El Salvador is a beautiful country that is overtaken by poverty and it is very overwhelming. Driving through the town, you see dogs that are nothing but a skeleton, some slashed by machetes, living off cigarette buts. The children that are so happy to have a shirt on their back. It takes just a simple hello to make their day. At the local grocery store in La Libertad, the baggers are 8 year old boys. People make about $7/day here and that is a very high income. It is amazing how much we take life for granted in the states.
It's funny that none of the locals go by their given name. They all have "sobre nombres" which are nicknames. Our cab driver was "Marijuana" or "Mota" and he doesn't smoke weed but looks like he does. I have been given the name "viajera" which is the feminine word for "traveler." And that I am. This country has breathtaking scenery of endless hills, and ocean views. I have never seen so much green in my life. The surf is incredible and the people are very kind.
We stayed at Tekuani Kal, which is in La Libertad on the "west side." The staff fell in love with us (mostly the girls.) There were 3 girls and 2 guys. We would spend some nights up on the patio with the staff when they got off work and taught them card games, while they taught us drinking games. Directly in front of our hotel are world class breaks. One of the only lefts in the country which breaks at "La Bocana," which translates to "the river mouth." The water is about 86 degrees and extremely salty. I felt like I was surfing in a jacuzzi. There was also "Sunzal" which was a Right that would roll in with 5 sets at a time. Further North was "K-59," very private and secluded. When the current was strong, it could suck an inexperienced surfer into the river mouth. The only way to get into shore was by taking a wave in because the rips were strong, that there was no paddling in. Further south is one of El Salvador's best known breaks, "Punta Roca." This is the most localized spot in the country. If you didn't paddle out with an El Salvadorian, you would get heckled or even sucker punched until you finally got the point. It is a very powerful right break that the locals guard and with good reason.
The beaches are all patrolled by "policia turista" and they carry machine guns to protect the people from violence. El Salvador is known for the largest gang in the country, "Mara Salvatrucha MS-13." This gang is Central America's biggest problem and has spread to large numbers in Honduras and Guatemala. Currently El Salvador's murder rate is approximately 54 per every 100,000 people, while the United States murder rate is approximately 6 per every 100,000. The gang was everywhere. I never felt threatened, but more curious than anything. The tensions throughout the city were always a little sketchy but the beaches were always a lot safer than the capital, San Salvador, and other inland parts of the country.
We got to visit a family friend of Rikki (one of the girls on the trip.) They lived in Chalatenango which was about 2 hours in the hills from where we were. We saw a lot of crime in this area. There were guys sitting on the curb covered in blood, extreme poverty, but around the corner would be a beautiful church. People in El Salvador have a lot of pride in their church. There were creeks everywhere for play, bathing, and washing clothes. These parts of the country don't have addresses. Instead, an envelope would read "the blue house behind the school." It was very eye opening.
The best part of El Salvador was their typical food that was Pupusa. These are El Salvador's version of the tortilla, only thicker and often stuffed with cheese, beans or meat. They are very cheap at about .35 cents per one. The stands don't open up until 5pm every day.
The history of El Salvador is incredible with so much war, At least 70,000 people were killed in the civil war in the 1980's. El Salvador has the most environmental damage in all of the Americas, and it is obvious when walking down the streets that people still struggle to bounce back from the war.
After visiting the West side in La Libertad, I'm looking forward to exploring Las Flores on the East side on my next visit. This place is also known for some of the best waves in the world. To be continued...
Full Day of Surf at K-59
Household Bathrooms in
Chalatenango
Always Tied Up and Eating Scraps
Transportation in
Chalatenango!
A Local Neighbor Doing Laundry
Our Local Beach Town
Playa Tunco (Pig's Beach)
Shy at First, in Love at Last
Meet Luis
First Dinner at our Hotel
Check out the View!
Playing in the Local River in
Chalatenango
The Family at the
Tekuani Kal
Mom, Me, Maurice, Amanda, "Bob
Yobi," and Rikki
Jesse and I attempting to make
Pupusa.
It's harder than it looks
Guess Which One is Ours ;-)
Hidden Surf Spot
There ARE Lefts in El Salvador!
Lo
Mismo
Nightly Lightening Storm
(Seriously, Every Night)
Church in
Chalatenango
"
Punta Roca"
The Entrance to Our Hotel
"
Tekuani Kal"
Our Cab Driver "
Mota"
A Dog Burnt with the Name of the Local Beach,
"El
Tunco"
"
Pupusa"
My Graduation Announcement (May 2008)
Fun at the Beach with Bi
Alex, Stacey, Me, Sara
Sara's Wedding
Christmas
Mom and I on a Road Trip to Big Sur
Surprise visit to Franklin, TN to Visit My Girl :-)
Full Day of Surf at K-59
Household Bathrooms in Chalatenango
Always Tied Up and Eating Scraps
Transportation in Chalatenango!
A Local Neighbor Doing Laundry
Our Local Beach Town
Shy at First, in Love at Last
First Dinner at our Hotel
Playing in the Local River in Chalatenango
The Family at the Tekuani Kal
Jesse and I attempting to make Pupusa.
Guess Which One is Ours ;-)
Hidden Surf Spot
Lo Mismo
Nightly Lightening Storm
Church in Chalatenango
"Punta Roca"
The Entrance to Our Hotel
Our Cab Driver "Mota"
A Dog Burnt with the Name of the Local Beach,
"Pupusa"
