Leon is far and away one of the most charming cities in Central America. After my other travels in Costa Rica and Belize I was convinced that while Central America has it's place in terms of wildlife and ancient cultures, I was longing for some of the fascinating colonial influence I had found in my travels further south. Leon hit the spot quite nicely as Elvis and I rolled up on a warm afternoon.
Here, the Spanish made themselves known with impressive cathedral's positioned on the plaza in the heart of the city. You can't help but marvel at the vaulted ceilings and ornate art. Most thrilling was the birds eye view offered from the church roof. Elvis and I climbed the narrow passage ways until we were standing atop the lofted ceilings we had marveled at from inside. The city spilled out in front of us and my adventurous side perked up as we walked carefully up and over the safe parts of the roof.
The art museum Elvis took me to was no less impressive. Looking rather unassuming from the outside, it opens into brilliant open air plazas filled with the art and history of Nicaragua. Elvis had a lot on the agenda for the day so he kept me moving through the museum at a good pace. I still couldn't help but linger over some the fascinating modern sculptures
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.