Three Countries in one day

After our intense experience in El Mozote, we decided that we needed to get back on the road and keep heading south. Chile is still a long way away.

We woke up at 4 a.m. to begin our long day of traveling. Then we turned the alarm off and woke up at 6 a.m., feeling much more optimistic about the day. We hopped a bus toward San Miguel and jumped off at ¨km 18 on the military road.¨ THankfully, someone on the bus knew what that meant. From there, we grabbed another bus toward the border. We stopped to get breakfast (40 cent pupusas and 10 cent coffee). When we went to use the only bathroom in the town (maybe this is an exaggeration...) in a cool looking bar, the owner turned out to have lived in America and bought us beer at 9:30. What a nice guy...for a yankees and cowboys fan.

The next bus dropped us at the border of Honduras, which we walked across after paying the 3 dollar entrance fee. No stamp in the passport, just a piece of paper. Bummer, but I guess we´ll get some stamps eventually. We got on a micro bus (minivan) to the border with Nicaragua, several hours away. We got totally swindled on the fare, which really annoyed us. It just feels like everyone is taking advantage of you because you´re an American. We spoke better Spanish and were dressed worse than some of the other passengers, but were still targeted. I guess after what the U.S. did to El Salvador (or Guatemala, or Nicaragua, or Honduras, etc) it makes sense. Still, it made us unhappy.

We walked across the Nicaraguan border, too. Customs and IMmigration are, as always, really annoying, but it was exciting to finally get here. Also, it felt cool to have succesfully crossed two borders in one day even though people said we couldn´t do it in time. We hoppped another Micro to CHinandega where we got on a bluebird (school bus) to Leon. SO MANY BUSES!!!

Leon is a beautiful colonial city that holds the oldest and possibly largest cathedral in central america. Impressive, grandiose, opulent and Catholic. It is a great little city and very fun and comfortable, despite having some of the highest poverty rates in Latin America. Also, it was a focal point of the revolution in Nicaragua, largely due to the university here which produces very radical students.

The revolution in Nicaragua seems pretty similar to El Salvador´s, only they won through military force rather than having to wait almost 20 years to win through political process. El Salvador´s current president, Mauricio Funes, was elected 100 days ago and is from the FMLN. Since his election, he has nationalized health care succesfully (according to a Salvadoreno), made school free, and provided social security income to anyone over 80. Not bad for a ¨first 100 days.¨ Maybe Mr. Nobel Peace prize should take some notes.

We explored Leon´s museums and art galleries. One of the museums is in the old prison where the Somoza dictators tortured and executed Guerrillas, poets, crazies, and dissenters. Stew got a haircut in the courtyard at one of the museums, including a ¨Shape up¨(razor trimmed edge around neck, ears, forehead, etc). Later we went out dancing at a bar with some of the artisan kids living in our hostel. We bought jewelry from them, too. TOri has a wire chain necklace with a tiger´s eye stone and Stew has a leather cord with a javelina tooth. We look awesome.

We´re heading off to the Corn Islands in the Carribean today, or as far as we can get in one day.