Helen and I sent the girls off, back to the states to start their spring break and two hours later......Emma arrived!!
We spent our first night in Leon at Hostal Clinica. A very clean very basic place run by the very wonderful DoNa Blanca. On the rather long walk from the bus station to the hostal we stopped and Emma experienced her first of many traditional nica meals; gallo pinto, fried plantain, and chicken. yummy.
The next morning we did the first third of a walking tour, untill we became bored or gorgeous old churches, and spent the rest of the day doing our own exploratio0n. We walked into the outskirts of the city and discovered delicious street food.
We're currently staying at Rancho Esperanza. A very tranquilo hacienda north of Leon. The trip here was quite a journey and I was a bit glad for the male presence of Michael (our friend and travel companion). Highlights of the journey include an extradordinary feast as we sat on the bus waiting for its departure and seeing more of nicaragua from the bus window. Low points; the gaggle of teenage boys who refused to refrain from staring at us and taking photos during a two hr busride and the drunken man who, we finally understood, was very interested in taking emma home with him. When we finally arrived we dropped our bags and dove into the pleasantly warm ocean. At night your body sparkles from the bioluminescent plankton.
Rancho Esperanza= lyining in hammocks, LOTS of swimming in the ocean. I'm a bit scraped up from being pummled by waves but deffinately worth it. Last night we celebrated a fellow traveling birthday with a campfire on the beach. Shane took me for my first motorcycle ride and tonight I'm getting a lesson!!
We going to head back to leon tomorrow so we'll be able to get to managua to catch our flight on wednesday.