Suchitoto

Trip Start Jan 04, 2008
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Trip End Jul 16, 2008


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Flag of El Salvador  ,
Friday, May 2, 2008

Our next destination was Suchitoto, an old colonial town with cobblestone streets and a representation of what El Salvador was like before the war.  For those of you that don´t remember, El Salvador went through a brutal civil war lasting over a decade and ending with a peace treaty in 1992.  It was a quaint little town with vendors and food stands around the town center.  A fountain marked the middle and a beautiful old cathedral sat on the Eastern side.  Adrienne and I spent the evening snacking on homemade pastelitos (a dough stuffed with potatoes and veggies in the shape of a crescent roll and deep fried) and people watching.  There was a scattering of gringos but not many.  We stayed at a lady´s dirty house, Casa Rubia´s.  Filthy but cheap. 
In the morning we hiked to what used to be a waterfall, but there is currently no water.  Regardless, it was a sight to see.  The rock formation alone was worth the hike; hexagonal spires probably 75 ft tall Building on the square
Building on the square
 .  We also came across a view of the lake near Suchitoto which was also beautiful. 
 
We spent the rest of the day crossing the countryside by bus.  El Salvador is rather off the beaten path and we enjoyed being the rarity.  Briefly, we rode through San Salvador, the country´s capital.  We passed the poorest living conditions that I have ever seen... acres upon acres of huts made out of sticks and plastic.  It was worse than the poverty I witnessed in Lima, Peru.  Right across the street was a large mall and Pizza Hut.  What a country of inequalities! We were also stranded in the San Miguel bus station for a bit and I was happy to leave!  El Salvador has an unfortunately high rate of gang activity but we were careful and stayed safe.  
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