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Published: February 13th 2009
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ALEGRIA
VOLCAN SAN VICENTE Getting to El Zonte, one of the best beaches in El Salvador to go surfing was a challenge, from Juayua we have to get off at Sonsonate then a bus to Santa Tecla, then La Libertad then to El Zonte. Good thing transport here is quite cheap and the roads in this country are well paved and so quite good. The waiting for chicken buses to show up really tests your patience though. Arriving in El Zonte we found Esencia Nativa, we promised Thor the Dane to meet him up there, Alex the owner right away welcomed us in and he asked me if I was the Brazilian because I was wearing the Brazil hat, we realized Thor already told him we are coming, the room is not available yet but he will give us a big room with toilet and Thor will move in with us. We chilled and had a few beers, lots of surfers about in the water, walking the beach etc. The beaches here are not really good for swimming because of big waves and possibly rip tides but the beaches are quite nice, well different, the sand is black like in Hawaii. Walikg down to one
side of the beach for sunset, Thor and Pedro joined the local boys in the game of football, Thor was quite sore due to his surfing that day he quit right away and we left Pedro playing and went back ahead to the hostel. Right away we tested the seafoods, for dinner I had lobsters, I had 2 medium pieces for only $8! very cheap and delicious.
We played cards once again with Thor and more beers, he had to leave early tomorrow for San Salvador to meet up with his friends so we called it a night soon. Bade him goodbye in the morning and promised to meet up with him in Nicaragua. After breakfast we decided to go to Sunzal to internet, Joey wants to talk to his son and I need to deal with credit card cancellations and follow ups. The chicken bus took forever to arrive, no surprise there. Going back to El Zonte we had a good lunch, for starteds we had oysters $5 for a dozen!! then a big fried snapper fish to die for! then we had more cocktails, a conchas ceviches a big bowl for$4, it was so good I wanted
some more, I could live here!! in the afternoon Joey had his surfing lesson with Alex, I filmed and photographed him while Pedro looked on. For dinner, the routine, loved the conchas more so ordered lots for appetizers and of course lobsters for main. of all the food we ate we had a farting contest in the room with Joey winning unanimously when we all had to leave the room because the smell is too much even he had to get out!
Supposedly Joey was to have a surfing lesson at 7am but did not go so we all ended up hanging out doing nothing most of the day, we finished the last conchas ceviches in town, there was no more to be had anywhere!!The owner of the small shack we eat for lunch promised oysters in the eve. He treid to get us some but there was none apparently so after our last dinner of lobsters again we decided to walk around and ask, i met a dude that pointed me to a place where they have oysters, Joey and I are craving for it, he opened his place just for us and we had 2 dozens for
EL ZONTE
ESENCIA NATIVA HOSTEL, PEDRO AND THE SURFBOARDS $10. Played asshole and ramona then had a few drinks near the hostel pool then continued on in the room, Joey bought a Flor de Cana and we tried it with coke, quite good.
We did not really start early, left around 10am for Alegria, we waited for the bus that never came we got a lift from the owner of the small restaurant shack we eat every lunch, dropped us off at La Libertad then we caught a bus to San Salvador, Pedro wanted to get his tourist card for Cuba here, took only 10 minutes then we walked to the mall and had an expensive lunch then went on the net and drew some cash, took a taxi to the San Marcos bus station out of town and we are on our way to Usulutan, took about 2 hours, we got dropped off at a junction and were told to take a bus to Santiago de Santa Maria, the road was winding uphill scenery was fantastic. The bus conductor told us there are no buses anymore at that time to Alegria, we are screwed, arriving in Santiago it was a town full of drunks in the central
park, and people stare at us as if they have not seen a backpacker before, probably not. Joey and pedro talked to a guy in a pick up parked on a side street and convinced him to take us to Alegria 7km away up hill for $5. good deal as we dont really want to stay there. Arriving in a very quiet town, we found Casa Alegra, Julia the owner showed us around and then explained the artesanas they do here, the place is small but nice and tidy, saving water here so we cant flush pipi only number 2 which i forget right away and Pedro have to remind me. The town is empty by night fall well almost, we had dinner at this nice restaurant downhill and such a struggle to get back to the park, tomorrow we try not to eat there! Bought dried shrimps and tomatoes to go with beers and we chilled before going to bed.
The next morning after breakfast we went to the Mirador to see a good view of the valleys below and an older woman told us to walk down the highway and more vistas to go, We can see
EL ZONTE
US CHILLIN the Lake lempa and Volcan San Vicente, all explained to me by an old shepherd man, i thanked him and joined Pedro and Joey on the way back up to town.
In the afternoon around 2 we asked around how to get to the crater lake called Laguna de Alegria, ayoung woman in a restaurant told us just follow this road , about 2 km hike but not too steep. It was three fourths of the way going uphill, gasping for air we cursed her and the lonely planet for saying it was downhill from town, they forgot to mention you have to go up on a steep incline first! The lake was a dissapointment, nothing spectacular though the guy at the entrance said you can swim it did not look appealing to us so we just took photos and went back to town. the hike was good as we needed exercise but if we skipped it , it was not a big loss.
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