Is This the Isthmus? Tour – Nicaragua Part 15
Monday, August 28, 2017
Leon, Nicaragua
Scenic setting sunlight in Leon, Nicaragua.
A truck similar to Thailand’s songthaew in Leon, Nicaragua.
Iglesia El Calvario in Leon, Nicaragua.
In the afternoon, I went over to El Museo Entomológico de León, but was dismayed to find out that it was closed. Then I remembered that most museums everywhere in the world are closed on Mondays. Dang! Instead, I walked over to the Cathedral of Leon and bought a ticket to go up on the roof for a grand view of the city. I asked the clerk what time the next toll of the bells would happen so I could avoid it, and she said 5:00 pm. At 4:30 pm, a man at a side door of the Cathedral let me and a clutch of other foreigners ascend the comically narrow and tiny staircase a few stories up into the bell tower.
A psychedelic sidewalk in Leon, Nicaragua.
The Cathedral de Leon, Nicaragua.
The rooftop of the Cathedral de Leon, Nicaragua.
The domes on the rooftop of the Cathedral de Leon, Nicaragua.
There, a “guide” gave us a verbal rundown of all of the rules, which included no standing on the domes, no sitting on the railings, etc. Right as he was finishing, the carrillonneurs started ringing the bells without warning. Luckily, I had my earplugs in, but I still had to push them in even more to subdue the super loud sound. Outside, I told the guide about my tinnitus, and about my incident inside the Iglesia de Xalteva bell tower in Granada.
The rooftop of the Cathedral de Leon, Nicaragua.
Looking east from the rooftop of the Cathedral de Leon, Nicaragua.
Another picturesque doorway in Leon, Nicaragua.
Then I suggested that they should warn people before they ring the bells. He seemed genuinely sorry. I also asked why they rang the bells at 4:30 pm today, and he said that something special was going on. After I shot a few photos of the dome-dotted rooftop and the aerial views of Leon, I beat a hasty retreat down the stairs just moments before the bells started up again at 5:00 pm. I spent the rest of the day just strolling around shooting a few photos in Leon and resting back at the Lazybones Hostel.
Words and photos ©2017 Arcane Candy.
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