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Hola familia y amigos..

Today was our first full day here in Leon and we were busy! The theme of the day was HISTORY and we spent the day learning about Nicaragua’s ancient past and how it continues to affect their present day functioning. Some of the highlights  included an academic seminar that got us to start thinking about Nicaragua’s political history and a bus trip to Old Leon that provided us an opportunity to see more of the country and learn more about the history of Nicaragua. At Old Leon we visited the ruins of the original city of  Leon and learned about the interactions between the Spanish conquistadors and the indigenous Nicaraguan population. There was also an incredible view where we could see one of Leon’s active volcanos (picture to the right)!

An additional highlight of the day was the city tour. After visiting Old Leon we returned to present day Leon (about 40 miles from one another). Here we broke into two groups and went on a walking tour of the city. We visited the fifth most beautiful cathedral in the world (picture in the middle, super breathtaking), learned more about Leon and Nicaragua’s history from the cities colorful murals (picture on the left), and got the chance to experience Leon in the daylight…. to see it’s people, shops, and architecture.

If you are worried about the food we are eating, no need, we are loving it. We have all found that we enjoy Nicaraguan cuisine. The comodor where we eat our meals is ran by a very kind man who supplies us with all we can eat, a variety of ICED (woohoo!) fruit juices, and a private space to talk with one another about the day. If you are worried about the heat, makes sense, it is super HOT! Despite this, everyone is finding ways to keep themselves cool (notice the hats!). Overall we are having a great time. As I write this it is 9:30 PM and all the students are sitting around a table playing a card game called Spoons. Soon we will be in bed, protected by our mosquito nets, and getting rest for tomorrow’s big day, CULTURE day!

 

Update you tomorrow. Take care, and please leave us comments if you are reading this, we would love to hear from you.