For Anime Soccer Lobos, I actually had started the next chapter, when you
reviewed, but life bogged me down. Sorry! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
:o)
***Translations at the end of story*** ***more info on León at end of story***
____
The group had gotten to the bus about 20 minutes early, so they were able to choose their own seats. Luckily there were overhead racks where luggage could go and the students had taken advantage of it. Blair told the students to double up as all the seats were usually filled and if they weren't in Managua, by the time they got half way there, they would be and that they'd probably rather share with themselves than with someone they didn't know. A quick shuffle and the students were arranged in their seats. They were fascinated with the people and the sights outside the windows. A few students even bought snacks, reaching through the windows of the old school bus to pay and receive the food. They thought the pop being sold in the plastic baggies wrapped around a straw were quite odd. Many of the students had never seen pop in a bottle, much less served in a baggie before.
15 minutes later, the bus slowly pulled out of the station, vendors hurrying to get the last of their orders finished. The bus slowly picked up speed as it headed north out of town. Run down buildings covered with graffiti slowly turned into green covered fields and hills. Mountains and a volcano were seen in the distance. The rough road was extremely bumpy and the students all held onto the back of their seats to make sure they weren't thrown in the sharp turns. Two of the students who were opposite the open back door, looked to be reconsidering their choice of sitting by the door.
Occasionally the bus stopped to pick up people carrying loads of goods and other things. In a very short time, the bus was filled to the limit-or so the students thought. The bus driver did not stop picking up people. The newcomers to the bus just stayed standing, holding onto the racks and the seats to maintain their balance.
By the time they reached La Paz Centro, approximately an hour, hour and a half from Managua, the bus literally had no room, even standing room left. People were packed in from one end of the bus to the other. Fortunately for the students who were becoming a bit claustrophobic, many people got off the bus at this fair sized city, known for its pottery. After the bus started up again, Blair turned to the students, "We'll be visiting La Paz Centro in the next day or two. Leon Viejo is just a short distance away, but there aren't any hotels in the city we'd be able to use."
"Could we stop at the shop we passed?" one of the students requested.
"Sure, it did look very colorful. The town has several brick factories and is known for making pottery. It's a good place to get it, but you have to remember we'll be in the country for a while so be careful what you buy! You'll have to carry it and you don't want it to break."
Blair turned back to his seat partner and started practicing Spanish with a student. He and Jim had switched when Salia had requested help. She knew some of the language but wanted to increase her working knowledge of the language. *"¿Qué mira usted adelanta a ver en Leon, Salia?"
**"Um, quiero ver que los frescos de Sandinista pintaron para la revolución y yo quiero ver las iglesias coloniales. Yo me preguntaba también si nosotros'D tiene una oportunidad de ver una película en el español. Yo'a semejanza de D para ver si ellos son semejantes a los cines americanos."
***"Nosotros'll ve acerca del cine, pero acerca de nosotros'll ve definitivamente varias iglesias y por lo menos uno de los frescos."
The two practiced, drawing several of the other students and even a couple passengers into the conversation. The native passengers even suggested places to visit while in town. Once in Leon, the students were led to their hotel, which was not very far away at all. Some of the rooms had a balcony that overlooked the street. Some of the students started talking to each other while on the balconies, causing Jim, who was in his own room, to laugh at their antics.
Everyone was relieved to be away from Managua. No one was quite comfortable in the city where their peace of mind was so cruelly taken away from them in a few short minutes.
After allowing everyone to unpack and relax in their rooms for a minute, Eli led them all to the market place. As it was supper time, he and Blair advised the students to try to eat something that was native to the area, rather than something they could get in Cascade. Many stayed with simple fruits; dried plantain was popular, while others were a bit braver and tried something wrapped in a banana leaf. Inside was a pork, rice and vegetable mix that was boiled after being wrapped in the leaf. While disgusting looking, it was actually quite good.
Most of the students bought bottled pop from a vendor and were surprised to learn that they either had to drink it at the stand or have it placed in the plastic baggies like at the gas station. What they found out was that the glass bottles are recycled and reused after being cleaned at the factory.
