Report from El Salvador

With our host, Karol and her son, at El Zonte


Unloading the bikes from the Monerrico Ferry


The Monterrico Ferry though the lagoon


Hori-Zonte Surf Camp in El Zonte, El Salvador


More of El Zonte

Another one of the guests in El Zonte

February 4/06

Today was a pretty frustrating day. After breakfast and a visit to an internet location (there are plenty here in Antigua) we headed south for Monterrico. Monterrico is Guatemala’s Pacific playground. Even by Central American standards it is very basic.

The frustrating part of the trip happened about ½ way. We had to pass through, or around the city of Escuintla. The signs were confusing so we stopped to ask directions. We stopped at a motorcycle shop, actually a Suzuki dealership, and I went in to ask directions. I thought I understood them, but with the combination of road signs and our map, a heated discussion ensued as to which direction we should proceed. After a few minutes of discussion (argument?) I lost it. I threw down the directions I had received and stomped away saying something like… “That’s it! I’m not ever asking for directions again… etc” Of course I immediately regretted my rant, but the damage was done. To make matters worse we followed the directions I had received and it was not the correct route. There was road work in progress and after 20K the road became impassable for Linda and I. After riding back to Escuintla we eventually found the right road. Apologies over beer in Monterrico smoothed things over.

Monterrico is located on a strip of land that is separated from the mainland by a long lagoon. Short ferries are required to gain access. Unfortunately for us it was the weekend and much to our chagrin, nearly all the hotels were full. We eventually settled on an accommodation solely because it was all that was available. Aesthetically, it left a lot to be desired. We settled in and walked to a nearby beach restaurant for a bite and beer. We had front row seats for a pick up game of beach volleyball between some young local guys. It was great entertainment. These guys were quite athletic. As spectators, we became quite involved, and cheered some excellent play.

Located on the beach is a turtle sanctuary. Each evening at 5:30 they release a few young turtles to the wild. In order to raise money for the sanctuary you can adopt a turtle and perhaps win a T shirt. For 10 Quetzales (approx. $1.50) you are handed a small black turtle. Two lines are drawn in the sand, parallel to the shore, about 1 metre apart. By instinct the turtles run toward the ocean as soon as they are placed on the sand. On a command, you place your turtle on the line most distant from the water. If your turtle crosses the second line first, you win a T shirt. It was good fun, but we didn’t win.

When we returned to the “hotel” we met three fellows sitting in the “courtyard”. We joined them. Between our Spanish and their English we had a great conversation. Soon the hotel owners (a couple) started a fire and began preparing some food. To our surprise we were included in the dinner as well. It was very good. We had steak cooked over the wood fire. It had a distinctive, enjoyable smoky flavour. We talked well into the night. Even though the accommodation was marginal, the hospitality of the owners and the other guests made for a special evening.

February 5/06

Leaving Monterrico was another unforgettable experience. To gain access to the mainland we had to take another ferry. This was a 20 minute trip through crocodile (could be alligator… one or the other) swamp on a shallow draught wooden boat powered by a small outboard motor. To access the boat you had to roll the bikes up wooden planks to a rough plank decking with large gaps between them. In the waterway were areas of floating plant life. Every once in a while the prop on the motor would be come entangled in the plants and slow down. Each time this occurred the operator would raise the prop out of the water to clear it. Linda said that at first she felt like she was on “Survivor” but after we saw a water snake she commented that it now feeling more like “Fear Factor”.

Several boats are on the narrow water way at any given time so one often passes another boat travelling in the opposite direction. Friendly waves all round. Dave has discovered that the offer of a cigarette often works wonders. With a big smile the older fellow operating the boat accepted Dave’s offer. As it turned out we needed help to get the bikes back on dry land. We all had to work together to gets the bikes unloaded when we docked. It was a steep ramp and it would have been all but impossible to roll the bikes up backwards. We managed to get the bikes turned around on the boat and the three of us pushed them up to the roadway. A great adventure… all for the $10. fair.

