ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Our morning of February 21, began around 6ish with fresh squeezed orange juice, cup of coffee and some toast and cheese.  Today we leave for our next land travel time and plan on being a way for at least a week. Leaving the boat on the mooring ball in the estuary, our friends will keep an eye out for her but do we lift the dingy up onto the boat deck, close everything up and thank  our friend Bill from S/V Teca as he transports   us to the dock.   Walking to the roadway to catch a local bus to Zacatecoluco we meet Jan, the Canadian teacher and she  offers us a ride to Archos, the transfer point to catch a bus to San Salvador or  Zacatecoluco.    We head to the latter to catch a local bus and  will make a short stop  to buy some more time for our Internet stick. Claro is the company we and a few other cruisers are using.  The bus stops right in front of the Dispensoria de Don Juan which is where we usually  do our provisioning.  From there we cross the street and turn left at the gas station and  walk up the central street which is full of folks and the local market.  You can buy anything and everything from flip flops to mangos.  Looking up the street you will the big white church.   Making you way to the Iglasia, turn right and go up  the street a half a block to the Claro Outlet where  Wendy will greet you.  She has helped so many of us "gringos"that she has become very famous.  Her English is very good and she loves to practice it!! She does  her magic again and activates us and we are   on line quickly and for only $28.00  Life is good and after stopping for a quick taste of papossas, (there are many stalls and they are all great tasting and cheap!!) we continued on in search of the bus that would take us south east to  the the city of Usulutan where we would transfer to another bus to  Alegria!!!  We continually are guided and a young women who is selling cakes in front of the "BIGGEST" fast food outlet which is in front of the Don Juan directs us and tells us we should take #302.  Her English is okay and her baking deliciious.  Away we go with a few "small Cakes".


At Usulutan we transfer buses which takes us to Alegria which is a lovely little spot.  Thanks to Jullies map and direction we walk right across the Central square to the Hostal & Cafe Entre Piedras.  Roberto the owner is fantastic and has an incredible Coffee machine that treats us to excellent Espresso on demand.  The name of the establishment means  Entirely Stone and that is what it is.  An old historical piece of property that he and his family have had for years.  It is completely surround by a stone wall, the court yard is cobble stone and the rooms are old cement--clean and nicely appointed with antique furniture.  The bed is huge!!!!!  Not often we get a king size bed............all for $32.00 per

Alegria is really very nice.
Did I tell you our cruiser friends Julie and Andrew recommended this  hostel here.....Entrada Peidras which is just great. It is an older hacienda turned hostel. Many of the old furnishings are still in tack........the rooms are huge and very well put together We are so excited to have such a huge bed!!!!!! The bathroom is large as well.....and the coffee is great. Can you tell that we are quite taken by this place?????  Looking forward to a nice breakie in the morning and a walk to the lagona......which is lake in Spanish.  Before we call it a night we walked around the central square this evening and enjoyed the feeling of community as folks came out for an a stroll in the park. Bought some deepfried yucca- they are just like chips but oh so much tastier and healthier so we are telling ourselves.  LOL!!!

  The Roosters here are very deligent in the work...........waking us up!  It seems to be a Central American thing...........roosters calling out that it is morning.  Get up you lazy Gringos!!!! Our breakfast did not disappoint and after our coffee and a nice chat with a fellow Canadian who is also here, by herself I might add.  She is from Montreal and very eneregetic and off to points east and on to Honduras.  We are eager to start our hike and off we go to the Alegria Lagoon which is at the crater of Tecapa-Chinameca volcano, 4265 feet above sea level is one of the highest points of the region.  We walked from the hostel to the lake about 3 km each way and enjoyed a relaxing few hours looking at the emerald colored Alegria Lake.  There we found the park attendant that charged us .25 each to enter the area.  There was a relic of a school that appeared to have been just left...............with notices still on the walls.  In walking up earlier in the day we passed many children  coming back from early classes and the older students going to school later in the day.  They  all look so chipper in their uniforms of a white shirt and matching skits or pants and sock.  The older wearing a tan color and the younger the Navy.  I always travel with a pockets full of "dulcies" candies...........so had a great time sharing.  The cobble stone road the walked to a nd from school was hard for us to walk on but they just hustled up and down laughing and having a great time.  Most of them stare at Claes as they find him very älto" tall and of course his blue eyes and hat strike their fancy.

