El Salvador

Finger-like ridges stretch to the ocean, ending either subtely or abruptly in cliffs at the shore of the Pacific. It is by far one of the most beautiful shorelines yet. We have been spending the last week in the dreamy little country pueblo of Canton Argentina where our good friend ¨Red Dawg¨ has happily been adopted by more than one El Salvadoran family. The existence is more than comparable to stories grandparents tell in the states... JCPenny´s catalogues for toilet paper, taking horses to work in the fields, & walking two miles to school uphill in some pretty tricky shoes. We have enjoyed getting to know the people, learning to making ¨chengas¨(homemade corn tortillas cooked over a fire), washing clothes in the creek, helping build a road to the village (a tremendous project), and all around learning about a different way of life.

We made a trip to La Libertad today to get some groceries and take care of a few other things (such as internet). Of course there are so many photos I would love to share but those will have to come later.

Canton Argentina...

Just a quick note as the computer I am using is having serious issues...

After the highlands we returned to Champerico to grab our boards. I of course have some photos I would love to post, but the machine I´m using has other thoughts. Tomorrow we are bound for El Salvador. Luck would have it that one of our good friends, ¨Red Dog¨, happens to be returning to the town he was in for two years during his service in the Peace Corps. Luck would also have it that it happens to be located next to some of the best surf in El Salvador.

More later...

All Shook Up...

Sitting on our balcony the other day we were surprised by a tremor that shook the entire building. Exposed rebarb (common here and usually indicative of the hope to one day add a second level) vibrated at the same pace as the concrete and wooden walls. We had been watching a storm blow in and immediately tried to explain the 30 second tremor with wind... or is that volcano over there really unactive? We finally assumed it must have been an earthquake, which was indeed verified by an article in the paper the following day: 5.4 on the rictor scale! The entire country shook. We were far enough away from the source that it only reached us as mild vibrations. No one in the town flinched. Accustomed to this sort of plate tectonics everyone continued work as if nothing had happened.

The pic is taken looking down on San Pedro, the town where we have been based at Lago Atitlan. An intricate maze of layers and back alleyways, it has been a lovely stay. Spanish is a second language for most people in this town and Mayan is the most commonly heard language in the streets and market.

Lago Atitlan

Sitting at 1,560 meters, the lake was originally formed by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. From the shores of this enchanting lake three unactive volcanos are still visible.

The weather this time of year is comparable to that of early summer in the south. Sunny mornings moderated by afternoon showers keep temperatures fresh and cool. As a result we have planned activities around the weather, kayacking or hiking in the mornings and simply sipping coffee (from the region!) and reading in the afternoon to a tune of rain on tin roofs. The picture at the top is taken from our balcony (15 quetzales per person a night = $2).

To the highlands...

After a lovely week in Champerico we decided to head to the highlands for a few days to cool off. So we left our surf boards in storage in Champerico and hopped a chicken bus for Lago Atitlan.... pics to come soon.

Blessed are the eyes of the traveler...

For whom the faculty of wonder is restored, like that of a child´s, when suddenly patterns are broken by a never-before-seen bug on the bathroom wall, a different way of greeting one another in the street, or the turtle and fish in the wash basin. It is indeed beautiful to stand witness to a different existence.

While talking to locals here we have been surprised to learn how many have family working in the states (almost everyone in this town). It seems as if many are illegal (I believe one woman said her son walked) and because of it are unable to return without re-living the arduous journey. Some people have not seen their sons or daughters, brothers or sisters in years or have yet to meet the grandson or granddaughter born abroad. Those left behind, like my friend Yoseline, express how sad it is to not have the ability to see loved ones. As a result Yoseline says she has no desire to go to the states, unless perhaps by plane to visit family there.

When we ask why they keep going we are told it is, of course, for the money (there are two western unions in this tiny town). ¨There is no money here,¨they say. But, Griffin and I are quick to point out that there is fish & fruits and life here is so much more laid back. It is almost so self-sustaining there is near no need for an economy. Is it worth it to trade this life for money? Then what? It seems many feel the need to make the sacrifice for the rest of their family. Once they get to the states they may not like it. Life is difficult, but there is indeed money and once there, it is a stalemate.

Meanwhile, life here continues in its own laid-back guatemalteco manner. Children play in the streets and beach and people seem to work on a convenience basis (if a restaurant does well one day, it may just close down the next, take time to regroup and clean and then re-open whenever necessary). The sun rises at 6:00 and sets at 7:00 (I don´t think they use ¨daylight savings¨), the temperature remains the same year round, families sit down together to eat, and always siesta is observed. All-in-all, a typical tropical climate with the typical tropical lifestyle.

Champerico, Guatemala

The promised land. We arrived just as the storm was clearing, which happened to cause a lot of damage to the town north of us, leaving us with only a bit of rain and some enormous waves (we have had to laugh at the luck... we keep running into huge waves that would be great if we were experienced surfers, while all the pros we have encountered keep complaining they have missed all the good waves). Fortunately the waves have calmed down a bit and this stop has proved to be everything we were looking for.

A fishing village originally, the town has attracted some surfers in recent years and has also become a vacation spot for ¨guatamaltecos¨wanting to get out of the city for the weekend. The people are incredibly friendly and kind and the surf is proving to be great for learning. We have rented a room for a week (approximately $35 for the week) and have already made quite a few friends. Being the only fair-skinned person in town (aside from the older albino woman I have seen in the market), I have somewhat felt like the ¨popular girl in school¨, which has its ups and downs. I have quite a few Guatamalan girlfriends (all around the age of 15... the girls my age have families) who love to accompany me in whatever I am doing, but they too are learning to surf so it has been fun to have some girls to catch waves with.

Surf in the mornings and afternoons, soccer on the beach in the evenings... no complaints! This place is perfect. Breakfast runs about a $1.5o (including eggs, black beans, fried plantains, homemade corn tortillas and fresh juice or coffee). My favorite touch to our current living situation-- the fish and turtle in the wash basin who are said to keep the water clean.

The pics above: me with ¨cornrows ¨ (having some technical difficulties and can´t get this pic to turn), my girlfriends who insisted on braiding my hair, & the sun setting behind ¨El Mue¨, the pier that drops the fishing boats out past the breaks each morning.

Guatemala Bound...

Well, we investigated hitching a ride by sail boat to El Salvador and while we were offered a ride, Hurricane Barbara has all the boats holed up for the time until they see what the storm is going to do (could be another week of waiting). So we concluded, hurricane heading to Huatulco, let´s just dodge south-- night bus to guatemala! Tickets in hand we just checked the weather report and it appears the hurricane is now following our tracks and taking a turn for Guatemala. So it looks as if we, and the storm, are destined to arrive tomorrow in Guatemala. We shall see...

The plan is to head to a little surf village in the northern part of Guatemala by the name of Champerico, weather permitting. Hard to say at this point.

Wedding pic...

we just got this via e-mail (from Jeremy & Jessica´s wedding in Cancun)...