Leon was the heart of the Nicaraguan revolution. It stands in stark contrast to Granada, the seat of the conservative ruling party of several generations past. Leon is non-touristy, where Granada is all Irish Pubs and mojitos, Leon is cuba libres and buckets of Victoria beer on ice. Leon is for locals. This is our day to be city people. This is our day for 1,000 photographs. Leon is also known for being the city of churches and along with markets, I love churches. We wander the streets of town, visiting what is hailed as the best coffee shop in the country (agree), an art gallery boasting some of the best from artists around Central America, and 4 or 5 different plazas. We are both drawn to the city. I have been boasting about street food vendors and we find a few ladies selling from a hot cart in the local market. We each buy a huge plate of food and sit down to eat. The bill comes to $5 total and it's the best meal we have during the entire trip. I'm surprised by how good the food is. When I lived in Guatemala, I wasn't overly impressed by the local cuisine, but Nica food some a bit more developed, using more spices, it's more complex. Ian finds a pair of boots he can't part with and we continue to wander the streets, photographing everything that is unique to the country: the horse-drawn carts careening through the streets, the 3-4 people riding on motos at the same time, two men playing chess next to a street food vendor, the murals scattered everywhere depicting scenes from the war, couples making out on park benches in the dark. I'm starting to realize that I love this country and it might be the most under-rated place I've come across. I don't know whether to shout about how much I love it when I come home or keep it as a secret to myself. I think I'll do a bit of both. Today is Ian's birthday, so we eat in style! The best dinner of the trip, without a doubt, is at Meson Real. The restaurant earns rave reviews on Trip Advisor for a reason. The owner is the head chef and he runs an intimate, jovial establishment. We feast on shrimp and succulent beef and buy two bottles of wine on special. Chef Gustavo chats with us for awhile and asks after our travel plans. I really can't say enough positive things about the food, atmosphere, etc. LOVE IT!
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
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.