As we walked up the road to the  lake we noticed a government project that offered water and a sense of community.  On each side of the road- hill side as you must remember this is volcanic country lush coffee plants spill over and up and down the hill side.  This is the work for the people and the little homes are clean looking but very small and basically consist of walls of brick and sometimes mud and bamboo.  A water barrel and washing hung out on the fence again made of bamboo and sometimes real trees/bushes.  There is always an outside kitchen and stacks of sticks that are collected and used for cooking.  Many times we meet folks carrying water and or sticks up and down the road.  This is part of the daily routine.  About half way up the hill we do come across a bigger establishment which we assume is the plantation owner perhaps manager.

Before  we made our way back down the road we had  a refresca natural at the little Kiosk at the park entrance a  young women had.  Her husband a made her a very nicely built Kiosk she called "The Chalet Emily"and offered a few simple delights:  hamburgersa, a few beers and papposas.         Another bottle of water and another hour or so and  we were back at the Hostel.  The huge shower stall that is completely tiled and sparkling clean is a welcome sight and though the water is not HOT  it is very refeshing and just what we needed.  We have  a little rest and are lulled into our siesta by the does and birds just out in the courtyard.

That evening we spent  our dinner time in the court yard and enjoyed a very nice meal of  carne, actually a lovely tender piece of filet grilled to perfection, a small salade with fresh tomato selsa and fresh bread with nice touch of fresh  basil and olive oil.  Did I mention that Robertos' father makes chocolates????  Hmmmm.  pretty decadent!!!!. The cappacino was a perfect end to the meal.

Earlier I had admired the many floweres and foilage that surround us in the courtyard half of which I could   not recognize or even know the names of, numerous ferns contained  by old ancient  pots all part of this historic feel of the building.  Now looking upwards I realized I had  overlooked  the plants that grew in and from the moss that clung to the old supporting walls.  Now  I close my eyes and thank God again for this incredible place He has brought us to.  My thoughts are interrupted with the distant  sound of music.  There walking through the gate four fellas, casually dressed and sporting each an instrument!!!   An accordian, quitar, base guitar and drums..........four fellas serenad us and completing this magical moment! Please go to the Photo Gallery on the right for more pictures!!!  Enjoy. Sorry there are not very many this trip..........I forgot my charger!!!! Can you imagine that??

We ended our day with a walk through the court yard and  never for a moment felt uneasy or uncomfortable.  There were a few Artisan shops and I enjoyed window shopping all the while  practicing my Spanish. Back in our room we enjoy a little cable tv and a good nights sleep.

We spent two days in this lovely spot and left thinking that is could be a nice place to live.  Someday when we are ready to settle down...............this could be the spot.  This seems to be part of our routine with all these places we visit.  Who knows????  Check out www.hostalentrepiedras.com for details on the hostel and the chocolate!!!!


February Thursday the 23, 2012, 8:30 AM  we depart Alegria by bus  returning to Santiago de Maria at a cost of .50 each.   We switch to another bus and travel a short distance to El Trionfo for an additional .25 each.  We are now on the main Central American Highway  traveling northward to San Martin, which is a larger city and where  we transfer  to another bus that takes us east to Suchitoto.
I guess we travelled at least 150 miles today which took us about five hours.  Very comfortable on the bus:  the first one being rather fancy the last one a little more local.  Sure is the right price though.   We had an easy time of finding our way as it seemed there was always someone around to turn us the right direction.  Funny that???  Had a really nice conversation with a couple of young guys......oh probably late twenties who had spent a few years in USA but without proper papers detained for there months then  deported and were back in their country trying to make a living.  We sympathize with them; once they get the taste of work and a stable life returning to El Salvador  where it is very difficult for anyone to make a decent living.  Minimum wage is about 8-10 dollars PER DAY!!!!  In order to get a better paying job they need money to get the training..........so it is a big circle and very difficult.  The country is very much actively working towards an election March 11, 2012.  I will do alittle research and find a good link to pursue this.  Until later then....