I love it here

I'm in La Libertad El Salvador now and yes, I love it here. Let's catch up, shall we? Antigua was hectic. I got just about everything accomplished with Elisa's help. Thank you young lady. Everything was looking good until I got to DHL with all the things I was sending home. I bought a shit-ton of souvenirs for gifts and what not. I had some other things I was sending back to D & S's since I wasn't using them too. I carried it all to DHL, got it weighed and found out it was going to be something like $300-350 to send to Peoria. Ok, fine. Whatever. I love you all and didn't want to lug this shit around. Next, she started going through everything. 'Oh no. Sorry. This can't go. This can't either. This too.' Then it dawned on me...I'm shipping everything to the US, where we fear everything. Even butter knives coming in packages. Fine, Ok. It was getting worse but that was what I was going to have to deal with. Then she said "and I need an itemized list of everything going in the box." En serio!!! Of course you do. That's right, JI did too every time he'd ship things. Fine. I made a list and checked it twice. Packed the box. She went through the box with the list. Everything was cool until she got to the coffee. 'These can't go. The label isn't satisfactory.' I was really starting to hate US Customs by now. Ok. I'll come back. I had to think and I had other things to do. US Customs is so crazy. We used to get drugs (for research and synthesis purposes at Codexis) in envelopes labeled as glucose when in fact it would be an anti-cancer precursor. And I can't get coffee into the country with out a special form and an extra fee. Go figure.


After running around for about an hour like a chicken without a head, I found Elisa and 'convinced' her to take my things to Santa Barbara with her in 2days and then mail it from inside the US. Because we all know once inside the US, you can send just about anything through USPS. Anthrax? Sure, no problem.


On Wednesday, I entrusted everything to Elisa, said good-bye and got on the shuttle to San Salvador (via Guatemala City which I didn't think was going to happen when I was planning on buying the shuttle ride), El Salvador. This was the easiest way to get to the beaches on the Pacific coast (ES's only coast). Everything about the trip was cool except the shuttle getting me to the station late and then missing the economic bus (Fine. $2 more to take the upgrade. God I love how cheap it is here for me) crossing the border. My own stupidity resulted in the loss of $8 at the border, however. I don't want to explain.

San Salvador is supposed to be dangerous, but I found it chill. I left almost as soon as I got there, though. The people were all very nice helping me get on the right buses. Again, I got lots of looks b/c of my height but that's been the norm thus far. I made it to La Libertad (an hour by bus to the west of San Salvador, right on the coast) before dark. The bus driver spoke enough English and he told me about his sons in CA. He was really nice. Showed me where the cheap, clean hotels were and I got a room walking distance to Punta Roca. Sure, ambience was something to be desired, but a fan, the most comfortable mattress thus far, and nice people (& $5/night) made up for it.

Next morning, I did some interneting to keep Tiffany and John on track for meeting me, then went to Playa El Zonte. Oh yeah. In El Salvador, the bus system, which is an actual system with routes, is run by old school US buses again. This time, no haggling over prices, they're posted and everyone pays the same. Thank God! I forgot, La Libertad is a pretty small town, but a good sized for a beach town. It has a dangerous reputation, especially at night, but I really haven't had a problem. Granted, I'm not out after 10:30pm and I'm not out waving my camera around trying to prompt an attack. There's a nice central square that has a comedor overlooking kids playing and men playing cards. A pier, where fresh catches are sold. I might have been more of a tourist here and taken pictures, but again I'm trying to blend in as best I can. Guys were gutting fish they'd just caught that morning. Dried fish everywhere and women yelling out their goods. La Libertad has more infastructure than I anticipated and everyone is real decent. There's a weak push for tourism tight now. Maybe in the future. And this is a surf town. Some of the best waves in ES break here. Next to my hotel is Tabletas de Surf Hospital. All the beaches here are surf beaches not swimming beaches. Rip-currents that will drag you down the coast in a second. Black sand beaches. Jet black. Which I'd never seen before. Hot with a breeze. Licuados for $1. Breakfast (eggs, beans, rice, coffee) for $1.50. Pupusas for $0.35. 3 tacos for $1. The people look a lot different than Guatemalans. They look like they have Pacific Island, Filipino, or Mayori ancestry. Much better looking women than the majority of Guate girls. Culos grandes tambien! Ay Dios Mio!


I tell you what, I was really hesitant about La Libertad, but when I go back, I don't think I'd stay anywhere else on the coast near San Salvador. Posada Margoth is the place. Even if I drove down the coast to surf every break like 2 guys from NY I met had done previously, I think I'd stay here again. Good people, ya know.

There's so many other good things I could say about my limited time here. I think that since I was here for a short time, I didn't have long enough to have it spoiled. El Salvador is definitely a country I'd explore more thoroughly. But alas. I'm moving on. Tomorrow I go to Managua, Nicaragua. I'm planning on taking more Spanish classes in Leon, Estelli or Granada. One more licuado for the road. I'm addicted. What can I say?