Wed 1138 seem to be doing well. On very nice lower terrace at new hostel in Juayua with free coffee and nice host woman also gave me an iced bread thing. I have WAed the 7 falls tour company the hostel gave me and am being picked up at 830. I have a lower bunk in a very clean looking form with a blanket. Slight qualms re dressing but I will wear trunks under trousers and can play it by ear, there is swimming. 10 dollars, 4 hours, something about climbing (as Lukas had said) but I assume it cannot be that intense.
I don't want to ruin the grey trousers I am currently wearing but if they do get wet and a bit dirty that isn't the end of the world, they are more or less due for a wash and need rotating back to the black pair anyway.
Currensea card is showing slight signs of cracking (at non chip end,as I am always careful which way I orient it) from stashing in transit.
Was semi pleasantly drowsy in bed and got up maybe 8-830. I checked out a hair before 10, no fuss, handed owner keys. Got bus over here no fuss, 1 dollar.
Going to finish coffee and then wander. I may well extend here another night now I have a lower bunk but I might wait to see how today goes. Definitely don't want to get pissed or anything but might bring a few beers back to have on terrace tonight. I am fairly confident I could productively spend an extra day at least on the ruta towns, and if I am using half a day and perhaps maybe kind of a full day on this 7 falls tour then that is not insane.
I do need to remember that "you can do it confortably in 4 days" is not a deadline or a suggestion that more time on ruta towns is automatically wasting time.
Probably Canadian couple checking in, English speaking guy jumped in with feedback on getting wet druing your when I was asking host woman about it btw. Canadians booking in for 4 nights.
I did not expect to be allowed to actually check in so early btw, but a nice bonus. And as another guy is now checking in it is possible (tho I did asked via booking. Com) that i
Might not have got a lower bunk had I not got here before these people, though of course the couple may be in a private.
1210 And the hostel kitchen tap apparently has potable water. Let's head out for a casual wander and see what happens, no major stress.
FWIW if forgot to sya yesterday (and I think I did casually check shortly after arrival in country) I did indeed pack my "actual second best" pair of single vision glasses (which have my latest prescription and decenrly unscratched lenses).
1337 been for a wander and walked up to parquet esmeralda, have come to dragon of juayua for a cheapish Chinese lunch. The place is nice, a bit more touristy eg with nice touts but still touts offering restaurants round central square.
1532 sitting by fountain in main square. Went to supermarket and got three Gallo (cheapest beer) and a bottle of aguardiente for 92 cents! Paid 10 dollars for an extra night (no receipt but owner wrote it in her book and sure it will be OK) and came back out to reptilandia. Had missed it when looking earlier but it was dead obvious approached another way. Paid 2.50 for a personal if very slightly hurried tour with presumably owner and his very young son.it was pretty cool albeit some of the cages seemed very small. Many anakes including some huge (all constrictors, none poisonous) and some chameleons and geckos and iguanas. No spiders or scorpions (I didn't explicitly ask, but not shown any and he said at end that was everything). Was slightly disappointed not to be offered chance of photo with a big snake for USD 2 as shown on poster but I didn't really like to ask. But embarrassing somehow, plus maybe he would then have gone and dragged a snake out of its cage and diaturbed it more than necessary or something. If it had been offered I'd have done it (earlier I has thought it seems a bit naff but had started to feel it might be naff but would be a nice little souvenir), there is no phobia concern here, albeit I am sure it would have been weird. (Some of the really big snakes with certain light coloured scales did look as though they would be slimy, I am 99% sure they are not, but even without any phobia aspect for perhaps the first time I could realise why someone might think they are slimy. To be clear I didn't touch any of them or ask about this, just an observation on the way the light was sort of reflecting off the edges of their bodies/scales in a way to give this impression.)
Had yuca frita from a street stall, top touristing all round. It was ok but not particularly amazing, bit of fried yucca with some curtido and that tomato sauce (probably same stuff as with pupusas) and - she offered and it was included so I said yes - a bit of chicharron which was chewy but quite nice in a way. Unlike say pupusaa, which I will definitely be eating regularly, this wasn't nice enough for the price (USD 2) that I am likely to try it again. It wasn't bad or horrible, just a bit meh.
Quickly looking over photos, they also had giant tortoises and a little one wandering free which was coming over towards me and I asked if I could touch it and they said yes so I stroked it briefly on its head.
