City of Leon, Flor de Cana Rum Factory
Not a single cloud in the sky and a bright sun welcomed us to the port of Corinto, Nicaragua. Our local guides greeted us with a friendly smile as we boarded the small but comfortable coaster buses. As we rode towards the city of Leon, we enjoyed seeing the green pastures and the blue volcanic mountain range on the horizon. San Cristobal volcano was crowned with an impressive column of white gases, which seemed to be part of the colossus.
Once in Leon we gathered in a small café on the main square for a much deserved “happy stop.” Just as we were getting too comfortable with our drinks, the loud sound of drums carried us into the threshold of the church where two giant puppets danced, an old Spanish tradition which Nicaraguans have enriched with their indigenous heritage. The visit to the cathedral of Leon culminated when we climbed up to the roof of this eclectic building which is colonial, baroque and neoclassical; however, the blend of styles harmonize perfectly.
A walking tour of the city followed. The tile roof colonial buildings, the horse carts and natives carrying their products on their heads and the relaxed pace of life in general, transported us to a time when life was so much simpler. Then we visited the old presidential house belonging to the Ortiz Gurdian family. This beautiful house hosts one of the most impressive art collections in Latin America. To our surprise we were able to stand in front of works of art we never expected to see in such a quaint little town: Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Tanguy and Masson shared the walls with Botero, Tamayo as well as 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th century European painters as well as colonial religious art from the Mexico, Cuzco and Quito schools and contemporary Latin American artists. Lunch was served in El Convento, an old convent that has been restored and transformed into a lovely hotel.
Back on the bus we were taken to Chichigalpa where Flor de Cana rum is produced. Visiting a rum factory at first did not seem to be a thrilling experience. We were somewhat skeptical at first when we entered the exhibition room to listen to an explanation on how rum is produced and which was a bit too technical for some of us. Yet, by the end we came to understand why we had been taken there. The rum factory is unique in the world since it is completely self-sufficient and committed to a sustainable and ecologically sound form of production. Some of us fell into temptation and bought a few bottles of rum.
It was an intense day and we were thankful that the sun had been smiling upon us. Just as were thanking him for his company, one of the worse storms any of us had ever seen broke out. Our guides provided us with brand new umbrellas that did not make it from the bus to the ship, since the strong winds ended their ephemeral useful lives in just a few seconds. The good thing was that no one was carried away by the wind! The storm did not last long, and in about an hour, we sailed away for our next adventure: Granada.
Not a single cloud in the sky and a bright sun welcomed us to the port of Corinto, Nicaragua. Our local guides greeted us with a friendly smile as we boarded the small but comfortable coaster buses. As we rode towards the city of Leon, we enjoyed seeing the green pastures and the blue volcanic mountain range on the horizon. San Cristobal volcano was crowned with an impressive column of white gases, which seemed to be part of the colossus.
Once in Leon we gathered in a small café on the main square for a much deserved “happy stop.” Just as we were getting too comfortable with our drinks, the loud sound of drums carried us into the threshold of the church where two giant puppets danced, an old Spanish tradition which Nicaraguans have enriched with their indigenous heritage. The visit to the cathedral of Leon culminated when we climbed up to the roof of this eclectic building which is colonial, baroque and neoclassical; however, the blend of styles harmonize perfectly.
A walking tour of the city followed. The tile roof colonial buildings, the horse carts and natives carrying their products on their heads and the relaxed pace of life in general, transported us to a time when life was so much simpler. Then we visited the old presidential house belonging to the Ortiz Gurdian family. This beautiful house hosts one of the most impressive art collections in Latin America. To our surprise we were able to stand in front of works of art we never expected to see in such a quaint little town: Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Tanguy and Masson shared the walls with Botero, Tamayo as well as 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th century European painters as well as colonial religious art from the Mexico, Cuzco and Quito schools and contemporary Latin American artists. Lunch was served in El Convento, an old convent that has been restored and transformed into a lovely hotel.
Back on the bus we were taken to Chichigalpa where Flor de Cana rum is produced. Visiting a rum factory at first did not seem to be a thrilling experience. We were somewhat skeptical at first when we entered the exhibition room to listen to an explanation on how rum is produced and which was a bit too technical for some of us. Yet, by the end we came to understand why we had been taken there. The rum factory is unique in the world since it is completely self-sufficient and committed to a sustainable and ecologically sound form of production. Some of us fell into temptation and bought a few bottles of rum.
It was an intense day and we were thankful that the sun had been smiling upon us. Just as were thanking him for his company, one of the worse storms any of us had ever seen broke out. Our guides provided us with brand new umbrellas that did not make it from the bus to the ship, since the strong winds ended their ephemeral useful lives in just a few seconds. The good thing was that no one was carried away by the wind! The storm did not last long, and in about an hour, we sailed away for our next adventure: Granada.
