El Salvador

El-Salvador

Central America

Impressions of Suchitoto

After a long day of travel via bus, boat and van we arrived to the colonial town of Suchitoto. Nestled in the mountains of the north of the country, Suchitoto is perched on the edge of an impressive artificial lake called Suchitlan Lake, also known as Embalse Cerron Grande.

The next day at a city tour we learned a bit about the tragic history of this small town (it was scene to crual crimes during the civil war) and set off into the nearby nature preserve. We hiked to a lookout and a waterfall called "Los Tercios", which is famed for its unique composition of hexagonal blocks of stone along a vertical wall.

On the way to El SalvadorIMG_1534 IMG_1542 IMG_3022 IMG_3026 IMG_3133 IMG_20140614_122828 IMG_20140614_122951 IMG_20140615_085831 IMG_20140615_093811_1 IMG_20140615_095013 IMG_20140615_100107 IMG_20140615_102323 IMG_20140615_105633Painting on jeans trousers (a lot of cow boys around here)IMG_20140615_113159 IMG_20140615_115457 IMG_20140615_120719 The biggest church in Central AmericaIMG_20140615_121802 IMG_20140615_123627


Impressions of Ataco

Ataco is a small town and the home to some talented artisans who have painted bright murals throughout town (see the pictures). We walked around the city, did some shopping and during a coffee tour we learned how coffee is made. Apparently, some of the worlds best coffee is from the region around Ataco.

A coffee bean is actually a seed of a plant and looks like a cherrie. When dried, roasted and ground, it is used to brew  coffee.

In the evening we went out for dinner and the weather seemed to be up to something. After reaching the typical Pupusa Restaurant, the heavy rain started and a few power failures happened until the lights didn’t turn on again and we waited with candle light in the restaurant for 1 hour but nothing changed. The whole city was pitch black. A Salvadorian boy felt pitty towards us and he told his mother: “ Mummy how would you feel being in a foreign country walking home in the rain and dark”. Therefore the nice mother offered us a ride back to the hotel. Pupusa is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of a thick, handmade corn tortilla that is usually filled with everything you like e.g. spinach, cheese, chicken etc.  

Bright murals throughout townIMG_1558IMG_1561 IMG_1562

Our Hotel in a nearly 360 degree view IMG_20140616_130755

Coffee tourIMG_20140616_151510

Fields where the coffee is driedIMG_20140616_151958

This is an optional process in which any silver skin that remains on the beans after hulling is removed in a polishing machineIMG_20140616_153055

The woman remove the defective beans by hand while the beans move along an electronic conveyor beltIMG_20140616_154714

People working in the fieldsIMG_20140617_095418

IMG_20140616_154606

A storm is brewingphoto 1

Romantic dinner by candlelightphoto 2


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *