El Salvador - summary

It’s so sad that El Salvador’s reputation keeps people away. I had a great time there. From the first night when I camped at Parque El Imposible where I was given a pair of shoes from a guy who had nothing, to my last night at La Palma where the colourful murals put a big smile on my face. People were quick with a smile and a wave, friendly, helpful, generous, humble and I have to say I found the girls very pretty. The beaches were beautiful and I highly recommend La Tortuga Verde as a destination at El Cuco.

 Get hold of the map that colour-codes the ten or so ‘Rutas’ and enjoy the drives. Ruta De Las Flores is world class, even before everything is in bloom. Other rutas take you through volcanic areas, along artisanal trails and more. The coastal road with its twisty bends, views of the coast and tunnels is a great ride.

 With the US Dollar as currency, cost calculations are easy. Food was cheap and tasty, with my food vocabulary extended to include pupusas. Accommodation was easy and cheap. Good quality dorm rooms at hostels are $10 with standout places again being La Tortuga Verde in the east and Casa Verde in Santa Ana.

 The police stopped me three times. Once for a licence check, once for doing 106 in a 90 km/h area, and a third for doing an illegal u-turn. Each time I was let go with a warning (the first was no problem) because I’m a bit naughty by speaking only in English, feigning (or not) lack of understanding Spanish, smiling a lot and shaking their hands. Being Australian is always a good ice breaker with a little demo of how a kangaroo jumps. I think they get it that I’m not going to pay and I’ll be out of the country soon. They were always polite, professional and there was never a hint of asking for bribes. I think I just make it too hard for them and usually they smile and shake their heads. Body language is international!

 Finally the roads are excellent and the drivers are amongst the most polite I have encountered in Central America. Buses are respectful, unlike in Guatemala. Not so many people can afford cars so there is not much traffic. The only exception is San Salvador which I found confusing, gridlocked and just horrible to ride through.

 There are many places I didn’t get to see because of some issues with the bike but three weeks will just get you to most of the sites. You may want to stay longer if you enjoy lying around in a hammock by the beach. BIG thumbs up for El Salvador!!

El Salvador - More bike issues! Beautiful La Palma

Leaving La Tortuga Verde, I was all loaded up, turned the key, clicked into neutral, pushed the start button. Click…then nothing. Battery again. It’s not an easy thing to remove my seat to access the battery with the way I have the luggage set up so I had to undo all of my strapping down to get in and jiggle the battery terminals, then pack it all up again once it started. I had to go to San Salvador and get this sorted, and I needed to fix the burnt out headlight wires. My plan to visit some other places including a nearby waterfall had to change and my plan NOT to go to San Salvador also had to change.

San Salvador didn’t really endear me with crazy traffic, crazier roadworks, thick air pollution and lots of noise. I found the recommended hostel but I can’t forward on the recommendation because I didn’t find it very friendly or welcoming. However when I met with Rafael the mechanic at San Salvador BMW, who spoke English, I was reassured and the bike was booked in to get fixed. 

He tested the battery and told me that I will probably need a new one but I could just see how long it lasted. I didn’t heed the urgency. 

The next day I rode out to Suchitoto by an enormous reservoir, Lago Suchitlan, and as I arrived Ziggy died again. I found my way to a hotel and decided to return to San Salvador the next day and leave my luggage at Suchitoto.

In the morning on the way back to San Salvador I broke down on the side of the road for the first time. 

I was stranded. Fortunately there was a delivery truck nearby and the guys used their phone to call Rafael who sent out the recovery crew. Three hours later I was back in San Salvador with Ziggy on a trailer. Such a sad sight. 

A couple of hours later we found a new battery and she was up and running again. The guys at San Salvador BMW were great and didn’t charge me the earth. 

I rode back to Suchitoto and stayed my second night.

 It was an interesting town with difficult to find views of the lake which was a shame because when I did find them they were spectacular. The centerpiece of the town was the large white church in the town square. 

There were a lot of Spanish-looking buildings and a good selection of eating places, the ones near the square being real tourist prices but a couple of streets away a Fonda served ‘typico salvadoreno’ food. Cheap and delicious. Napoleon and his family at the Los Sanchez Hostel/Hotel were excellent hosts with a great place and cheap prices. Parking for the bike but no Internet. There was wifi nearby so not a problem.

The next morning I rode a short distance to the lake to take the ferry across to go to a town called Chalatenango. They advertised $4 for motorbikes for the crossing but he charged me six, saying it was a big motorbike. It wasn't exactly booming business.

I tried to negotiate but he was surly character with too many years driving the ferry, so I paid the six and got on my way. 

It was a hilly rise away from the lake and a pleasant ride leading to great views for the twenty or so kilometres to the town. 

Chalatenango was not easy to locate, then harder to find the centre and when I did it was thick with traffic and hot. I stopped for some lunch but the place didn’t grab me so decided to get closer to the border of Honduras and check out the town of La Palma.

 Now La Palma did grab me. The town was painted with colourful murals with the centre square being the centerpiece of the art. I walked the town and took fifty photos, every mural outshining the previous. 

I spoke to a few people and told them how good it looked and they were happy to hear it. The La Palma Hotel was similarly coloured and the owner was very welcoming and friendly, providing a beautiful setting for my last night in El Salvador. There was good security for the bike, Internet, a restaurant and it was quiet.

El Salvador - La Tortuga Verde

I booked into the hostel and noticed two other travel bikes, another 1200GSA and a Kawasaki KLR 650 with British rider Jamie on a surfing riding tour. 

I checked out the BMW to see where the plates were from, El Salvador, then I was approached by a tall guy with long dreadlocks.

‘Is this your bike?’

‘Yes. My name is Rory.’

‘No way!’ I explained that Cisco had told me to keep a look out for him as Rory had stayed with Cisco as he was travelling through Guatemala. Cisco struggled to understand why Rory had only made it to El Salvador and stayed for nearly two years. Rory is a surfer and when I saw this place it became immediately apparent to me. Not only was this as much of a paradise as the place I stayed last night but it was even less busy, longer beaches and a regular turtle laying area.

I knew right away I was going to stay a couple of nights at least and I was finding a strong pull from El Salvador to stay longer. When I find places like this I have to remind myself that I’m on a world motorcycle trip and at some point I have to leave. Ok, only two nights. Well maybe three. It didn’t help when Rory told me that if I book in for two weeks I get the following two weeks free. Also I can volunteer at the turtle sanctuary and that contributes to my accommodaton…

 One week later I managed to drag myself away from this paradise. Beachfront living with a pool, 

massage, great company, 

surfing if I want 

and cheap local seafood. It doesn’t get much better. I didn’t need to rest from my travels but being involved in baby turtle releases 

projects to improve their chances, egg burying, 

filming duties on their GoPro 

Observing female turtles laying eggs on the beach

and engagement with the local media were all fun and good feeling things to do. 

Aussies and Brits seem to gravitate to the beach more than in the mountains and I’ve hung out with some wonderful travellers and really enjoyed their company. 

La Tortuga Verde is a great destination and I can’t recommend it enough. As if it couldn't get any better, mother nature put on a show of storms and sunsets.

Many thanks to Tom and staff and ongoing volunteers for sharing your passion and expertise with me.