After eating, everyone wondered around the marketplace. Blair and Jim went in one direction; Eli went in the other. Blair had asked Jim to keep a Sentinel ear and eye out for students in trouble, but that didn't mean that the two of them couldn't explore for themselves either. Blair found the perfect gift for Naomi, several brightly colored scarves and enough matching material to have a dress made for her as well. Jim took Blair's idea to heart and bought similar scarves for Sally, his father's housekeeper. While she wasn't quite as much as a scarf person as Sandburg's mother, he knew that she'd appreciate them for decorating and occasionally using them to keep her hair out of her face while cleaning.
The rest of the time, the two just looked around. Pointing out a few items of interest to each other, but both holding off on buying until later in the trip.
"Professor Sandburg! Professor Sandburg!" Salia called out to Blair as she hurried toward him.
"What's wrong, Salia? You know that I'd prefer you calling me Blair."
"Sorry," Salia blushed, "I'll try to remember. George and I found a movie theater and I wondered if we could watch a movie tonight?"
"Sure, and if people don't want to, they can go back to the hotel. We were planning on having a free night tonight anyway. Nothing much is open at night. Why don't you gather the rest of the group around and see who wants to do what." Blair gestured to an empty corner. "Why don't you tell people to meet there? Oh, there's Eli, I'll grab him, you get the rest." Salia ran off to gather her fellow travelers and Blair and Jim walked over to Eli.
"On the bus, Salia made a request to see what a movie was like here. Those who didn't want to go could go back to the hotel or wonder around. The city is pretty safe and they're old enough to be out on their own. Sound good?"
"Sure, I don't feel up to the movie, so I'm willing to bring the students who want to back to the hotel. I think I saw a bar open nearby if they wanted to spend time there.because none of OUR students would ever sneak out to go drinking, now would they?" Eli grinned at his old student.
"Hey! We were asked to go out, and if you remember, I asked your permission. It just wasn't for what we ended up doing," Blair's face was red by the time he finished explaining.
"Sure, Blair, whatever you say." By this time Eli's smile was a bit evil looking. "So, what does everyone want to do?" The students had gathered around by this time and had been told by Salia what was going on. A little more than half decided to go to the movie and the others decided to go back with Eli.
Eli made sure to point out the bar to those that went with him, though no one went in right away. They wanted to go back to the hotel and change into night clothes first.
Those that went with Blair and Jim enjoyed the movie. They had picked one with English subtitles, so that those students whose Spanish was rusty or weak could understand each it as well as those who spoke the language well.
"Well, that was interesting." Salia didn't seem impressed with the experience.
"Oh?" Blair asked her with a grin.
"Yeah, that was just like back home, except with Spanish. It was kinda like we went to a foreign film festival at the Civic Center or something."
"Pretty much. But now you can say you've been to a movie in Nicaragua!" Blair tried to make the girl feel better.
"Yes, I can certainly say that." Salia grinned and started walking quicker to catch up with her friends.
The group walked slowly back to the hotel, chatting about the movie along the way. As they passed an open restaurant, a recognizable figure ran out the door. "Hey, guys, come on in, we're in here!"
The group stopped, and came back towards a member of their group. "Sure, we'll be right in," Blair answered for them.
"Professor Sandburg!" "Blair!" "Chief!" Several cries called out at the same time.
"What?" Blair was confused at the groaning around him.
"Chief, I highly doubt that these kids want us old fogies around them when they were having fun. I saw a store just a block away from our hotel; we'll pick something up there. Okay?"
"Fine," he sighed, "I guess I can tell when I'm not wanted."
"Professor, it'd be like drinking with our parents!"
"I know, I'm not upset, just didn't realize that I had turned into the authority figure." With that he grabbed Jim's arm and walked towards the hotel. "Just don't stay up too late, we're still meeting at 8:30 and you should have grabbed breakfast before then as well," Blair called over his shoulder, "And don't drink too much and get into trouble. We won't come bail you out until morning!" To Jim, he whispered, "If I'm considered an authority figure, might as well act like it."
Jim snickered and pulled his arm away from Blair's grip, "I doubt you'll have to worry too much about it, Chief. You're the most unlikely authority figure I've ever seen."
Chuckling the two walked to the story, picked up a bottle of Flor de Cana Rum and a bottle of Coke along with a package of plastic glasses and finished walking back to the hotel. Knocking on Eli's door, they held up the bottle of rum. Eli opened the door and waved them inside. "To what do I own this pleasure? I assumed you two would join the students and have a drink with them."
Jim burst out laughing. "Hey! There's no call for laughing," Blair was very indignant.
"He got pushed down, Eli, they called him an authority figure and shoved him out the door!"
