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  Juayua, El Salvador
Sunday, April 12, 2009

Tracy and I finally made it to El Salvador after a couple of excruciatingly long bus rides from Pana that started at 6am. After we finally got to our destination of Santa Ana we were less than pleased, but decided to check out the hostels from the Lonely Planet guide book anyway. We had our taxi driver, Ishmeal, drive us to three places at $3 a pop before we realized it was way too city (dirty/rough), called it quits and took another bus to Ahuachapan, which is where we wanted to be anyway as its the beginning of the Ruta del Flores.
The bus we took was a local, and to say it was interesting doesnt really say it at all. When we got off the bus we realized we had gotten of at the wrong stop and hopped on another, this time with no more cash since we spend it all on buses and taxis throughout the day. Luckily(?) after the driver realized Tracy and I werent exactly getting along right then, and didnt have any money, he decided it was to much trouble to hassle us for the fair, so he just ignored us. Next. We arrive in the real Ahuachapan and look for the places to stay as recommended in our tusty guide. Hotel San Jose was exactly as described, "clean, but cheerless". The town was intersting as well and we got lots of stares since apparently we were the only tourists in town. Everyones stares turned to big smiles after we said "hola" or "buenas".
One night there was enough since it was still a little too city (dirty/rough) and we have packed up again and are now in a tiny little mountain town called Juayua. Its very chill here and we have found a great place called Hotel Anahuac where we are both very happy again. We plan on staying a few days to explore the waterfalls and trails, then head for Playa Cobanos for some much needed beach time!


A quick addendum:
Ok, this was so weird we had to add it immediately. Tracy and I had just finished updating this blog when we decided to do the 2km hike to the nearest set of waterfalls and pools called Los Chorros de Callera, which are in our trusty Lonely Planet as a great place for anyone in the area to visit. it is also on the internet, and they advertise guided tours here in town, there are also large signs about every 100meters from the town to the trail (this is all important).
So we had already gotten a late start and we knew we had very little time because of the crime that occurs at night time, especially on this trail on the outskirts of town. When we finally finished the very dusty hike down into the valley and just had enough time to get some pictures and start thinking about the hike back up when we started talking to the last group of people there swimming that were packing up for the day. We were talking to Nelson, who was very nice and spoke great English since he has a house in Aneheim, CA. As it turns out his cousin is the owner of the property we were on, which is also home to a hydro-electric facilty. Interesting, huh? Well Nelson thinks its too late for us to walk back to town and also informs us that he has hired no less than six guards to accompany him and his family down for a swim. Then he offers us a ride back to town in some pickups that they have at the very bottom of the valley (the opposite way of town mind you). We accept. We are introduced to the family. We meet the cousin. This cousin is in somewhat of a fued with the town we are in because the locals think his private property is a park and repeatedly trash it as such. He was not pleased to meet us at all, since we are tourists in what is clearly not supposed to be a tourist spot, and things get even more akward than before. We squeeze into the back of the pick-up, and go for what I'll just call a very bumpy ride with the guards in the back of the truck with us (and their machettes). Along with a bunch of exotic flowers that Nelsons wife had picked (because its THEIR property) and we were afraid to get near them for fear of crushing them. She did make a gift of flowers to Tracy which we now have in our room. We finally made it back to town after night fall with frazzled nerves and white knuckles. But, you'll be glad to hear, safe and sound back in our room, showering up, and trying to make sense of it all, over beers.
Cheers.

  

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Making friends in Juayaua	Our room in Hotel Anahuac	Tracy chillin' in the courtyard	Eric at the Falls
Falls	Swimming	A gift of flowers

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