Today, we woke up and went straight to the breakfast that was included in our hotel. So good! Beans, eggs, plantains, cheese, and tamales. Oh, and of course, coffee!
We had time after breakfast to get some “work” done and make some plans for our next steps. That time passed by quickly, and Edgardo arrived at the hotel, and off we went towards Suchitoto! But not before stopping at a gas station to get some coffee, water, and a Kolashanpan, the local soda of El Salvador. Hayden made the mistake of telling me he likes to try local beverages, so, being the good friend that I am , I couldn’t let him leave El Salvador without trying it! Lol. No surprise to me, nobody liked it. Hehe, Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😅. However, we did decide it was better than the banana juice soda from Honduras. Sorry, Honduras! Hehe.
We continued on our way to Suchitoto and arrived in the town center while mass was going on, so the town square was nearly empty. It was nice to walk around without too much hustle and bustle. We find a little coffee shop and grab some drinks, and again, I make Hayden try a local drink, but this time it’s Horchata. It’s not his favorite, but that works out for us because Dana and I like it, and it becomes our post-coffee dessert. :). We enjoy some conversations about how Italians and Salvadorans talk a lot with their hands hehe. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much from a short 15-minute conversation, lol.
As we were finishing our drinks, Edgardo asked about how to get to the waterfalls nearby, but the waitress told us there wasn’t any water since we were in the dry season. So we decide it’ll be better to skip the “water” falls and just go to the lookout to see Suchitoto Lake. Before we drive over there, we wanted to walk around the town just a bit. And we find a place to get chocobananos, and these ones were massive! It took us a while to eat them, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Once we had our fill and taken our pictures, we piled back into the car, and onwards we went to see the lake lookout.
Something that struck us about the lake is how undeveloped it is in the sense of tourism. It’s absolutely beautiful, and it reminds us a bit of Lake Atitlan. However, besides the town itself and the waterfalls, there aren’t many attractions in the area. Part of me loves this, as it’s not overrun by tourists and feels more local, but if the local population could benefit from tourism, maybe it would be a good thing? Tough conversation, and maybe there is no great answer, but it’s something I think about a lot when I’m in El Salvador. I wish for nothing less than the very best for this beautiful country, which has left such a loving and lasting mark on my heart. I have so much love for this place, and I am forever grateful for all the experiences and adventures it’s offered me over the years, and of course, for all the wonderful people I’ve been blessed with meeting and befriending. ❤️
Next stop is Cihuatán Ruins, and I’ve never been there before! Hooray for a new place! It’s not a far drive from Suchitoto, and soon we’re pulling into the long dirt driveway of the archaeological site. We are required to have a guide in the park, and we’re all a bit nervous as to whether or not we need to pay for the guide or not. I ask her, and she says no, that the guide is included with the entry fee. We’re unsure if, at the end, there would be a moment where a tip would be expected, but we go ahead and rush through the site. It’s a rather large area, and there is a lot to learn, but we still had another two stops to make, so we didn’t want to get too carried away there. The big pyramid is front and center and is covered in a lot of grass. I’ve come to really appreciate these kinds of ruins, as it shows what happens over time to such magnificent structures. Sometimes, I imagine iconic buildings today being uncovered thousands of years in the future, such as the Eiffel Tower, and what that might look like after being abandoned and left ot nature for so long.
This ancient city had 2 ball game courts, one of which was under construction when the city was abandoned. In the acropolis of the site, they found a female skeleton, next to the most famous artifact found in El Salvador, the dog with the wheels. This piece is so important because for a long time there was a belief that the Maya never invented the wheel, but in reality, the wheel was not as useful to them for carts or work implements, due to the landscape, but rather, the wheels were used for children’s toys.
Our guide also told us they think this city was a city of just women. I’d like to know more about this, as it seems pretty rare. The name ‘Cihua’ means woman, or the feminine, in Nahuat. And ‘Tan’ means next to, and it just so happens there is a mountain nearby that has the shape of, and is called the sleeping woman. Here is born the belief that the nahuat name of the city comes from the proximity of the city to this mountain.
The larger ball game court has an annex that contains a room, a temple, and a temezcal, or a steam spa. An interesting arrangement that hasn’t been found in many other, if any, other sites. I’d really like to spend some time reading about this site, as it is quite large, and I’m extra curious about the all female city bit. As we rush through the site, trying to hide from the beating sun, we come across a group of people sitting in a circle. They’re students learning the ways of the ancient Maya and are training to become Mayan priests and priestesses. Sweet! They want to rescue the indigenous culture and promote it, and although they’ll never be true Maya ‘tatas’ or ‘nanas’ (wise Mayan elders), they will be contributing to the survival of the culture and the Mayan cosmovision. Just love this!
On our way back towards San Salvador, we pull over on the side of the road to grab some fresh coconut water. I had been telling Edgardo that I used to love getting one on the way to or from the airport, and he knew we’d be leaving so early tomorrow, that the likelihood of finding a coconut vendor would be next to none. So, eagle-eye Edgardo spots a coconut stand, and we all get out and ask for 3 coconuts. Hacked open just a few feet from us with giant machetes, and the water expertly drained into a plastic bag by a woman directly in front of us, I ask myself, “if this isn’t living, then what is?” Hehe. There is nothing more refreshing than fresh coconut water. It’s so tasty and filled with so many electrolytes that after just a few sips, it’s as if my body has been completely recharged. Nature’s miracle! And not to mention the coconut meat, which is dense and nutrious, and fills you up with just a few bites. Back home, I’m sometimes swayed to try a coconut water for sale in a grocery store, but I’ve decided it’s never worth it. Nothing will ever come close to a fresh coconut. That’s something worth traveling for. 🙂
Our next stop is a quick jaunt through the Centro Historico of El Salvador. We hoped to make it into the El Rosario church to see the beautiful colors inside, but alas, it was closed. We figured being Sunday, it’d be open, but it wasn’t. Womp Womp. So we head over to the cathedral, which, according to google, is also closed. But, we’re in luck! We walk in, and I explain a bit about the iconic San Romero, and there near the altar of the church, on the right, were two giant paintings of him. How cool was it to San Romero there, watching over the congregation.
After the center, we went up to Los Planes de Renders for a view of the city and the volcano, and well, one last pupusa dinner! Woohoo! Hehe. I loved the pupusas here, and we had a good time relaxing after another long, full day. The t-shirts the staff were wearing were epic, and I decided I needed one, lol. The front was simple, with just the name of hte place: Boomwalos, but the back of the shirt said “I ❤ pupusas,” with the heart being a pupusas split in half, to create the heart shape. So when we went to pay, I asked to check out a couple of sizes, and I snagged one. So happy! “A mi me gustan las pupusas….” 🙂
Before heading back to the hotel, we wanted to stop by a supermarket, and Edgardo brought me to the one I used to walk to all the time from Fundahmer. It was such a blast from the past walking inside hehe. Our goal was to just grab a couple of Cadejos to sample and head back to the hotel to get some work done. We have an early morning tomorrow and a flight to a surprise country! Hehe. Any guesses where?🧐🤔🙃
Taking Off With Amelia 