Five bus rides later we find ourselves in the town at the highest elevation in El Salvador. Searching for a comfortable climate we also scored a delightful small town and a great room!
Again today people were very helpful to point us in the right direction as we made our way eastward along Central America's Highway #1. Our first destination, San Vicente, proved disappointing, we took a couple of photos, visited the church (a safe spot to pull out the iPad to seek instructions on how & where to travel next) & boarded the next bus.
The ride to Alegria brought us up higher & higher to another puebla beside a lake, another one in a crater of a volcano. The coffee grown here is outstanding and chocolate is another speciality so I know we will have a nice stay here.
Roberto, the innkeeper & chocolate maker, is full of smiles. He is eager to make sure all is well, and it is.
We purchased some art this afternoon, here is our new painting with the artist. He was born in Ataco from where I posted the colorful murals earlier this week, he painted some of the ones I photographed!
Our last day in Suchitoto was full of activities. We visited the Museum of Peace run by a Catholic nun. She worked with local young people to create a small museum which highlights the First Peoples in the areas, the Pupiles. They grew the plant used for indigo colors and still that is a popular crop for the area which explains the many blue tiedye clothing options available for sale.
The history of the beginning of Suchitoto as the capitol city of El Salvador was also explained.
We watched a series of CNN video reports from the 1980's graphically showing the effects of war in the area which was heavily assaulted from planes firing indiscriminately, trained and armed by the US Government. It was very disturbing footage. So many people lost loved ones, and for what purpose? Civil War is horrific.
The magic of traveling happened to us again as we heard our names called in the main square. Jan & Laura were having their lunch on the plaza. We first met them on the shuttle from Hell ride from Guatemala to El Salvador. Our second unexpected reunion was in Juayua and then again in Suchitoto. We haven't seen many gringos on the road here in El Salvador but we have seen these young Belgians now in three separate locations!
The four of us took a quick bus ride to the lake where we sat and watched the world float by as birds of many kinds flew overhead.
After returning back to our hostel to show off the great view we all went to a local theater production of The Imaginary Invalid by Moliere. Suchitoto's sister city of Toronto works with volunteer from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to give local students from Suchitoto and nearby pueblas an dramatic experience. The play was great; the students had created all the scenery, costuming and they were very good actors. They had worked with the group from Canada for the last eight months and it showed! Unfortunately as the first act ended, the rain began. Soon it was a major downpour and all of the scenery had to be pulled off the open air stage and the audience went for cover. We had fun talking with the director, her assistants, and some of the volunteers from Canada hoping for the rain to stop, but it didn't. When they decided to call "curtain" for the night we went out looking for a dry spot to have some dinner.
Keith went frog catching as we tried to keep our feet dry on the flooded cobblestone roads. The frogs, which are huge~ double the size of my fist, hide in the waterspouts untill it rains and out they come with the water. How we laughed when Keith ran down the street after this big one!
Life just got better here in the courtyard of Entre Piedras Hotel as Roberto's father offered me one of their palm-sized artisan chocolates, super yum! And did I mention the live music all over this tiny town...love it!
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