Today is my only full day in Leon because I have to leave tomorrow for my bus to honduras...so this will be my last email from Nicaragua.

Last night after I wrote I went to eat dinner and then it began to rain...so I went back to the Hospedaje.  The entire family was there including a grandson visiting from Long Beach so we talked about Los Angeles.  The matriarch of the family was having a birthday and they invited me to join them for cake which was nice.   I then had to go back out....while my cold is better....I had a new¨medical problem....some of you can relate to this...when it is hot and humid and your overweight certain parts of your body rub together as sweat gets trapped in the folds.  Well, i had a major rash and it burned so bad I went out at night to a pharmacy and was able to get some desitin which helped a bit but most of the damage was done.  At any rate, that is one of the problems when you are in the tropics and overweight.

I watched a little TV and went to bed.  This morning I woke up to rain and lighting and thunder but it cleared.  I then went to the Cathedral because I found out you could climb to the top which was incredible....I could see all the volcanoes.  The city is surrounded by volcanoes.  The most famous is Momboto.  But Cerro Negro is the most recent volcano in the earth and erupted again in 1996 and 1999 with three craters.  There are about  8 volcanoes around here and it is the most active volcanic region in the world!

After I went to the central park to cool off and bought a shaved ice with crema de leche wich my guide recommended..though I am skeptical becaue of the ice...but I tried it and it was good.  I then walked to the ruins of the church of St. Sebastian which was nearly completely destroyed in 1979 by a bomb from the civil war in Nicaragua.  Very scenic.  I then went back to the town square and rested and there was a demonstration going on which always intrigues me.  I then meandered to the central market which is always an interesting experience with all the foods, fruits, meats, etc.   There are several museums here and I went to the Museum of the Revolution which was a moving tribute to the scourages of the war showing pictures, newspapers, and such...all to familiar..it brought back memories of Aushwitz, Phnom Penh, Galliopoli, and some of the other sites of slaughter that I have seen. Since its the last day in Nicaragua I figured I better finish up any needed shopping which I of course over spent.

I then headed back to my room because most things close down for a while during the hot midday sun.  I tried to take a nap but i couldnt fall asleep so I looked through my pictures on my camera.  As the sun sat, I went back out and walked around.  I had dinner at a nice cafe in central park and followed it with some coffee and people watched and became very contemplative.   I thought of my past trips, and past host, and where I am in life, and a plethora of things I don´t usually think about because I keep myself too busy to do this introspection so it was nice.   I then felt overwhelmingly lonely...I can´t explain it...but I felt all alone in the world and looked around at the hustle and bustle of the central park and the pople coming and going all of the stories they had to tell and realized we are all alone..all lonely...passing from here to there on a journey.

 I just got to the internet cafe and before I could start typing this girl next to me started chatted me up...her name is Regina and she is 38,  she began talking to me in spanish and I think she was hitting on me but I´m so out of circulation I don´t even know if that was the case.  But she gave me her phone number and email and asked for mine.  Perhaps she was just being friendly.

So after I write this I am going back to my room to cool off and relax.  I´m already getting bittersweet feelings since this is my last day in Nicaragua...I will miss this place but it is time to move on.  On the other hand, I am not looking forward to the bus ride tomorrow to Honduras. It is not AC and hopefully will not be a chicken bus.  They assured me it wasn´t and told me that everyone has a seat.  But I have heard that before.  Of course the board crossing is always the difficult part...get off the bus, walk with all your gear acrros the border and then get to the other border and do it all over again.  I have no idea where I am going or staying in Choluteca...this the part of the trip I didn´t plan very much so I´m just winging it...which sometimes comes out to be great and other times a disaster.  So god willing the next time you hear from me I will be in my 32nd country of Honduras.

I hope all is well with you.