I had a wonderful time in Mexico, most of which was spent in the La Paz, Sea of Cortez and Mazatlan. I met many wonderful people along the way, most of which were other cruisers and also some very wonderful local folks. One in particular is Alvira who works in the Marina office in Mazatlan. She is able to make everyone's stay in Mexico a wonderful experience.
A new chapter now begins to unfold. Central America is similar to Mexico in many ways as Canada is to United States but under the surface you find that the countries and their people are very different. The first difference is the food. Sorry El Salvadorians, but the food in Mexico is better. Next you recognize that most of the Central American countries are poor making Mexico seem rich in comparison. There is a lot of security here in form of men standing in the doorway of all businesses holding a big gun. People pass without giving a second notice. The national currency here is the American dollar. They changed to this currency in 2001. I will report back to you after I find out the reasons for the change. Many people resisted since it caused an increase in inflation. There are several volcanoes in El Salvador. It is reported that they have more volcanoes per square mile than any other country in the world. Finally, if any of you had visited Mexico 30 or more years ago you would find many changes visiting today. If you were to visit El Salvador today you would say it reminds you of Mexico back in the 80's.
I am docked in a marina that belongs to the Hotel Bahia del Sol. They are working hard to reach out to cruisers and invite them to stop here rather than pass it by as many have in years past. One reason for passing is the bar that one must pass through to enter the lagoon. You are cautioned NOT to enter without an escort. The only time that you can enter is slack at high tide. The waters, well of the shore, are shallow and as the swell enters the entrance the waves transform into big breakers that at times can be compared to the north shore at the island of Hawaii. The management here is giving discounts to all cruisers that stop by. The fees for the marina is 50 cents a foot per day. There are mooring available for $5 per day and you can anchor for free where the holding is good. Food is 30% off already cheap prices and you can use their pool and showers. The hotel here is very nice and today I am treating myself and renting a room for one evening. Air conditioned with television and movies. YEA.
This is a small breaker coming up from behind. The breakers during low tide where MUCH larger. That is the reason that I am puckered up in the second photo. I didn't have time to turn around to see what was coming, nor did I want to know. Just hang on and hope for the best.
Buses here are a treat. They are colorful, and noisy. We call them chicken buses since people will bring their favorite chicken with them on-board.
The horn you hear in the video is used to alert riders that the bus is approaching. What you may not hear over the noise is the load music that they also play. Boring is not the word that you would use to describe riding a bus down here.
Speaking of chickens, here they are. This is a small restaurant on the beach that advertises fresh eggs and fresh fried chicken the the menu. These birds are about to be served up.
I took one of these buses into San Salvador, the capitol of El Salvador. The churches as you see are just as grand as they are in Mexico but the architecture is much different and less ornate.
Sorry for the photo on the side.
As in Mexico, there is and area in each city that is called market central . This translates to downtown. Here the central market is much larger that what I experienced in Mexico. It covers many blocks and you can find everything here that one might need from pig heads to a new scarf and matching shoes.
Back in the lagoon where I am at anchor, I took the dingy up to a little village about 4 miles up to the north. There is a central market there where one can find fresh produce and some meat and clothing. The town takes you back many years to when things were very simple. I thought I had seen every style of taxi ever built in Mazatlan but I was wrong. These are scooters with a cab attached. We visited the one bakery in town that supplies bread for the area. The bread was very tasty. The ovens where the bread is baked are large stone caverns that reach back around ten feet or more. They are fired by wood and they retain their heat for long periods because of the thickness of the walls.
These are photos of the bakery
The oven
I am going on a tour, possibly next week, that will take me through old ruins in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras which will be posted in my next blog.
As I wrote earlier, I am tonight in a nice hotel air conditioned room with internet connectivity. I think I have died and gone to heaven. Tomorrow I return to the boat in the high heat and humidity. Until then I am enjoying every moment. My crew mate has moved onto another boat going south to Costa Rica so I have my boat to myself again. As I am moved to, I do a few things on the boat that need attention or preventative maintenance as I prepare for when I return to sea. I have a rule. I do no more than two tasks a day and they must be finished by 9:30 in the morning. If I have not finished the tasks by 9:30, I quit and finish them the next day. Life is good.
Well that is all for now. Until next time, be safe out there.
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