Next stop was the El Salvador border. All in all a positive experience. As we rolled up to the Guatemala exit point we were approached by a couple of kids wanting to help us. Jen and Dave went first with the help of one of the boys. Next time we won’t need help at the Guatemala-El Salvador border. It is a pretty straight forward procedure. If you have copies of your passport it helps but you will probably have to get Guatemala vehicle permit copied as well. Essentially you have to “exit” (salida) yourself (passport stamped at one office) then “exit” your bike at another. Between these two is a trip to the photocopy person. At this border crossing (on CA2) they were all in close proximity.

When this is complete you head off down the road about a mile to the El Salvador Aduana facility. As we approached this facility we were stopped at a gate and asked to produce our passports and the Guatemala exit documentation. We were then directed to a parking area. Once again there are two offices to visit and forms to complete. (Tourist visas cost $10 US per person.) Here having copies of your passport and vehicle registration saved a trip to the photocopy guy. The El Salvador officials were very helpful. There are signs in the vehicle entry office indicating that there are no fees for the vehicle permit and that you do not need to pay anyone to help you. Both of these were true, the officials were pleasant and helpful . . . to the point of filling out parts of the form for us.

You could be through the border in less than an hour but it took us a couple of hours since we did not want to leave the bikes unattended and could not be processed simultaneously. Perhaps we were too cautious, but better safe than sorry. Oh yes, one other thing. You need a destination in El Salvador in order to get a tourist visa. They would not accept Panama as our destination. Apparently the computer would not accept “Panama”. As luck would have it there were some other Canadians at the border as well. They had just given us a recommendation for a place to stay and the card for a hotel. We used this as our destination in El Salvador, both the official and his computer were happy with that (us too). Paperwork complete we gassed up and head for the recommended destination about and hour and a half down the road.

Our destination was a surfing beach called Playa El Zonte. It was not even on our map so undoubtedly we would have missed it had we not met the other Canuks. The recommended hotel was full but another just across the street was very nice. It is called Hori-zonte Cabins and we highly recommend it. Nice, clean, air conditioned cabins, beautiful grounds, swimming pool, beach restaurant, friendly owners. There is a central communal area with a fridge and stereo. The fridge is stocked with beer, pop, juice and water. It is serve yourself on the honour system. Each day you start a page. Put your name on the top and keep a total of what you took from the fridge. They are not minibar prices either . . . $1.00 for beer, less for pop. We are planning to stay here for a couple of days. Tomorrow we plan to rest up, rent a couple of boogie boards and hit the waves.

February 6/06

Having a great day relaxing in ELZonte. We rented a couple of boogie boards from the hotel and each gave it a try. Dave managed to catch a good wave but the rest of us just got tumbled around in the waves. The bay here is about 1 kilometre wide. The surf comes into the bay at an angle. This creates a rip tide on the opposite side of the bay. I recognized the problem my first time out. I noticed that I had difficulty getting back to shore. The second time I went out, Linda came with me. We talked about the rip tide as we waded into the ocean. I reminded her to stay close to shore but before long, Linda was sailing for Australia on boogie board. I paddled out to help and with additional assistance from a local surfing guide (Walter) and his companion, we worked our way back to shore. Needless to say… Walter was our guest for beer this afternoon.

This hotel is quite special. It would be great place to come for a week or two. You can fly from LA for under $400. and it is a $25. cab ride from the airport. It is quite easy to arrange for a ride or catch a bus to San Salvador for the day. El Salvador uses the US$ for its currency so it is easy to bring cash. However, getting cash in El Salvador is difficult or so we are told. The only bank that has a cash machine is in San Salvador. And as luck would have it, we are running low on cash. In the level of hotel we have used, credit cards are useless. If you came here you might as well leave the credit cards at home. (Later Edit; Actually we found a bank with an instant teller while passing through a town between El Zonte and the Honduras border. Can’t remember the town right now)