For Mom, Love Steve

I could have made it after a long day, but I wasn´t under much time constraint and was looking forward to another relaxing spot in El Salvador before crossing into Honduras. Checking the old LP guidebook it showed a nice little mountain town fairly close to the border. It was another perfect climate mountain town but it has an artistic flair as the originator of the El Salvadorean Näive Art which is a style which El Salvador is known for around the world. The painter Fernando Llort first started the style here and he taught the locals to utilized the style. So now, on top of the many paintings and painted trinkets that come from the local population here, many of the houses and shops display the art form while it is possible to look into houses and watch the inhabitants painting away. I was surprised at how small the little village is but it also gets enough tourist traffic that all the normal tourist amenities are all within the two roads that pretty much make up the town center. For me, I really connected with the covered rooftop which houses a perfect laying hammock with views of the town on one side and the mountains behind.

And the next day concluded my romp through El Salvador.

Of course you have to start out in the Central Park with the adjoining Church.

My first day there I ended up taking a couple of hour walk down to the lake. It really reminded me of the high altitude lakes in Peru where the sky is silvery sharp.

Cobblestone roads always make for a classic look. Glad I wasn´t riding a bike around.

Like the cobblestones, the Spanish tile roofs lets you know you are in Latin America.

My view over to the central park and church.

Relaxing on the roof surrounded by beautiful views.

My favorite shot. I wasn´t paying attention as I was reading and when I looked up this is what I saw.

Side road down to the lake.

It seems most professional photographers have to take photos of the old crumbling wall. For a bonus my pictures include wildlife. Flying rats.

Bagging the maize.

Why I´m fat. The general plan was to make it home and plant myself on my parents sofa with food in one hand and the remote control in the other. I would stay there until I hit 185lbs, then it would be time to move along. Unfortunately, if I am not careful with my pupusas I might have to raise the bar before I even make it home. One thing that is consistently good throughout the Central Americas so far has been the Pastalerias (pastry shops). Lots of variety although a bit light on the chocolates and the cream filled varieties.

As soon as we pulled into the colonial town of Suchitoto I knew I had made the right decision. To Salvadoreans it is a sacred place as it was not scarred by ... [Continue reading this entry]

As of today I am five for five on bus fuck ups. Now, on this whole trip, I don´t think I made more than five mistakes, including my motorcycle times, but just in the last five city moves I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Oooh, colorful and shiny. Must buy something. Stuff stuff everywhere and all for sale. Even without the tourist stuff, the ... [Continue reading this entry]

In the highlands of the North-west is the area called Ruta de flores (Flower route). It is basically a 36 km stretch of highlands where during October and February the hillsides bloom ... [Continue reading this entry]

I had a urge to see the ocean so it was a couple of buses to take me to the world renowned (in the surfer world I guess as I had never heard ... [Continue reading this entry]

The guidebook said it was worthy of a short stop, so who am I to question that. One of the things that I am liking about the Central America travels is that ... [Continue reading this entry]

Leaving the border post I met up with a Nicaraguan family from Somoto who were waiting for a bus to Guatemala. Apparently the father was on his way back to Texas in ... [Continue reading this entry]

There is an agreement between Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua called the CA-4. Basically, they are making a somewhat similar agreement as in Europe. When you enter in any of ... [Continue reading this entry]