Blogs from Perquín, Eastern, El Salvador, Central America Caribbean - page 2

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The decision to get up at 3:30 in the morning to jump on a bus for four hours is a decision you can only make the night before. So, that´s what I did--waiting in the muddy street at 4 a.m. listening to frogs and hearing the first chirps of birds while watching the stars slowly rotate their way across the sky and hearing the honking of the bread sellers as they started their daily rounds balancing the oversized baskets on their bicycles...waking up this early isn´t that rare in the campo. I joined up with Nohé and Leo and we waited for the bus to lumber over, filled with excited music and dance groups from Nueva Esperanza and La Canoa, and blasting reggaeton already--at 5:30 in the morning. All I wanted to do was sleep, but ... read more
The main plaza
The stage
Addiel, his brother, and me--looking around for artesanía


When people go travelling by themselves, there's usually no shortage of opportunity to meet other travellers. But I've found that travelling in the eastern half of El Salvador, travelling by myself really means travelling by myself, I've gone entire days without seeing another gringo even so much as on the other side of the street. My last blog mainly covered the western half of El Salvador which seems to be more popularly backpacked, but in the eastern, less-travelled half it has felt like its really just been El Salvador and me. I mentioned last time that there'd be a major reduction in number of travellers here compared with Guatemala, but as I moved east across El Salvador it was less like reduction and more like termination! I checked into hotels in 3 towns in a row ... read more
Jose looked after the street outside my backpackers in San Salvador
Football on the Basketball Court
The End of the Archbishop


AFter the last blog, it was time to take a trip to the inland and see other parts of El Salvador. We hauled the dingy up onto the boat, and cleaned out the fridge. Had our friend, Theresa, take us ahore with our small backpacks with a few days of clothes. It's been a long time since I bussed it with a backpack, boy am I getting older...notice I didn't say OLD, just older. Robin's pack was longer and slimmer and mine was too wide, mostly it sat on my lap. Those dang hair products and face creams really can fill up a small backpack quick. The bus was loud and crowded. The bus drivers have a helper..ayudante..who whistles and slaps the sides of the bus to let the driver know it's time to move on, ... read more
Bus Stop
Anthropology Museum
Outdoors at Museum

Central America Caribbean » El Salvador » Eastern » Perquín February 6th 2008

Leaving Jiquilillo, it was a long day on the buses starting at 5am. Two buses to the Honduras border, where we were told we could get an express mini bus straight through to El Salvador. Much like the bus me and Mike were told about that was just across the Bulgarian Turkish Border, this bus didn´t materialize either. It was one chicken bus to Choluteca, and then another chicken bus tho El Amatillo, before hopping our last chicken bus of the day to San Miguel for the night. Aside from the pedal taxi who ripped us off for 25 cents, both border crossings went very smoothly, no lineups, and apparently the $10 fee for entering El Sal is no longer in effect...I guess we´ll find out when we try to leave. Pistol grip shot guns ... read more

Central America Caribbean » El Salvador » Eastern » Perquín November 19th 2007

We stayed for one night back in San Salvidor. We had requested a few days earlier the same room from Ximena's that we had before. We thought all was well but on arrival found only the crappy noisy rooms available. Not happy we went to La Estancia not far away and slept in a dorm. No one else was in our room so it was fine and Pieter spent the evening chatting with Peace Corp volunteers who favoured this hostel. One was a New York narcotics cop. The next day we caught a taxi at 5:30 am to the Terminal Oriente and got onto an 'especial' bus for San Miguel. These buses are simply the more modern ones with comfy seats but aircon was never installed. It left at 6 am on the dot. It took ... read more
Rio Sapo
Rio Sapo
El Mozote

Central America Caribbean » El Salvador » Eastern » Perquín September 1st 2007

After such an intriguing conversation with my guerrillero friend Saol in El Salvador's capital- Veronica, Achim and I agreed that it was imperative that we visit the former FMLN (Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional- named after the former leftist guerrilla organizer and Salvadoran martyr from the 1930s- Farabundo Marti) stronghold of Perquin- in the northeastern region of the country. We arrived after losing about 5 lbs each in sweat after being stuffed with 23 other people and a panting chicken in the back of a pickup truck (camioneta)- with a black roof panel (of course black- always a good idea to use the color that is best at absorbing heat in a region that sees mid 90 degree temperatures on a daily basis) that enclosed the entire truck with only ventilation for the people ... read more
Achim and Veronica after the hottest busride of our lives
FMLN Pic
Perquin

Central America Caribbean » El Salvador » Eastern » Perquín February 7th 2007

2-hour bus ride south of Tacuba… Juayua is a cute, colorful, coffee-growing town. Cute to the point where the trees which line the street grids have been sculptured in the shape of blocks and balloons and the building rows behind them each are perfectly painted in bright, happy colors, accented with flowers. A popular weekend spot for Salvadorians, Sundays, the parque central fills with local restaurants serving their cuisine from vendors in the street. Oversized, double-decker buses, dwarfing the town center, wait to take (Salvadorian) tourists on a “rockin’” night ride through…hmmn, not so sure, felt too much of a carnival for me. I came to this town for the trek through jungle and swim under the waterfalls and caves. Precisely what I did. Once again, another adventurous hike, carving our way through the jungle, half ... read more

Central America Caribbean » El Salvador » Eastern » Perquín February 2nd 2007

So I arrived in El Salvador, Tacuba 2.1.07...and wow, this place is amazing, and the country as whole! What a change a divide between neighboring countries can make. Walking over the border, that bridge, such a different feeling. I loved Guatemala, but El Salvador, the whole vibe feels so much more comfortable. Tacuba, far eastern El Salvador, an hour and a half from the most southern border of Guatemala, is located on the edge of Parque Nacional El Imposible (between 300m and 1450 above sea level). The impossible part was once the risk of mule and crew attempting to transport crop (of coffee growers) over makeshift tree-trunk bridges from the northern fincas to the port of Acajutla. Not until 1968 was there a bridge built over the gorge, and death no longer a risk. Between buses, ... read more


Hola; Nous avons traversé le Salvador et dormis dans un petit hotel a la frontiere du Honduras. Demais, hier, on traverse une partie du Honduras pour aller au Nicaragua. Je viens de mettre des photos pendant 2 heures, voir anciens blogs. J.P.... read more
Frontiere El-Salvador Honduras
Frontiere El-Salvador Honduras
Frontiere El-Salvador Honduras




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