1624 went over to cemetery (cemetery gates lyrics popping into head) but it was just shutting at 4. I saw a poster for some random tour (but sure they are all the same) for 7 waterfalls and photoed it as lota of details, 7/10 difficulty! As if that means anything. There was a picture of a photogenic woman climbing up on a rope but it looks like basically sort of "reverse abseiling" whatever that is called, not shinning up a rope PE lesson style. I doubt it matters but on basis of that went to Super Selectos and got a packet of mani garapiñado for 68 cents and paid using some shrapnel, as a snack for tomorrow or some other time just in case I need it (that poster said to take a snack).
Time hangs a touch heavy. Leaning in a lamppost (just call me George...) in shade writing his. Going to go back and have a beer or two at hostel on terrace for sunset (though terraces face south and east, not west) and maybe there will be chat but not too fussed. Barring other possibilities I will come back out for an after-dark wander and maybe a coffee and or a snack (pupusas, fried chicken) and then an earlyish night after hopefully sorting out my bag for the falls tour tomorrow.
I don't think it is inconsistent for time to hang heavy and for me to have added an extra night. Right now I don't want to be bussing over elsewhere etc, I am wandering round town and seeing it etc. But another day I can bus over to another town. I am not really complaining (aldous huxley quote etc, plus it is pleasant if just slightly dull and slightly tiring to be mostly standing), just saying.
I am tempted and have been to get an ice cream or a juice or a soft drink but the calories and expense add up and I can and probably will be indulging in something like that after dark or tomorrow etc etc.
2143 in bed. Quietly enjoyable evening but will write up tomorrow.
Thu 1436 On terrace with free coffee. Shoes drying on roof out front. Feel very slightly BNM but overall not too bad. I think the plan is to have this codfee while topping up the A06, then head out to some adjacent town (shoes will not be dry but every little helps) and perhaps then to Nahuizalco for the night market without coming back here first. Last bus is 8ish and is very busy but Uver is an option and I might aim to get an earlier bus. Some of the people from the tour this morning have I think gone off together to Apaneca for the maze and they might end up at the night market but I don't think I am likely to encounter them.
alexandra from santa ana was in another tour group today and I spoke to her briefly, was pleased with myself for recognising her.
To be fair some other people have not gone on together, including an actually very chatty Australian - ish woman who is sitting in the dorm.
So last night I did go back to hostel and watch sunset on upper terrace, English guy was up there but we didn't speak. Two European (probably Dutch woman and woman from Barcelona travelling together) came up and they spoke to English guy (Callum) but except a basic hola/hi no one spoke to me and I didn't force my way into the conversation but sat there earwigging and it was slightly interesting. They all said they were doing this tour today and so I knew I would see them today fwiw.
So I had two beers and went out for a walk and had pupusas at a quite nice and very local seeming place (popuseria LA bendicion?) And wandered round a bit more and then came back and went to bed.
Didnt sleep to badly, I must have gone off fairly quickly, did keep up waking a bit in the night with very vague forebodings about this tour.
It was actually OK. Taken out in back of pickup, 7 of us all from this hostel. I kept mostly quiet as felt a bit out of place but was smiling a bit and don't think I came across as massively rude or disinterested. The actual joke was quite cool, a dog called Caramelo came up with us, I snappes the odd photo but didn't go nuts. Really pretty cool experience. I did also climb up (the worst bit) and jump maybe 4m into the pool at the end (not part of 7 falls as such but probably commonly bundled I suspect) although it wasn't that deep - I did chat with callum around this, it was a bit of an icebreaker - and I scraped my toes up a bit but nothing major. There is also a xave you can go into which is narrow and dark and was frankly a bit scary and then you turn round and sort of doggy paddle and the current carries you along, though the effect was not that strong. We all went in together and going into the unknown turned sideways to fit was quite weird.
Then we came back and had lunch at Dona G-something - I have it written on other phone. Apparently live music there at weekends. Guide told us some stuff and I was semi joining in a little there but couldn't help feeling still just a bit out of place.
We came back and I left shoes on roof to dry and had a shower and changed clothes etc and more or less here we are.
1502 to be fair the social side wasn't terrible despite this vague feeling of being out of it which did lessen somewhat over time, and there is some fruit from my plan to learn to swim here as I was able to do the water activities at the swimming place at the fall at the end and jump in etc. The water was borderline neck deep at points but deeper in others, and shallower in others. Fingers crossed j haven't got burned, so far I feel fine but we will see. I wore the bandanna all the time so actual scalp should be fine, but I didn't wear t shirt into water and I onlhad my regular bit of sunblock on my neck, face, ears and some extra on my arms where exposed by tshirt.
Probably los chorros de el calera was the extra three falls and the last with the swimming pool but not sure. Just seen it on a random website whole looking up the towns of the ruta and it felt right. Yes, reading,more,it almost certainly was.
