El Salvador

I wanted to make it to Santa Ana the same day. That was not really realistic because I had a long breakfast with some guys I met up for the 4th time on this trip (first in Tulum, Then in Belize and in Tikal). So, I had to stop for a night before a border crossing. I needed all my strength for that enterprise. I did not how much of the strength I actually needed back than. So, I settle for a little dirty Guatemalan town called Jutiapa (Khootiapa). I found a cheap dirty hotel for same price I would’ve found a 3 star hotel in a touristier place. In any event, all I needed is just one night. So, I stayed and in return for bad service, couple of huge roaches in my room and a deficient in of water I shit a full toilet without flashing (there was no water) and took off. I hoped on the bus to Santa Ana, pleased with myself and was punished soon after.
The border crossing… The last time I had to do it was in Belize and I as so overwhelmed with the complexity of it and gaining $30 let me think that I could pass through without paying the Guatemalan officials. I did, however, it was a mistake. El Salvadorian border police did not want to let me in. they said that I lack the entry stamp to Guatemala. I was outraged. First I played dump and said that it was not my fault that they did not give it to me, and then I pleaded for help. They did not care, I was told to go back to Belizean border or to Guatemala City to get the stamp and pay the penalty for illegal entry. I could not believe that I had to go back to Belizean border; that was 3 days away, and I hated Guatemala City, I hated them all. I went back to Guatemalan side and ask for help there, they could not help me. Then finally I’ve remembered whom I was dealing with. I showed the Guatemalan official the money and after some collaboration I finally got my stamp. It looked like I entered Guatemala on April 14, in fact, it was March 24. I also was told to go around and use another border crossing. That only took me additional 3 hours and I had to pass through Jutiapa. I made a big loop, entered El Salvador and when everything was normal I made another wrong move. I decided to change my quetzals to dollars (Salvadorian currency) with a moneychanger. Well, he obviously fucked me over on $18. I still can’t believe that. I could not get over the whole Salvadorian experience. They obviously did not want me there, no wonder, that nobody visits this country. Later I’ve realized that was a payback, from the government and from the moneychangers and the Jutiapa, or just simply, me being stupid. Whatever the cause, I paid for it all.

Santa Ana - San Salvador
Pretty. The outside of the neo gothic cathedral looked very nice. The theater was cute. I got inside for $0.50 got some really cool pictures. They had a Muppet show this Saturday but I decided to watch something else in San Salvador I heard that they a good theater there. Before that, I went to another cute little town called Sonsonate, where I got my Jesus sandals fixed up for 25 c and had a meal of rice and 2 pork roulettes, fried with eggs, some salad, 0.75 liter Tropicana and another regular bottle of Coke, all that for $2. Then I took off the same day to San Salvador. I got lost looking for the guest house mentioned in my guidebook. I was cruising in the western part of San Salvador in circles in yelling that it could not be that complicated. Nobody knew shit in that town. Finally, I got a pickup track dropped me off in front of the door of the guest house I thought did not even exist. In the excitement I forgot my guidebook in the truck but it was too late. I spent 3 days in that hotel. I was waiting for him to come back and return my book. I was listening to the cars passing by and watching out of the window like a fairy tail princess in the tower who is waiting for her prince to come and rescue her. He never showed up.
El Salvador, and particularly its capital seemed completely abandon by tourists. All the people I saw up until I got that hotel were Salvadorians. But there was a surprise. 22 Christians on a mission to help organize orphanages in El Salvador were in the hostel. Almost all were Americans. That was quite a culture shock. First I talked about god and Jesus to a sweet man who did not believe in American doctors, he was the owner of Santa Ana’s hotel, then these guys. There was one; his name was Brian, really smart one. We ended up talking about religion for hours. Then they took me to dinner to a Metro Center a huge mall in the center of San Salvador (the biggest in Central America) terrible picture. Anyway, Jesus fed me with an overpriced blue cheese burger in one of the American restaurants, and he even paid for it. I had another severe attack of diarrhea next morning. They also took me to a football game, when they were playing against a minor Salvadorian league. I refused to play. I still remember the pain from the time when I climbed down that damn volcano, the pain lasted 4 days, during which I could not bend my knees. The also invited me to the church the following Sunday. But instead I went with another Christian American. He was not with a group. He used to live in El Salvador during the civil war. So, he took his nephew and me to show the house he used live in Panchimalco. The house was destroyed by the earthquake, so he showed the remains and the view. It was spectacular. Later we went to the “Playa Conchalio” which on the Pacific coast. There was a beach with black volcanic sand.