Hi families and friends!

We had a jam-packed Day 2 here in Leon. Today’s theme was history and we sure learned a lot about Leon and the beautiful history of the city. We started the morning with breakfast: eggs, gallo pinto, plantains and veggies. We came back to the hostel to start with a history seminar where glimpsers had to put events in chronological order to better understand the past of the country. We filled up our water bottles, slathered on our sun screen and sprayed our bug repellant and boarded the bus.

We travelled for thirty minutes to the ruins of Leon. We enjoyed a walking tour of the grounds which were lush and green. We hiked up stairs to see the most picturesque view of the lake and volcanoes surrounding the lake.

It was breathtaking. Glimpsers walked throughout the rest of the ruins, drinking water and reapplying a lot of sunscreen. Some experienced their first bug bites. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the ruins before travelling back to the hostel. Glimpsers enthusiastically asked our guide questions, soaking up every piece of information.

Glimpsers were able to relax before getting some of their money exchanged. We then took a two hour walking tour of Leon in smaller groups. We learned about the different buildings and the individuals who lived in them. We saw city monuments, visited the plaza and saw murals that depicted the history and pain of Leon. The glimpsers learned so much as they travelled throughout the city. Together, we enjoyed a tour of the cathedral’s roof. It was magical.

Glimpsers took cover from the thunderstorms during dinner. We enjoyed steak fajitas, rice, tortillas and veggies for dinner. Our non-steak eaters enjoyed a veggie plate with yummy veggies, plantains and rice. After dinner, we walked back into the heart of the city and the group enjoyed an ice cream surprise after dinner. It was delicious!

We had our first nightly meeting to debrief our first full day in Nicaragua. Glimpsers shared how much they loved the tours and experiencing the city. We are going to continue working on relationship building and maintaining our high levels of energy and excitement. Glimpsers also had their first self-reflection. It was a beautiful sight to see the lights go off, the candles lit and to see the glimpsers debrief their experiences.

Now, some are at the internet café contacting you, showering or playing uno. Tomorrow, we will enjoy another jam-packed Culture Day. We love you all!