Holed Up In Estelí

---

It took us a day and half to reach the dusty mountain town and former Sandanista stronghold of Estelí, Nicaragua.



Estelí was at the violent front lines of the war for independence in the late 70s and fierce patriotism still permeates the city.



Once there, we realized we had brought more than memories from Honduras... we spent most of the next four days in close proximity to our private bathroom.



When we finally re-emerged, we ran into a scraggly, Spanish-slinging Jess, a friend from Portland.



With a little time to explore, we found Estelí to feel a bit like one might imagine mid-20th century Colorado - dusty and arid, clear, sunny days and lots of guys in jeans and cowboy hats with thick, metal belt buckles.



The people were nice, nicer than most since we left Guatemala, and it was great to meet a couple of Nica friends of Jess´.



We went to a bar called Rincon Legal with walls covered in Sandanista memorabilia, as well as pictures of some of the world´s most notorious anti-American leaders (the first of many Nicaraguan reminders of our country´s heavy-handed history here).



We visited a museum dedicated to the soldiers of the revolution, known as the Galería de Héroes y Mártires, run by mothers of fallen fighters - it was a moving and very personal glimpse of their experience.



Estelí is covered with beautiful and powerful murals remembering the fight for independence and depicting the ideals they hoped to establish (one mural read: ¨La guerra fue el pasado y los juventuds estan el futuro¨ - The war was the past, the youth is the future).



We got to know the city more than we had expected; and through it, some understanding of the history of Nicaragua.

---

Photos

Bent Yet Proud
It could be a motto for the town

Rincon Red
See the hardware on the walls?

Holy Jess, Batman
Not actually a cross but just a trick of the camera. This is in the courtyard of his hostel/school/home.

Smiles in the Hamaca
The daughter of the woman who ran our hostel and her friend

Fighters
A mural at Rincon Legal of Che and a Sandinista

Princesa
With the big-head guy, she was ushering in a political rally. If only we got so fired up in the States.

Viva Fidel
Hand-rolled Cubans...mmm