... any way the wind blows ...: El Salvador

22 to 28 May, 2009 – Suchitoto (and Los Tercios), Juayúa, Ataco, and Tacuba (Parque Nacional El Imposible)

Suchitoto. We debated coming or skipping. Not too much of a diversion, but a vague reference to a weekend market, along with an interesting waterfall, backed up with a recommendation from our very good friends Ombi and Alex, and we found ourselves there. The town was very nice :D The market was quite disappointing :( And the waterfall was beautiful, despite lacking an important ingredient – water!

Columned Waterfall
OK, so the water is almost impossible to see. In fact, most of the time, this waterfall has very little water. A sort-of waterlessfall. But we were there for the basalt columned cliffs that are exposed beneath the falls, and they were quite beautiful. Oh, btw, that IS me up the top there.

Top Of The Waterfall
This angle highlights two things. Firstly, seeing the tops of the columns, it gives an idea of the size and shapes of the basalt formations. Secondly, it highlights how small the dribble of water actually was!

Maybe if it had been close to easter, we might have had some idea about the following...

Multi-Coloured Chickens
This was on a bus. And yes, they do get nicknamed "chicken buses" because of the frequency that people will travel on the carrying chickens. But this was a first for us. When she got on the bus with a crate, I could tell they were chickens, but was sure I caught a glimpse of green through an opening. When she put them down, we couldn't stop laughing at the fluorescent chicks! We never found out why...

No time to stop. After spending Saturday at the disappointing weekend market at Suchitoto, we headed straight through San Salvador to Juayúa in the western part of the country. All indications were that this was the market to get to. And not for the regular market products, or the tourist market merchandise, but the food!

A gastronomy festival! Dozens of stalls greeted us. Apprehensively, we started scanning, expecting to see two or three dishes repeated dozens of times. But no, we had so much choice. Too much choice! Why didn't we get here yesterday? We would have had more meal times to try more food. Predictably, we went for seafood options. After eating (and drinking and eating some more), we enjoyed the entertainment – a singer of extraordinary talent and humour. Unfortunately, he didn't have any cds with him that we could buy. After all that eating, there was only one thing we could face – collapsing in our room for a couple of hours. And then it was time to hit the food stalls again! Except, they were closing up early on Sunday evening. Which was a real pity, as I was truly thinking about trying some grilled frog for dinner.

"Food Glorious Food"
One stall showing a sample of the food on offer at the weekend gastronomy market in Juayúa. We did go a bit crazy!

Ensuring We Get Our Fruit
Sometimes we find that we eat a lot of things that taste good but aren't necessarily so good for us. So we need to be disciplined and ensure we eat our fruit. Oh, chocolate and nuts on our strawberries? I don't know what THEY were doing there!

So, Monday was our chance to walk some of all that food. Off to some waterfalls.

Waterfall Near Juayúa
One of a number of waterfalls near Juayúa.

Another Waterfall Near Juayúa
One of a number of waterfalls near Juayúa.

Tuesday, via Ataco ...

Mural In Ataco
Brightly decorated building in the mountain village of Ataco.

"Pinchos de Frutas" Shop in Ataco
Cute mural on a shopfront, Ataco.

... to Tacuba.

Parque Nacional El Imposible
One of the vistas on our walk.

El Imposible. So named because of the gorge that cuts through it. Once upon a time, locals transported coffee across the gorge with mules, using fallen trees to span the gap. Many lives were lost (human and mule). In 1968 a bridge was built. The reputation was lost, but the name remained.

18 to 23 May, 2009 – La Palma, San Salvador, and around Perquín, El Salvador

We crossed from Honduras in to a northern town of El Salvador. A relaxed border, with a cursory passport check, and no stamp. We crossed with Emma. We had met Emma two buses earlier, when she approached us to clarify where exactly we would be deposited in relation to the border. What separates Emma from the average backpacker we encounter was her age. I'm guessing she was in her 70's, or maybe she just looks a little older than she is because she had two strokes last year and now gets about with the aid of a wheeled frame. Upon arrival at the border, they passed her frame down, and she hung two bags from the handles. A small day pack was slung on her back, and off we set. She shunned the offer of a rickshaw like transport, and we walked through to the El Salvadorian bus stop, about one kilometre away. She has travelled down from Mexico and is heading to Costa Rica. “I might have another stroke, but if I do, I would rather be dong something I love than sitting at home.” We think her family may have had one or two since she told them her plans! We think she's an inspiration!

