El Salvador

This border crossing was excellent, tranquillo with the help of our young friend who’s picture I did not get. He was always joking around with people and almost forgot to get a tip from us cause I don’t think he cares that much. Everyone was really friendly and while Scott was dealing with the Spanish stuff inside the office I was outside having fun with the money changers, the food sellers, the beggars the dogs and the goats. I didn’t take pictures cause sometimes I have a problem mixing real life with pictures, and prefer to just enjoy the time rather than point an object at the person I’m communicating with.

Lunch, what a dump eh ….

After school …..

Looking for a motel we found this awesome place on the beach. We met some exAmericans trying out living in there …. Charlie, Amy and very young girls I can’t remember their names but cute as all …. and the manager of this simple abode, Charlie, Elsi his wife and Christian their son. Charlie was so much like our friend Rene back in Canada we were always shaking our heads … can this be? They were very kind. For two rooms on the beach with cervesa, rum, food, 45American. Unfortunately I forgot to give back the key and now I have to figure out how to return it.

There really is nothing like a Hammock.

Christian offered me candy and I brought down Gargoyle and then we devised a way for Gargoyle to get a treat too.

Then the wrapper came off ….

… then Christian ate the lollipop. Below is one of Charlie’s paintings, he does a great deal and they are displayed all over his abode.

Scott, Charlie, Elsie, and me. Christian was playing with the boys.

On the road everyone uses the road, old, young, and every animal you can think of. Also Machetes are as common as hand bags or back packs. Anyone who walks usually has one for cutting down fruit, coconut, wood or whatever. You just don’t leave home without one.

Then we got hit with the rain, our boots were puddles.

We emptied the boots here ….

And now I’m caught up with the blog on August 15th, 2009 here in Alegria, El Salvador. The picture below is where I’ve been interneting, and where we are staying. I’m in the door to the right for 16 US per night. Had dinner, cervesa, vino tinto and now I’m going to do something else like explore the El Centro to see what the young kids who have been playing with my frisbee are doing, and also everyone else. So kind people are, I can’t bare it. Actually later I want to include a poem I’ve been working on which is relative to coming and going …..

After walking around and taking pictures I went into the restaurant/bar across the main plaza, el centro, from the hostal we are staying at and I met some guys and I sat down and shared their fruit, Jocote. And then it started raining like nobody’s business.

The next morning we ate a leisurely breakfast with extremely good coffee. Then we packed and got ready to go while we were deciding if we had enough time to do the Honduras border and get far enough away to stay the night and then we decided, heck, why don’t we just stay here another night cause it’s just so darn nice here.

This is the Hostal, Entre Piedras. Great hosts.

Roberto’s son Gerardo on my bike.

Some Spanish tourists from California, USA wanted to take a picture with me.

So since we decided to stay, it was suggested by Roberto Sr. to visit the Laguna which is up a mountain to the top where the volcano is. I was leading up the hill, standing on the pegs and I suddenly heard from behind me Scott really revving so I sped up as I thought he was close but then I didn’t hear anything. So I stopped and turned off the engine and called down, You okay? Yep, I could use some help down here. So I trotted down and at first I didn’t see him ….

Oh, there you are. He hit a rock pictured above and then while gaining control hit the throttle by accident and went through a barb wire fence, took out a post and miraculously landed safely. So after we got the bike out, Scott went on ahead and when I saw him next he was paying a small fee for us to visit the Laguna and he said, I just ran over a dog. You what? The dog tried to bite my front tire literally, and I ran over the dog. Jesus, good thing we’re not going for the border today. The dog took off, no sight of it, what could he do?

So after we returned the Mayor and the tourism office staff came to the hostal to have us take our bikes out to display them in the town centre and drink coffee and pose for pictures to promote their tourism and coffee. So we happily obliged. And a guy was announcing it over a loud speaker in Spanish of course. Then it suddenly poured so we all ran for cover inside Roberto’s Hostal and finished our coffee and talked. Later the Mayor asked to see this site so when I was showing him the pictures of Alegria and we came upon Scott’s bike in the bush he laughed out loud for some time. The man on the far left is I believe in charge of Tourismo, Frady Majia, and on the far right the Mayor, Rena Sanchaz.