1511 bit edgy about getting back from Naz... But let's be bold and bear in mind that I do speak Spanish and my wallet's fat so I can always employ the bankers solution in a pinch. I will check with someone here before I go, but I ought to head out anyway.
1601 OK, serendipity. Alexandra messaged me to tell me about hot springs tonight and despite overhearing some other people here talking about how ricks were full, I pipped over there on off hands and it looks like they have a second bus so I have signed up. I have checked with this hostal I can get in late and they have give me some keys anyway. The night market is every night and is supposedly better at the weekend. I have signed up for another night (Sat) here. I can afford a day, this means I can see the food market here Sat and maybe do the night market Sat night. I am not going over anywhere else now, I am topping up the A06 a bit more and will probably head out and buy a beer to go with the one I ave left in the fridge and take those two and the aguardiente with me I asked and you can buy beers or take your own so if I take a couple that is an ok halfway house. I hope Alexandra does go as it would be good to know someone,didn't see her name on sign up list, but wtf. This works out well, I did want to see the springs and while the actual "ladies night" sounds a bit nightclub, this way I get to see them with no burn risk and maybe with someone I know to introduce me to people etc, plus as I say there is the chance to see the night market and food market Sat now. And I can easily fill a day popping around some of the other towns or just wandering round, there is arguably a wasted day here but I think it probably isn't and it would be foolish to pass up this pseudo-invite to go tonight when it fixes things up quite nicely.
There are apparently no lockers but the woman (who I suspect to be a Spanish volunteer who probably spoke perfect English but I used bad Spanish) at Ricks reception was insistent it was fine. I will probably be fine and try to strike a balance between taking stuff and not, but I will probably take the a06 because absolute worst case (modulo theft) if I lose the group I can then try to get an uber back etc.
Gut feeling is I won't take the prescription goggles but will (as I did today) wear my single vision glasses and then if I do lose them it isn't the end of the world and I can put them in my shoe (as I did during swimming today, when of course I did wear goggles, no one else did but felt smart given the prescription aspect/conpromise) or wear them into water as feels appropriate.
Fri 1130 despite prob going to bed 2ish (really not sure but GPS track would show) I woke up about 7 feeling surprisingly refreshed but stayed in bed til about 10 and only left hostel about 11. Wqitinf doe bus to apaneco. had chat with British guy called Ben in dorm (he broke the ice with a comment on the enauite shower being cold whole I was in bed) and got some possibly useful tips.
1139 on bus not a bad night last night. Chatting with Lukas and akexandra and a few other people at ricks, then very party type bus with some stereotypically loud but friendly Australians over there. Hot spring pool with music/DJ pretty cool. Afterwards we went via ricka to dona gaby? The same place we had Linch yesterday and I got chatting to some people there. Only oddness was at end we were one minute going over to some guy (the owner) 's hostel for more drinks and lukas and I were in the back with two I'd the owners local friends chatting and then suddenly there was some weird decision which I'd dint fully understand about only people going in his car coming back and lukas and I got out and left. No fuss or argument, I was maybe a bit ocer-surprised talking to kukas about it but no big deal. I have this weird cibe like I did something wrong at some point(s) last night or was an arse but frankly I don't think i was. I didn't really drink that much, the bar was no over pricey at the springs but they didn't have cans and closed early and I should have taken more of my own. But I had some sguardientw and a beet at ricks before going and a canadian chap called d Brian gave me a beer there and I got one along with transport etc. I had about two at dona gwhatsit. So not nothing but definitely not pissed and didn't really feel hungover a such this morning.
FWIW just to be clear although it is all over the web anyway, the ruta de las Flores is very simple. Bus 249 runs up and down the road between sonsonate and Shinkansen with a sort of sideways spur into juayua. You can just get buses everywhere. In most towns there are separate stops for north and southbojns. In juayua as it is on a spur you have a single area but the north and southbound buses have slightly separate positions and and a guy shouts out the terminus of the bus anyway.
1204 at el churro gourmet for horchata and some cakes/biscuits (different selection to last time). Then will do the over expensive park with the rainbow slide and the naze. Probably won't zipline but we will see how it goes.
FWIW despite Christmas etc and buying the trousers not long that before, they are a bit too loose. Not exactly a bad thing in terms of health/appearance, but (not checked) I think they are 30 and maybe I need a 28, at least in these slightly elastic travel style. I left my belt at home last night and while nothing happened as such, it would have been possible for then to pull down without undoing the catch, and they were bagging a bit. A side effect of this which I have mostly stopped noticing but did notice early on is that when I tighten my belt to the desire hole the waist is sort of "squeezed" and the catch (not button) can come undone and/or drop down a bit below the belt. This isn't huge deal in practice but not ideal.
