The Flower route (or Ruta de las Flores) includes a small stretch of mountainous towns in the Salvadorean highlands, one of the first being Juayua. We found a great place to stay called El Mirador (www.hotelmiradorjuayua.com), run by a lovely local family, headed by the affable Jose, who was a pleasure to be around and always eager to help out. Special mention must go to Norma here, who did everything from cleaning our rooms to cooking in the hotel’s restaurant. We immediately struck up a friendship, and everytime we saw each other we would greet with a hug and kiss!

After settling in, we walked around to see what the town had to offer. We had heard all about this Gastronomic Food Fair, held every weekend, and for which Juayua is famous for. As the fair is held every weekend, we filled in our days with other activities, in anticipation of tantalizing our taste buds! Alex was particularly excited, as what coffee does for me, food in general does for Alex!

As El Salvador is still not geared towards mass tourism, there are still places that are best done with a guide, as they may be isolated and not 100 percent safe! Jose recommended Juan Pablo, a local guide, who turned out to be truly excellent; friendly, fun and knowledgeable.

On one of the days we did a hike out to Los Chorros, a beautiful waterfall, stretching some 30 metres horizontally, in a series of breathtaking cascades. Juan Pablo had asked us if we liked walking………..of course we did! With this he proceeded to take us through mountainous terrain, where we had to duck, and at times crawl through the scrub. We also found ourselves crossing a river at several points. The first few times I stepped on rocks and logs, and successfully avoided getting my feet wet. It reached a point, however, where Juan Pablo told us that we simply had to walk through the water, as there was no other way! Once that was over and done with, the rest was easy………..feet wet, there was no longer any use or need to try and keep them dry!

Part of this walk included visiting La Majada, a coffee cooperative, where we were able to go inside and see all the workings of a coffee factory, from drying out the coffee beans, to the finished, roasted product! It was amazing to see, and the amount of work which goes into us getting that final cuppa is quite astounding! Speaking about that final cuppa……..the one we got in the cooperative coffee shop was awful! I know, I know…..although the coffee in South and Central America is amongst the best, there is no coffee culture! How I longed for a Joe´s Garage caffe late! (Joe´s Garage is a favourite haunt of mine, back in Brunswick St, Melbourne). Finally, after twelve kilometres or so of walking, we all caught a bus home. It had been a tiring but fun day!

And then Saturday arrived! The weekend Gastronomic Fair was basically a whole lot of different, mainly local, restaurants set up in tents around the plaza selling food. Again, lots of options for carnivores, but a struggle for us vegetarians! I found a few interesting things though, and the sweets were great! People come from all over for this fair, especially from the capital. It’s quite an interesting atmosphere, and a great place to people watch. As well as food, there are stalls selling everything from batteries to t -shirts. As I looked around, however, I could not help but think that whilst so many had the money to purchase whatever food they desired, there were others, including children and the elderly, selling whatever they could to make the money to buy their next meal! I often wonder why some of us have so much, whilst others have so little!

There was also a band playing in the plaza called Grupo Andino Xiuh- Coatl (which means fire serpent) in one of the indigenous languages. As the name suggests, they play music from the Andes, in South America. The group members were particularly talented, with many of them playing a variety of instruments. The sounds of the mystical pan pipes always leave a lump in my throat, as well as make me feel very nostalgic! It is no secret that the Andes are my favourite spot on earth!

On Sunday, we hiked to two lagoons, The Green Lagoon and the Lagoon of the Nymphs. That day we walked some 18 kilometres, with Juan Pablo pointing out some things that we certainly would not have picked out for ourselves. This included fruits and medicinal plants, which we even tried! This walk, although longer than the other, was not as difficult, and was both soothing and relaxing. As we made our way through small villages we saw the way in which the locals lived, and simply took in the culture. Apart from the people, the best part about El Salvador for us has been how few tourists there are. To be totally honest (as well as a little selfish!), we have loved having the country to ourselves!

