El Salvador..... Mr. Vulcan meets the Pacific

Pacific Coast of El Salvador

Well the Vulcan 750 has carried us to the Pacific Ocean! I am grateful for that. We have been over some roads and thru some conditions that an enduro would have been challenged with. Just being at the Pacific brings up memories of the past, and makes me think of the countless lifestyles and cultures that make a living at its edge. It really is awe inspiring when you think how big it is, how far it stretches, and the impact it has on the planet and so many lives, animal as well as plant.

I did not know what to expect when I reached El Salvador. I had images of the movie El Salvador, or the book, or of revolutions, or a very militaristic society much like or worst then the two countries I had just passed thru. The one thing I did know was they took dollars, and at the border they did not charge me for bringing my bike in. And that they actually seemed to make an effort to welcome tourists.

Like much of my trip I can only comment on what I experienced. As mentioned before a lot of this trip going down was to try to get to Costa Rica as fast as I could. This trip with dental work and Spanish lessons hoping to be transferred back to school in the states for credit were big reasons for the trip to begin with, and were waiting for me in Costa Rica. So I had to keep moving.

I avoided large cities, I did not have the time to make significant detours to great places like the pyramids for example, or seek them out on this trip. Though going back and doing future trips will be built differently. All I can say is El Salvador felt really good to me. The roads were very good, traffic light, and especially along the Pacific Coast it felt almost touristy, almost.

This was my seventh day (technically hour wise my 6th) since I left Texas, I had put on about 1500 miles since then and had driven really hard, thru some of the hardest driving I've ever done, trying to make some kind of time. To now be on gently winding roads that hugged the coast, and would go thru 400 meter long caves cut out of old volcanic rock, the whole road almost all in shade, it just felt too good. And the problem is looking at the map, El Salvador's coast is not that long, it was not going to last long, so I really did try to make the whole country last as long as I could. An oasis from what came before and what was to come.

A common scene, cows heading down a highway

As I continued on, what looked like a group of bicyclists climbing the mountain, waved to me and acknowledged that I was from somewhere else as well. It was the first time on the whole trip I felt like I ran into other tourists. And it made me feel like I was in even more of an oasis. After dodging a few cows on the road, for the umpteenth time (and I'll tell you, you haven't motorcycled until you've hit a fresh cow pie on the highway going 50 mph, talk abut the shit hitting the fan) I came along a surfers hostel, and a blonde surfer waling down the road with his board, I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore. This area was so nice, it was hard not to stop and take a day to change my oil, do some work on my web site, and just relax. The problem is once you realize you've passed maybe the best place your going to see for 500 miles your already so far past it its hard to turn back. So instead of taking a day off, I decided to just take my time and just enjoy being in this very different space.

Restaurant overlooking the Pacific

So I stopped at a great little place on the hill with a fantastic view of the Pacific. The guy running the place spoke a little English, and they even had their specials in English. We talked a little, and then he put Bob Marley on, "just for me" he said. He was very nice, and he and the lady who cooked seemed to have a long day ahead of them. There were 3 or 4 of these places in a row on the bluff and they were all empty except for me. I had a eggs, beans and tortillas, bottled water and a salad with really good salsa over everything, price, $4.....I left a $2 tip for them both, thanked them and was on my way. I thought, god if only my whole trip was as easy as this day was turning out to be.

I drove thru La Libertad which is on the east end of this coastal part of the highway, still wondering if I should turn back or not and take a day off at the surfers hostel. But I decided to press on, I knew I wasn't going to tackle the Honduras border that night, but there would be more good places ahead to hang out anyway, and on my way back thru, that will be a definite resting spot.

Unfortunately the coast turned away at Libertad and parted ways with the highway. Shortly after that I got lost for awhile, I knew I was lost, and I really didn't care, it was that sort of a day. I really didn't want to leave El Salvador. Guatemalan and Mexican roads had taken a lot out of me.

Common Group Travel, Everybody jumps into the back of a truck

After asking directions once and then having another guy come up to me named Carlos at a gas station offering help in English I got back on track. I could not say enough about people being friendly in El Salvador. Again this was my experience, I didn't go into San Salvador its largest city, or other parts of the country, but where I was I got a sense like at the border I was not only welcome, but that I was almost understood to some degree. One of the upsides to tourism is it not only brings money into the local economy, but also provides local people with exposure to other cultures then their own, and begins to, mainly thru progressive government practices, open minds and opportunities hopefully in positive ways. And we're not talking about bus loads of tourists running over everything they see, and showing disrespect for the culture their visiting. I saw a big difference in a small pocket of a vast area I had been covering due to some apparently progressive policies by its government that helped promote a measure of tourism. It was an interesting contrast to the places that didn't. And to me as tourist of course, felt a whole lot better.

As I was going thru Usulutan I found a place to change my oil, something that was a priority if I could find the right place. I filled up at a station that had a garage next to it and pointed to some oil on a rack and then my engine, saying I wanted three or four quarts and then I pointed to the garage. Actually all I wanted to do was buy the oil, and see if I could borrow a pan to drain it into and see if they would take it. Well he whistled over to the garage and two guys came over. They signaled me to pull it over to them. I tried to tell them all I wanted was a pan, but they started working on it anyway. They took me back to the gas station and kept shaking there heads that 4 quarts would be no good. Buy 5 it would be cheaper. At first I didn't want to, but quickly realized they were right, that's the way I always buy it in the states....

