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Well, it is definitely not getting any cooler the further I head south. It must have something to do with this Equator thing. Although, my decision to continue on to Nicaragua was a good one. So far, I am really enjoying this country. My bus ride down was quick and painless. I had the driver drop me in León, so I could work my way south. León, which was once the capital of Nicaragua, is the second largest city in the country and sits in the most volcanic region of Central America. The town has streets of cobblestone, tiny parks throughout, and is home to the largest cathedral in Central America. León is alive with activities to keep a traveler occupied and isn't too rough on the wallet. That is why I have decided to stay for a while. I settled in at the Bigfoot Hostel, which is just across the street from Via Via. These two places are very popular with Backpackers and have excellent tours and entertainment. So far, I have been sledding down a volcano, surfing at the beach, clubbing with Netherlanders, private Salsa lessons, and attended a Nicaraguan cock fight; but I'll get more into that later.

Nicaragua is Alive!

Jeremy Curl
2006-08-28 13:50:58

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Well, it is definitely not getting any cooler the further I head south. It must have something to do with this Equator thing. Although, my decision to continue on to Nicaragua was a good one. So far, I am really enjoying this country. My bus ride down was quick and painless. I had the driver drop me in León, so I could work my way south. León, which was once the capital of Nicaragua, is the second largest city in the country and sits in the most volcanic region of Central America. The town has streets of cobblestone, tiny parks throughout, and is home to the largest cathedral in Central America. León is alive with activities to keep a traveler occupied and isn't too rough on the wallet. That is why I have decided to stay for a while. I settled in at the Bigfoot Hostel, which is just across the street from Via Via. These two places are very popular with Backpackers and have excellent tours and entertainment. So far, I have been sledding down a volcano, surfing at the beach, clubbing with Netherlanders, private Salsa lessons, and attended a Nicaraguan cock fight; but I'll get more into that later.

In the distance, you can just make out a section of the Cordillera de los Maribios. A chain of 10 volcanoes that León sits at the eastern base of.I also decided to search out some volunteer work to keep me busy and give back a little. I talked with one of the hostel employees, who directed me across town to Las Tias. As I walked through the door and over to a group of old Nicaraguan women, I had no clue what was in store. After explaining that I was here for a week and looking for volunteer work, the ladies told me that they usually required at least a one month commitment. Assuming I didn't have the job (whatever it was), I told them that I would do whatever they needed. One of the ladies had me follow her to what would be my new classroom. Starting on Tuesday, I would be teaching high school-aged kids how to speak English. What had I gotten ...