Lets get physical!

I was wondering why everyone in León was so fit and trim. These were on sale at one of the local street markets.

Graffiti of León

Here´s some of the graffiti around the streets of León.

Chico needs some shoes!

Poor Mary. She is just too nice. Here´s Mary talking to Alberto. He´s 15 and has no shoes. Another win for the streets of Leon. $12 US dollars later Alberto can walk home safely.

The tough streets of Leon

So, Mary and i came back to Leon. And good thing for the street hustlers. Mary is no match.

Here´s Mary talking to Maria, a 19 year old single mother, and her baby. Maria´s baby is thirsty. She needs formula but its very expensive. $15 US dollars later, Maria´s baby is no longer thirsty.

Mary!

For all those who havent been formally introduced to my travel companion, this is Mary! We met in Costa Rica at Escuela Dámore. She´s from Nova Scotia. ey. She works for the national park system of Canada as a naturalist and interpretor. ey. She´s what you call, earthy. She loves long walks on the beach and coca light. Her body is almost entirely made up of mosquito bites and her hair is has soft as straw. She has two brothers who are twins and one brother has a pair of twins himself. Lucy and Grace! Two cute little girls with curly brown hair! Her parents met and fell in love in Peru which is where she is off to next. We have a few days left before we part ways so we decided to come back to Leon because it is by far our favorite city in Nickyraggywa. So, here we are. Viva Leon!!!

Sunrise over Laguna de Apoya, Nicaragua

These pics were taken around 430am as the sun rose over the lagoon. I think i was the only person around that morning. It was magical. This truly is a special place.

The night before we had the pleasure of witnessing a full moon over the lagoon. We couldnt help but go for a swim. Night swimming in a volcanoes crater is quite thrilling. I suggest you try it. Kinda freaky when you feel a rush of thermally vented water rush by your body though. It kept reminding us that its still active and technically could blow at any moment!!!!

Laguna de Apoya, Nicaragua

So, this is probably one of the top 10 coolest things i have ever done.

Laguna de Apoya is a crater lake that was formed about 23,000 years ago when Volcan Apoya had a massive eruption and blew its top leaving a crater about 6 kilometers in circumference. Over time the crater filled with water forming the lagoon in which you see today. Technically this volcano is still active. The water is so warm because its thermally vented. Its like swimming in a HUGE hot tub. The color is a deep aqua blue and its so clean! We stayed at this hotel located on the edge of the crater lake called, get this, Craters Edge. It was amazing. For $11 bucks you got an open air room with a view of the lake, breakfast, use of kayaks and innertubes and unlimited internet. yes, you can even get internet in a volcano these days. Whooda thunk.

More Granadelphia

The majority of the buildings have been restored in Granada but, as you can see from the bullet holes still left from the civil war in the 70´s, it still has a ways to go.

Streets of Granadelphia!

This city is so colorful.

Granada, Nicaragua

Another win for Nicaragua! This country has some pretty cities! Granada is a gorgeous colonial town with cobblestone streets, beautiful churches and architecture. Its pretty similar to Leon. Granada however has had a major restoration. It glows. I still like Leon better! Horse drawn carriages fill the streets and live music and street fairs are all around. Its a bit more expensive than other areas of Nicaragua so we have to shorten our stay. Tourism is huge here and you can tell by the fancy smancy restaurants and hotels all over the city.

Baby sea turtles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got to witness baby sea turtles hatching! It truly was one of the most beautiful evenings ive ever had! The moon was full and the sun was just beginning to set. The sky was this amazing shade of lavender. So preeeeeeeeeety.

Playa Bahia Majagual, Nicaragua

So, after Ometepe we needed a little fun in the sun so we decided to head back to the beach! This time we stayed at Matildas on Bahia Majagual. Gorgeous! I need some new adjectives. Hmmm....breathtaking!

Mary and Nacho!

Sunset, Ometepe

purdy.

Ometepe Wildlife

Some of the fun creatures we saw along our horseback ride.

Horseback riding, Ometepe

Mary and I rented horses for the day and decided to ride 15km around the rim of the Madera Volcano to The Eye of the Water, a fresh water spring. It took 7 hours roundtrip. Needless to say, i will never ride a horse again. My ass still hurts.

San Ramon Waterfall, Ometepe

Pretty. Can you see the rainbow? This waterfall was so tall i couldnt even get it all in the frame! One of the shots has mary taking a shower under the falls. It helps to show how tall the falls are. I think its 80 meters. Either way it was big and pretty.