At some point in our border crossings the previous day, we were sternly reminded that our CA-4 visa (the tourist visa that allows you to stay in Guatemala/Honduras/El Salvador/Nicaragua for a total of 90 days) was to run out in two weeks time and that we best exit Nicaragua before it ran out. This gave us a certain timetable for our Nicaragua travels, and León was our introduction to the largest country in Central America.

My first impression of León was that it was hot. As in, not-a-dog-in-the-street-between-11-and-4pm hot. Julien and I have an impressive ability to get going right at the heat of the day, and our first day in León proved to be no different.

Second impression of León: it has a lot of churches, everywhere. Nicaraguan ones, Spanish ones, French ones. It is also home to the largest cathedral in Central America.

The Cathedral was getting a fresh coat of paint, seen here from the back

Some of León’s many leones (lions)

Third impression of León is that it is loud. But we don’t have pictures of the 5 ft high speakers blaring out the specials of the day FROM EVERY STREET CORNER.

Perhaps the strongest impression of León is its fierce pride of being the “home of the revolution”, the birthplace of the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional), the Sandinista National Liberation Front. The Sandinistas are named after Augusto Sandino, national hero against US occupation in the 30s, and were the leftist guerrilla group that successfully overthrew Anastasio Somoza, the third and last in the family dictatorship that ruled the country from 1936-1979.

We visited the Museum of the Revolution, a tattered building on the main square. The two dollar visit included a guide, and the first stop was the precarious rooftop; our guide told us to follow his steps lest we fall through a weak spot in the lamina. We had amazing views of the surrounding neighborhoods, the central plaza, and the volcanoes encircling León. Then we waited an extra five minutes to enjoy the daily 12pm siren that historically announced it was lunchtime. I tried to hint to the guide that I startle quite easily with loud noises, but he assured me it was worth the wait, so we stood there on the rooftop, at the heat of the day, and waited for the loudest León had to offer.

Click here for a short video from that rooftop.

Once off the roof and back inside, we explored the second floor, a shell of a building that was once the site of rich gatherings and parties, before turning into place of torture and abuse, atrocities carried out throughout the Somoza regime. Animated stories were told by our ex-guerilla guide of fallen brethren, but also of the eventually successful revolution that followed.

This room was used to kill many guerillas point-blank.

The first floor was full of newspaper articles and photographs documenting the revolution, and the tour finished with our guide pulling out his government-issued ID to compare his name with that of his 17-year-old self, posing in a worn photo with the rest of his troop.

Our guide in the first row, third from the left.

Jovenes combatientes del FSLN durante la insurreccion popular 1978 Septiembre

And then he giddily invited Julien to hold an empty bazooka.

Back on the unforgivingly hot streets and off to the market to find some eats.

Avocadoes great in size and taste

Our second day in León proved too steamy to do anything, and we stayed in our open-air hostel to work while staying hydrated. Next stop, Granada!