El Salvador ( The Savior ) Part 2

This country keeps on giving and has yet to disappoint.

Pat identified a small colonial town called Suchitoto which was about 50 km northeast of the capital San Salvador. 

Over our years of travelling, we have slowed down and now look at a mere 50km as about right for a day.

Enroute, were the archiological remains of the the Ancient Maya city of Cihuatan.

Dating back to between 950 AD and 1200 AD it is catagorised as " Pre Columbian" meaning it existed prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas.

The city had almost disappeared and was rediscovered, excavated and restored in the late 1970s.

The 1 km long track into the site was totally unsuitable for our vehicle, so we went by Tuk Tuk. 

In our usual crazy fashion, we arrived at about midday, and it was really hot.

I mentioned that we chose to access the site by Tuk Tuk. 

Most of you will be familiar with the traditional three wheeled tuk-tuk that you see all around the world.

However, over the years, we have slowly seen these being phased out in Latin America and replaced with a more modern 4 wheel vehicle. I can only assume that the old ones were no longer complying with modern vehicle regulations. 

Although the new ones do a good job, they lack the character that the old ones had. 

Bajaj Qute 217cc

I think the operators know this, and they often try to add their own character.

We wanted to park in the town centre of Suchitoto, but soon realised that the town was made up of a maze of narrow one way streets. Most of which were either dug up or closed. We later realised that the entire town was a renovation project, including the town square, which I will write about later. Admitting defeat, we parked about a kilometre south of the town centre.

Most of you, of a certain age, will remember the civil war that took place in El Salvador between 1979 and 1992. 

Pat arranged for me to take part in a Civil War History tour in a nearby area Cinquera Forrest, which was a location that saw extreme Guerilla fighting.

I had the honour of spending some time talking with Raphael, a survivor and former Guerilla Fighter.

Although complex, I will try to provide you with a quick resume of the information I gained. Forgive me if there are inaccuracies or mistakes.

It would appear that there had always been a large divide between the wealthy landowners and the common people, or, as they call themselves," Peasants" 

The issues didn't start in 1979, but goes back to before the 1930's.

During this time, a long standing dispute existed between the Government, backed by the wealthy land owner's, and the Indigenous peasants over Agricultural Land.

In order to resolve the matter, the Government passed a law, effectively making it illegal to show any indigenous traits, costumes or culture. 

The Indigenous Peasants objected to this, and disorder ensued. It all came to a tragic conclusion on the 22nd of January 1932 in a place called Izalco, when it is estimated that between 10,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed. This massacre is still remembered every year.

As a direct result of this event, it is now estimated that a mere 2% of El Salvador's current population has Indigenous roots. 

Thankfully, there is now a growing movement within the country to reintroduce lost culture and languages.

For the next 47 years, the general population lived under a harsh dictatorship. The entire area of the country was owned and controlled by just 14 wealthy families who also controlled the Government. 

In 1979, the peasants grouped together and decided to fight back. Armed with very little, they took to the mountains and jungle areas, creating bases, training camps, field hospitals and even Schools.

The American backed Salvadorian Government using American supplied Vehicles, Aircraft and Amunition waged an all out civil war on the Communist backed Guerrillas. During the next 12 years it is estimated that 75,000 people either died or are still missing.

A significant early catalyst in the war was the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was shot whilst conducting a service in San Salvador in 1980.

He was a very respected man of the people. His death encouraged many others to take up the fight.

His picture still hangs in every church and many public buildings.

Oscar Romero was later Canonised by Pope Francis in 2018.

Our Guide showed us the remnants of Jungle camps, Schools, Kitchens and Field Hospitals. 

Education, during the war became very important, teaching new skills and even how to read and write. Children, also attended camp schools  as they also  played a vital role in delivering messages and later becoming Guerilla fighters. 

Guerillas Fighters also had their families with them in the mountains. It was tough as moving locations meant long hikes over rough terrain.

I was very conscious of the fact that I was the only person in our group who was actually alive during this conflict.

Interestingly, the toilets at the start of the tour were full of Bats.

The tour finished with a visit to the small town of Cinquera. 

During the conflict, the Bell in the Iglesia de Cinquera was recycled into Ammunition. It is fitting that an unexploded artillery shell that landed nearby has now been recycled into the new Bell.

For those that want more of an insight, then very moving  documentary,  filmed during the conflict, is a good starting point. "In the Name of The People"

The small town of Suchitoto was a highlight of our time in El Salvador. 

Situated on the edge of the Rio Lempa. Its views were stunning. 

The valley was flooded in 2010 to accommodate the nearby Cimarron Hydroelectric Power Station. Its creation was very controversial as the flooding covered several towns and archaeological sites.

A famous Salvadorian film creator called Alejandro Cotto made his home here. After his passing in 2015, his beautiful home was opened to the public. A theatre, in his name, still exists in the town. 

The National bird of El Salvador is the Torogoz, also known as the Turquiose Browed Motmot. We have been lucky enough to see many of them during our Latin American travels.

Just outside Suchitoto is a waterfall that has been carved over millions of years in Basalt Rock. Basalt is a peculiar stone in that it forms into tall columns that are often hexagonal in shape.

Unfortunately, our visit was during the dry season.

We could see that the Town Square in front of the Church of Saint Lucia. had recently been renovated. By chance one evening we went up to the square to discover that it had been set up for an event. 

A band was assembling, and several rows of plastic chairs had been laid out in front of a small stage by the Church.

