El Salvador

After a few hesitations, linked to the hurricane which destroyed a part of the Eastern Salvador a few days ago, we can eventually carry on with the initial planning, and take the plane from Managua to San Salvador.

Just a few hours to have a short overview of the Nicaraguayan capital before the plane takes off. Our friends, the black vultures, are still around (may be they have been following us since the beginning of the trip in Costa Rica, which would not really be good news...)



For those who went to Cuba, Sandino is the local equivalent of El Che, in the sense that he is a local hero, present everywhere on the walls, revered by everybody. The city itself is far from being the most interesting part of the country. Even the cathedral seems to be about to collapse (it was almost destroyed by one of the frequent earthquakes)



And here we are in El Salvador. The first feeling is really astonishing : at the airport, from the moment you get out of the plane until you go through the immigration, everybody is smiling, saying hello, welcoming you to the country... I've never seen such a reception anywhere else in the world. Even our luggage was tagged as "to be delivered in priority". They definitely know how to welcome foreigners, it might be useful to send a few French in training here !

The capital, San Salvador (not to be confused with 'El Salvador', which is the name of the country) is full of interesting spots to be discovered (the memorial to the 60,000 victims of the civil war which took place between 1980 and 1992, the military museum in which you can learn a lot about the history of the country,...). We arrived at the cathedral just in time for the end of the mass, and it would have been a pity to miss it. The façade is quite surprising, with paintings representing Indian people (a man with corn and a woman with fruit on her head).




The atmosphere is very pleasant, when you wander through the streets, tasting the local food or taking one of their coloured buses.



30 minutes away from the capital (everything is 30 minute away from the capital here : the beach, the volcanoes, ...), 2 very interesting Maya archaeological sites. On the left below, Cerén, the American Pompei, which was covered by lava during an eruption around 660, and on the right San Andres, a very peaceful site where families lie in the sun (it is Sunday) and where Maya temples are protected by "mandibles" (I am not the one who said it, promised...).



It is also a good opportunity to see a colonial plant where indigo dye was manufactured.



And the awesome surprise of the day, on the road back to the capital, is a rodeo! Not kidding... There is an army cavalry camp, and once every year they organise a "horse fiesta", and a local stampede has been built for the occasion. Bull-riding and sheep-riding live this afternoon, among other things. Unfortunately, no picture was allowed, because it was in a military area (and here you take this kind of warning seriously, believe me...).

After such an exhausting trip, time to rest a little bit on the Pacific shore, in Puerto Libertad.



Their fish / shrimps / spiny lobster market is amazing, directly out from the boat into your plate :))



OK, it took us a while to find the hotel by night in the middle of the jungle, but once you understand that is not located in the "curva de las mujeres" but "cerca de la cava de Don Gere", it gets a lot easier ;)
Just for information, the temperature of the water in the swimming pool was 30°C. Guys, what is the weather like in Europe, at the moment ?



Time to head towards the North, crossing small villages, beautiful landscapes and archeaological sites (below, Tazumal).



And then you reach the Coaltepeque Lake, the local Saint-Tropez or Palm Springs, or whatever you want to call it. Its shores are covered by mansions which belong to the richest businessmen or political representatives of the country (the President has a "small bungalow" there, for his week ends...).



Back in civilisation, Santa Ana, not far from the border with Guatemala, it will soon be time to leave El Salvador, and that's really a pity. What memories we will keep of the people and of the country !



Just for fun: for the 1 hour 30 minutes drive from the border El Salvador / Guatemala to the border Guatemala / Honduras, in order to reach Copan, we had a police escort (a total of 8 vehicles just for us, one after another). It seems to be a standard measure, because it might be dangerous for tourists to be on this road at night. Ooopsss....