We woke up at 5AM to see the little turtles. We had been given instructions, "casa #21". The casas were not numbered that we saw, but we continued on our way in hopes of finding the man with the turtles.
I am by no means a morning person, but there is something so fresh about the mornings here. When the air is cool and kind in El Salvador, you can't help but be grateful.
We did indeed find the man with the turtles. He goes by "Pajarito", which means "little bird". He had a bucket of tiny turtles, recently hatched. We had the privilege of putting each of them in the water, watching them move their little arms trying to swim, and finally being carried away by the waves.
We went to Playa San Diego to celebrate Chris' birthday. It was a great adventure, and nice to have some variety in our scenery. Suchitoto is beautiful and quiet, which can easily lead to boredom if you don't have a really good book.
We left Suchitoto at 8AM to take the bus to San Salvador, took a taxi to the other special beach bus station (why there are so many bus stations I'll never know). After the taxi we waited for some time for the direct microbus to La Libertad. While we were waiting, we talked to a man who had worked in North Carolina, and watched a wrestling match on the TV. We were riding through a busy street when I asked the people behind me where we could catch the bus to Playa San Diego. "You should get off the bus now," they said. We got off the microbus, made our way through the sea of people, and arrived at our last bus of the day, lucky number 80.
I have never seen so many people selling things on one bus. It is normal in El Salvador for different vendors to hop on and off buses, selling snacks and drinks and mysterious medicine meant to cure every illness. This bus was like a parade of vendors, selling everything from flashlights to bibles to coconuts. I wanted to buy something, to supporrt these people trying to hard to make a living. The hard reality is that you can't help everyone, and the choices were overwhelming!
We hopped off the bus at the school in San Diego to find quiet streets and warm air. Almost everyone out and about was on a bike. We walked 4 blocks or so, down a rocky neighborhood road, and arrived at Hostal El Roble.
The bright colors, hammocks, a menu with real hamburgers. We felt right at home. A woman named DJ from the states was doing a work exchange there, and we spent a good amount of time chatting with her about her experience in El Salvador.
That afternoon after a beautiful time at the beach, we were in search of a coffee. We stopped at a pupuseria to ask if they had coffee. "Already made?" the girl asked. "Yes, already made," I responded. She told us to wait and gave us two chairs. She put water on to boil, hopped on her bike and came back with instant coffee and sugar.
This is a great example of the kindness and attitude of service El Salvadorans have. "You want coffee? Wait here, I'll go buy some and make it for you".
We enjoyed sitting taking in the local street, the chickens and dogs wandering around, the woman making tortillas. It was interesting being at a beach that is not very touristed. If Playa San Diego were in America we'd have lots of condos and bars all along the beachfront!
The next day we had lunch in El Tunco, a surfer town. I was wondering where all the American white people were - now I know they are all surfing. Now, there is nothing wrong with a vacation, but I must admit I am seeing tourism a little different now. If I am going to travel to another country, I'd like to experience as much as I can of that culture and community as I can.
The wonderful gift we have here in El Salvador is time. This tiny country is full of volcanoes, mountains, lakes, beaches, artisans, history. It is great fun to see the natural beauty, and to learn about the struggles and joys of the Salvadoran people.
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