Grand Gran Pacifica

When we started planning our Central America trip way back whenever, we decided to end it by relaxing by the Pacific Ocean in Nicaragua. We had heard about the Gran Pacifica Resort west of Managua from some friends who had enjoyed its laid back atmosphere and decided that it would be a great place to finish up our time in this beautiful part of the world. We weren't disappointed. Every day ended with a beautiful sunset over the ocean and we were blessed (or cursed) with endless hot, sunny weather.

Gran Pacifica is a gated resort with many humongous 'getaway homes'. We were fortunate to have a simple Airbnb to call home.

We did have to make some real adjustments to our day to day activities list since there really wasn't that much to do other than walk the beach (north and south), hang out at the pool, and read, read, read. This might be perfect for many vacationers but we really had to work on the whole 'slowing down' thing. Lucky for us we discovered a wonderful rustic beach hostel named Mind The Gap only a kilometer down the beach in a sleepy village called San Diego. Matthew and I signed up for surfing lessons with an Aussie surfer named Donald Green and we found the atmosphere to be very welcoming as we hung out with hostellers from all over the world. Being forced to spend each day relaxing was hard at first but since the heat sucked so much energy out of us every day, it was almost the only thing we could do from late morning to early evening.

And so our half year of traveling came to an end with us flying home from Managua at the end of January and resuming our normal life in southern Manitoba. It was quite an adventure and all the new friends we made along the way made it extra special. Some of these people (and places) will require a return visit one day. We're counting the days.

Leon - Home of the Revolution

After spending some time in Granada, we moved on to Gran Pacifica, a beach community to the west of Managua. I decided to take a one day trip to nearby Leon, the second largest city in Nicaragua. My day began with climbing on a 'chicken' bus (the nickname is commonly used to describe local buses that transport just about anything including animals) and taking the three hour ride to Leon. It was a long hot ride but a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life of Nicaraguan people. After arriving in Leon at the bustling city bus station, I was struck yet again by the incredible colour and vibrancy of all the street markets.

Leon is home to the second oldest university in Central America and has a deserved reputation of being a place of liberal ideas. There are countless murals throughout the city commemorating the price the people, and particularly students, paid to express these ideas in the face of the authoritarian regime in Managua, the capital city. Augusto C. Sandino, national hero and leader of the anti-U.S. rebellion from 1927-1933, is seen everywhere in Leon in murals and statues. He was assassinated in 1934 and his legacy led to the formation of the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) which finally overthrew the dictatorial Somoza regime in 1979.

There are many cathedrals in Leon including the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption which is the largest cathedral in Central America. It sits at the heart of the city facing Parque Central. Although the interior is beautiful, it is the rooftop with its many bells, statues, and domes that is the most intriguing. It is also the best place to view the city and the surrounding countryside including numerous volcanoes. There are numerous other cathedrals from the colourful El Calvario church to the La Merced church to the San Juan church to the Recoleccion church.

The most fascinating place in Leon is the Museo de la Revolucion. It is housed in a former government building of the Somoza government and was a central location during the Sandinista revolution in the city. There are small displays including photographs on the lower level but the real attraction is the building itself. The hallways are marked by bullet holes and the tours are given by former Sandinista revolutionary fighters. Our guide told us numerous gripping stories about the fight against the government and showed us where student protestors and guerrilla fighters were kept and executed on the second floor. The atrocities of the American supported Contras have been recounted for us numerous times during our stay here in Nicaragua but walking through this building while hearing them made them even more powerful. An added bonus was being able to walk across the very rickety roof (no Canadian tourist site would have let you walk across it) to get a fantastic view of the Leon cathedral. Leon definitely was worth the many bumpy, hot hours on a crowded bus.