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| We have found that El Salvador is, as one traveler put it, a vacation. Our days have been filled with a lot of reading in hammocks, relaxing in pretty places, and lots of scenic walks through cities or through the country.
After leaving the home of Eduardo's family, Arnold and I headed to what the guidebook described as one of the "gems" of El Salvador- Alegria. Actually, we didn´t actually stay there, but in a nearby town called Berlin. We visited Alegria for a day, and walked to the lake and around it. It was nice. We probably could have left Berlin after a day, but our laundry was left to dry in a thunder and rain storm, so we had to wait until one of the workers was able to dry our clothes with a coal-filled iron. We stayed three days.
Next, we returned to the colonial town of Suchitoto. We stayed at a little hotel on the plaza, which was a great place to people watch. We spent one full day just moving from one cafe or coffee shop to another, talking to strangers and taking photos of the locals who also spent their evenings socializing at the plaza.
 
Suchitoto´s plaza
After we tired of sitting, we began to explore the town. We found many interesting old colonial buildings and fun souvenir shops that we hadn't´t noticed on our first visit.
The streets of Suchitoto with the lake in the background.
We even found a very beautiful/expensive hotel which, luckily, I had not seen on the day that we arrived in town, when we were carrying our 40 pound backpacks in the 1,000,000 degree heat while looking for a place to stay.
 
Our hotel Not our hotel
We also took a pretty walk to a hidden waterfall. We got a bit lost as the waterfall was not clearly marked or visible from the road. Luckily for us, a local family we met loaned us their 6 year old son to show us the way. He was a good guide, but was easily distracted by worms and showing us how he could count to ten, repeatedly, on his fingers. We did make it to the falls and left, with a big bouquet of flowers in my hand that our guide had picked for me.
 
On the road to the falls Me and my guide at the falls near Suchitoto
We left Suchitoto after a few days, and wished we had stayed a few more-it is definitely a great place to explore. Next, we took- 4 or 5 buses and one hitchhike (no trip by bus so far in El Salvador has involved less than 4 different buses)- to a lake called Coatepeque. Again, a beautiful place to chill for a few days. The lake is a true crater lake, cool and clean, and surrounded completely by green walls. Our room was a bit rustic- it felt like a tree fort- but the weather was warm and we were able to borrow a canoe and paddle along the shore. We watched a helicopter land at one house on the lake, probably the president- everybody who has money has a house on the lake.
  
Views of Lake Coatepeque Where we ate each night
After a few days at the lake, we took out a calendar and realized that we needed to start planning our days, or we would not be able to visit everything we wanted to, and, be at the airport to meet our friend Adrienne Doung on time. We decided to leave the tranquility of the lake and head to the Rute de Flores. It was at this time, also, that my camera decided to malfunction, so, sorry, no pictures until Adrienne arrives with a new camera for me.
The Rute de Flores is a beautiful area in the highlands of El Salvador, and is also the coffee capital of the country. There are many little towns in this area, which truly are tranquilo. We started at Apaneca, which was my favorite town in El Salvador until we reached La Palma. We met a really wonderful family when we went to their restaurant (the Mexican) upon arriving in the town. They took us to a few hotels until we found one, then took us to a little lake in the mountains, and then back to their restaurant for a shrimp and lobster dinner (on them.) They also offered us their little house in the town to stay at, but we decided to stay in a hostel, instead. I am not sure why these people were so nice to us, but they were not the exception in El Salvador. Although many people we met warned us about gangbangers and crime in El Salvador, every single person that we have met, has been friendly and nice. Many people greet you in the street, and if you are carrying your backpack, they always wish you a nice trip.
Anyway, we spent a few days in Apaneca, several of them with the family, visiting more local sites, and then we left for the city of Juayua. This town was a little larger than Apaneca, but we still were able to enjoy some wonderful nature. One day our hotel owner/guide led us to a coffee finca, up into a tiny cloud forest, and then down the other side of the mountain to some thermal springs. We enjoyed an incredible view over the valley below and surrounding volcanoes, while soaking our tired bodies in a hotspring, complete with mud masks on our faces.
