Day 64

     Our night in San Pedro Sula was uneventful.  San Pedro is a large industrial city with little to distinguish itself for tourists.  This morning, we bused to Tegucigalpa (with good reason everyone just calls it Tegus), the Honduran capital.  The long ride was interesting as we drove through differnet regions of the country.  Changing roadside vendors provided a good clue of our location - first bananas, then lake trout, firewood and honey. 
     We spent the afternoon at the National Art Gallery and visiting churches.  Compared to other Central American capitals, Tegus seemed small (although we read it is just spread out).  Like the others though, it is dirty, suffers from gridlock, and has lots of visible pi\overty.

Hotel - $7, Food - $16, Transportation - $12, Tours - $2, Random - Internet $9     Total $46

Day 65

     All day crossing to Nicaragua.  A long, slow bus to the border, then the inevitable confusion with customs, waiting two hot hours for s bus, and finally driving to Leon.
     Just walking across the bridge to Nicaragua, you know immediately you are in a different country.  First, it is hotter somehow.  It is also poorer in the snse of less developed. Horses are used for basic transportation (both people and goods), cars are older (including Saoviet made Ladas), hotels are few and basic, American fast food restaurants are no where in sight, etc.  The people are also genuinely friendly and curious.  P.S.  Basesball is the national sport here, not soccer.

Hotel - $16, Food - $20, Transportation - $11, Random - Exit fee $2, Entry Fee $14     Total $63

Day 66

     Leon is a beautiful city wth red tile roofs, huge parks and 19 churches, including the largest cathedral in Central America.  Many of the colonial homes in the city center have large interior courtyards and gardens, high (20 foot) ceilings, and families visiting with neighbors while rocking the evenings away in wicker chairs.  Leon is known as a liberal city and was the heart of the Sandinista revolution.  The people are proud of their history and remain politically involved.  The arts are also important to the people here.  There are murals throughout the city, poems are published daily in the newspaper, the numerous Universities frequently sponsor cultural events, and free museums abound including one honoring Nicaragua's most famous poet, Ruben Dario.
     We spent the day exploring the city and people watching in parque central.  At the Galerie of Heroes and Martyrs, we found a stark exhibit of black and white photos dedicatd to Leon's men and women killed in the revolution.  We had a pleasant conversation with the caretaker who herself had lost her husband, son and daughter.  I asked her what she thought of the U.S. given our support of the Somoza regime and later involvement in the civil war.  She said she liked the people but not the Government.
     We also stopped by the tourism office. It speaks volumes about the current sate of tourism here that the office didn't have a sign and most people we asked didn't know about it.  Regardless,  we were befriended by a student there, Rosa Dalia, who gave us an impromptu tour of the city.
     To make a good day even better, we enjoyed sunset in the park with Flor de Cana, a dark local rum that they argue is the best in the world.  After a few drinks, we weren't going to argue with anyone.

Hotel - $7, Food - $21, Tours - $1, Random - internet $1, haircut $2     Total $32
    

Day 67

     We aren't going to kid you. We didn't do anything today.  We wrote and read in the park and later enjoyed a music and arts festival.

Hotel - $7, Food - $32, Random - postcards and stamps $9, notebooks $1     Total $49

Day 68

     We made a day trip to Leon Viejo.  One and a half hours away, we arrived at the base of Volcan Momotombo and the small, dusty (from the ash) town by the same name.  Just outside of town, we found the ruins of Old Leon, the first capital of Nicaragua.  Founded by the Sapniard Hernandez de Cordoba (who was also beheaded there), the city disappeared almost 400 years ago due to the combined effects of an earthquake, exhausted farmland and contaminated water.
     Still, it was the people of Momotombo who made our day rewarding.  First, everyone greetedus with a smile, wave, and Adios.  Note: the custom in Nicaragua is to greet people on the street with Adios instead of Buenos Dias.  Next, everyone was exceptionally helpful and friendly.  two small examples: Bill, the ticket man at the ruins, led us on a personal tour peppered with questions about life in the U.S.  And, while waiting for the bus back to Leon, we were befriended by two university students, Maria and Salvador.  They asked lots of questions and patiently answered ours (drawing a small crowd in the process), shared fruit with us from the region, and were just nice. 

Hotel - $7, Food - $11, Trans - $4, Tours - $3,  Random - phone $3     Total $28

Day 69

     After a quick goodbye to Rosa Dalia at the tourism office, we left Leon for the colonial city of Granada (shamelessly passing through Managua without stopping in the process).  Granada is a conservative city, was the second capital of Nicaragua, and is known in all things as opposite to Leon. The rivalry between the two cities is legendary.  In fact, the capital was moved to Managua years ago to avert a civil war. 
     We are trying to remain officially neutral and simply enjoy the cooling breeze (Granada is on the shore of Lago de Nicaragua) and the colonial architecture.  However, my heart is still in Leon and Lady is showing clear sympathies to Granada. 

Hotel - $11, Food - $18, Trans - $7, Random - internet $6     Total $42