"Oh, poor Blair. It finally happened, did it?" Eli tried to repress his own smile, but wasn't too successful.
"Gee, I see how it is; perhaps I'll take the rum and leave!" Blair grabbed the 21 year old aged rum and started for the door.
"Put the rum down and back away from the door," Jim barked out. Blair turned around, laughing and started to open the bottle.
"So who wants a bit of something?" He grabbed the glasses and started to pour.
***
The next morning the entire group met up with each other at the hotel lobby. The entire group was reaching for their sunglasses in an attempt to dull the piercing rays of the sun. After the night before, they were all a bit touchy this morning.
They trudged through the door and out into the sunshine. After a few painful minutes of adjustment, it seemed as the group shrugged as one. With that, they started walking along to the first item on their to-do list. This was the largest cathedral in Central America; it also had the tomb of Nicaragua's best known poet, Ruben Dario. After seeing the tomb, the students were looking forward to visiting the museum, museo Ruben Dario and walking past the house in which he died.
Other churches were to be visited as well as the Galería de Heroes y Mártires, which contained photos of those who died fighting for the FSLN in 1978-79. They also were going to pay attention to the murals and monuments throughout the city dedicated to the Sandinista party and the revolution.
All in all, they had a busy day planned.
***
For the next two days the group crossed off every tourist spot they could find off their list. On the third day, Blair and Eli made arrangements to rent a bus and driver so that they could go down to León Viejo, by La Paz Centro and afterwards go over to Momotombo and see the cloud forests and climb the volcano.
Gathering by the bus, the students counted off as they got on; an old fashioned way of keeping track but Eli didn't want to accidentally leave people behind. After a short trip (by Nica standards) the group arrived at the site and arranged a meeting with the bus in two hours at 12. They walked through badly formed streets to arrive at the one room museum. Crowding in, the guide gave a short explanation of the pottery shards and statues in the cases. Leaving time to take photos, Blair and Jim paid at the gate for the group and arranged for a guide. However, unlike at the museum, this one did not speak English, so translations would have to occur for those students with weak language skills.
Soon everyone gathered and they were off, learning about the early history of the country. The ruins left were of a church - the altar clearly visible - and of several houses. Human remains were taken and buried together under a statue of a popular Spanish conquistador in one spot. Another monument was erected to the Indian resistance, past and current. Finally, they climbed a small overhang with a beautiful view of Momotombo and a smaller island that mimicked the shape of the volcano. It was a perfect picture taking point and they spent a fair amount of time there. Even getting a group picture taken by the guide.
Several students commented on the low amount of tourists at this spot, but Eli was uncertain as to the lack of foreigners. He figured that it might be too far into the rainy season, even though it hadn't really rained so far on their trip. It had been extremely hot and humid and that also, may have driven the tourists away.
After thanking the guide and walking towards the bus, Blair started a debate about the Spanish influence on the cities and people of Nicaragua. Finding the bus, the discussion continued even when they started traveling towards their next destination.
After traveling for over an hour, the bus had reached a fairly unpopulated area. Not quite in the mountains, the bus was still gaining altitude and foliage outside the windows. Many students had cameras out, trying to capture the views. No one was prepared when the driver slammed his brakes and many were thrown from their seats to the floor of the bus. The only thing that had saved Blair from a bad fall was Jim, who had grabbed him by the back of the shirt before he could tumble to the ground.
"What's going on?" yelled Jim from the middle of the bus. Eli and Blair spoke in tandom with, "Is everyone okay?" and "Anyone hurt?" A chorus of 'no's' came from the front and the back, while a yelp came from the seat across from them.
"Salia, what's wrong?" a concerned Blair asked gently. Jim moved past him and towards the girl.
"I think I hurt my wrist when I landed on it wrong," Salia's voice sounded worried.
Jim took a hold of her wrist and gently felt around the bones of her hand and arm. "I don't think anything's broken, but we'll find a bandage to wrap around it to support it and we'll get it checked when we get back to town. Does it hurt much?"
Salia looked into his concerned eyes and replied, "No, just when I put pressure on it."
Jim smiled, relieved, "Okay, be careful and let us know if you need anything for the pain, okay?"
"Sure, I have some aspirin I'll take now anyways but if it gets worse, I'll speak up."