We were totally loving El Salvador, but only a few days shy of having been away for six months, we knew that it was time to move on! As we left, and Norma gave me my final hug and kiss, she told me that she was going to miss me! And I sincerely told her that I was going to miss her too! This, for me, is both the best as well as the hardest part of travelling!

Goodbye El Salvador! We love you and we are going to miss you! Guatemala, here we come!

Ombi

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection” – Buddha.
(A Valentine Day’s wish sent by Michelle Miller, a fellow traveller we met in Honduras…….both she as well as the Buddha got it right!)

Photos: 1.- View of Itzalco Volcano from Juayua. 2.- With Norma. 3.- Ombi & Juan Pablo at the Green Lagoon. 4.- Los Chorros Waterfalls. 5.- Flower, Las Ninfas Lagoon. 6.- The sign on the bus reads, “Jesus is my Lord and my Saviour” – with the nun in the foreground, you have to love it! 7.- The face of Juayua.

Apart from a few stops, to fix up a falling exhaust pipe, the trip back to San Salvador was short and sweet. Nothing that Leandro crawling under the car and coming out slightly dusty couldn´t fix though! Before we knew it we were at “La Casa Loca” (The Nut House) meeting Mercedes, Julio and Luz Marina, friends of Roberto´s. Roberto had told us that they were a great bunch and that they would be more than happy to have us for a few days.

I like to think that good things happen to good people, and we have truly had a great time in El Salvador, especially with the people we have met. The people at the Casa Loca were no exception. They even got to try some of my vegetarian delights! As you can immagine, a house and a kitchen, meant a trip to the supermarket and a big veggie cook up!

Without getting into the nuts and bolts of political life in El Salvador, you may or may not know that they have had a very turbulent political history, including a civil war! The original protest was way back in 1932, with an uprising of peasants and indigenous people. Surprise, surprise!! Although things were never really well, it all swelled up again in 1979, when a junta of military and civilians overthrew the president and promised reforms! In March of 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero, who is now seen as a national martyr for “the cause”, was assassinated whilst saying mass in San Salvador. It took until 1992 for some kind of “agreement” to finally be reached. It was basically a war that was pro- people (guerilla) versus pro-government (backed by the USA). Surprise, surprise yet again! To quote Lonely Planet, in its “Central America on a Shoestring guide, 2004 edition): “The Reagan administration, unnerved by the success of Nicaragua´s socialist revolution, pumped huge amounts into the moribund Salvadoran military, over USD $500 million in 1985”. So there you have it, always money for war, but never quite enough for the hungry! Remember the roots of the problem in the first place?

Whilst in San Salvador we visited the museum of the martyred archbishop. It is on the grounds of “La UCA” ( Universidad Centramericano Jose Simeon Canas). The museum is actually on the site of the former qaurters of six Jesuit priests, who along with their maid and her daughter, Elba and Celina Ramos, were brutally killed in their sleep by military forces in 1989. There is a room in which you can actually sit down and look at the photos for yourself. These were not newspaper clippings, nor were they photocopies of photos, they were the real deal! Normally repulsed by blood, I forced myself to flick through some four photo albums, as I tried to reconcile what I was actually looking at. The tears rolled down my face, as my stomach knotted up! Photo after photo of atrocities that should never have occurred! Each of these people had a name! Blown up faces! Splattered brains! Chunks of guts laying by bodies! A maid who had been shot up the vagina! I felt physically sick, and repulsed, but I continued to look. Arms dangling! Faces blown off! What goes through the minds of people who commit such crimes? Is life really so cheap? Yet again, these people had all paid the price for the “crime” of having had an opinion! What I felt was nothing short of pure grief!

Our next stop was only a short walk away, The National Anthropology Museum. Funnily, or coincidentally, there was a temporary exhibition on the Holocaust, of all things. A very small display, with blown up pictures, which were terribly pixelated, but still graphic enough that you could get a feel for what had actually happened. Again I found myself asking what kind of human beings commit these types of crimes? What goes through their heads? What makes them feel that their ideals are better than someone else’s ? They say these people are animals! No, they are not! Animals would do no such thing! Again, I felt a wave of nausea sweep over me, as well as a deep seated grief!