It was $22 for a five quart container. I shook my head at the $5 a quart price. The last one I bought at Walmart was $12. for a 5 quart container. I couldn't believe it was that much. As it was gas in Guatemala and El Salvador were both above $3 a gallon, which already surprised me. I agreed, what else could I do, then the one guy pointed to an off brand which was $7 cheaper. I kind of regret taking it, oil like shoes is one of the few things you probably shouldn't scrimp on, but I took the cheaper one. I had to admit these guys were doing everything they could to save me money.

So back over to the shop, we drain the oil, change the filter which I had one that I brought with me, I should say they do everything, and when their done I ask them how much I owe them, they say nothing, I bought the oil. I can't believe it. I am so grateful just to get this job done and not have to worry about it, I feel I need to give them something. I had two brand new one gallon gas tanks I brought along in case there was a shortage of gas stations (there never was) on the trip. I could really us the space so I just give them both to them. They cost about $5 a piece. So for $10 bucks I get my oil changed.

Last year when I went out east and stopped by a dealer they charged me $85 to change the oil. They had a disposal fee, a standard $45 oil change fee, the oil fee, and a $70 an hour labor fee. These guys came out and were more then willing just to help out. Like the Guatemalan family who for $4 made sure I was full, and I know I could have had more if I wanted to at no charge. Its just refreshing to know there's people out there willing to help that don't expect something out of it. Or their business is not set up to just make money, no exceptions......

So not wanting to be done with the ocean yet, or the day, I took a detour south to a place called El Cuco. I was getting close to the Honduras border, night was coming and I thought well maybe I can find that place on the beach yet. After following a winding road up and then back down to a small local resort village located on the ocean. As I parked my bike by the covered eating areas just before the beach, a pretty local came over and asked if I was hungry, she then pointed to my bike and pointed to a covered area where I thought she was offering me to park it. I said no I wasn't hungry, and I gestured I just wanted to walk down to the beach and take a look. It was a beautiful beach, the village was small and crowded, and it was like everyone was jammed into a couple of blocks. I had not doubt the night would be pretty interesting for anyone staying.

As I walked back to my bike the lady and now a guy showed me some rooms. They actually looked like shower stalls, or just places to change your clothes to go swimming. They didn't have bottoms or tops to the doors. Had just an over head light, and one hammock in the middle of the room. I think there was a common bathroom. They told me I could stay there for $6 a night. It was so close to the path to the beach, and basically the whole town itself partying all night, I couldn't imagine how you could get any sleep (which I'm sure wasn't the goal anyway), or where my bike and all my gear would be safe. I didn't want to offend the proprietors, but I just wasn't ready for that local of experience yet. Maybe my next trip. After a week in the wilds I was ready to splurge on a place with a pool, Internet and some safety.

The new port being built in La Union

So I continued up the road and on to the town of La Union, a city where their building a huge new port which will take most of the freight coming in on the east side of the country. I knew this would be the last stop before Honduras and I know I needed a day off to recuperate. Well I took two days off, caught up with some writing and posting. In fact this was the first Internet I had access to since Texas.

The Comfort Inn in La Union

I was able to do some laundry, eat in the hotel, and work on my writing. That's about all I did for two days. I think the hotel staff thought I was a recluse or something. But I would come out for dinner, just put everything on a card in order to save cash, and then go back to work. At $53 a night it was as much as I paid on the whole trip.

One of "my" security guards. Actually they were all quite friendly and were all interested in the bike. As were most people down here. Many had never seen a bike this big.

The place had 3 security guards with weapons at all times patrolling, I think I felt safe. One day they had a pipe break and some construction guys were working on it out in the hallway till 11 at night. I thought they were going to work on it all night. It was hard to call long distance most times, the phones were tied up. The alarm clock went off and wouldn't stop. The remote for the t.v. stopped working. It just seemed it was kind of one thing after another.

The strange thing was the staff just gave excellent service, as good as any 4 or 5 star hotel in the states. It was almost too good, like their jobs depended on it. In the bar and restaurant I ate to Pink Floyd and Bob Marley, but no one in there spoke English as far as I could tell. I talked to one waiter and he said he worked on a tour ship for 9 years. And you could tell, everything about him was just right. I just kept thinking in the states this would just be a middle to upper end hotel, but here even with all its technical problems there was an air that it was trying to be top of the line. Its like the service didn't match the environment or something. And for El Salvador their prices probably are top of the line for the most part. I'm sure I would feel the same way on a cruise ship, but the whole experience just sort of left me feeling like I didn't fit in, though I used it for what I needed it for.It seemed like the traveling business person is who their catering to, but I didn't see a lot of them either.It all just seemed a little out of kilter, but then again, I'm not an average tourist on this trip either!

Me after my RR ready to hit the road again

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