Finished stuff rather too quickly but lets go on and see this amusement park type place.
1524 I am at the park in Apaneca. I just came out of the mirror maze. It is absolutely stunning. Maybe I am just naive/inexperienced but personally I have never seen anything like it, the sense of being in enormous bizarre spaces is incredibly convincing. I was lucky enough to have it to myself as well. The rotating tunnel illusion is overpoweringly convincing, somehow even shutting my eyes didn't remove the actually very genuine nausea I was starting to feel (but nothing forces you to linger there, I just wanted to).
I am so glad they've not tried to make it into some kind of horror experience. Albeit that would probably be fantastic if you like that kind of thing, although you would probably not be allowed to run round as if you bolted in fear you'd likely brain yourself on a mirror. Even with no actual horror vibe there is a cool but creepy effect of being trapped and lost (like a bad dream sequence in a film, but when you are really there it is different) and the music and lighting really adds to the effect. More than once I found myself jumping as I came across myself coming around a corner.
They give you disposable plastic gloves so you can touch the mirrors (which is essential) and cloth shoe covers.
Anyway, I can't really capture it properly in words, I took photos and videos (which I don't think ruined the experience) but they are unlikely to capture it. Maybe you could capture it in VR but I suspect the lack of real constraints and the lack of the somehow essential confusion of physically bumping into mirrors or feeling your way round a maze you can see but do not have a chance of navigating by sight would stop it working.
Will write about the rest earlier but seriously, that was awesome. I was grinning (with just a touch of fear lest there was some un-declared horror element) the whole way round. I didn't try to over-milk it and return to the start when I got to the exit. I am not saying I will and it probably wouldn't be the same but I could imagine coming back for a second visit on another day.
1627 at el churro gourmet for second time today. Someone is playing pop covers on pan pipes (?) Down by the church and I can hear it in here. Obladi (sp - Beatles song now) and earlier on something by the Bangles, oh yes, eternal flame.
Place is called Albania btw. I think maybe Cafe Albania and the Cafe probably refers to it also being a coffee farm not a cafe as in coffee-and-cake.
1702 went for small wander round main square ish and now on bus back.
1758 on roof terrace with unopened beer. A few people around, said hi, no chat, fine. I got a chicken breast at Don pollo on square and came back here.
Overall albania was good if a but expensive and slightly odd. The 5 USD entry is basically a credit towards anything interbwlly. I saw the pendulo (big swing) fairly early on and was genuinely tempted but also a bit "I don't want to force myself" so I got a bit meta-marked. I wandered round and found the mirror maze first and nearly went in but the guy clarified and I wanted to see the big famousish maze so I left it and did after getting a bit lost (only as I was leaving did I notice a map on the wall by the entrance) I found it and paid 3 (they gave me "change" in the form of another ticket worth 2) to go in. It was a bit hot and the maze was on a hillside so lots of hill climbing up and down and my legs/feet were killing me by the end. I was also a bit ruminating over the rainbow slide (the really famous attraction, at an eye watering 10 usd) and the pendulo - I had got on some free wifi and done a bit of web searching after arriving btw. But on the whole I did enjoy the maze, I struggled a bit but I did sort of have a tiny idea where I was going at points and was looking through the hedges (cypress I think) which are quite thin - but fenced - at the bottom to try to see where to go. I did eventually make it to the centre and rang the bell at the top of the tower and stayed up there for a while enjoying the view and my victory (had it to myself though lots of other people rang the bell during my time in maze) before trying to get out and getting a bit lost doing that too.
I then went and found the rainbow slide (only seeing the top bit but as per web site I had read there was a second right angle bit) and watched some people do it. It looked slightly scary/dangerous but not too bad and I figured I ought to. So I went over to the central kiosk and bought a ticket and went back and did it. And it was pretty fun tbh. Oddly (it didn't look that much scarier) at least two people bailed after doing the first part and before going down the second.
