Welcome To El Salvador!!

Welcome to El Salvador! The land of muggings and murders and absolutely nothing good...lies, lies.



Because of media and horrer stories that "he said she said of someone whos never been there," I was actually sonewhat nervous to come here.


(Tijuana is in Mexico, but the stories are the same...and this painting is in Salvador. :))

But i'm here, and I love it. Its beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the worst thing thats happened in the last four days is eating too much of their delicous food.



(Mashed Yucca, salsa, meat and veggies. Yuuummm!!!)

But lets back up to what got me here...Guatemala. Despite my love for the country, after nearly 10 weeks, I was ready to move.



For the last week, I was just hanging out, spending time with friends from the city.



I had been invited to the graduation of a friends brother, who was graduating from their Navy.



So despite my desire to go, I hung around for a week to see it. We roadtripped a few hours to the incredibly hot beach town of Puerto San Jose, and applauded the graduates and ate delicious food.



If you've ever been to a military graduation in the states, its pretty similar, just a bit less formal and uptight, and everything is in Spanish.



Shorty after, I took off back to Antigua where I spent my last day hanging out in the park people watching and talking to the many who passed by.



This is Pedro. Pedro is 14 and he came by selling scarfs and tapestry that his mom makes. We got talking, and for quite awhile we talked about life and dreams and work. I refused to buy anything though, but he didn't seem phased. I happened to be sitting on the same bench several hourd later and he came by again and we again talked and joked and he finally convinced me to buy some stuff I didnt need (for a really good price!)...i'm a sucker for cute kids.

Then finally, it was time for a new country.



I love how you can tell the difference between countries as soon as you leave one and enter another.



El salvador. The people are slightly lighter skinned. Their faces are more defined. There is trash E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. (In an hour bus ride I saw three people throw trash out the window.) It just *feels* like a poorer and more broken country than Guatemala...but maybe thats just my expectation.



So many ride bikes...and maybe it's because of the terrible reviews this country has with the media, but I feel like many of them seem to look at everything with skeptical eyes. But maybe im just paranoid...



Most of the roads are awful. Theres a ton of horses and cowboys and almost as many little shacks beside the road advertising "pupusas" - (strangely similar to Coban Tayuyos. Tortillas fried with beans or cheese or meat in the center...theyre delicious.)



I left Guatemala with intentions of going to Juayua,  a small town near a volcano, but as we drove I talked to our driver and he said he would have to drop me off on the side of the road to flag down a bus, then take another bus. He recommended against it, seeing as I'm a solo female traveler. And the words of an article were ringing in my  head - don't walk alone. If it's VERY safe then maybe, otherwise just don't do it.



Part of me really wanted to be daring and adventurous, but my sensible side ruled saying the threat of being in the most dangerous non-war country is real... Besides...its no fun standing in the 100 degree full Sun with a 30 pound backpack and jeans...and two extra buses would cost me maybe $5...thats two whole meals!


(Yeah, right around $2 for this homemade deliciousness.)

So. I rode along with the rest of the tourists to the most popular place - El Tunco beach.



It was beautIful, but, I really didn't want to be at a beach...(after awhile they all look the same, and they're HOT.)



I am here to experience the culture. So after just a day of coconut water and pupusas and watching the beautiful sunset...



...And a night playing cards with some crazy backpackers (it was kind of cool - a group of all native English speakers sporting all different accents. From different parts of the US, England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.) I caught the 6am bus to Sosonate, and another to Juayua.



On the bus on the way, I sat by the sweetest old man who used to be a fisherman and now lives alone. He would turn to me and poke me every time he wanted to say something, and he had a highschool graduation ring that he wad pretty proud of...though it was just a promotional example, he couldn't read English so he didn't care. :)

Somehow I can usually tell when I will love a place before I get there, and Juayua (pronounced why-oo-ah) was no exception. 



The first day I walked around the little town, taking in the beautiful churches and volcanos in the distance. There is a typical market filled with anything you might need, for just a few cents or a dollar. The streets are lined with resale clothes shops all for $1-$3, countless pupuserias, and the park is filled with Christmas lights and decorations and locals selling locally made artisan gifts.



First full day in El Salvador. I asked for some good coffee and was shown to a cafe. It was closed, but opened for their friend and me, and proceeded to make me three different kinds of local coffee to try, for free.



Later, I was invited into a families simple, humble home and fed two meals and beer, and we had a dance party in their living room. They said their home is my home and offered to let me stay, but thanks to a over eager boy my age, I opted to stay in the hostel...but nonetheless, my first impressions of El Salvadorians has been anything but negative.



The next day I decided to check out a town on the route of the flowers - the sides of the road is littereally covered with colorful flowers. Ataco is another little town about 30 minutes away and is known for its colorful murals.









Craft and candy markets...



And of course its beautiful churches...



Oh yeah. And the tree in the park. It was the coolest. :-)



There was also a carnival going on, but if I had children in El Salvador, there is no way I would let them near the rickety, rusty old rides...



So there you have it. The first few days in this beautiful country have been wonderful, and every person I have met traveling here has told me nothing but good things, making me even more excited to keep exploring. 



Don't believe everything you hear, especially from someone who's never beem there.



This place is one of the worlds best kept secrets.

What Do Turtles, Kids, Beaches, And Bachata Have In Common?

Happy December!

From me and the  turtles and the best sunsets in the world.



What...!? December already!? Okay, Okay, we have asked the question every month since the beginning of time, but really...its going too fast.



Fortunately for me (and you so you don't have to read so much) I haven't done tooooo much in the last two weeks so I should be able to finish this post by the end of the month.. Ha. Ha. Ha... :)



We finished up the course for kids nearly two weeks ago already. Every moment of every day of the last week I willed time to stop, loving every moment being with the kids.



