Day Eight (el 9 de enero de 2009)

We finished up the wall in the morning. Most of the morning work was listening to music while plugging holes with cement. I left work early to catch the bus to Leon at noon, of course I had to run in the hot sun from my house to the station twice because I wasn't informed that hotels require passport proof. The two and a half hour bus ride to Leon was uncomfortably long. Upon arriving we took a taxi to our hostel, Lazybones, which was a breath of civilization (hammocks, shade, internet, good breakfast, COMFORTABLE BEDS!) After a much needed dip in the pool we went sightseeing. We started with a tour to the roof and cellar of the Cathedral in Leon. The views and religious murals and statues were a trip to say the least. The most interesting part is the tomb of Ruben Dario and the sad Leon in front of it. We stopped by a small historical, once Sandanista headquarters, society across the street from the Cathedral. A tour guide explained the history of Nicaragua starting before the civil war in the 70s-80s, and later we saw the Cathedral from the roof of the adjacent building right when they lit the statue on top. We traveled a lot and stayed in for the night at Lazybones, had some beer and beat Kellan at billiards (no sweat). Tomorrow is our much anticipated trip up to Cerro Negro!!! (photos: Pepe and Noel against the finished wall, the inside of the Cathedral of Leon, the Sandanista slogan in the museum, a night shot of the Cathedral, and the sad lion at the sight of Ruben Dario's grave [Leon=lion so this is how sad Leon was when Dario passed away])