El Salvador and the Lovely Town of Suchitoto

 

A warm welcome
Photo: Amanda Schofield

I loved El Salvador right from the start. Maybe it was the warm welcome we received at their shiny new border crossing which included free coffee and snacks, or perhaps it was the myriad of interesting activities we enjoyed or maybe it was simply the people who were friendly, cheerful and inclusive. Thomas, one of my fellow travellers, was amused by me because I had said I enjoyed everywhere and everything we had done to that point so I had to assure him that, yes, I really did love El Salvador.

The town square

El Salvador had suffered from a civil war for 12 years ending in 1992 with a peace accord. However the United States then deported thousands of El Salvadorian gang members back to the country who quickly took control  due to weak governments and immense poverty. The country was effectively ruled by gangs, drug dealers and other criminals who made life hell  for the residents keeping them in a constant state of fear and anxiety.  Murders were prolific, on one weekend in 2019 there were 87 gang related murders, and extortion and stand over tactics were common place. When current President Nayib Bukele was elected he vowed to clean up the gangs which he has done mainly by incacerating any gang members in an enormous jail.  As of now there are over 100,000 people in jail in El Salvador.  Human rights activists are not happy about this but the people of the country are delighted and Bukele is greatly admired for his stance throughout central and south America.  Life now is safe and harmonious and the President has an approval rating of 88%.  Although, as with everywhere in the world, there is still crime it has now dropped to historic levels. It certainly felt a very safe place to be.

We checked into our hotel at Suchitoto and had a refreshing swim in the pool before walking down to the town square.  It's a really lovely place overlooked by a huge Catholic Church, Iglesia Santa Lucia, which at the time was packed with worshippers.  Families and children were enjoying time together in the square, just a really lovely atmosphere. The town is considered  to be the cultural  capital of El Salvador with cobble stone streets and bursting with colonial charm.

Left and right Cooking class at Grandma's House

Photos by our guide:

Guillermo de Leon 

Later in the day we went to a restaurant named, Casa de la Abuela, or Grandma's House, where we were to have a cooking lesson making the staple dish of Central America, Pupusa. This is a type of flatbread which you stuff with various fillings and then fry.  Firstly we had a talk from the owner telling us  the history of the building and that it really was his grandma's house, next we watched a demonstration on how to make pupusa and then we all made some for our dinner which we enjoyed eating together.  It was a great activity.

With the happy bride.  Such a special night!
Photo from Marina Weidner

Back at the hotel a few of us decided to have some drinks out on the terrace.  There was a wedding reception taking place in the restaurant on the lower level.  Everyone at the reception was dancing to the music so we did too.  After a while a man from the wedding party came up and invited us to join the wedding down stairs.  We were warmly welcomed and joined in dancing with the wedding guests to a mix of Spanish and English songs. Brilliant fun.  The last song of the night was Abba's Dancing Queen.  The bride stood in the middle of the floor and everyone, including us, danced around her.  It was a privilege to share in this special occasion.

The Mayan Ruins of Copan, Honduras

Pyramid tomb of Rulers

Close to the border of Guatemala lies the small Honduran town of Copan and we were there to visit the nearby ruins of a Mayan city dating back as far as the 4th century. Although the valley of Copan has been populated for at least four thousand years the Mayan dynastic civilisation there is recorded as beginning in the year 426 AD and running until 822 AD when it gradually declined.  

The decline was largely due to a brutal defeat by the army of a neighbouring state which captured and beheaded the last dynastic ruler of Copan, however other factors included overcrowding, drought, depleted crops and continuing military conflicts. Most of the residents moved out into the surrounding valleys to continue a life of farming.

 Copan Ruins is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and provides an amazing insight into a long gone culture.

A stone altar decorated with images of Mayan rulers

Scarlet Macaw
( Photo by Thomas Bauer)

Entry to the ruins was along a very pretty forested walk where the bright red flashes of Honduras' national bird, the Scarlet Macaw, lit up the foliage. This was my first time visiting a Mayan site so I was keen to learn as much as I could.  We were led by a knowledgeable and articulate guide who explained the heirarchical structure of Mayan society and explained the intricate details in many of the altars and stelae (upright stone slabs depicting the rulers of Copan). Scholars, historians and anthropologists have been able to piece together much of the social construct of the Mayan society, painstakingly deciphering heiroglyphics and the many ornate carvings which are still in remarkable condition after 1200 years of weather and neglect.  In all there were 16 dynastic rulers of Copan, the 17th was in line but by then the society had collapsed so he never made it.  There is a poignant stelae which was meant to hold his depiction but was left uncarved.

Our guide gave excellent explanations of who and what the carvings represented

We spent three hours walking through the 54 acre site looking at the tombs of rulers, the carvings, the impressive heiroglyphic staircase and even a ball court where some sort of sport was played. I found it all very interesting and was impressed with how the site is being cared for and maintained but the heat of the day was blistering and by the end of the tour we were lurching from tree to tree for shade.  It was time for a respite.

No, I didn't drive it!

Back in the village we piled into small tuk tuks and went on a somewhat hair raising trip at full speed over potholed and gravelly roads to the San Lucas Hacienda.  I was hanging on for dear life! There we had cool drinks and lunch under shady trees while overlooking the lush valley and river below.

