La Perla Hotel Leon

... sky over Leon and watch the small pieces of ash fall back down again. (No people or birds were hurt during this process.)

Tomorrow, we are going to start making our way towards the Corn Islands. The Corn Islands are located on the Carribean side of Nicaragua, so we´ll be using a combination of busses, boats and probably an airplane to get there. Internet access may be limited, so look for updates when we get back.

... a nice way to be and as time has moved on we have gotten better at keeping our panic under control, although there are still occasions when I want to just break into a run and sprint off if someone is too close. But Jules, Lyndsey and Elena (a girl we had met in San Juan who bumped into Jules again in Managua at the Daddy Yankee concert) were very good about our behaviour and gave us the space and time we needed to put it behind us. Al and I watched three movies at ...

... br>Penitas. It's an ugly trip through Managua. Managua is a chaotic, ****
hole of a city. It's a shame that this city is the capital as it's a
true representation of Nicaragua. Dr. Val speaks great English so we
have a great conversation about the revolution, Sandanistas, his job,
his niece's wedding, and his life in general. He's a great guy and a
good resource to have here ...

... still poverty and old abuelitas with no shoes if you care to look. Lago de Coatepeque near Santa Ana was a fantastic day trip. A crater lake with gorgous flowery surroundings, cool water and bars and restaurants with decks out into the lake so it's easy to jump into when sleeping in the sun gets too strenous. Not sure about the soggy pizza in the hostal we stayed at though. Would definitely bring a picnic next time. Oh and even better, befriend someone with a lakeside mansion!

... culture of course! The first afternoon, we went to the Metro Centro. A very large mall filled with bad clothing with american prices. That evening we returned to the mall and watched a movie at the theatre. The next morning we tried to do better and caught a bus that we though would take us to a place called Zona Rosa that had museums and historical monuments and stuff. What we actually did was catch a bus that took us ...

... here on base, and so there are still a number of toys around for him to play with. It is starting to get to the point where he is testing his borders - and ours! I´ve had to start using the ¨naughty spot¨ with him this week, cause he is not listening to me tell him no. Just laughs and does it anyway. Hmmm.... Could be because we have laughed whenever he says ¨nein nein¨ and shakes his head. But we really couldn't help it - He is just too cute!

... sad note, I shall now recount a tale that re-appeared in my memory for the first time in quite a while as I was walking back to Perquin. It took place way back in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, and despite being quite embarassing, is also quite amusing. On the night in question a group of us had gone to our local haunt, and I was carrying out my usual "I´m too sober to dance but it´s too loud to talk" behaviour - namely standing on the outskirts of the dancefloor, nodding my head in time ...

... Libertad who lived close to the hospital but didn't yet know she was taking the bus back to see us. "Maybe we could stop by and visit her on our way back?" I suggested in Spanish. The mother's sister agreed, offering to accompany us to show us the place. "We can go if you like, but I don't recommend it," said one of my guides, Elias, switching to English. "It's in a bad neighborhood." The other guide walked over. "I really think you should follow his ...