Tuesday, 20th October, Leon: 50 yrs together, the farmer
We spent a fair amount of time in Leon just mooching about. The thing about covering all this distance is that you need R&R afterwards (and what better way to R&R than to go drinking with a South African?).
Prior to our arrival in Leon, our Head Researcher (read “only researcher, my dad”) had contacted the University of Leon’s English department, with the idea that they may be able both to help us find a couple and to provide a student to act as translator. Both of which they did fabulously, a huge huge thanks to the head of the faculty, a genial and generally wonderful man called Francisco. With his star pupil, Ulisse, we headed out to the suburbs of the colonial Leon, off paved roads into narrow mud streets lined with single story dwellings. (I’m making this sound more dramatic for effect, natch).
Gorgonio and Soledad have been married for over 50 years. He is friendly, but has trouble walking. His small and sweet-faced wife is now almost totally deaf, something he says is one of the hardest parts of the marriage now. We wanted to find out about how the family, and their relationship, had been affected by the civil war. He managed to bypass it by keeping his nose down and working the fields. Again, God was an important part of this marriage – and family felt like the most important thing in the lives of this couple, something which we have felt increasingly as we have headed into Latin America.
We get back to the hotel, pack up our stuff, say goodbye to Team Leon (Francisco, Ulisse and the faculty secretary who found us Gorgonio and Soledad) and set off with Chris. Our loud, blonde, Jaarpie Jiminy Cricket. We picked up another pan-American biker on the way into Managua, Phillippe, and tucked into lunch.
Now for 3 long days in Managua. Not the most inspiring of places. Our hearts sank as we waved goodbye to our biker friends as they left us for Granada, and we started on the road to setting up our next interview.