Did you know that the word Holocaust literally means to burn everything. It comes from the Greek “olos” (everything) and and the verb “kausoo”, which means to burn.

San Salvador was indeed an interesting place, and some places are so modern that we could have been in Australia or another first world country. I got to buy some fantastic organic coffee, and that pair of bikinis (in a shopping mall) I have been looking for for ages! But never too far away, there is a poor man with no home or a child begging for money! It was also a reminder of how people are senselessly slain all over the world from El Salvador to Eastern Europe. I was reminded about how each and every one of us has a role to play in this often selfish and egocentric world. And so, San Salvador, in you, I saw my grief amidst my joy, and my joy amidst my grief!

Ombi

Dedication: To all the “unknowns”! To each and every human in each and every country, that has senselessly died, and for the many who will continue to do so! You often die, with no-one knowing what your name is, what country you come from and why you died! But there is a collective consciousness, and it cares!

To our dear and special soul family, Eddie and Gen Davis. Thank you for your continued e-mails, love and support. This blog is also dedicated to you. Please light a candle for all of the above mentioned souls. Collective consciousness at work!

(Photos: 1.- On the way to San Salvador from Suchitoto. 2.- La Casa Loca(Lto R: Alicia, Mercedes, Luz Marina, Alex & Leandro. 3.- Paintings of torture…. click to enlarge, they are fairly graphic! 4.- A memorial to the slain maid and her daughter….both had names! 5.- War paraphenalia.6.- San Salvador.)

Suchitoto was yet again only a short distance from La Palma. Being so small, however, nothing is too far away! Having said that, there is always a mountain or two to cross. Mountains, volcanoes, craters, rivers beginning up high, it certainly isn´t flat, and there is always something to go around or over. Every bus ride you take, regardless of how short, or how long, will present you with a number of these breathtaking views.

I would say that this country still is not geared towards budget tourism, but if you learn a bit of the local lingo, and take the time to meet people and ask questions, you can still do things on the cheap…..and be rewarded with some unforgettable experiences! The locals are so ready to help!

Suchitoto is yet another quaint cobblestone town, that looks like it has not yet awaken from a long slumber. Nothing touristy about it at all, and I counted the tourists I saw on half a hand. Cafe Arte in the central plaza, provided fantastic coffee, made by the very affable Luis, who also happened to speak great English. It is at this cafe that we met Naun, Roberto and Leandro. Naun is a local tour guide, and Leandro and Roberto were out from San Salvador, the capital, on a work assignment. Between them Leandro and Roberto are film makers, screen writers, producers, directors, TV presenters and actors. They were in Suchitoto to film some things on the surrounding areas. To cut a long stort short, whilst having a coffee in Cafe Arte, we were asking Luis about what we could do, when Naun, on the next table, not only overherad us, but asked us if we would like to join him and the boys over the next few days. Of course we said yes!

What ensued were two funfilled and adventure packed days. We even acted as extras in some of their filming, as well as Leandro interviewing us about our own travels and experiences. We went to a waterfall called Los Tercios, and although at this time of year there really isn´t much water, the rock formations were spectacular. It looked like a whole stack of roman columns had been piled up, one on top of each other. From close by there was also a superb view of Lago Suchitlan, which is actually a dam. Having said that, with no concrete edges and the country´s undulating landscape being a real help, it looks totally natural. I think I must have said “It´s amazing!” one too many times, as I soon noticed that either Leandro or Roberto….or both…would say it every time we saw something impressive!

We also visited an island called “Island of the Birds”, out on Lake Suchitlan. Explanation as to why it was named thus is unnecessary. The amount of birds on and around the island was mind boggling. The sun was going down around the time we were there, and as no other boats or tourists were around, the atmospere was pure magic. I felt like I was in paradise on earth! The way the rays penetrated the clouds and landed on the water added to this mystical effect. The only thing that kept running over and over in my mind was how fortunate I was to be able to do this!