Jim nodded and made a mental note of checking her wrist that evening at the hotel. He walked up to the front of the bus to figure out why they suddenly stopped. After a quick discussion with the driver, Jim looked outside and decided to go out and check the surroundings. He called Blair over, "Chief, I could use your help here."
Sandburg walked up the aisle and rested his hand on Jim's shoulder. "What do you need, man?"
"Someone blocked the road. The tree didn't fall naturally, there hasn't been a storm here for several days and someone else would have found it by now. The break looks cut and they look fresh. I'm sure there are people out here and the driver says he'll need to go out and check out the bus before he wants to move it again. Plus this is a really bad place to turn around in. Help see if I can see anything out of place."
"Sure. Deep breaths and tell me what you see."
"Green, trees, wind is blowing, flowers, several animals."
"Ok, you've registered those and now block them out. Is there anything that shouldn't be in the forest? A color, a movement not natural to the outdoors."
"No," Jim said slowly, "I don't think so."
"Okay, let's try smell. Take the bus smell, the oil and gas and tune it out. You don't smell it anymore. Ignore the smell of me and the other people. All you can smell is the outside. Fresh and fragrant with the flowers. Is there something that stands out? Another source of gas? Of oil? Cologne that isn't from our group?"
"No, I don't think so. Wait! That's it. I can smell cologne."
"Can you focus on the direction it's coming from? The wind may have carried it. Once you can find the scent, piggyback your sight to it and see if there is a person attached to the scent. We'll try hearing next if that doesn't work."
"Yeah, I see some colors. I think we're surrounded, Chief."
"Okay, dial down, Jim. Use your hearing to find out the numbers. Find and ignore those heartbeats in the bus. Got it? Okay, now extend it outside the bus. What do you hear?"
"Several men.ten maybe 12. I can hear them talking. They weren't expecting this bus. A group of government officials were supposed to be going through this area now as well. They're debating whether or not to use us anyways. Wait!" Jim seemed to still at this point. Blair worried that Jim had entered a zone out and started to rub his hand up and down Jim's arm and started to speak softly.
"Jim, I know you're in there, come on man, now is NOT the time to zone!"
Jim quickly came out of it and shook his head. "Everybody sit down and be quiet!" To Blair he whispered, "They're coming this way. I can smell gun oil, Chief. They have weapons; I really don't think they won't use them if it's useful for them."
"Oh god, why does this happen to us, Jim?" Blair sighed and rubbed his head, a headache starting up. "So, Jim?"
"Yeah, Sandburg?"
"Who has guerillas, end of first week in the betting pools back at CPD?"
Jim snorted, "Actually, I think I do."
"Cool, at least we get something out this." Blair quickly quieted as a heavily armed native grabbed the edge of the bus and swung himself inside, pointing his weapon at the driver, Jim and Blair.
"¡La calma! Nadie mueve. ¿Quién es usted?"**** The man looked at Jim as he spoke.
Jim responded, "Somos un grupo de estudiantes Americanos de universidad aquí para clase. ¿Qué quiere usted?"*****
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Okay, I know a cliffhanger. I try not to do those, but I'm not sure where to go. I could go real angsty and have it be a group that doesn't care who the hostages are; I could do a semi-angsty story and have them held for a few hours before Jim/Blair/Eli does something or I could just let them go. But what's the fun in that? So, I'm letting you, the reader decide. How much pain should I put the group through? Let me know!
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Translations: (Remember I got them on-line so if something is way off, let me know, and I'll change it)
*"What are you looking forward to seeing in Leon, Salia?"
**"Um, I want to see the Sandinista murals painted for the revolution and I want to see the colonial churches. I also was wondering if we'd have a chance to see a movie in Spanish. I'd like to see if they are similar to the American cinemas."
***"We'll see about the cinema, but we'll definitely see several churches and at least one of the murals."
****Quiet! Nobody move. Who are you?
*****We're a group of American university students here for class. What do you want? ______ Info on:
León is traditionally the most liberal of Nicaragua's cities and remains the radical and intellectual center of the country. Monuments to the revolution, including bold Sandinista murals, are dotted all over town, and many buildings are riddled with bullet holes. Though scarred by earthquakes and war, the city is resplendent with many fine colonial churches and official buildings. Its streets are lined with old Spanish-style houses that have white adobe walls, red-tiled roofs, thick wooden doors and cool garden patios. Its cathedral is the largest in Central America and features huge paintings of the Stations of the Cross by Antonio Sarria as well as the tomb of poet Rubén Darío.
