Farewell for now

Time for Henrik to continue circumnavigating the globe and me to get home to those furry doggies!



But on the way to the airport we did have the best breakfast yet- super authentic papusas!  Check out the video- hope to make these at home someday...

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Playa El Tunco

One visit to the beach wasn't enough, so we hired Giovanny for another day! We drove through a different area, which was very poor.




And we saw more cows! They just sort of hang out- no fences.




They graze next to and wander into the road, too.




There were sugar cane fields everywhere.




Sugar cane is grown in Florida, too, but in El Salvador, they burn the fields to make picking and transporting easier. Only the stalk is used, so burning off the green leaves gets more product on a truck for export.




And then we arrived at the beach!



It is called El Tunco because there is a big lava-rock near the shore that supposedly resembles a pig. Maybe after a few of pilsners?


This beach was totally different than Costa del Sol. Nothing very fancy-schmancy, just simple surfers and open-air bars. The sand was much darker, too, like black diamonds. And boy was it HOT to walk on!


And there was another lady-with-basket-on-head.


There were these amazing rocks, all rounded like river rocks, that covered the beach in some areas. These, too, got confiscated from my suitcase in the airport.



And MANGROVES! It was very exciting to see mangroves since I teach about them everyday.



They are much (much!) taller here, not sure why? But the prop roots of the red mangrove are tremendously long to reach the water. Enlightening!



On the way back, Geovanny too us to a photo spot, overlooking the whole city. We must have been good clients!



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Playa Costa del Sol

We hired a driver to take us to the beach. Giovanny was great- he told us all kinds of interesting things about living in El Salvador. First we asked him to take us to a good place for breakfast. We were hungry for more papusas, but he said it was too late in the morning and all the papusas were gone by 8am as they are popular among people going to work. So he said he knew of a great, authentic place... Mister Donut!




I laughed because I grew up with Mister Donut, but they all disappeared sometime in the 90's. Well I found where they went- Giovanny said they first came to El Salvador in 1992, following the war. They kept the same logo and everything! But these Mister Donut's were even better than I remember! They serve donuts, of course, but lots of other cool things (including liquor!) I had a cheese tamale (steamed inside of a banana leaf), fried plantains (can't get enough of them!), and the best empanada ever- made from plantains and black beans (no flour or pork, like the ones that the Cuban's make). Henrik had hibiscus juice (tasted like cranberry juice) and Giovanny had a "quesadilla" but not like the kind we have with a flour tortilla and cheese (in El Salvador, they call those quesadilla gringos, haha). This one was a sweet pastry (it's the round cake between the purple and orange juice below) with flour, sugar, and cheese. Quite delicious, actually.




The ride to the beach was rather colorful- there were check points, where police armed with assault rifles pull over cars to check for registration and drugs. We didn't get stopped (thankfully) but it was interesting to see a busy highway with orange cones randomly placed in the middle of the lane.




Seeing how people travel was interesting as well. Standing in the back of a pickup truck fits more people than sitting- this was extremely common. Women, children, whomever, all pack in to get from Point A to Point B.




We saw women walking with baskets balanced on their heads!




Then alas, we arrived at the beach! What a beautiful resort- very much like Naples, in a way. We were pretty much the only people there, besides all of the heavily armed guards, holding AK-47s. If you click on the picture below, you'll see a guard in the very center, wearing all white. But it was safe. Everywhere we went felt safe, actually. We never experienced anything scary. Very glad about that.




The sand was much blacker in person than it looks here. I tried to bring some back for my sand collection but they confiscated it at the airport!




The scenery was amazing. Notice volcano in background!




There were stray dogs and lose cattle. We thought they were horses from far away.




Certainly not what we expected to see on the beach! This herd of cows must have broken free from somewhere because one of the smaller ones had a long rope tied around its neck.




And then there were sea beans!




After all the excitement, we enjoyed ceviche and cerveza...




Comfy lounges in princess huts...




And the cabana bar with swings for seats!




Cheers!




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Road trip to the volcano

What a day! First, breakfast was a papusa, the traditional dish of El Salvador: a pancake-like corn tortilla with beans and cheese inside, and hot sauce and cabbage on top. Plus plantains and a McDonald's-like hash brown. Quite good!




Then the driver took all 12 of us west of the city and way up into the mountains. I was getting so excited about seeing a real volcano (all i could think of was the 80's movie Joe verses the Volcano!) What I did not expect was to jet ski inside one!




It was amazing! The Coatepeque Caldera was formed over 52,000 years ago and the water was the richest blue. We motored around the lake on a giant pontoon boat with snazzy leather sofas.




Next, we stopped by a crafty little village, Juayua, for some lunch and souvenir shopping. I picked up some jewelry made from sea beans for next to nothing.




I started getting really excited about what beans I might find at the beach!




And to think I was worried I would starve in a country that loves pork in everything...




We ordered a table full of different pizzas and enjoyed some cerveza.




It was really colorful, everywhere in the town.




We saw all kinds of interesting things!




And finally, we hiked around a shade-grown coffee plantation.




They produce beans for Starbucks!




Coffee berries grow on tall bushes and are red when ripe.



We sampled a few. The bean inside is then roasted and turns dark brown.


It was really different than any kind of plantation I've ever seen. We had a lot of fun running around and exploring.



And then there was a breath-taking view from the vista. Wow, what a day!



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Spontaneous trip to San Salvador

When Henrik said he would be working in El Salvador for a few days, I couldn't pass up the opportunity! Just a 2 hour flight and I was in Central America!



Navigating the airport in Honduras as an English-only speaker was a bit of a challenge, but Miami International seems to be the same, no matter how many times I go there. Trying to learn Spanish was a bit of baptism by fire :)



Henrik met me in San Salvador and we went for a nice Italian dinner where I met the company folks. Then a local coworker took us out to a nightclub. My blonde hair and fair skin screamed Gringa, haha, but it was fun to experience the culture. Those Latinas can dance!!

Pups at PetSmart

Picking up dogfood without dogs is boring, so I take them with me!



Maverick loves the bird cage, of course.



And Sheba goes crazy in the cookie aisle, as expected.



She puts her head right in the shelves.



And drags Maverick along to inspect every package.