The Mountain spa
Another great event in Juayua is the weekly gastronomy fair. Each Saturday and Sunday, local restaurants set up booths of a variety of delicious foods, and people from all over El Salvador fill the streets. The food offered include such yummies as lobster, tacos, pupusas and many other foods to choose from. My favorite was the frozen strawberries on a stick, which were dipped in chocolate. yummmmmm! There are many vendors selling handicrafts on the streets, live bands and singing, donkey rides and even motorized trains that take people around the plaza. It is a good time.
After we left Juayua we headed to one of El Salvador's more popular national parks, El Imposible. The name comes from the days when workers used to haul loads of coffee beans along the steep cliffs of a gorge which runs through the park. Many people fell to their deaths. We planned to do a hike here, hopefully not repeating history. We stayed at Mama and Papa´s hostel, in Tacuba, which is actually just mama and papa´s house with a few rustic cabins built in the back of their property. Residents eat at the family's kitchen table, and though mama does not eat with you, she loves to sit and talk while you eat. Her food was some of the best food we had in all of El Salvador. And mama was quite a character!!!!!! We ate at her table and watched novellas with her in her sitting room. Even when hanging in one of the many hammocks around her patio, Mama would find you, pull up her rocking chair and chat. The hike through Imposible was nice, but Mama was more fun.
Back to more relaxing- Arn and I headed to the coast, to a surfers paradise called El Zonte. We had a fantastic room in a fantastic hotel on the beach. We spent most of our time just hanging in hammocks, reading. What a life. But eventually August 7 rolled around, and it was time to pick up Adrienne at the airport in San Salvador. This would be Adrienne´s first trip outside of the United States. Almost her first trip out of California. What would our days with Adrienne have in store for us? fOR A PREVIEW VISIT ADRIENNE´S SITE @ WWW.XANGA.COM/ADRIENNEDOUNG | | |
| Arnold and I began our trip to El Salvador back in Long Beach, when we started reading as many books about El Salvador as we could find. From the guidebooks, we gathered that El Salvador would not be full of the typical "tourist attractions" that we have seen in other countries. But we did not care, we had something better in El Salvador- family. Well, one might argue that Eduardo is not really family. He is married to my cousin Diana. But after spending a week with him and his family in San Sebastian, we really feel like we have family in El Salvador.
Eduardo's family in his parent's home in San Sebastian
When we arrived at the airport outside of San Salvador, we weren't even sure we were going to recognize Eduardo- we had only met him a few times at the usual family events-a Bar Mitzvah, wedding and a funeral. But when he walked up to me and gave me a hug, it just felt like family.
At first we thought that we would stay in San Vicente, the closest town to his parent's house that had a hotel. However, after Eduardo and I checked out the hotel, which we were none to impressed with (especially after the owner asked us if we were going to stay for 12 or 24 hours), Eduardo encouraged us to stay at the home of his brother, across the street from his parent's house in San Sebastian, where they had an extra bedroom. We were very happy to comply.
view of San Sebastian from our room
Spending a week in the home of a "local" is an experience that Arnold and I have not had the opportunity to enjoy much in our travels, and it was a fantastic experience. From the start, the Barahona family made us feel so welcome. When we arrived we were led out to the back of the house, seated on hammocks, served fruit and made very comfortable. When Arnold mentioned that he liked coconut milk, a man was sent for, to climb the coconut trees in the yard and bring down some of the delicious fruit.
Look for the man in the tree
Eduardo cuts the coconut
An added bonus when staying at the house, is that the family runs a textile shop. The front of the house is a textile shop, and in the back are 7 or 8 looms where men weave the fabrics that make the hammocks, table cloths and blankets that are sold in the shop. Of course I did not leave without purchasing a few "momentos," including, of course, a tablecloth. One day a tour group came into the shop, and after looking around, they thanked me for their visit. I enjoyed being mistaken for a local very much! Another day a class of highschool kids from San Salvador came and filmed the shop and interviewed Mr. Barahona. Eduardo says that the art of hand weaving is dying, no one wants to do it anymore. It will be a shame when it is no longer done, though it does look like hard work.
Weavers in the back of the home.