***Translations at the end of story*** ***more info on León at end of story***
____
The group had gotten to the bus about 20 minutes early, so they were able to choose their own seats. Luckily there were overhead racks where luggage could go and the students had taken advantage of it. Blair told the students to double up as all the seats were usually filled and if they weren't in Managua, by the time they got half way there, they would be and that they'd probably rather share with themselves than with someone they didn't know. A quick shuffle and the students were arranged in their seats. They were fascinated with the people and the sights outside the windows. A few students even bought snacks, reaching through the windows of the old school bus to pay and receive the food. They thought the pop being sold in the plastic baggies wrapped around a straw were quite odd. Many of the students had never seen pop in a bottle, much less served in a baggie before.
15 minutes later, the bus slowly pulled out of the station, vendors hurrying to get the last of their orders finished. The bus slowly picked up speed as it headed north out of town. Run down buildings covered with graffiti slowly turned into green covered fields and hills. Mountains and a volcano were seen in the distance. The rough road was extremely bumpy and the students all held onto the back of their seats to make sure they weren't thrown in the sharp turns. Two of the students who were opposite the open back door, looked to be reconsidering their choice of sitting by the door.
Occasionally the bus stopped to pick up people carrying loads of goods and other things. In a very short time, the bus was filled to the limit-or so the students thought. The bus driver did not stop picking up people. The newcomers to the bus just stayed standing, holding onto the racks and the seats to maintain their balance.
By the time they reached La Paz Centro, approximately an hour, hour and a half from Managua, the bus literally had no room, even standing room left. People were packed in from one end of the bus to the other. Fortunately for the students who were becoming a bit claustrophobic, many people got off the bus at this fair sized city, known for its pottery. After the bus started up again, Blair turned to the students, "We'll be visiting La Paz Centro in the next day or two. Leon Viejo is just a short distance away, but there aren't any hotels in the city we'd be able to use."
"Could we stop at the shop we passed?" one of the students requested.
"Sure, it did look very colorful. The town has several brick factories and is known for making pottery. It's a good place to get it, but you have to remember we'll be in the country for a while so be careful what you buy! You'll have to carry it and you don't want it to break."
Blair turned back to his seat partner and started practicing Spanish with a student. He and Jim had switched when Salia had requested help. She knew some of the language but wanted to increase her working knowledge of the language. *"¿Qué mira usted adelanta a ver en Leon, Salia?"
**"Um, quiero ver que los frescos de Sandinista pintaron para la revolución y yo quiero ver las iglesias coloniales. Yo me preguntaba también si nosotros'D tiene una oportunidad de ver una película en el español. Yo'a semejanza de D para ver si ellos son semejantes a los cines americanos."
***"Nosotros'll ve acerca del cine, pero acerca de nosotros'll ve definitivamente varias iglesias y por lo menos uno de los frescos."
The two practiced, drawing several of the other students and even a couple passengers into the conversation. The native passengers even suggested places to visit while in town. Once in Leon, the students were led to their hotel, which was not very far away at all. Some of the rooms had a balcony that overlooked the street. Some of the students started talking to each other while on the balconies, causing Jim, who was in his own room, to laugh at their antics.
Everyone was relieved to be away from Managua. No one was quite comfortable in the city where their peace of mind was so cruelly taken away from them in a few short minutes.
After allowing everyone to unpack and relax in their rooms for a minute, Eli led them all to the market place. As it was supper time, he and Blair advised the students to try to eat something that was native to the area, rather than something they could get in Cascade. Many stayed with simple fruits; dried plantain was popular, while others were a bit braver and tried something wrapped in a banana leaf. Inside was a pork, rice and vegetable mix that was boiled after being wrapped in the leaf. While disgusting looking, it was actually quite good.
Most of the students bought bottled pop from a vendor and were surprised to learn that they either had to drink it at the stand or have it placed in the plastic baggies like at the gas station. What they found out was that the glass bottles are recycled and reused after being cleaned at the factory.
After eating, everyone wondered around the marketplace. Blair and Jim went in one direction; Eli went in the other. Blair had asked Jim to keep a Sentinel ear and eye out for students in trouble, but that didn't mean that the two of them couldn't explore for themselves either. Blair found the perfect gift for Naomi, several brightly colored scarves and enough matching material to have a dress made for her as well. Jim took Blair's idea to heart and bought similar scarves for Sally, his father's housekeeper. While she wasn't quite as much as a scarf person as Sandburg's mother, he knew that she'd appreciate them for decorating and occasionally using them to keep her hair out of her face while cleaning.
