Day 16: Talking revolution...(Leon)
Leon is Nicaragua's beating heart; it's the spiritual home of the revolution, the cultural capital and a burgeoning foodie destination.
In this city, you stumble upon reminders of its colourful and bloody past on every corner - in my five days here I have seen three outdoor concerts, a march, giant mythical figures in the national park and an awesome fireworks display.
The history of the city is in the stories of its people, and so it was a pleasure to meet Jose at the Museo de la Revolucion.
On first impressions, Jose is a bit of a dude; a man in his late 60s with sunglasses, a gold tooth, a Del Boy circa 1980-style gold chain and a Hawaiian shirt.
However, within 30 seconds of being in his company, you realise you're in the presence of a proud and passionate man, someone who still embodies to the spirit of the revolution.
Sadly for me, my Spanish wasn't good enough to be able to understand everything Jose told me (I was thankful to have done some background reading so I could pick up the threads of his conversation) however, this made my visit no less powerful.
The museum has been set up in a shabby building just off the main square, our first stop was a backyard where Jose explained the significance of its murals to me, before we moved onto two rooms where framed images, photos, newspaper clippings and photocopies of books were hanging or stood up against the otherwise bare, peeling walls.
Jose is one of the volunteer guides here who fought in the revolution and who today take people like me around the displays to give them a taste of their country's history.
It was an incredibly humbling experience. In the UK, we have some of the world's best museums to commemorate our history and amazing charities like the National Trust to preserve our important buildings but here in Nicaragua, they're preserving their history in scruffy frames and in buildings which are falling apart. Yet still these volunteers turn up every day to share their stories.
When Jose pointed at an image of the young Leon Sandistas heading off to fight, and in particular one young man, himself, I found it incredibly moving. He explained to me that many of his family members died during the revolution and showed me an ugly shrapnel scar on his leg that almost left him with the same fate.
If you're in Leon, don't leave without visiting this rough-and-ready home to the city's revolutionary past. A passionate first-hand account is waiting for you inside.
Travel tips:
1 Museo de la Revolution is opposite the Cathedral on the edge of the National Park
2 Entrance is $3 and I tipped my guide $2
