Seeing the Sites

A while back it began to dawn on me that I have been here over two years at this point and still haven't done many of the things that everyone says are "must sees" in El Salvador. It always sort of happens like that I think. You spend so much time just living and trying to fit in that you forget that you can be a tourist in your own back yard. I mean it wasn't until I was ready to run off to college that I got out and really started to see lots of LA that people from anywhere else think of. Well I decided that with so little time left, it was now or never.



So I called up one of my friends and planned a day out in Juayua. For a brief background, Juayua is a pueblo in the middle of the tallest mountain range in El Salvador and located on what has been deemed the Route of Flowers because of the beautiful scenic nature of the road and the flowers that bloom there year round. Every weekend there is a huge food festival and market in the town square in Juayua, which although I have been to Juayua, I have never managed to get to before. Nearby there are natural waterfalls that flow not from any river, but directly out of the volcanic soil that makes up the mountains. I got up early, met Kelsey in Sonsonate and headed out to hike the waterfalls and then eat to our hearts content.

Along the way we ran into some friends who told us about an archeological site in the middle of a coffee plantation just up the road and decided we had the time and energy to go there as well. It is the site of former Mayan sacrifice and worship. It dates back to the pre-classical period here in El Salvador, and although the vast majority of artifacts have either been removed to the national museum or the owners personal museum, there are still three rock idols remaining and the footprint of the worship area. The idols are round and not of local rock, which indicates that they were moved from a great distance and intentionally set in their positions.



When all was said and done it and done it started to rain while I was headed home. I also missed the last bus into my site, which meant that I had to walk it. I had never attempted that road on foot, only on bus or bike. So I threw on my headlamp and trekked back home with 10 pounds of dog food on my back, rain on my clothes and a smile on my face. I actually managed it in around 35 minutes and beat the bus home.

I would do it all again too.