn't been on a surfboard since South Africa, which was four years ago. But my fingers were crossed that it would be just like riding a bike. Let's just say it took me a while, but at the end of day one, I was standing up! The waves in Las Penitas were fairly small, and good for beginners, but the occasional cross-tides can make it a bit of a bumpy start. I'm glad I came, as it was a stunning beach, sunsets that words cannot describe, and I was really the only one around, so nobody could see my struggle on the surfboard. I also met Ryan, a wonderfully eccentric local, originally from Winnipeg. He pointed out good areas to eat, cool things to see, and helped me figure out my journey from Leon across to the Caribbean side of the country. Since I was really the only person around, it was awesome to meet someone who knew the area, and gave me a fun place to hang out and write when my arms couldn't paddle in the waves anymore. Hat's off!
The only downside in Las Penitas was that my room was right next to the road. While it wasn't too busy, when the buses started rolling by early (like 5:30am early), they would honk their horn to let the people know of their arrival. This would unfailingly wake me up every time. Also, I say "honk their horn", but it was less of a regular car horn and more of a terrifying, heart-stopping, "Elizabeth, I'm coming to join you!" scream. Anyways. Apart from that, Las Penitas gets a glowing review. While it was quiet during my trip, it is clear that in high season, it's bumping.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. After three days conquering the waves, it was time to move on. The next move was to head back to Managua, and fly to the Corn Islands. Based on word of mouth, and excessive searching of Google Images, this was the island paradise I had been waiting for!
Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com
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