The rest of the time, the two just looked around. Pointing out a few items of interest to each other, but both holding off on buying until later in the trip.
"Professor Sandburg! Professor Sandburg!" Salia called out to Blair as she hurried toward him.
"What's wrong, Salia? You know that I'd prefer you calling me Blair."
"Sorry," Salia blushed, "I'll try to remember. George and I found a movie theater and I wondered if we could watch a movie tonight?"
"Sure, and if people don't want to, they can go back to the hotel. We were planning on having a free night tonight anyway. Nothing much is open at night. Why don't you gather the rest of the group around and see who wants to do what." Blair gestured to an empty corner. "Why don't you tell people to meet there? Oh, there's Eli, I'll grab him, you get the rest." Salia ran off to gather her fellow travelers and Blair and Jim walked over to Eli.
"On the bus, Salia made a request to see what a movie was like here. Those who didn't want to go could go back to the hotel or wonder around. The city is pretty safe and they're old enough to be out on their own. Sound good?"
"Sure, I don't feel up to the movie, so I'm willing to bring the students who want to back to the hotel. I think I saw a bar open nearby if they wanted to spend time there.because none of OUR students would ever sneak out to go drinking, now would they?" Eli grinned at his old student.
"Hey! We were asked to go out, and if you remember, I asked your permission. It just wasn't for what we ended up doing," Blair's face was red by the time he finished explaining.
"Sure, Blair, whatever you say." By this time Eli's smile was a bit evil looking. "So, what does everyone want to do?" The students had gathered around by this time and had been told by Salia what was going on. A little more than half decided to go to the movie and the others decided to go back with Eli.
Eli made sure to point out the bar to those that went with him, though no one went in right away. They wanted to go back to the hotel and change into night clothes first.
Those that went with Blair and Jim enjoyed the movie. They had picked one with English subtitles, so that those students whose Spanish was rusty or weak could understand each it as well as those who spoke the language well.
"Well, that was interesting." Salia didn't seem impressed with the experience.
"Oh?" Blair asked her with a grin.
"Yeah, that was just like back home, except with Spanish. It was kinda like we went to a foreign film festival at the Civic Center or something."
"Pretty much. But now you can say you've been to a movie in Nicaragua!" Blair tried to make the girl feel better.
"Yes, I can certainly say that." Salia grinned and started walking quicker to catch up with her friends.
The group walked slowly back to the hotel, chatting about the movie along the way. As they passed an open restaurant, a recognizable figure ran out the door. "Hey, guys, come on in, we're in here!"
The group stopped, and came back towards a member of their group. "Sure, we'll be right in," Blair answered for them.
"Professor Sandburg!" "Blair!" "Chief!" Several cries called out at the same time.
"What?" Blair was confused at the groaning around him.
"Chief, I highly doubt that these kids want us old fogies around them when they were having fun. I saw a store just a block away from our hotel; we'll pick something up there. Okay?"
"Fine," he sighed, "I guess I can tell when I'm not wanted."
"Professor, it'd be like drinking with our parents!"
"I know, I'm not upset, just didn't realize that I had turned into the authority figure." With that he grabbed Jim's arm and walked towards the hotel. "Just don't stay up too late, we're still meeting at 8:30 and you should have grabbed breakfast before then as well," Blair called over his shoulder, "And don't drink too much and get into trouble. We won't come bail you out until morning!" To Jim, he whispered, "If I'm considered an authority figure, might as well act like it."
Jim snickered and pulled his arm away from Blair's grip, "I doubt you'll have to worry too much about it, Chief. You're the most unlikely authority figure I've ever seen."
Chuckling the two walked to the story, picked up a bottle of Flor de Cana Rum and a bottle of Coke along with a package of plastic glasses and finished walking back to the hotel. Knocking on Eli's door, they held up the bottle of rum. Eli opened the door and waved them inside. "To what do I own this pleasure? I assumed you two would join the students and have a drink with them."
Jim burst out laughing. "Hey! There's no call for laughing," Blair was very indignant.
"He got pushed down, Eli, they called him an authority figure and shoved him out the door!"
