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Published: April 12th 2014
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Cinquera
The village of
Cinquera is about an hour's drive from
Suchitoto. The village was a stronghold for the guerillas during the civil and all the houses in the village were at some point destroyed by the army. The village is now being rebuilt but there are lots of reminders of the civil war deliberately left in place and a museum is meant to be opening there quite soon.
In the morning we go to
Cinquera Park, an area of forest in the hills around
Cinquera. Some of this area had originally been farmland but it was abandoned when the army destroyed the crops and has since returned to forest. Further into the hills is the area where the population of
Cinquera fled to when the army arrived and eventually formed themselves into guerilla bands. We spend the morning treking in the park - I think the paths are much clearer now that they are part of a park than they were when were a route for the guerillas. Our path takes us past an old indigo works - indigo was a major crop in this area until the invention of artificial dyes. Our walk then takes us
to a viewpoint from where the guerillas could monitor the movement of the army in and out of the village, to the remains of a guerilla encampment and to the "Vietnamese" kitchen. The kitchen had to be a good distance from the main camp and was designed so that the smoke was diverted and appeared a long distance from both the encampment and the kitchen. The idea of this was that the army helicopters would harmlessly target the smoke - I guess it was an idea developed in Vietnam.
We head back into the village of
Cinquera for lunch and a look around the village.
There are reminders of the war everywhere! There are plenty of murals depicting the conflict and the peace, there is a monument made from the remains of a downed helicopter and de-commissioned guns, and the church bells are two used shells.
René then introduces us to the oral historian
Pablo Alvarenga. Don Pablo is in his 70s now but talks to us for nearly two hours about his experiences of the civil war from the build up to the conflict, the time he had to hide in the hills from the army
because of his religious beliefs, the formation of the guerilla bands, the peace agreement and the attempts by the villagers to re-build their village and preserve the memory of the war. He talks from personal experience and in detail about some of the attrocities inflicted on the villagers. It would probably be in very bad taste to describe his description of the horrors of a civil conflict as a "highlight" of the trip, but it was certainly one of the more memorable parts of my Central American journey.
Pablo has written a book about his experiences -
"Don Lito de El Salvador" - {
"Don Lito" was the name he took during the conflict} but I think it is going to be very difficult to find an English copy of this.
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Maya Lemon
non-member comment
Cinquera is great!
For the traveler looking to get off the tourist track, eat tasty food, meet welcoming people, and visit historical and natural sites El Salvador is a must visit. I spent 6 wonderful weeks there and was very happy with all my experience. The small mountain town of Cinquera was a particular treat. Close to the tourist destination Suchitoto, Cinquera is a small, tranquilo (calm) community perfect for a tourist looking to rest and rejuvenate in a beautiful place. The local community organizing and development organization, the ARDM, has a variety of tourist ventures that make visiting Cinquera comfortable and interesting. Their hostel is affordable, cool, and quiet with hammocks on lovely shaded porches. Attached to the hostel is a delicious restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to locals and travelers alike. Over the week that I spent there the food never failed to satisfy. Cinquera is also home to a beautiful Ecological Park. The tour of the park is well worth its $10 price tag. Over the course of a couple of hours knowledgeable local guides take you to see beautiful vistas, historic sites, and explain various ecological features. With extensive focus on the history of the civil war in this community I left this tour with an increased appreciation for the human and natural history of this place. Other tourist attractions include an iguana farm, butterfly exhibit, and historic museum. There are also several local artists that make beautiful artisan crafts, including a woman named Ivette who makes incredible (and super affordable!) jewelry. All and all Cinquera has a wide variety of things to do and ways to stay entertained. It’s also incredibly safe in a country known for not always being the safest place to visit. I spent many nights sitting in the town square and wasn’t ever bothered at all. If you take time to visit Cinquera you’ll be sure to enjoy it! The ARDM’s website has lots of helpful information and is: http://ardm.org/