Leon, the revolutionary capital of Nicaragua, presents a much more rough colonial history than Granada. It’s more lively here, but you’ll also get to see far more poverty and it’s less developed and overall feels a bit rundown. Even the “attractions” don’t really make much sense. I’m not sure why, but I ventured into the revolutionary museum where they insisted pairing me up with an old revolutionary soldier who “volunteers” there and takes tourists around. He didn’t speak any English, but that didn’t stop him from giving his tour in Spanish with very lively body language (especially gun sounds pointing his fingers as if shooting). Good thing was he took me all around the rundown “museum”, with old photos, and finally up to the rooftop, which I’m sure is about to fall off soon, to take some photos of the area. At the end of the hour+ I was just left wondering – WTH was that?
I can see how backpackers might enjoy this place and decide to linger longer, with some good bars and a fair selection of cheap places to eat, but I did my one night and moved on. After Granada, this just didn’t feel like a place I’d want to stay for long.
To summarize the Leon tour…
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