First Impressions of El Salvador

We weren’t originally even planning to go to El Salvador!

We had popped it aside in our minds into the category of somewhat scary/sketchy places to avoid. That was until we met people who’d been, and couldn’t stop talking about how lovely a place it was and how safe they felt there.

After a little research, we caved and tacked it onto the itinerary. I’m glad we did! It’s a charismatic country with lovely pockets of natural beauty and the national dish of pupusas (fat, sexy, cheesy, stuffed and griddled tortillas) I could eat every day till I die!

Our first stop was the city of Santa Ana. The main square is sweet and charming with a gleaming white cathedral and pastel pink and green buildings, however overall I wouldn’t recommend spending time here.

In all honesty there’s just nothing much to see or do. If I were to describe Santa Ana in a word, that word would be underwhelming. It makes a good base for visiting Santa Ana Volcano and as a jumping off point for heading to Lake Coatepeque, but isn’t a standalone destination.

Our first real destination was Lago de Coatepeque. The water is well, to use the cliché, like a warm bath! And in this case, it’s not even just a cliché, the simply gorgeous, turquoise, crater lake is warmed by underwater volcanic vents, our very own natural hot tub! Swimming in it is not like anywhere else I’ve ever been.

Any time spent on the water was time well spent. Our two highlights were paddle boarding and jet skiing. The paddleboard was free to use at the hostel with the caveat that there was only one of them which made for a funnier and wobblier shared experience!

I was a bit dubious about getting on the jet ski, my ashen nervous face the opposite of Joe’s pink with excitement and smiling from ear to ear. Oh, how I screamed. It felt so unstable like you were going to capsize at any minute, but once I got used to it and realised the opposite was true, it was perfectly safe and stable my screams of terror turned to screams of delight. It was like the world’s best fairground ride with the most incredible views and by far the best way to see the lake.

Next up, volcano time! We got up extra early to get the one and only bus to get to Santa Ana Volcano in time for the tours. We met a group of other gringos (I love how we all started calling each other gringos; it tickles me), an American, a Canadian, and a French guy (no, not the beginning of a joke). They were all speaking to each other in Spanish for practice which I found pretty endearing. Joe nodded and smiled. It was far too early to practice Spanish. I gave it my best shot, but it wasn’t long before we ran out of steam and descended back into English.

Things were a little confusing off the bus, it wasn’t clear where to go but we muddled through and somehow managed to find our way and latch onto to a guide and group.

The hike was pleasant, just simple, pretty, and easy going. It was much quicker and easier than I had anticipated but then again we joked that every hike was going to be easy after the monstrosity that was Fuego (A tough volcano we tackled in Antigua). “It’s no Fuego!” ended up becoming somewhat of a trip catchphrase.

The views were gorgeous from the top, in one direction a young volcano, black and ashen, and in the other the striking cobalt blue of Lago de Coatepeque, where we had just spent a few days enjoying the water, swimming to our heart’s content.

Between the two was rolling emerald greenery.

At the top of Santa Ana was something I’d never seen before, a colour like no other. A colour that I couldn’t quite believe existed in nature. A turquoise that was somehow both vivid and milky at the same time. It almost looked photoshopped.

There were plumes of sulphur smoking from its areas of the surface bubbling like a witch’s cauldron, ripples of paint streaking through it.

The crater lake was enriched with strips of rock in stripes of slate, maroon, and chalky corals. You could see the shadows of the clouds so close above moving across. It was truly mesmerising.

It was at this point we realised that guide and group had left us behind and worried that we might get caught without a guide (it wasn’t permitted) we scrambled back down the mountain.

There were police on the mountain, a strange sight, particularly at this moment as they sat happily licking ice creams. They are here to prevent robberies so common against tourists on hiking trails in Central America.

On the way back down, we caught up with our newfound friends from the bus. Laughing at silly things and chatting about everything and nothing on the way back down was one of my favourite memories. It was also one of my biggest regrets, just the fact that we never asked for their numbers to meet up again.

A lesson for future us. If you find good people when you’re traveling, you should try and hold on to them, even if it’s only for an extra day or two or even just a meal that evening. Good company takes a good experience and makes it a great experience.

As far as first impressions go, if this is only the beginning, then El Salvador, sign me up!

Thank you for reading! Hearts and tips are always welcome, and your support is very much appreciated.

This story was originally published on Medium

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