After a rather short night in Managua, we started the day having breakfast in a local Comedor (restaurant), enjoying the omnipresent “Gallo Pinto,” a plate made of Rice and Beans. On our way to León, we stopped at the viewpoint of Momotombo and got our first glimpse of the great Volcano chain in Nicaragua. Across the impressive Lake Managua, the Volcano Momotomo and his little brother Momotombito were visible on the horizon.

Once we got to León and got settled, we learned about cultural differences of Nicaragua and how to navigate through this new environment. During our seminar about History, we got our first impressions about Nicaraguas turbulent past and reflected about the importance of knowing our own past and the history of other countries.

After we struggled our way through a huge street festival, with loud Latin rhythms, the smells of grilled pork and the hot sun shining down on us, we arrived at the Museum of the Revolution, where we were being guided by Francisco, a former veteran of the Revolution. He explained to us Nicaragua’s history and referring to our Glimpsers as future statesmen, professional leaders and congress members he encouraged them to walk  through life with “open eyes” and be informed about what is going on around them.

From the roof of the museum, we saw a “Gigantona” and “Pepe Cabezon” dancing across the Central Park. These are costumed dancers, that are a parody on an old Nicagaruan legend. In the Cathedral, we had the chance to cool down a bit, before we witnessed a large group of Nicaraguans celebrating the Revolution in front of the Mausoleo, of course accompanied by Latin music booming from the loud speakers.. It didnt get boring for our Glimpsers!

In front of the Murals of the “23. July”, we learned about the student protests against the Somoza dictatorship and the US Influence in Nicaraguas past. After having an ice-cream and dinner, we reflected on the day in our hostel. After everything we had learned during this day, we discussed the question, if it was ever justified to use violence in order fight social injustice and had a lively discussion.

After a long day, which the Glimpsers mastered with souvereignity, despite the great temperature change, new food and new people, we finally got to rest to recharge ourselves and get fit for the next day.

 

Momotombo