Again, I find so many fields up here, even at the top
of many mountains. But I also get access to some wild nature, and some
cattle fields. On a single field, I find three different
Opuntias
and another tall cactus. In the Guava trees,
Back on the serpentineing road, I see a sign warning about tortoises, but I fail to locate one. In one little valley, a little village is found, but here are not many buildings along the road. I find a road, leading even deeper into the mountains, connecting tiny settlements. It is a bit rough, but the car survives once more.
I
I don't get much into the higher green mountains, but
that was not my intension anyway. It is Sunday, and here are hardly any
traffic. As I crosses the large Rio Lempa, a sign show off to a
Mirador. I pass several suspicious suspensions bridges, leading pedestrians to small
settlements, but the gravel road gain height, and I find my self way up in
some remote mountains. Realising I'm driving the wrong direction, I turn around at the pass, and find a single viewing-platform near the river. The view was way better from the bridge! The GPS have another great road in mind, but neither the car, nor me are really voting for the narrow and real long pedestrian "suspicious" bridge! I skip Santa Rosa Guachipilín, and head back to CA-3W again. Well, at least to another gravel road leads into the
mountains. Here are
I make numerous photos of the fantastic looking mountains, but at the end, they kind of look alike in the evening. Never the less, it is a great experience. Around noon, I reach a huge plain, and that draws out the excitement a bit .It is down at 350 metres, and almost completely farmed. Cane is the most common crop, but here are corn and others too, along with some cattle.
Cobblestone roads, old clay houses, flowers everywhere, steep hills and the view over the lake. I find my little and lovely hotel behind the white church, and get a room for $8. Here are just so cosy, with a first floor terrace with a breeze and covered in flowers along with a great view.
Then
I do the streets, alleys, down hills and everything in-between, hoping I
won't miss a single house. Here might be a few smart city cars,
but most are
banged-up pick-ups. Here are even some old tractors. But I hardly seen any One line of houses are just more adorable than the other. If you only are going to visit one town in Central America, this should be the one! I let the camera cool a bit off, when I reach the central square, and enjoy a cup of coffee and a rather good cake.
I
do a little loop more, to get to the famous lake-view. And see just another
old house or two. I find the theatre and the new square, but absolutely
nothing is happening I work until dusk, then I head out on the square and manages to find a huge salad for dinner. The church is lit up, and the square is rather packed. I do a loop, but return to get my jacket. And then I can't talk my self into going out again. Well, I got plenty of work, and the Dakar Rally have started. The Yellow Mountains and lovely Suchitoto.
6/1. The mountains I drive through are real steep, but covered in mainly yellow grass or green trees and bushes. Here are little settlement, and little traffic, but the first part of the road is good. Some of the valleys have small villages, connected by gravel roads.
I still meet the now rather huge Rio Lempa from time
to time. At one point,
After around 50 kilometres, I reach the sealed road
again. However, that does not help much, as one and a half lane have gone is
some stretches. And there are no warning. I have
to have one eye on the road,
another on the real low fuel-meter. Mainly because it is so much downhill, I
make it to Sensuntepeque. This I had planned to stay outside the town, but the car need desperately to be fed, and I can eat on command. The first stint of 100 kilometres have taken four hours. It looks like a fairly big town and cosy too, but I have a long way ahead still, and after I have gassed the car, I find some local lunch in a back-alley, on the way out of town. Another
One hill seems to be endless. I think I looses around
600 metres height on this one alone. It is one smooth decent, but around
many corners. I pass a long lowland, but then it is into the I make it to the second waypoint, and now, I only have around 50 kilometres south by good roads - I thought. Apparently, the GPS want to challenge the car just one more time. It is a real rough road, but it leads through some interesting huge boulders. They are covered in some Selaginella, but the area is small, and I fail to find a place to park. The area is real dry, and here are some cacti as well.
I drop the
car at four, and walk the 1,5 kilometres to the centre of town, as it is the
fastest. In my eager to reach the town before dark, I forget my
Then I find the central square and the rather little church here. I start looking for dinner, but it is too late for the small stands. I end up at PizzaHut, and get an unexpected 2 for 1 offer. Back out on the street, there are the most fantastic sunset behind the volcano - somewhere behind the houses. I am back in the last minutes of daylight. Through more mountains to San Miguel. It is time to start on the last Diary 4 for El Salvador. |
From
at least three species of
orchids sits among the many species of Bromeliads. I make a long stroll,
towards the "maizena" fields and around.
end in San Miguel Ingenio, and turn around, before I end too way off.
The GPS have a great road lined up, but neither the car nor me are really in
for it. I doubt I could get a mule that way! The other way might be gravel,
but durable. And the views to the sides are fantastic!
some large trees flowering. The usual yellow Fabaceae-like,
one with large yellow trumpets, another with yellow. The pink flowering
fence-pole trees are everywhere.
Rio Lempa runs into a huge swamp area, and I drive
along it for a while. Then I turn off towards Suchitoto. Once again, I hit
the mountains on a narrow road. Corn are dried in one lane, cows are
walking the other, and life is tranquil. Then I reach Suchitoto, and
it is adorable!
It seems like the people from San Salvador have found
this little gem, and there are some restaurants around the central square.
However, just around the corner, time have stand still for hundreds of
years. I find a great lunch; a huge pancake folder over cheese and
vegetables along with a pink pineapple juice.
horse wagons in El Salvador, thinking about it. And only a few black
vultures.
here. Then I head home to work a bit. The
sun get low, and
despite i is only a little below 400 metres height, it is a bit nippy in the late
afternoon.
I have an intention of seeing the
north-eastern part of the country, and I start driving around the huge
Embalse Cerron Grande.I see a lot of great views through the trees, and
a few times, I get pictures. Quite some rivers feed the huge lake, and I
stop at Puente Quezalapa. It is pretty much dry, but I see what looks
like a school of the mud-skipper-like fish.
I follow one of these roads, and drive through the few
huts. Then the true adventure starts. It seems like my GPS have several
settings: Pedestrian, bike and default: Kamaz 8x8 Race Truck. This would be a good
road to test such a truck. But; it does lead through so much great looking nature, and
I enjoy the drive - way more than the car. Some of the steeper parts have been
sealed with head-sized round rocks - but some are missing by now.
real remote, when I stop to make a photo, the car
refuses to start again. It is completely dead, and I pop the hood. As I
hoped, it is the cable to the battery, that have gone loose. Nothing a piece
of rusty barbwire and a good rock can't fix. Back on the trail, I finally
make it to the swampy shore of the lake.
have so far been a real beautiful
tour, almost like Chile or Georgia - but I lack the photos. The trees that
alien the road prevents me for making any.
100 kilometres to next waypoint, and this
time, I hope it is by sealed roads. The hills have become more green by now,
even the grass are green on some. Then around the corner, the rocks are
almost barren, and here are Opuntias. I cross Rio Lempa once more, and it is
real wide. The road get low, while the temperature raises. I leave the 6-800
metres to around 100 metres height. It feels like a huge föhndryer blows
into the car.
mountains
again. A new crop start to fill the hills; Sisal agaves. It seems like the
leaves are harvested every year, and the plants continues growing.
I hit the sealed road, and spot the huge
Volcan
Chaparrastique. Despite it is only 2130 metres high, it dominates the
horizon, as it sit on a huge, flat plain. The traffic intensifies, as a I
approach the huge city of San Miguel. I have a hotel on the right side of
the centre, but have quite some problems finding it. I had expected Hotel Europa to have a sign out front....
camera in
the car. I just have to use the iPhone for once. I meet the huge market area
first, and do a few loops in the crammed environment.