La Frontera

El Salvador

Two chicken buses plummeted straight for me, both pulling up with a screech, horns blowing like mad, the doorman shouting arriba", "eh...san salvador?", "si si", I had two seconds in the midst of their coastal chicken dash to decipher whether he was lying to get me on the bus as quickly as possible and win the race, or if he was simply saying "yes yes you idiot". I was pulled on the bus, having a laugh at the same time with some ladies who were helping me with my bag, everyone was involved, it was dangerously funny. Taking up two lanes we chased down the winding coastal road alongside the blue surf. As the race subsided we went deeper into the countries lush volcanic centre, passing papusa stalls and its pastel papermache skyline. Ah San Salvador, the savior.

Being such a small country, the easiest and most fun way to get around is on these chicken buses, pimped out american school coaches from the 70's. I picked up numerous phone numbers and generous offers to show me around on these rides, one guy offered to drive me the length and breath of the country; who said traveling as a solo chika would be difficult?! I*accepted one of these invitations from an older guy who just moved back to El Salvador after years in San Fransisco. I joined him, his 84 year old cousin and her friend at their house for customary 11am beers and tried again with my best spanish, beer helps. They showed me photos of their niece meeting the pope, I tried to act impressed, simply impressed with their hospitality. Named after the Savior himself I found El Salvador an entirely devoted country. Not once but three times on one of the tightly packed chicken rides was I questioned about my faith and did I believe in God, and with nowhere to escape I tried to explain...es complicado no?

Besides the friendly, curios and proud El Salvadorians themselves (well they are "the saviors" right?), this land of volcanos is really the most beautiful lush green clean country in Central America so far. We made the 4 hour climb up Volcan Santa Anna. The sweat paid off with amazing views in every direction; the pacific coast and its surf break, the Lago Coatepeque, the sparse black neighboring Volcan Izalco and the thick turquoise water of Santa Anna's crater. Throw a "kkooooiii" around one side of the crater and the echo slowly swings around as if there is a dozen other you's. Sparkling lakes to swim in, cool little towns, starry eyed skies, magnificent mountains and blue pacific coast, it's just a shame the savior hasn't helped them out when it comes to all those natural disasters, war and poverty El Salvador has suffered... or me when i lost my favorite hat.

Oh and did i mention the festival de gastronomi, oh the food...

*with tentative caution of course Catriona!

Honduras

Its impossible to see every country properly with the time I have, and with pressing things and friends to see in South America I only spent a day in Honduras on the way to the pacific coast.

My fleeting visit was a night out in San Pedro Sula, an industrious town serving the port of puerto. So we stumbled upon this bar, this non profit bar, okay lets say private bar, with some amusing Honduran characters who obviously thought we were just as amusing on invitation. We were reassuered that yeah, there is really nothing to see in Honduras and it was a good idea to get the hell out, thats not to say they weren't well proud. After numerous cheap beers we were offered a ride home. This turned into a serious late night hooker tour, instigated by the gringos I was with who thought it would be hilarious. Our new friend took this on as a serious favour and diligently showed us the "most attractive" corners of which there are many.

The guy handed me his card as he dropped us off and told me if i was ever in honduras to give him a call and he'd love to show me around... Another Banana Republic.

Antigua to Flores, Guatemala

Its Easter here in Guatemala, Semana Santa, the biggest celebration of the year in Latin America. Antigua has one of the most colourful lively and loud parties which runs all week and I was lucky enough to be passing through just in time; amazing street food, dramatic processions and colour hanging from every street corner, all for the dude above...

In the Jungles of Central Guatemala we hung out in turquoise blue pools, swam through never ending caves by candle light and chilled out in cool wooden huts... just another day in the office.

Mystical ruins of Tikal. We got up at 4.30am to beat the heat of the day and check out the unbelievable feats of engineering from the abandoned Mayan civilization.

Xela to Lago De Atitlan, Guatamala

It was hard to leave the pretty town of San Cristobal de La Casas and Mexico itself but I decided it was best to get some spanish into my ignorant little head at one of the many cheaper schools in Guatemala. I made the move with some English gringos and headed first for the Guatalese (?) town of Quetzaltenango or Xela... a short bumpy ride of 8 or so hours.

After a sweaty border crossing of epic tequila hang over proportions we arrived in the glowing evening sun to a cool hostel in the centre of the gothic/latino town, a dichotomy that works strangely well..

In another bus ride over the clouds to Lake Atitlan it was good to know I was to throw my bag down in one room for more than a week. I dropped myself in the deep end and bunked in with a Guatemalan family who although I draw mostly sign language from, are so kind and friendly like most other Guatemalans I have come across in the first week here. Most folks really are your amigos! This warm openheartedness is despite a horrific recent past, and hard to believe its so prevalent after what they have been through in recent years...

In short Los Americanos came in and invaded in the 40's, ten years after Guatemala just caught a break from a liberal government who rightly thought it was a swell idea to divide the countries land up and give it back to the people. The States, fearful of communist movements in latin America decided that this generosity or fairness must want to lead to some other form of power or ulterior motive. After a Guatemalan military dictatorship in the years to follow the common Guatemalan got sick of this suppressed existence and a guerilla movement broke in the hills and towns of this serene place. The atrocities that came with the civil war are too sick to mention but mass killings continued up until 1996 when the government signed a peace treaty. Little has changed here though (apparently Guatemalans currently own less then 5% of its land) and they still live in poverty, great for us who can grab a $2 cuba libre though right?

This is still in the minds and lives of most Guatemalans today, but its still hard to persist with an understanding after frequent digs because someone is only using you to earn an extra dime... okay okay bad experience today but Il forget about that one. I think instead Il remember the wild sunset this morning after climbing the Indians Nose (a pretty high mountain peak on the Lago De Atitlan, not some obscure metaphor!)

Im supposed to be doing my homework right now but my brain has almost stopped working after such an intense week of new words... Il do it tomorrow, manana "manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven", but for now...vamos a salsa...