A few days in Leon

They say Leon is becoming quite a party town and you could easily believe it. When Maggie and Kate first came here in 2006 there were hardly any private cars. Hoses, carts and ancient Hilux trucks dominated the streets. Today that's all changed. The streets are full of shiny new Hiluxes, with the odd Land Cruiser thrown in. The taxis too have  changed. There are now a lot of new ones, although their suspension is still clanky, bashed to pieces by the potholes.
Restaurants too have multiplied. It's no longer just rice and beans with a bit of chicken. We've had some good food - pancakes with syrup, lemon chicken, tender pork and some decent beef. There is still gallopinto - rice and beans - but it's usually a side dish. In the main square there is a bar that would be at home in any major city - Sesteo - where you can sit with a cold beer and watch the world go by.
But don't be deceived. This is all in central Leon. Just a few blocks away are the barrios. There are concrete houses side by side with shacks with tin roofs. There is rubbish at the side of road and a foetid stream running in a small canyon. Relative poverty is right there in front of you. It is relative because according to UNICEF statistics, life in Nicaragua has got a lot better since 1970. But there is still a long way to go. A recent report from the World Bank shows that while employment roughly tracks the increase in the working population, productivity and earnings have stagnated. There is also a high unemployment rate for educated youth (30%) which means the country is not getting the benefit of its education system. However this is not unlike parts of Europe (Spain, Portugal) at the moment. It is, then, a mixed picture.
Finally one of the standout aspects of Leon for me is that there is hardly a tourist industry here yet. Yes, there is an increasing number of slickish eateries and there are a number of reasonable places to stay. And tour companies offer various things to do. But almost entirely missing are souvenir shops selling local artifacts, surely a sign that tourists are hardly recognised as a source of income. I'm sure this will change and maybe next time we'll be harassed by souvenir sellers just like anywhere else. But for the moment that just doesn't happen.