We weren't sure what was about commence, but many locals and dignitaries were taking their seats. We sat at the back of the square simply observing from a distance, not wanting to intrude.

 

We were not only surprised, but slightly honoured, when we were approached by a town official who invited us to join them at the front of the seated area.

It transpired that it was, in fact, the official opening of the square and the audience was addressed in turn by several members of the community who had been responsible for its design and creation.

The whole event was very immotive. When the Band played the National Anthem, Everyone stood up , placed their hand on their chest and sang every word with passion and pride. The evening ended with a lady getting to shout "Viva Presidente Bukelle" loudly many times. The crowd shouted it back loudly each time. The pride in their voices was overwhelming.

The evening finished with the Band playing and a firework display from behind the church.

Public transport in El Salvador can come in different sizes, from the big Chicken Buses to the little Tuktuks. Somewhere in the middle is the very popular pickup trucks. These tend to be very cheap and very overcowded.

I mentioned in the last blog post that the streets on the towns are full of ladies either creating Pupusas or Tortillas. Suchitoto was no exception. These ladies always have a big smile on their faces.

The highest mountain in El Salvador is called Cerro El Pital. Its summit being 2730m above sea level.

The 10km drive up there out of Rio Chiquito was challenging. Its narrow twisty road had an average incline of 20% and at times hit over 25%. Cloud 9 spent an hour in first gear and slowly crawled up without issue.

Pat had spent hours trying to find somewhere suitable for us to park. Eventually, with the aid of Google Maps and Satelite View she identified a small set of cabanas (Cabanas Vasquez). She contacted the owner, who agreed to let us park on his land.

The views from our camp were amazing, but we still had another 30 mins ascent in a local 4x4 to the start of our walk.

   

 

The peak is marked by a small Triangulation Point. It also marks the border between El Salvador and Honduras. 

It's not every day you can say that one of your Testicles is in another country.

The Plant life changed dramatically at this altitude, it was almost Alpine.

The bird life up there was fantastic. Among lots of others we saw

 

The Common Chlorospingus

The Rufous Backed Wren

Clay Coloured Thrush

Mountain Elaenia

We have also seen the following birds. The lesser Goldfinch, Boat Billed Flycatcher, Rose Throated Becard and my favourite, The Laughing Falcon

Earlier in this Blog I mentioned the flooding of the Rio Lempa.

We spent a couple of nights parked up on the other side of the Lake. 

Cerro Iramon

Our Camp spot was the cafe called "Cantina Raphael". The owner, Raphael, and his family could not have been more delighted to see us. The welcome we received was almost overwhelming. The View from his land was amazing. A favourite spot for locals to sit, have a beer and watch the sunset.

Our initial Plan was to hike up Cerro Iramon, but the hot temperatures changed our minds. Maybe one day 

Despite owning a cafe Raphael still spent his days working in the fields, returning home several times a day to transport his children to and from school on his old motorcycle. Life in El Salvador for most is still tough and Raphael recognised that his childrens education is of paramount importance for their future.

The town of Berlin was founded in the late 19th century by a German Immigrant called Serafín Brennen. Faced with the task of naming the town, Brennen applied his best imagination and creativity and came up with the name of his home town in Germany. 

Sometimes a quick un planned overnight stop can suprise you.

Parked on the edge of Laguna De Arumuaca had a spectacular sunset behind the Volcano.

 

Volcano San Miguel, also known as Chaparrastique, is one of El Salvador's most active Volcanoes, erupting every few years, including in 2026.

Lots of locals to feed there.

Our aim from the start of our journey through El Salvador was to make it to the Pacific coast, which we did at Playa Las Flores near El Cuco. The dark sand was made up of Volcanic Ash and was very flat. This beach, as is most of this coastline, is very popular with surfers. 

This beach is really popular with locals and tourists were in the minority. We noticed a huge rise in temperature on the coast, and the sea was positively warm.

It was at this point that we had to turn around and start heading back towards Guatemala. Rather than back track along the same route, we headed west along the coast towards the town of La Libertad, which is famous for its Seafood and fish markets.

Just a few kilometres down the coast from La Libertad is the beach of El Tunco. This forms part of a huge new development along this coastline called Surf City. 

This resort is popular with Backpackers and Surfers. It's modern and expanding rapidly. This resort is a clear indication that El Salvador is a fast emerging country that sees tourism as a very welcome boost to their economy. 

A huge amount of road upgrades are taking place, making it easier to get to Surf City from the capital and other parts of the country. 

Surf City 2 is in the planning stages. 

It was only fitting to end our Salvadorian journey back where we started, relaxing in the hot springs for Pat's Birthday.

I mentioned in the previous post that entry into El Salvador was really smooth and civilised. Well, the exit was equally as good. We were greeted at the border with pleasant smiles. The Salvadorian Tourist service were present, handing out trinkets, leaflets, coffee, cakes and water. 

Without doubt, one of the nicest borders we have crossed.

However, after re entering Guatemala , we soon realised that we had made a big mistake.  Due to Mr Trumps tour through the middle east, fuel prices have gone up everywhere and Central America was no exception. 

When we left Guatemala 6 weeks ago, we were paying 26.57 Quetzals for a US Gallon, which is  £0.68 per litre.

When we returned, it had increased to 42.60 Quetzals, which is £1.08 per litre. This is an increase of 58%. If we had filled up in El Salvador, we could have got it for £0.74 per litre. 

You can probably tell by the tone of this post that El Salvador has been a real highlight for us. 

Although we are trying to slowly head north, I suspect that we haven't quite finished with El Salvador and we may well return soon.