La Palma was our first stop. A small town with a few colonial buildings, but these were not our reason for coming. We came for the folk art. We thought we would have to seek the artesanía shops to find it. And while there were plenty of shops, and they were full of examples of the style this town is known for, these were not the only places. On the main streets, practically every building was decorated. Either with the basic style, or some evolution of it. Lamp posts, too, and rubbish bins. Mosaics on benches and walls. Even shapes and pictures drawn in the concrete. It was a great town, other than the fact that we couldn't find a proper dinner. Two places offered us the same meal the had listed as breakfast – beans, plantains, scrambled eggs, and corn tortillas!

Armadillo
Wall art in La Plama, El Salvador.

Folk Art Everywhere
On the main streets, and on the lamp posts, barely a surface is left undecorated. La Palma, El Salvador.

Main Square, La Palma
Mosaics too, not just paintings.

The Basic Style
There are variations, but these paintings show the basic style that this town is known for. Many people have learnt the style, and now, a good proportion of the population make a living from it.

In San Salvador, we got in to the civil war memories of the country. First, an enlightening museum for some martyred priests, including Cardinal Romero, who is now considered a Saint by many Salvadoreños. He was killed by a gunman while giving mass. He had frequently spoken out against the government, and paid with his life. Nearly ten years later, six priests and their housemaid and her daughter were found murdered in a building in the university complex. The museum was built on the site of that building (which had been set alight after the murder).

In one of the parks, there was a very moving memorial to the 30,000 or so Salvadoreños who had either been killed or gone missing during the ten year war and the repression leading up to it. And not far away, the “Museum of Words and Images” has some temporary and permanent displays. Generally, they deal with aspects of the war.

Civil War Photo
One of the many images that are displayed in museums and memorials. This is recent memory for Salvadoreños, and we need to keep in mind that most of the people we meet have lived through this horrific page of their history.

Needless to say, we found these sights to be emotionally draining. We were able to break it all up a bit by interspersing some more traditional visits. Some churches and plazas, and a fabulous museum of popular art.

Industrial Art Styled Church
The hangar-like interior of Iglesia El Rosario, San Salvador.

Concrete And Steel
Wonderful representation of Christ with the cross.

Una Sorpresa
Amazingly detailed tiny figures, hidden inside a ceramic egg.

More Sorpresas
More tiny figures, and the tiny "eggs" (which are obviously not eggs in this case) that enclose them.

The Cycle Of Life
Courtship, Marriage, Sex, Pregnancy, and Children. Represented in tiny miniatures and intricate detail.

In the northeast, in the mountains, especially around a town called Perquín, the revolutionary movement was strong. The underground rebel radio station broadcast from here, and there were many bloody confrontations.

Remains Of A Chopper
A helicopter that was downed with a booby trap.

Naked Innocence
Another powerful civil war image.

Fence
A fence in Perquín, decorated with spent shells.

There were many massacres during the war years. One of the worst occurred near Perquín, at a village called El Mozote. Having received assurances from a local military leader that the town would be safe, many people came to it for refuge. On December 11 1981, the military came in. Over 3 days, the butchered and tortured them all. At least 767 people. A group of children were locked in the church and machine gunned through the windows. The youngest identified victim that we saw noted on a plaque was 2 days old. The government and the U.S. administration of the day denied that it happened, despite evidence being presented. Ten years later, exhumations and forensic analysis at the site identified just how bad the event really had been.

Massacre Memorial
El Mozote, the site of a 1981 massacre of the entire town's population, and more from the surrounding areas. In 3 days, at least 767 people were tortured and killed, men, women, and children. The youngest we saw listed amonst the names was 2 days old./small>

Shattered
A broken mirror in the garden memorial to children killed in the El Mozote massacre.

Hope
One of the images in the El Mozote children's memorial garden.

Needless to say, this was another emotionally draining day.

... any way the wind blows ...

Current Travels

It's Worth Coming To El Salvador, Just For The Food Festivals!

A Land Finding Itself Again After A Terrible Civil War