Masaya cont..

bad donkey!

cool man!

From Masaya we continue to the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.
In comparison with colonial Leon and Granada, Managua is not the most attractive of Nicaragua’s cities but it does have its own curious, if somewhat unorthodox, charm.
Badly damaged in the 1972 earthquake, the
city is gradually being rebuilt. We have a short tour to see some points of interest.

Christmas decoration under way in Managua

view from Loma de Tiscapi

the shadow of Sandino statue
(the founder of the Sandanista party)

road damaged by the 1972 earthquake

the remains of a statue of President Somoza on horseback originally in front of the National Palace.  Destroyed when the Sandanistas came to power

fountain

Palacio National de la Cultura

the old cathedral damaged in the earthquake of 1972

statue in front of the Theatre Ruben Dario

zzzzzz......

Leon

We then drove to Leon. Still considered the intellectual centre of Nicaragua, Leon was
founded in 1525 and was the capital for 200
years. The old buildings with wrought iron
balconies, the massive cathedral (arguably
the largest in Central America), the arched
colonnades and narrow streets all add an
elegant atmosphere to this quiet city, which
seems almost lost in a time warp.

We have a beautiful view from our hotel room balcony

...painted

(Kairen declined to recreate the picture)

La Merced

the Cathedral La Asuncion

(the largest in Central America.  It took over 100 years to build - started in 1747)

on the roof of the cathedral