» The Leon Black Hole
  December 3rd, 2006

Still here in Leon. The backpackers who come here call it a black hole because it is so hard to leave. The atmosphere, the safety and the ability to go on day trips to many locations from this city make is very popular for travelers. I have been meeting a lot of people, which one of my favorite things to do while traveling. There are a surprising amount of Americans in my hostel, most of them from California. One of the volunteers at QuetzalTrekkers, the volcano guide tour group, is from the La Canada area, just 20 minutes from my home. But I have been meeting people from Germany, Israel, Australia, Norway, Mexico, Uruguay...

Last night I hung out with three extremely interesting people. I met two 22-year old girls in the hostel from Israel who have been traveling for a month southwards from Mexico City with another month to go. A 23-year old German guy met the girls yesterday and joined us from his home in Nicaragua. He is here for six months trying to bring wind power to Nicaragua.

The four of us spent the evening together, doing stuff that Nicaraguans do, a vast contrast to yesterday. We went out for pizza in a small mall. To beat the heat, we went to the movie theater where we watched My Ex-Girlfriend is a Superhero in English with Spanish subtitles. It really didn't matter what movie we saw since the real reason we were there was to beat the heat. They keep the theater at a refreshing 65-70 degrees. Nicaraguans don't really mind cell phones ringing or children crying, so neither did I. I was just happy to be in a cool room for the first time this month. Afterwards, we walked to a bar that is on a terrace of the 4th floor of a building, It looks over a small plaza with locals in nice attire, children in good clothes, homeless kids, and prostitutes. There really isn't a physical barrier between classes here in Leon at night. Everyone seems to hang out in the same areas.

At the bar, we ordered Flor de Caña, the Nicaraguan rum, which is very good and very cheap. For about 50 Cordobas (US$2.50), we got a small bottle of rum aged seven years. My German friend said that the same bottle goes for US$90 in Germany. It is exciting for me to talk with foreign travelers and find out about what they feel about the US and to ask them questions about their lives. For instance, I was fascinated to hear more about Israel and their lives. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to know that you are surrounded by seven countries who want to destroy you. But the military is a way of life in Israel, where everyone is required to be in the army for at least two years for women and three for men. They are on call for military service until they turn 45. It was also interesting to hear them talk in Hebrew. I can barely pronounce one of the girl's names because of it. They are of course Jewish, so it was mind-blowing to hear that they have never seen Christmas ornamentation in person until now. They might be experiencing their first Christmas this year here in The Americas.

We talked for hours, making our way back the hostel at 12 midnight. The bars had all closed, including the popular hang out across from the hostel; so many travelers continued their drunken conversations on the curb.

I like Big Foot hostel much better than many hostels I've been in. In some towns known for their wild nights on the town, it is refreshing to come to a place where travelers respect the sleeping quarters. It is nice that no one barges into the sleeping area late at night and stumbles into bed talking to themselves or other drunk friends... something I have experienced in many other countries.

This afternoon I am going to Cerro Negro, a small volcano that did not exist 50 years ago. The hour hike to the top is topped off by a slide down the side on a sled. Should be fun.

I have some photos and a video for you. This is one of my funniest experiences yesterday. I went exploring the city on my own and came upon some sort of small church or catholic school. There were half dozen kids or so outside playing around. I tried to hang out across the street and take photos of them from a distance, but they wouldn't have it. They wanted to be super models. At first, it was just one 8 to 10 year old girl and her sister who wanted a photo, but the boys would constantly try to steal their limelight. After the photos, I would show them their picture, which they made a race out of. They would push and grab at my camera to try to see themselves, and then laugh with delight at their funny faces and movements. At the end, I decided to act like I was taking a photo but take a video or two instead. Here are the photos and here is the video.

Thanks for reading!
~K