seekingmygreaterperhaps

While planning my trip around Central America, I was trying hard to squeeze in every country. I will end up missing two (Honduras and Belize), and as I was researching things to do, I didn’t feel as though I was really giving any country it’s fair shake. However, as my itinerary grew, I realized I did not want to be spending 12+ hours on any bus going anywhere and I looked into flights. I didn’t want to skip El Salvador because so many of my former students in VA are from El Salvador. I planned my flights so I would have a 12 hour layover in San Salvador before making my way to Guatemala. I booked a private tour with EC Tours, and was honestly blown away. It made me realize that 1 day is obviously not enough, but that El Salvador really has a lot going for it.

The first stop was El Boqueron to see the inside of a volcano, and a little mini crater too! It was a beautiful little walk with paved walkways and a glass viewing area. Also- the SUN WAS SHINING! I am hopeful the weather is turning around for me. The walk was super green.

On the way down, we stopped for a little breakfast at Finca San Cristobal- a coffee farm on the side of the volcano. I’m drinking coffee made from beans that were picked right there! Yes, I know I’m a tea drinker, but this felt pretty unique.

One of the main reasons I wanted to go to El Salvador was to eat pupusas. I had them in the states and my students would talk about them all the time, so I figured since I was in the neighborhood…

Pupusas are made with corn or rice flour and filled with what you choose, a savory food. To the right are Salvadorean empanadas, which are kind of like donuts- filled with milk (like a pudding) or beans and topped with sugar.

I requested to go to this rainbow slide because I saw it on an Instagram reel, I’m not embarrassed about it. It was actually really fun! There are two drops and they are steeper than you realize. It’s over in about 30 seconds, but totally worth it.

Afterwards, we started the walking tour of the historical center. This rainbow church was absolutely stunning. The stained glass effect is duplicated on the other side and it feels like a rainbow. Historically significant, this church one housed people needing shelter from police or military or someone with guns who were shooting at people in the square right outside. They stayed in here for 5 days!

El Salvador doesn’t have the best reputation in the United States. The students I worked with… fled. But I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. In talking with my tour guide, about 5 years ago the president said enough to gangs and she said he essentially wiped them out and there is no more gang violence. The downtown area has gone through a huge renovation and face-lift and people were milling about happy to be there. There is a tourist police who keeps one to one vendors out of the square as well as people begging for money. That’s a touchy subject for Salvadorians because they feel like it impacts people livelihood. As a tourist though, it was a refreshing experience.

The new library is absolutely incredible. There is a rooftop with a view, a restaurant and other facilities that don’t even touch what the library itself offers. The children area is filled with books and play areas. There is an entire teen floor, a gaming area where kids have to read for 30 minutes before they are allowed to play for 1 hour. There is a robotics lab. My tour guide said that she hopes this library helps create a culture of reading in her country. She said you see in the movies parents reading to their kids, but that’s not really what happens here because our parents are working too hard. The library was bustling when I was there, so the reader in me hopes alongside her that this does indeed impact reading culture.

Here she is! Jeshy is a bit shorter than me, and did a fantastic job showing me around.

We had lunch at El Ático in the area known as the “pupusa-dome.” You’ve heard of the Astrodome, the Sambadrome, now it’s the Pupusa- dome, haha! It’s the place where there are all fantastic pupusarias and where the locals eat. I can attest, it was fantastic. My horchata was made with peanuts and it was epic.

The last stop was along the Ruta de Los Panchos, which is where a lot of indigenous people keep their culture alive. We got caught behind a funeral procession, which was fascinating. People walk behind the hearse and as they pass houses, the whole town joins in. While a unique cultural experience, it definitely slowed us down. We didn’t have a ton of time to see this area, but what I did see was colorful and beautiful!

I am really happy I sprang for the guide because I learned a lot about the current happenings of El Salvador, and it left me with a desire to return. As with (almost) every travel experience, it was empathy building and made me wish I had visited while still working with my former caseload- although it would most definitely have been a different experience.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my next adventure- Lake Atitlán, Guatemala!