I love how they fall in love with you and pull you in every direction to play and push them on the zipline or the swings, or ask over and over how to say things in English like cow and saddle and ladder and bottle and sky and every name ever invented. (How do you say Fernando in English? How do you say Mattias? Josue? Carlos? Paula?)



There are always a few babes who wrap their dirty little fingers around my heart and wont let go. This group was no exception. Their innocence is so beautiful and contagious.



Going into the course, I knew I was going to be teaching kids to ride horses and milk cows, but what I wasn't expecting was that some of these upper elementary age kids had no idea how to write their names, count to ten, or tie their shoes. I loved all the lessons, but somehow teaching a child something as simple yet important as counting, writing, or tying shoes, made me feel like I was actually doing something worthwhile.



But, despite my efforts to stop it, the week ended and I tried my best not to cry as I said goodbye to the 25 precious kiddos along with the opportunities to teach them...and play with them.







The best? One little boy wrote me a thank you note and gave me a snickers. Oh my heart. I live for these moments.



I stayed for a few more days at the farm, continuing to teach a few students English and save a few dollars before making the five (turned seven) hour journey to Guatemala City with my family.



They were going to vacation in Panama, and me, back to my heaven on the beach. We packed our things in the truck (along with a dog to deliver to a new owner) and I hopped in the backseat with Mattias and Rodolfo and prepared myself for a very long journey...but we kept it interesting.



And then they started fighting, but finally they fell asleep.



We made it to Guatemala city by dark, after stopping just two hours for construction! Luckily we had music from the car parked beside us blaring reggaeton loud enough for the entire construction crew to dance if they wanted to, so we didn't get bored by the silence... ;P



In the city, my family introduced me to the poorest parts and warned me where not to go to get killed by gangs. After driving in terrible traffic for an hour or two more, I was convinced I was never going to leave my house again. This was the part of Guatemala I always heard about but had never seen - dirty run down buildings, gang graffiti, not a single soul walking on the streets but every one in a car with pitch black windows and doors locked in fear of someone seeing them and killing them. Apparently, someone dies in GC every 90 minutes. The value of life isnt very high here; they have a saying that they kill people like rice...rice being nearly the cheapeat thing you can buy. Everyone is well aware of the danger, but no one seems overly concerned for themselves, just for me...

Needless to say, I was happy when we finally arrived to meet my friend Dan and head back to good old Antigua. I hung out with friends there for a day and had some good coffee and let some cute little boys shine my shoes before catching the bus to Monterrico...



Have I ever mentioned how much I love turtles?



From my first trip to Costa Rica where I lived with them for two weeks, I was hooked.



The week in monterrico was spent releasing baby turtles and searching for big turtles on the beach (we didn't find any:(...), making friends with a futbol team, practicing my dancing (I think i'm getting better!) and catching up with dear, old friends...



People are seriously the greate9st, and seeing people that at one time I was sure I would never see again is the absolute best.



And of course, making new friends to meet again someday.



As usual while traveling, I met some cool kids on the beach. Allie, shes from England and thinks shes cool. She's really just a snarky kid with an accent. It's kinda cute though. ;)



Renee is a nurse from Germany and was my turtle releasing partner for a few days.



She was also my encouragement to go race the futbol players.



Three times a day they would run by our hostel, so I finally went to race them. I lost, but I made some friends who are ridiculously fun to dance with, and dig holes in the sand with, and be lazy in hammocks with, and make fun of...futbol players are great. ;)







And I got to watch the game, which is always a plus...(They won.)



All too soon, my week of vacation was over and I headed back to the farm to continue teaching and making money like the responsible adult that I am.

(But first let me show you some more beach pictures because I like beach better than responsibility.)


(Best sunsets ever.)


(In our down time (Oh wait...) we practiced walking a slack line. I got one step, once...)


(The food is the best.)


(Fresh fish! This guy was line fishing from shore. he was pretty successful, too.)


(Lots of little turtles.)


(Daily turtles...the best.)

(Alright, back to the present.)

So I made it to Coban and prepared for my classes. Unfortunately, when students in Latin America say, "Yes, I for sure want two hours of class a day for two weeks." It usually means something along the lines of, "I really want to learn English so if I feel like learning one day I might come to class but maybe not, but if not today maybe next month..." and this time was no different. So instead of 11 students I have one, and he is great, but two hours for one student just doesn't keep me entertained, or make me rich. Plus, they took my horse and mule to another farm today, so, it's time to move.


(Dont let her cute looks fool you. Sheba is a devil. Pretty sure she is trying to bite me in this pic.)

I have been making the most out of these last few precious days at this place I've grown to love, though. I love being part of the family here.



And I love experiencing the culture. A a few days ago, we went to the futbol game, Coban against Guatemala City.



They took me to the stadium where we run daily, but it had been transformed from the 10 people running track to thousands filling every space, including up on the cliffs into the woods...



Yeah, I sat on a cliff to watch futbol, and it was cool. 



Unfortunately we lost, but for at least the first half of the game everyone was jumping and chanting and playing music and lighting fireworks...towards the end it was nearly silent, except for booing the other team...but still...the atmosphere at these games is the greatest.



And we are safe thanks to these guys And their shotguns. :)



Now, just one more day on the farm with my family before I say goodbye...for now.



Next stop? Maybe hiking the third tallest volcano in Guatemala. After that? El Salvador. Then Honduras. Maybe try to find another job. Or maybe get bored and go home. (Haha. Just kidding mom. Sorry. :))



Until then, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Much love amigos. Xoxo :)



Oh yeah...the answer? I love them all. :)