"Oh, poor Blair. It finally happened, did it?" Eli tried to repress his own smile, but wasn't too successful.
"Gee, I see how it is; perhaps I'll take the rum and leave!" Blair grabbed the 21 year old aged rum and started for the door.
"Put the rum down and back away from the door," Jim barked out. Blair turned around, laughing and started to open the bottle.
"So who wants a bit of something?" He grabbed the glasses and started to pour.
***
The next morning the entire group met up with each other at the hotel lobby. The entire group was reaching for their sunglasses in an attempt to dull the piercing rays of the sun. After the night before, they were all a bit touchy this morning.
They trudged through the door and out into the sunshine. After a few painful minutes of adjustment, it seemed as the group shrugged as one. With that, they started walking along to the first item on their to-do list. This was the largest cathedral in Central America; it also had the tomb of Nicaragua's best known poet, Ruben Dario. After seeing the tomb, the students were looking forward to visiting the museum, museo Ruben Dario and walking past the house in which he died.
Other churches were to be visited as well as the Galería de Heroes y Mártires, which contained photos of those who died fighting for the FSLN in 1978-79. They also were going to pay attention to the murals and monuments throughout the city dedicated to the Sandinista party and the revolution.
All in all, they had a busy day planned.
***
For the next two days the group crossed off every tourist spot they could find off their list. On the third day, Blair and Eli made arrangements to rent a bus and driver so that they could go down to León Viejo, by La Paz Centro and afterwards go over to Momotombo and see the cloud forests and climb the volcano.
Gathering by the bus, the students counted off as they got on; an old fashioned way of keeping track but Eli didn't want to accidentally leave people behind. After a short trip (by Nica standards) the group arrived at the site and arranged a meeting with the bus in two hours at 12. They walked through badly formed streets to arrive at the one room museum. Crowding in, the guide gave a short explanation of the pottery shards and statues in the cases. Leaving time to take photos, Blair and Jim paid at the gate for the group and arranged for a guide. However, unlike at the museum, this one did not speak English, so translations would have to occur for those students with weak language skills.
Soon everyone gathered and they were off, learning about the early history of the country. The ruins left were of a church - the altar clearly visible - and of several houses. Human remains were taken and buried together under a statue of a popular Spanish conquistador in one spot. Another monument was erected to the Indian resistance, past and current. Finally, they climbed a small overhang with a beautiful view of Momotombo and a smaller island that mimicked the shape of the volcano. It was a perfect picture taking point and they spent a fair amount of time there. Even getting a group picture taken by the guide.
Several students commented on the low amount of tourists at this spot, but Eli was uncertain as to the lack of foreigners. He figured that it might be too far into the rainy season, even though it hadn't really rained so far on their trip. It had been extremely hot and humid and that also, may have driven the tourists away.
After thanking the guide and walking towards the bus, Blair started a debate about the Spanish influence on the cities and people of Nicaragua. Finding the bus, the discussion continued even when they started traveling towards their next destination.
After traveling for over an hour, the bus had reached a fairly unpopulated area. Not quite in the mountains, the bus was still gaining altitude and foliage outside the windows. Many students had cameras out, trying to capture the views. No one was prepared when the driver slammed his brakes and many were thrown from their seats to the floor of the bus. The only thing that had saved Blair from a bad fall was Jim, who had grabbed him by the back of the shirt before he could tumble to the ground.
"What's going on?" yelled Jim from the middle of the bus. Eli and Blair spoke in tandom with, "Is everyone okay?" and "Anyone hurt?" A chorus of 'no's' came from the front and the back, while a yelp came from the seat across from them.
"Salia, what's wrong?" a concerned Blair asked gently. Jim moved past him and towards the girl.
"I think I hurt my wrist when I landed on it wrong," Salia's voice sounded worried.
Jim took a hold of her wrist and gently felt around the bones of her hand and arm. "I don't think anything's broken, but we'll find a bandage to wrap around it to support it and we'll get it checked when we get back to town. Does it hurt much?"
Salia looked into his concerned eyes and replied, "No, just when I put pressure on it."
Jim smiled, relieved, "Okay, be careful and let us know if you need anything for the pain, okay?"
"Sure, I have some aspirin I'll take now anyways but if it gets worse, I'll speak up."
Jim nodded and made a mental note of checking her wrist that evening at the hotel. He walked up to the front of the bus to figure out why they suddenly stopped. After a quick discussion with the driver, Jim looked outside and decided to go out and check the surroundings. He called Blair over, "Chief, I could use your help here."
