It was just a short trip, but El Salvador made a strong enough impression on me that I was sad to board my flight out of the country. A few odds and ends from El Salvador:
Update
Since writing about the mangos in my Juayúa post, I've been told that the seasoning I couldn't decipher is called alguashte and is made from a seed. But the most important thing is that it tastes really good!
Buses
Remember riding the bus to school? If you've ever felt nostalgic for those days, head to El Salvador where the buses are all old school buses from Canada and the US. I rode buses from Minnesota, Georgia, and Ontario during my trip. And while the seats were just as uncomfortable as I remembered from childhood, most of the drivers had put in some serious time into personalizing their buses with stickers and paint jobs (my favorite motif was probably Bugs-Bunny-meets-Jesus but this particular ride was unfortunately too short for me to dig out my camera for photographic evidence!). I also appreciated the vendors who came aboard and sold me plantain chips. Where were they when I was eleven?
Costs
Living is very affordable in El Salvador for Westerners. A dorm bed is around $10 US, meals are just a few dollars, and you can cover long haul bus fare with the spare coins in your pocket. Hiking and the beach cost next to nothing, so the activities won't kill your budget.
Hospitality
I've been extremely fortunate in my travels to meet lots of kind and helpful people, but I always felt like people in El Salvador genuinely wanted me to have a great time in their country. From a Salvadorian friend in New York putting me in touch with her local family to the strangers I met at the waterfall one day who invited me to go hiking with them the next day once we started to chat, I always felt safe and welcome.
Pupusas
A pupusa is the typical dish of El Salvador. Similar to a quesadilla in concept, it's made of a thick corn tortilla and typically filled with a combination of cheese, refried beans, and meat, and is accompanied by a vinegary cabbage blend and salsa for condiments. I ate at a place where they happily made me vegetarian pupusas with cheese, refried beans, spinach, and corn. The cost for this satisfying meal? $2.
San Salvador
I kept postponing my visit to the capital since I was enjoying myself so much everywhere I stayed that I never did get to see it! I managed a brief glimpse of the city only because my taxi driver when I first arrived took me to a lookout where I snapped this photo. There's a surprising amount to see and do in the capital, so I'll be sure to spend some time there on my next trip to El Salvador!
