Monday, January 09, 2012

Leon, the little city that could

We bailed out of Granada fast because we knew we would come back there to take the bus back to Costa Rica.  So yesterday morning we caught a small bus to Managua and then transferred to a collectivo to Leon.  Collectivos can be hell but this was a nice minivan and the driver was a happy guy who drove like the cops were after him all the time.  We stopped for a break midway through the hour and a half drive from Managua to Leon and everyone ordered "quesillos" which are little tortillas filled with mozzerella cheese and onions.  Well, we didn't order them as a big chunk of cheese in the middle of a hot day on a crowded van seemed like a bad call.  But I'll give them a shot next time.
Leon is like a mini Granada with beautiful colonial houses and courtyards and lots of charm.  There's a big university population here and lots of politically left leaning folks so the graffiti and murals around the city are politically charged.  There is one near the square that has a big snake coming out of a basket.  The snake is colored red, white and blue and says CIA at the bottom.  We are trying to decide whether to stay a few days or head straight to the beach...

1 comment:

Subarctic Sam said...

Spent time in Leon in the early '90s. Very nice, very laid back. Loved the beaches at Poneloya. Didn't surf but stretched quite a few hammocks.
Snow here is deep and it is cold. Better now than next month.
See you two soon.