I then, feeling braver as a result of this, decided I would go and do the pendulo (big swing, a bit like one of the things I did at the end of ziplining in monteverde, albeit probably smaller). Queues had inflated by this point for tickets and harness (but I didn't really have to wait to get on the actual swing) but I did it - only 5 USD, one of the cheaper but probably more exciting activities (a web site I had found said the ziplining was nothing special and I have done it elsewhere including the much bigger monteverde stuff, and I wasn't super attracted to stuff like the sky bike). I was surprisingly un-nervous the whole time, not completely calm, but not really shaking or jittery. The initial drop was a bit "wooah" (internally, I don't think I screamed) but as expected and that is kind of the whole point. I wore my glasses no problem and had left my bag at the harness place (I was told I was fine to go down the rainbow slide with it). It was pretty good fun really, albeit the top of the swing after the first arc felt (again probably kind of the point) weirdly floppy and stomach churning.
After that I went and did the mirror maze as already described. I then wandered around just a little bit and went to watch a few people go down the top part of the rainbow slide (you can walk down to the lower part, obviously I had walked up from there after it, but I didn't) and decided I wouldn't milk it and went off to el churro gourmet as already noted.
I was and still am kind of intending to go to that pupuseria tonight so I wasnt sure what to do about food, hence compromising on that single chicken breast (which I ate in street and did enjoy). I had lots of sweet junk at el churro gourmet of course.
I may not open the bee to brought up with me. Vague plan is to go have a shower, maybe take a handful of laundry to see if they will wash it (I think there is a small 3 USD size here based on overhewring something), then go out for bit of a walk and pupusas and maybe coffee and then an early night and perhaps try to be up to watch sunrise tomorrow. I am not really due for laundry but there is a fair chance I will be back in the santa ana hostel dorm for two nights after here so I do want to try to keep clean clothes supply up and I think the laundry charge at the santa ana hostel is something like USD 6 which is way more than I like to pay even for a full load.
1821 if I didn't say I wore my single vision glasses in the hot spring last night, I think that was the right decision. It would have shxked not to be able to recognise my group members at a distance and wearing the prescription goggles would have been uncomfortable, weird and just plain not as optically good.
It is pretty nippy up here without fkeece btw. TBH I may not have a shower, I did have one this morning and it isn't as if sweated buckets today. The shower here is cold and I would rather have one first thing in the morning really. But I may change clothes anyway wrt laundry.
1825 TBH I am not enjoying being up here that much, and I think I will go down.
2053 back at hostel. Will go to bed soon.
Sorted laundry and handed in grey trousers (put clean black ones on tonight) and 2 tops and 2 sets is, probably be 3 usd and can probably collect 10am tomorrow. This raises idea I could have left it another dag and got an extra set in but it would have made leaving on sun morning stressful. Had shower and small but pleasant chat with Callum, Ben and a new bloke in dorm after.
Went out for walk, some local guy asked me where the buses went from! I didn't do too bad a job responding. Walked over to pupuseria last bendicion and had 2 ham, 1 jalapeño and 1 chicken pupusas (maize, I really do need to try the arroz variant some time) and then has a brief walk which took me past Doña Gaby which was pretty quiet - maybe it is too early but most of the town was quiet. I was slightly tempted by DG but I kind of don't want to drink, I kind of want an early night and although not a huge factor I was a bit concerned about meeting the hostel owner chap from last night,not that we have a beef in theory. I just might go there tomorrow night after night market, which is not likely to be an ultra late thing.
Came back and cleaned teeth and put a06 to top up in dorm, I am not getting phone charging quite right somehow but muddling through. I have a socket by the bed but not newr the head so hard to charge overnight.
One other person already in dorm iirc.
Got a somewhat expensive 85 cent can of Fresca (grapefruit fizzy drink) at a small shop as I fancied a cold drink during walk after food and seeing DG by chance.
I think that is about everything. I vaguely hope to be up in time to see sunrise but we will see how it goes.
FWIW there was a vague weird "I am on holiday and I am in el Salvador and it is warm and nice and vaguely exotic yet familiar" vibe in Apaneca when I left Albania.
2113 just had chat with hostel owner woman, she was just being friendly asking about hot springs and j asked her about possibilities of going to lagunq verde solo. Mixed feelings, she is going to maybe get me some bus timetable into, we will see how things look tomorrow. I do want to see the food market thing in juayha tomorrow but that is not going to be all day for me obviously, especially given my weird food attitudes.
2118 OK, let's send this and go to bed.
I don't want to ruin the grey trousers I am currently wearing but if they do get wet and a bit dirty that isn't the end of the world, they are more or less due for a wash and need rotating back to the black pair anyway.
Currensea card is showing slight signs of cracking (at non chip end,as I am always careful which way I orient it) from stashing in transit.
Was semi pleasantly drowsy in bed and got up maybe 8-830. I checked out a hair before 10, no fuss, handed owner keys. Got bus over here no fuss, 1 dollar.
