Stephen and Tania's Trip to Nicaragua: A few more things

In an attempt to catch up on our blog, we have compiled the photos from places we have visited in the past week.

The countdown begins for going home to the States so we really have been trying to stay in town and sightsee what we can. The past few weeks have been eventful and it's amazing that we've been here for almost a month.

We went back to Masaya to check out the lagoon that we didn't get a chance to see a few weeks ago due to bad weather. The weather was perfect this time and the view of the Masaya volcano was spectacular. We stopped by the plaza to drink "atol" which is a warm cinnamon milk drink that is placed in cups that are personally made by the vendors from dried fruit.

two young lovers possibly skipping school to make out by the lagoon (they didn't think we noticed them I guess since they didn't stop sucking face while I took pictures of them)

Volcano Masaya, our first adventure here in Nicaragua if you remember... Here is a view from the other side of the lagoon.

Atol, yummy...

Tania's mom Elia and uncle Daniel also partook

A few days later we went to the Sandino monument at the Tiscapa Lagoon here in Managua. The monument is built on top of the ruins of the old Somoza mansion. For those of you who don't knowmuch about Nicaragua history (and being from the US you probably don't know much because our government likes to rewrite our history books for us), the Somoza family were dictators from the 1940's-1979. They tortured many people in dungeons underneath the mansion, especially students who were involved in the political movements against Somoza's reign. Sandino was a farmer who organized guerrilla movements in rebellion against the Somoza's in the 1920's until he was assassinated.

one of the many torture chambers below the ruins

Can you guess which lagoon this is?

Somoza had many allies. Among them was Mussolini, who gave him this tank as a gift.

Sandino was tricked by Somoza. Somoza had agreed to a peace treaty between them and asked Sandino to come to his compound to strike a deal. Upon arrival, Sandino was imprisoned by the national guards and then assassinated. The revolution in the 1970's was fashioned after Sandino's cause and ideals. The rebels called themselves non other than Sandanistas. After the war, this monument was erected on top of the old ruins of Somoza's dwellings as a tribute to Sandino and everyone who died fighting the Somoza dictatorship.

Sandino's silhouette on top of the ruins

The Sandino Exhibit; this is down below the silhouette underground

Here's something I'd like to rub in everyone's faces...it's not as important as Sandino and visiting the monument. But it's something that I enjoyed very much:) I got to see the Dark Knight, the new Batman movie, on the 17th while you assholes in the US had to wait 'till the 18th! Haa haa, why so serious? IT WAS AWESOME. ENOUGH SAID...

suck it bitches!

On July 19th, we headed over to the plaza here in Managua with Tania's uncles Chino and Miguel. The 19th is the day that the revolutionaries won against Somoza in 1979. It is a huge celebration here in Nicaragua, especially since the Sandinista party won again in 2007. We had to ride a crowded bus from the barrio where we are staying to the Plaza. These buses come from all over Managua to transport people for free during the celebration. As you can imagine, the streets are crowded with millions of people. Miguel and Chino wouldn't stop buying me beer so I got a little drunk. All fun in celebration.

that says it all...

The bus not quite crowded yet.

another bus alongside us

The Plaza was named after Jean Paul II after he was almost assassinated here
(you can thank Nicaragua for the pope-mobile).

The stage where Daniel Ortega (current prez and guy on all the billboards) and Hugo Chavez (prez of Venezuela) hung out during the celebration. They are close buds.