Léon, Nicaragua

We divided our forces in Nicaragua. Linda took a tour called “Cortijo El Rosario Estate and Equestrian Experience”. I on the other hand, took a tour called “Colonial Léon.” When we met at the end of the day it was obvious that Linda had made the better choice.

Dean’s Day –

Steve and I loaded into a bus and met our young guide. The fellow was very nice and spoke English with a thick accent, but he was easy to understand. We headed for Léon. Our objective was to visit the Léon Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As we wound along the roads leading into the city, our guide tried his best to give us some facts about Nicaragua. This took him about five minutes and then he stopped talking. His silence didn’t bother Steve or myself, but I guess a couple of our older companions felt that they were not getting their money’s worth, so one took it upon himself to give the poor guide a tongue lashing.  Both Steve and I felt bad for the kid, but the damage was done. For the rest of the trip the young fellow would try to fill the air with anything he could think of, desperately trying to appease the old tourist.

Later we were able to find out that the guide usually worked in the jungle as a nature guide who specialized in birds and plants. Guiding a group this size was obviously not in his wheelhouse. I felt he did a fairly good job under the circumstances.

When we arrived at the cathedral we toured the main sanctuary and then were allowed to climb up a steep tight stairway to the roof of the church.  What a cool place! I walked around taking photos in every direction. The architecture of the cathedral was amazing. Obviously, this was the highlight of this tour.

We loaded back into the bus and returned to the ship. As we drove up to the pier we saw before us a human tunnel created by the staff of the Viking Sun. Our bus doors opened and rock music spilled into our space. We walked out and danced our way through the line of cheering officers and crew. Our day ended in a wonderful welcome home.

Linda’s Day –

This is a little scary for me because Dean does all of the writing for his blog. Be kind… and I’ll do the best I can.

Our trip to the Cortijo El Rosario horse ranch and estate started early in the morning on the day we docked in Nicaragua. This was the excursion I had been looking forward to the most.  My traveling companions were Don and Caroline Samuelson. We felt this would be a not-too-difficult excursion for Don to get out and enjoy without worrying too much about how his wheelchair would handle the terrain.

I have always loved horses. I was lucky enough to have one of my own when I lived in Pendleton, OR. She was a sorrel, ¾ quarter horse, and ¼ Appaloosa. Her name was Bobbi and she made moving from LA to Pendleton tolerable for this Jr. High/then High School girl.

The drive to the ranch was quick and we were met at a large stone entryway with a cold rum drink. They then led us into a courtyard that contained a small demonstration/show ring. There were stables in the shade on either side of the courtyard and chairs and benches set up for us to sit on.

We were told a bit about the ranch. It was bought by a wealthy Italian family that loved horses and their new country. They wanted to give back. They provide scholarships to boys who show an aptitude for horses and horsemanship. This allows the boys the opportunity to better their lives and the lives of their families.

The ranch also has a clinic that provides equine therapy to children and adults alike to promote physical, occupational, and emotional growth in people affected by ADD, autism, cerebral paralysis, developmental delays, genetic syndromes such as Down Syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, and strokes. There is also help provided for the families as well. This is at no cost. The patients stay at the ranch; the younger ones with their families.

Then the music and the demonstration started. All the horses are Spanish or Lusitano. They are trained in several disciplines - dressage, for the picadors (bullfighting), and “airs above the ground” which were used in battle.

They began simply and moved through more and more complex steps, routines, and demonstrations. It’s impossible to explain or describe it all. It was all just magnificent and amazing – horse and rider so in tuned to each other that it seemed like effortless magic… beautiful, graceful, flawless, breathtaking. I get chills just writing about it. There are no words (though I seem to be typing a lot of them), and unfortunately, my pictures don’t capture the joy and magnificence of what I saw.

After the demonstration, we took a look at the clinic and met some of the kids. We moved on to a sort of shop that had a wall of windows that looked out on a work-out ring. They were working/exercising a beautiful stallion. I spent my time watching him, not shopping.

A lovely lunch was provided to us and we were entertained by a group of young dancers and 2 men, one on a guitar and the other on a marimba. Then Don, Caroline, and I took an old-fashioned buggy ride around the property. It was picture-perfect with horses and small deer grazing and peacocks strutting their stuff.

We did have to leave eventually. They loaded us on our bus and took us back to the ship where many of the officers and crew lined up to greet us and welcome us back. Music was playing and champagne was flowing. We three took pictures and danced (well, Caroline and I danced on either side of Don) back onboard the ship.

This experience touched me and affected me in ways I don’t really understand. All I can say is it’s now part of me and I’ll never forget it. Thank you, Don and Caroline, for being a part of this amazing day.