We spent Thanksgiving on a bus crossing between Honduras and Nicaragua, but it was a nice bus and it had a toilet so it wasn't all that bad. Sara was feeling homesick throughout the day but we treated ourselves to a Thanksgiving feast of fried chicken and plantains for dinner, followed by numerous bottles of the local beer - Victoria. Not your traditional holiday celebrations but then again Nicaragua isn't your traditional country.
A few people had warned us about Managua so we are taking a few extra precautions. It's one of those cities where the word 'armpit' comes leaping to mind when trying to describe it. The setting is potentially idyllic - on the lakeside, surrounded by lush fertile rolling hills - but the place is filthy and lacking of any charm. Near the lake there is a huge abandoned church with one of the turrets missing. All of the major commercial buildings have been moved to the outlying areas of the city for fear of further destruction making it an annoying place to get around quickly.
Managua Cathedral - damaged a few years after it was completed and now derelict
Monument commemorating the soldiers killed during the Nicaraguan Civil War
Today we have decided to treat ourselves to a movie or two. We've found a nice cinema nearby so we plan to see Harry Potter and Red Dragon before venturing to Leon tomorrow. It's our holiday gift to ourselves. For two nights we stayed just around the corner from the bus station at the Hospedaje Quintana for a bargain US$10 for the stay - we spent more money on beer from the fridge than we did on the room.
Our modest room at Hospedaje Quintana
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