Another splendiferous view of Lago Suchitlan was from the house/museum of Alejandro Cotto. Alejandro, although much older now, was a well known actor and Salvadoran celebrity, and whilst his property has some amazing pictures, paintings and artifacts, the piece de resistance is definitely the view of the lake. At this point I had both Leandro and Roberto mocking me in high pitched voices, “It´s amazing! It´s amazing!”

We stayed in a great place called “El Patio” which had an adjoining leftest bar called “El Necio”. Together these places constitute “La Casona” (www.lacasonasuchitoto.com). We soon met Jerry, one of its leftist managers. What a great guy! Whilst making no qualms at all about being left wing, he was very gentle and charming and and not pushy about his views at all. Yet his views are his views! There is no doubt about that at all, especially inside the bar, which is full of communist and socialist posters and information. Yet, both the hotel and the bar are comfortable and relaxing havens, where you can simply hang and chill out. Jerry was a fascinating person to chat to, an intelligent man with a very warm heart. A person who, unlike many, lives by example , not merely by words. We walked around his property and he explained some of the things he had done and was trying to do. He had placed more efficient and less energy consuming light bulbs, and was working on a way on how to install solar panels for hot water. I also found out that his staff are amongst the best paid in town. A human trying to make a difference, and I commend you for that Jerry!

Roberto Broz is another affable American/ Salvadorean that we met here. He has a great website on things to do in and around Suchitoto. Please take the time to check it out, www.gaesuchitoto.com

We had hoped to go towards the Guatemalan border from here, to a place called Juayua, but Roberto and Leandro told us that we had to go through the capital. We had really hoped that that would not be necessary. Having said that, Roberto invited us to stay in a house with some friends of his in San Salvador, and before we knew it, we had said yes, and were heading off to the capital.

"Those who wander are not necessarily lost" J.R.R. Tolkien


Photos: 1.- Suchitoto Plaza 2.- Leandro & Roberto in a "dirty" situation (filming a bird pooing in Leandro´s eye - that was me with the mayonnaise up above). 3.- Los Tercios Waterfalls. 4.- Sunset at La Isla de los Pajaros.
5.- Sunset on Lake Suchitoto, as seen from Island of the Birds.. 6.- Jerry & Ombi @ "El Necio" Bar, Suchitoto.

Do you want to see more photos? Very Itchy Photos

El Salvador, the least travelled Central American country. Do we need any other reason to go?

What our Central American guide book says about El Salvador: ” Travellers tend to skip over El Salvador……and because it´s still relatively unknown….travellers have the place virtually to themselves.” Key words scan……….travellers skip over, relatively unknown, virtually to themselves! Ombi and Alex, the adveture bandits, decided that this country was definitely going to be for them! Having the place to ourselves sounded particularly appealing!

The border crossing at El Poy was definitely our easiest border crossing yet. The fact that it is not a busy crossing probably helped too. We literally passed a booth, where we both showed our passports, got a polite nod, and were cordially welcomed to El Salvador. We couldn´t see the “Bienvenidos a El Salvador”( Wecome to El Salvador sign) sign either. Within seconds it all looked very town-like, and we asked where passport control was. The booth had been it! Welcome to El Salvador!

The first thing we noticed were all the “pupeserias”. Pupusas are El Salvador´s national dish and papuserias are the place where they sell them. They consist of two tortillas stuffed with either cheese, refried beans & cheese, or cheese/refried beans & pork. It always comes with shredded, pickled cabbage and carrot as well as chilli sauce. It was 1.00pm, and we were starving. We saw a place called El Marin, and stopped for a bite. We were not disappointed! They have been the best ones we have tried (we have been here for nearly two weeks at the time of writing) thus far!