Going to finish coffee and then wander. I may well extend here another night now I have a lower bunk but I might wait to see how today goes. Definitely don't want to get pissed or anything but might bring a few beers back to have on terrace tonight. I am fairly confident I could productively spend an extra day at least on the ruta towns, and if I am using half a day and perhaps maybe kind of a full day on this 7 falls tour then that is not insane.
I do need to remember that "you can do it confortably in 4 days" is not a deadline or a suggestion that more time on ruta towns is automatically wasting time.
Probably Canadian couple checking in, English speaking guy jumped in with feedback on getting wet druing your when I was asking host woman about it btw. Canadians booking in for 4 nights.
I did not expect to be allowed to actually check in so early btw, but a nice bonus. And as another guy is now checking in it is possible (tho I did asked via booking. Com) that i
Might not have got a lower bunk had I not got here before these people, though of course the couple may be in a private.
1210 And the hostel kitchen tap apparently has potable water. Let's head out for a casual wander and see what happens, no major stress.
FWIW if forgot to sya yesterday (and I think I did casually check shortly after arrival in country) I did indeed pack my "actual second best" pair of single vision glasses (which have my latest prescription and decenrly unscratched lenses).
1337 been for a wander and walked up to parquet esmeralda, have come to dragon of juayua for a cheapish Chinese lunch. The place is nice, a bit more touristy eg with nice touts but still touts offering restaurants round central square.
1532 sitting by fountain in main square. Went to supermarket and got three Gallo (cheapest beer) and a bottle of aguardiente for 92 cents! Paid 10 dollars for an extra night (no receipt but owner wrote it in her book and sure it will be OK) and came back out to reptilandia. Had missed it when looking earlier but it was dead obvious approached another way. Paid 2.50 for a personal if very slightly hurried tour with presumably owner and his very young son.it was pretty cool albeit some of the cages seemed very small. Many anakes including some huge (all constrictors, none poisonous) and some chameleons and geckos and iguanas. No spiders or scorpions (I didn't explicitly ask, but not shown any and he said at end that was everything). Was slightly disappointed not to be offered chance of photo with a big snake for USD 2 as shown on poster but I didn't really like to ask. But embarrassing somehow, plus maybe he would then have gone and dragged a snake out of its cage and diaturbed it more than necessary or something. If it had been offered I'd have done it (earlier I has thought it seems a bit naff but had started to feel it might be naff but would be a nice little souvenir), there is no phobia concern here, albeit I am sure it would have been weird. (Some of the really big snakes with certain light coloured scales did look as though they would be slimy, I am 99% sure they are not, but even without any phobia aspect for perhaps the first time I could realise why someone might think they are slimy. To be clear I didn't touch any of them or ask about this, just an observation on the way the light was sort of reflecting off the edges of their bodies/scales in a way to give this impression.)
Had yuca frita from a street stall, top touristing all round. It was ok but not particularly amazing, bit of fried yucca with some curtido and that tomato sauce (probably same stuff as with pupusas) and - she offered and it was included so I said yes - a bit of chicharron which was chewy but quite nice in a way. Unlike say pupusaa, which I will definitely be eating regularly, this wasn't nice enough for the price (USD 2) that I am likely to try it again. It wasn't bad or horrible, just a bit meh.
Quickly looking over photos, they also had giant tortoises and a little one wandering free which was coming over towards me and I asked if I could touch it and they said yes so I stroked it briefly on its head.
1624 went over to cemetery (cemetery gates lyrics popping into head) but it was just shutting at 4. I saw a poster for some random tour (but sure they are all the same) for 7 waterfalls and photoed it as lota of details, 7/10 difficulty! As if that means anything. There was a picture of a photogenic woman climbing up on a rope but it looks like basically sort of "reverse abseiling" whatever that is called, not shinning up a rope PE lesson style. I doubt it matters but on basis of that went to Super Selectos and got a packet of mani garapiñado for 68 cents and paid using some shrapnel, as a snack for tomorrow or some other time just in case I need it (that poster said to take a snack).
Time hangs a touch heavy. Leaning in a lamppost (just call me George...) in shade writing his. Going to go back and have a beer or two at hostel on terrace for sunset (though terraces face south and east, not west) and maybe there will be chat but not too fussed. Barring other possibilities I will come back out for an after-dark wander and maybe a coffee and or a snack (pupusas, fried chicken) and then an earlyish night after hopefully sorting out my bag for the falls tour tomorrow.
