At Home in El Salvador

Last year we went to El Salvador to visit our friend Ligia and her lovely family and friends. First we flew to Guatemala City. We visited Antigua Guatemala and then we got a bus from Guatemala City to San Salvador.

On our bus there was an American tourist travelling across Central America by herself. In the Guatemala border our bus was delayed because the officers were trying to get money from the American lady (they try to take money from everyone but Americans get much higher quotes). Travelling with an American passport can be a hassle in many countries. After a long negotiation, they settled for $20 (it started at $200). And we could keep our trip towards El Salvador. 

We spent our first night in a small village called Armenia where Ligia is originally from. It's a short drive from San Salvador, just 50 minutes away. 

Since our visit coincided with the semana santa, there were some festivities. This was a very unique moment to learn more about local culture. And of course, food. In Delmy's house there was always great food. I still recall a soup with shrimps that I ate there and it was delicious.

In the following days we went to several places. Godofredo took us to the Santa Ana Volcano. We did a short trek and enjoyed the views over the volcano. Such a beautiful place!

Rarely we have the opportunity of staying with a local family and spend some time with locals. In this trip we spent all the time with locals learning more about their life and about El Salvador.

Delmy was always checking if we were eating enough and she was always providing us with the best that Salvadorian cuisine has to offer. We had the finest food. 

La Ruta de Las Flores is a must see in El Salvador. It's a group of charming small villages with beautiful colonial churches, traditional architecture, surrounded by mountains and where you can enjoy good coffee and taste good food. In Juayua they organize a food festival every weekend. We also had some food there. Very simple but tasty. We went for lunch to a restaurant with Ligia and Melissa which was simply outstanding.

We visited El Salvador's downtown by ourselves. And in a few occasions we took public transportation. People were always nice and welcoming with us. We never felt in danger but we are aware that El Salvador is facing many challenges namely related with gang violence. I hope things change quickly and this very kind people can have a better future.