El Salvador

El Salvadoran Family, me and Laura in Ataco
One or many murals in Ataco
Road tripping friends in Ataco
La Playa in El Tunca
Me and the beach in El Tunco

Alas, I made it out of Guatemala and into El Salvador...such a wonderful country. Last Sunday, I caught a ride with Joey, a native Tennessean who drove all the way down to Central America and is on a mission to make it to Argentina. With an awful map of Guatemala, we made our way south and to the beach of El Sunzal in El Salvador. We spent a few days there trying to survive the unbearable heat. I spent a morning attempting to surf with an English couple...but the waves just surfed me instead! It was fun while it lasted. I took a day trip to San Salvador with a French couple on Tuesday. Yes, I just find couples to tag along with...I love being the third wheel...aka Im desperate for friends! Haha. It was the first capital Ive been to in Central America. We were warned of the dangers, but we had nothing but a good experience checking out the parks and churches. On Thursday, Joey and I moved over to a hostel in El Tunco where we spent the rest of the week. We passed our days at the beach and at a lovely resort with a pool with some people we met from Salt Lake City. Oh travelers, they are so wonderful and have so much to offer...like a day at a pool in a hotel we would never be able to afford. During my stay in El Tunco I met three girls...2 from the states and one from England. We somehow managed to convince Joey to drive all four of us and our luggage to Juayua, a beautiful mountain town. But what guy would say no to four awesome ladies?! He obliged, put our backpacks on top of his economical car, and off we went with maps in hand. Im becoming a very good navagator. Juayua is absolutely beautiful and the weather is just perfect. We got here yesterday afternoon, just in time to eat at the food fair they hold every weekend. The first thing that was offered to me was rabbit...and I dont know if you all know about my love for bunny rabbits...the cutest things ever. My jaw dropped and I walked away. There are other strange foods...like frog. I wasnt too brave and went safely with the chicken tacos.

Today the 5 of us hopped on a local bus and headed to Ataco, a town nearby. It was one of the best days I've had on my trip, words probably cannot describe the beauty I experienced today. On the bus, I met a really nice woman who is El Salvadoran and now lives in Canada. She was with about 10 family members and she was very friendly, but we parted ways when we got off the bus. When we got to Ataco, a cobble stoned street city with beautiful murals painted on most buildings, we wandered the streets, looked at the beautiful churces, murals and walked up to a mirador, where you could look out and see all of Ataco. We then went into the main part of the town where there were some different markets and music playing in the park. Laura (the Brittish woman) and I talked to local after local as they continuously approached us. One old man asked me if he could take Laura home with him in his pocket...and when I say old, I mean old! The locals here are so friendly and excited to have tourists here. They thank you for being here and say that you are welcome to come back anytime. Later, we ran into the family that we had met on the bus and they invited us over for a photo shoot with them. It was such an amazing moment. I almost asked if I could go home with them! Next, Laura and I headed to a nearby cafe where a man was playing the guitar and singing. We took a seat and just cooed over him and how talented he was. He even took requests from us and as he was about to play his last song, we asked him to play more and he obliged. We chatted with him afterwards, writing down some of the songs he played so that we can find them in the future. Laura and I headed back to Juayua to meet up with the rest of the crew.

It has been a lovely week in El Salvador. I cannot express how wonderful, friendly, genuine and beautiful the people are here. After all the hell this country has been through, no thanks to the USA, it shocks me everyday how welcoming they are to us. This country feels much more westernized than Guatemala did. Almost all the people dress in western clothing, they dont cover up the way people did in Guatemala. A typical meal here is a Papusa...or many papusas as you can typically get three for a dollar. They are thick tortillas stuffed with beans, cheese and meat if you want. They are absolutely delicious...but you can only have so many in one day.

Speaking of food, it's dinner time. Ill post pictures as soon as I have the patience to upload them. Adios!