I don't think it is inconsistent for time to hang heavy and for me to have added an extra night. Right now I don't want to be bussing over elsewhere etc, I am wandering round town and seeing it etc. But another day I can bus over to another town. I am not really complaining (aldous huxley quote etc, plus it is pleasant if just slightly dull and slightly tiring to be mostly standing), just saying.
I am tempted and have been to get an ice cream or a juice or a soft drink but the calories and expense add up and I can and probably will be indulging in something like that after dark or tomorrow etc etc.
2143 in bed. Quietly enjoyable evening but will write up tomorrow.
Thu 1436 On terrace with free coffee. Shoes drying on roof out front. Feel very slightly BNM but overall not too bad. I think the plan is to have this codfee while topping up the A06, then head out to some adjacent town (shoes will not be dry but every little helps) and perhaps then to Nahuizalco for the night market without coming back here first. Last bus is 8ish and is very busy but Uver is an option and I might aim to get an earlier bus. Some of the people from the tour this morning have I think gone off together to Apaneca for the maze and they might end up at the night market but I don't think I am likely to encounter them.
alexandra from santa ana was in another tour group today and I spoke to her briefly, was pleased with myself for recognising her.
To be fair some other people have not gone on together, including an actually very chatty Australian - ish woman who is sitting in the dorm.
So last night I did go back to hostel and watch sunset on upper terrace, English guy was up there but we didn't speak. Two European (probably Dutch woman and woman from Barcelona travelling together) came up and they spoke to English guy (Callum) but except a basic hola/hi no one spoke to me and I didn't force my way into the conversation but sat there earwigging and it was slightly interesting. They all said they were doing this tour today and so I knew I would see them today fwiw.
So I had two beers and went out for a walk and had pupusas at a quite nice and very local seeming place (popuseria LA bendicion?) And wandered round a bit more and then came back and went to bed.
Didnt sleep to badly, I must have gone off fairly quickly, did keep up waking a bit in the night with very vague forebodings about this tour.
It was actually OK. Taken out in back of pickup, 7 of us all from this hostel. I kept mostly quiet as felt a bit out of place but was smiling a bit and don't think I came across as massively rude or disinterested. The actual joke was quite cool, a dog called Caramelo came up with us, I snappes the odd photo but didn't go nuts. Really pretty cool experience. I did also climb up (the worst bit) and jump maybe 4m into the pool at the end (not part of 7 falls as such but probably commonly bundled I suspect) although it wasn't that deep - I did chat with callum around this, it was a bit of an icebreaker - and I scraped my toes up a bit but nothing major. There is also a xave you can go into which is narrow and dark and was frankly a bit scary and then you turn round and sort of doggy paddle and the current carries you along, though the effect was not that strong. We all went in together and going into the unknown turned sideways to fit was quite weird.
Then we came back and had lunch at Dona G-something - I have it written on other phone. Apparently live music there at weekends. Guide told us some stuff and I was semi joining in a little there but couldn't help feeling still just a bit out of place.
We came back and I left shoes on roof to dry and had a shower and changed clothes etc and more or less here we are.
1502 to be fair the social side wasn't terrible despite this vague feeling of being out of it which did lessen somewhat over time, and there is some fruit from my plan to learn to swim here as I was able to do the water activities at the swimming place at the fall at the end and jump in etc. The water was borderline neck deep at points but deeper in others, and shallower in others. Fingers crossed j haven't got burned, so far I feel fine but we will see. I wore the bandanna all the time so actual scalp should be fine, but I didn't wear t shirt into water and I onlhad my regular bit of sunblock on my neck, face, ears and some extra on my arms where exposed by tshirt.
Probably los chorros de el calera was the extra three falls and the last with the swimming pool but not sure. Just seen it on a random website whole looking up the towns of the ruta and it felt right. Yes, reading,more,it almost certainly was.
1511 bit edgy about getting back from Naz... But let's be bold and bear in mind that I do speak Spanish and my wallet's fat so I can always employ the bankers solution in a pinch. I will check with someone here before I go, but I ought to head out anyway.
1601 OK, serendipity. Alexandra messaged me to tell me about hot springs tonight and despite overhearing some other people here talking about how ricks were full, I pipped over there on off hands and it looks like they have a second bus so I have signed up. I have checked with this hostal I can get in late and they have give me some keys anyway. The night market is every night and is supposedly better at the weekend. I have signed up for another night (Sat) here. I can afford a day, this means I can see the food market here Sat and maybe do the night market Sat night. I am not going over anywhere else now, I am topping up the A06 a bit more and will probably head out and buy a beer to go with the one I ave left in the fridge and take those two and the aguardiente with me I asked and you can buy beers or take your own so if I take a couple that is an ok halfway house. I hope Alexandra does go as it would be good to know someone,didn't see her name on sign up list, but wtf. This works out well, I did want to see the springs and while the actual "ladies night" sounds a bit nightclub, this way I get to see them with no burn risk and maybe with someone I know to introduce me to people etc, plus as I say there is the chance to see the night market and food market Sat now. And I can easily fill a day popping around some of the other towns or just wandering round, there is arguably a wasted day here but I think it probably isn't and it would be foolish to pass up this pseudo-invite to go tonight when it fixes things up quite nicely.