Sandburg walked up the aisle and rested his hand on Jim's shoulder. "What do you need, man?"
"Someone blocked the road. The tree didn't fall naturally, there hasn't been a storm here for several days and someone else would have found it by now. The break looks cut and they look fresh. I'm sure there are people out here and the driver says he'll need to go out and check out the bus before he wants to move it again. Plus this is a really bad place to turn around in. Help see if I can see anything out of place."
"Sure. Deep breaths and tell me what you see."
"Green, trees, wind is blowing, flowers, several animals."
"Ok, you've registered those and now block them out. Is there anything that shouldn't be in the forest? A color, a movement not natural to the outdoors."
"No," Jim said slowly, "I don't think so."
"Okay, let's try smell. Take the bus smell, the oil and gas and tune it out. You don't smell it anymore. Ignore the smell of me and the other people. All you can smell is the outside. Fresh and fragrant with the flowers. Is there something that stands out? Another source of gas? Of oil? Cologne that isn't from our group?"
"No, I don't think so. Wait! That's it. I can smell cologne."
"Can you focus on the direction it's coming from? The wind may have carried it. Once you can find the scent, piggyback your sight to it and see if there is a person attached to the scent. We'll try hearing next if that doesn't work."
"Yeah, I see some colors. I think we're surrounded, Chief."
"Okay, dial down, Jim. Use your hearing to find out the numbers. Find and ignore those heartbeats in the bus. Got it? Okay, now extend it outside the bus. What do you hear?"
"Several men.ten maybe 12. I can hear them talking. They weren't expecting this bus. A group of government officials were supposed to be going through this area now as well. They're debating whether or not to use us anyways. Wait!" Jim seemed to still at this point. Blair worried that Jim had entered a zone out and started to rub his hand up and down Jim's arm and started to speak softly.
"Jim, I know you're in there, come on man, now is NOT the time to zone!"
Jim quickly came out of it and shook his head. "Everybody sit down and be quiet!" To Blair he whispered, "They're coming this way. I can smell gun oil, Chief. They have weapons; I really don't think they won't use them if it's useful for them."
"Oh god, why does this happen to us, Jim?" Blair sighed and rubbed his head, a headache starting up. "So, Jim?"
"Yeah, Sandburg?"
"Who has guerillas, end of first week in the betting pools back at CPD?"
Jim snorted, "Actually, I think I do."
"Cool, at least we get something out this." Blair quickly quieted as a heavily armed native grabbed the edge of the bus and swung himself inside, pointing his weapon at the driver, Jim and Blair.
"¡La calma! Nadie mueve. ¿Quién es usted?"**** The man looked at Jim as he spoke.
Jim responded, "Somos un grupo de estudiantes Americanos de universidad aquí para clase. ¿Qué quiere usted?"*****
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Okay, I know a cliffhanger. I try not to do those, but I'm not sure where to go. I could go real angsty and have it be a group that doesn't care who the hostages are; I could do a semi-angsty story and have them held for a few hours before Jim/Blair/Eli does something or I could just let them go. But what's the fun in that? So, I'm letting you, the reader decide. How much pain should I put the group through? Let me know!
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Translations: (Remember I got them on-line so if something is way off, let me know, and I'll change it)
*"What are you looking forward to seeing in Leon, Salia?"
**"Um, I want to see the Sandinista murals painted for the revolution and I want to see the colonial churches. I also was wondering if we'd have a chance to see a movie in Spanish. I'd like to see if they are similar to the American cinemas."
***"We'll see about the cinema, but we'll definitely see several churches and at least one of the murals."
****Quiet! Nobody move. Who are you?
*****We're a group of American university students here for class. What do you want? ______ Info on:
León is traditionally the most liberal of Nicaragua's cities and remains the radical and intellectual center of the country. Monuments to the revolution, including bold Sandinista murals, are dotted all over town, and many buildings are riddled with bullet holes. Though scarred by earthquakes and war, the city is resplendent with many fine colonial churches and official buildings. Its streets are lined with old Spanish-style houses that have white adobe walls, red-tiled roofs, thick wooden doors and cool garden patios. Its cathedral is the largest in Central America and features huge paintings of the Stations of the Cross by Antonio Sarria as well as the tomb of poet Rubén Darío.