Our first stop was La Palma, only a short ride away from the border. It´s a quaint little town, surrounded by mountains and greenery. We found a simple little place to stay in, called Casa Hotel, and as the name suggests, it was just like home. The owners were friendly, and as I hand washed my laundry on the top and open floor, I had sweeping views of all those mountains around us. La Palma is reknowned for its famous artist, Fernando Llort. Way back in 1972, he developed an art trend, which consists of painting simple but brightly coloured figures on anything from wooden crosses to wooden boxes. These images include children, religious figures and mountains and their villagers, just to name a few. These days, this art work has been extended to the facades of several shops and houses, making for an extremely pictographic view. Handicrafts with this artwork are abundant, and is the lifeline of some 75% of the locals.

We noticed almost immediately how friendly the people from El Salvador are, and it would not take us long to realise that this trend would follow us wherever we went. Indeed thay do have a reputation for being the friendliest folk in Central America, and I would agree without reservation. The country is beautiful, but the crown jewel is definitely its people! Coming here has been a world highlight! For a people´s person like me, it has been a bit like finding the Holy Grail!

We had only been in the country for hours, when I met and started chatting to Don Francisco, the 70 something owner of a local shop. Jeans, cowboy shirt and hat to match, it only took him seconds to invite us into his shop, sit down and have a chat. Within minutes, we had met several of his nine children, who had popped in to say hello. One of them was Cristina, who is a school teacher, but who dabbles in many other things. Before we knew it, we were off walking with her to some night classes, where she teaches kids and adults that have had to drop out of school for a number of reasons, such as drug problems, not enough money and having fallen pregnant at an early age. She strongly beleives that the future of her country is in the education of its people! Well, hello! Are we on the same channel, or what!

Alex and I both stood up and chatted about our respective countries, and I also had the opportunity to give them a bit of insight as to how education is respected in Australia, and that mostly people of all levels can study! (Despite the fact that our current government is doing its best to make this more difficult). I went on to give them my own view, as I tend to do, that the only way for the people of Central and South America to move on was to become educated! I congratulated each and every one on making the effort, despite their difficulties, in coming back to study. These people are their country´s future! Central and South America does NOT want to educate their poor, because poor means ignorant, and ignorant means power to those in charge! As I scanned the room, I saw a twinkle in a few eyes…..if only one person thinks about what I had to say, it will have been worth it.

We spent the next two days, walking around the beautiful village, as well as hiking up to El Pital, El Salvador´s highest point (2782 metres above sea level). Super friendly people chatted to us, and we got lifts without being asked. Near the top of El Pital, is a huge stone called La Piedra Rajada. It is said that it is actually a meteorite. Supposedly it was part of the big bang which caused the dinosaurs to disappear and the earth to change. It definitely looked pock-marked, and different to the surrounding rocks, and Alex and I were both totally overwhelmed by the energy. Actually, Alex felt the rock´s energy before we even saw it. He was spot on!

Whilst in La Palma, we met a lot of Cristina´s family, and were often invited for drinks, fruit and coffee. They have some beautiful little huts right in town, near the river called, “Piedra Del Bosque” (Rocks near the Forest). They are in a simple and comfortable setting, including hammocks under the trees in the shade, and are aimed at eco-tourism. If you go, look them up!

We knew that we could have spent more time here, but again, it was time to move on! We had made more friends in Cristina and her family, and we both wiped our eyes as we said goodbye. Universe willing, we will meet again!

Until the next posting.

Ombi

PS I would like to dedicate this blog to Jose, Cristina´s 9 year old son, and all the children of El Salvador. They have shown us how happy, cordial and well mannered children can be. They always greet you, saying both hello and goodbye, and it is never because their parents tell them to! It is a pleasure to see! May these children be an example to our own children!

Photos: 1.- Pupusa testing at the border. 2.- A painted home in La Palma. 3.- Don Francisco watching the world go past. 4.- Ombi talking to the students. 5.- Wonderful nature at high altitudes, on the way up to El Pital. 6.- View from El Pital, El Salvador´s highest point. 7.- Our new Salvadoran family, L to R: Alex, Cristina, Oscar, Mauricio´s mother, Mauricio, Cristina´s brother, and Jose.