  

Our hotel was at the top of a very steep hill so every time we walked down to the delightful village of Copan we had a stiff hike back up again.  As we were walking up the hill in the late afternoon we heard a band practising drumming so we went to investigate. It was a school group led by a very enthusiastic teacher.  We were welcomed in and It was fun and entertaining to watch them. The next evening as we were leaving dinner in town we came across the reason for their practise.  Their school was celebrating an anniversary and the band, dressed very smartly in band uniforms, was performing.  We stood and watched them and other performances, enjoying the feeling of being part of the local crowd.

I can't end this post without mentioning the lovely San Rafael Cafe near the town square.  We went there twice and spent a very pleasant time getting to know each other and talking about travel. My group's various adventures were inspiring!

NOTE: I am using photos taken by my fellow travellers in some of these posts with their permission.

Antigua, The Prettiest Town in Guatemala

 I arrived at Guatemala City airport tired and jaded after approx 28 hours of travel however that wasn't enough to dull my excitement and the anticipation of traveling to five countries of Central America on an Intrepid Tours trip.

Guatemala city was an eye opener.  At 5am the traffic was already gridlocked, my driver telling me gridlock starts as early as 4.30am and some people spend up to 5 hours a day stuck in traffic. Imagine that? The buses, lit up with flashing lights and decorations making them look for all the world like mobile Christmas trees, made a cheerful sight against the rather drab city scape.

But I wasn't there to spend time in Guatemala City, I was heading 25 miles out of town to the UNESCO World Heritage city, and former capital, Antigua. My tour wasn't to start for a couple of days so I had plenty of time to explore this lovely city on my own.

Antigua

Located in the mountains of Guatemala and surrounded by three volcanoes Antigua was founded by the Spanish in 1543 so has many fine examples of buildings of Spanish Baroque design.  It is also peppered with ruins from severe earthquakes from the 18th century, which caused the capital to be moved to Guatemala City. It is widely recognised as one of the most beautiful small cities of Central America. The streets are cobble stoned, lined with colourful casas and laid out in a grid pattern making it very easy to find your way around. I couldn't wait to explore.

Santa Catalina Arch, the famous Antigua landmark

Heading off on my walk I came to the most famous symbol of Antigua, the Santa Catalina Arch which was built as a covered walkway for cloistered nuns to give them privacy from prying eyes.  Beyond the arch the 12,000ft volcano, Vulcan Awa, towers above the city.  The buttercup yellow of the arch is duplicated on the facade of the beautiful church of La Merced.  The pretty white detailing on the exterior a unique feature.

The pretty church of La Merced

Next I came to the former Jesuit monastery of Compania de Jesus. Badly damaged by earthquakes and now restored as an art gallery, events centre and conference hall it is really beautiful and in my opinion a must see. I visited the art gallery and lingered for a while in the cloisters and garden enjoying the tranquility.

The Compania de Jesus

The day was moving on so I returned to my hotel, Posadita Casa Maria Jose, to check in and then found one of the many lovely cafes nearby for lunch and coffee. Despite all that I still wanted to see I just had to rest as I was exhausted and grateful to have the next day to continue exploring the city.

My Hotel, Casa Maria Jose

My breakfast at Fernando's Kaffee ( highly recommended)

After a delicious breakfast in the pretty courtyard at Fernando's Kaffee the following morning I visited the ruins of the convent of Santa Clara.  Although there are many ruins dotted around the city this is said to be the best one to visit.  There is a modest entry fee but it is well worth it.  Despite suffering damage in earthquakes of 1717 and 1773 there is still plenty to see.  The shell of the chapel is almost complete and you can walk among the damaged cloisters and galleries. There is also a peaceful garden complete with working fountain to sit, relax and meditate in.

The ruins of Santa Clara

For people watching you can't go past the vibrant and colourful Central Plaza, a hive of activity with hawkers, traders, tourists and people simply enjoying time relaxing on benches near the fountain. Unlike other places I have visited the hawkers and traders were not pushy in fact I found all the people I met in Antigua to be friendly and polite.

  Bucket on her head, both arms full and a toddler asleep on her back.

On one side of the square are the ruins of the ornate San Jose Cathedral, its facade unspoilt. It can be visited but was closed when I was there. On another side is the arcaded City Hall Palace where the city's administration offices are housed.  I visited the Real (Royal) Palace (1743) on a third side of the square which now houses the National Museum of Art enjoying the art and artifacts on display and the lovely view across Central Plaza.

Later in the day I met my fellow travellers  and guide who would be my companions for the next 17 days as we continued on our Intrepid journey. They were an excellent group of 7 - 6 women, 1 man plus our Guatemalan guide. I could see fun times ahead. We enjoyed a meal together at a nearby restaurant and went to bed early for a 6am start the next day.

At 2am we had an authentic Antigua experience. An earthquake shook our hotel violently, a pretty scary experience as the heavy rafters above my bed creaked and moaned. Our guide told us later that these earthquakes are a regular occurrence  in Antigua. All part of the adventure  I guess.