Eduardo´s parent's home in San Sebastian- Home of the best textiles in all of El Salvador.
San Sebastian is a very small town. While there, we spent a lot of time just relaxing and enjoying life in a small pueblo. Very few cars drive by, which makes it a very peaceful and quiet place to be. It's one of those places where you have to make room on the street for the cows being herded to the fields in the morning, and the occasional horse and many dogs. The family buys their cheese from the woman next door who makes it fresh everyday from the milk of the cow she keeps in her back yard.
The streets of San Sebastian
We did a lot of sightseeing with Eduardo and his family, as well. We visited the beautiful city of Suchitoto, where Eduardo dreams of building a bookstore in one of the old adobe buildings surrounding the plaza.
The main plaza in Suchitoto with Eduardo, his nieces Diana and Alexus, Arnold, and Don Quijote on his horse in the back
Lake near Suchitoto
The Molina- a place where corn, tomatoes, and coffee is ground
We also visited Perquin and Mozote in the north. The former was a guerilla stronghold during the war (1980-1992), and the latter was the location of a hideous massacre, which was for many years, denied by both the El Salvadorian and US governments. It meant a lot to me to accompany Eduardo and his family to these important historical sites. Eduardo never tired of answering my many questions about the war, and he gave me a human perspective which no book could give to me. The El Mozote sight was especially sobering.
Sight of the massacre at El Mozote
Another fun day was spent at the beach on the Costa Del Sol. Fourteen of us piled into a 1974 Ford van and headed to the beach to "drink rum from coconuts" and relax in the sun.
Señora Barahona- Eduardo's mother at the Costa Del Sol
What Arnold does best 
We had a wonderful time getting to know Eduardo and his family, but after a week of their incredible hospitality, we thought it was time to move on and see the rest of El Salvador. | | |
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Bayshore on the Fourth is unbelievable. | | |
| Well, we are back. The Mighty, Mighty DR was fantastico! The resort was fine, and the beach was very beautiful. All you had to do was to walk just a few hundred yards in either direction from the resort, and you could leave everyone behind.
The all-you-can-eat buffet was surprisingly delicious. Lots of fresh breads, egg and pasta bar, fresh papaya, melon, pineapple. Muy Sabroso. What can you say about the all-you-can-drink? We literally set records.
One day we rented a car and drove to the most beautiful beach- Playa Rincon.
I wish we had a few more days to stay there. For the few hours we had, we drank beers, played games, ate fish and french fries, and swam in the beautifully clear water.
Too bad we wasted time with our "budget" car getting there. It overheated and wouldn't go faster than 5 mph. That just wouldn't do. We were forced to sit around while the car cooled. Luckily for us, some nice guys added water to the radiator, and gave us a container of water to go. They didn't want anything. What a refreshing treat.
On our way home, we chartered a small plane to take us to Santo Domingo, so that we could avoid the long bus ride back.
Bad idea. The plane was too small for our luggage,
and the weather was constantly changing. One minute the little airport was allowing planes to fly in, and the next it was not. The person who determined whether the airport was open or closed was playing dominoes down where we were waiting. Every now and then, he would stick his head out from under the roof, check the sky to see if more rain was on its way, and then declare either "airport's open" or "airport's closed." He then would return to his dominoes game (a national pastime along with baseball.)
Well, we finally got on a plane that had been sitting around at the airport all along. The pilot and the small plane that had been sent to us, had arrived, and the pilot determined a) our luggage was too big and b) the plane was leaking gas and he didn't think it should be flown, anyway. We were very happy to finally get on a plane, even though it was three hours after we had arrived, and we knew we were going to miss our connecting flight (which we did.) We were so happy, in fact, that the flood of water that came tumbling out of the ceiling of the plane, only caused us to laugh. (Except for our friend, who had to sit with itchy, wet pants for the rest of the day.)
All in all, I enjoyed the trip to the Dominican Republic very much.
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| In less than one week I will be headed to the Dominican Republic. Don't know what awaits me there. Sun? Rain? Drama (my two friends that are joining us, and the one left behind). Beautiful beaches? Mosquitoes? All you can eat and drink- that's a for sure. Hope my room is as nice as the last place.
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