There are apparently no lockers but the woman (who I suspect to be a Spanish volunteer who probably spoke perfect English but I used bad Spanish) at Ricks reception was insistent it was fine. I will probably be fine and try to strike a balance between taking stuff and not, but I will probably take the a06 because absolute worst case (modulo theft) if I lose the group I can then try to get an uber back etc.
Gut feeling is I won't take the prescription goggles but will (as I did today) wear my single vision glasses and then if I do lose them it isn't the end of the world and I can put them in my shoe (as I did during swimming today, when of course I did wear goggles, no one else did but felt smart given the prescription aspect/conpromise) or wear them into water as feels appropriate.
Fri 1130 despite prob going to bed 2ish (really not sure but GPS track would show) I woke up about 7 feeling surprisingly refreshed but stayed in bed til about 10 and only left hostel about 11. Wqitinf doe bus to apaneco. had chat with British guy called Ben in dorm (he broke the ice with a comment on the enauite shower being cold whole I was in bed) and got some possibly useful tips.
1139 on bus not a bad night last night. Chatting with Lukas and akexandra and a few other people at ricks, then very party type bus with some stereotypically loud but friendly Australians over there. Hot spring pool with music/DJ pretty cool. Afterwards we went via ricka to dona gaby? The same place we had Linch yesterday and I got chatting to some people there. Only oddness was at end we were one minute going over to some guy (the owner) 's hostel for more drinks and lukas and I were in the back with two I'd the owners local friends chatting and then suddenly there was some weird decision which I'd dint fully understand about only people going in his car coming back and lukas and I got out and left. No fuss or argument, I was maybe a bit ocer-surprised talking to kukas about it but no big deal. I have this weird cibe like I did something wrong at some point(s) last night or was an arse but frankly I don't think i was. I didn't really drink that much, the bar was no over pricey at the springs but they didn't have cans and closed early and I should have taken more of my own. But I had some sguardientw and a beet at ricks before going and a canadian chap called d Brian gave me a beer there and I got one along with transport etc. I had about two at dona gwhatsit. So not nothing but definitely not pissed and didn't really feel hungover a such this morning.
FWIW just to be clear although it is all over the web anyway, the ruta de las Flores is very simple. Bus 249 runs up and down the road between sonsonate and Shinkansen with a sort of sideways spur into juayua. You can just get buses everywhere. In most towns there are separate stops for north and southbojns. In juayua as it is on a spur you have a single area but the north and southbound buses have slightly separate positions and and a guy shouts out the terminus of the bus anyway.
1204 at el churro gourmet for horchata and some cakes/biscuits (different selection to last time). Then will do the over expensive park with the rainbow slide and the naze. Probably won't zipline but we will see how it goes.
FWIW despite Christmas etc and buying the trousers not long that before, they are a bit too loose. Not exactly a bad thing in terms of health/appearance, but (not checked) I think they are 30 and maybe I need a 28, at least in these slightly elastic travel style. I left my belt at home last night and while nothing happened as such, it would have been possible for then to pull down without undoing the catch, and they were bagging a bit. A side effect of this which I have mostly stopped noticing but did notice early on is that when I tighten my belt to the desire hole the waist is sort of "squeezed" and the catch (not button) can come undone and/or drop down a bit below the belt. This isn't huge deal in practice but not ideal.
Finished stuff rather too quickly but lets go on and see this amusement park type place.
1524 I am at the park in Apaneca. I just came out of the mirror maze. It is absolutely stunning. Maybe I am just naive/inexperienced but personally I have never seen anything like it, the sense of being in enormous bizarre spaces is incredibly convincing. I was lucky enough to have it to myself as well. The rotating tunnel illusion is overpoweringly convincing, somehow even shutting my eyes didn't remove the actually very genuine nausea I was starting to feel (but nothing forces you to linger there, I just wanted to).
I am so glad they've not tried to make it into some kind of horror experience. Albeit that would probably be fantastic if you like that kind of thing, although you would probably not be allowed to run round as if you bolted in fear you'd likely brain yourself on a mirror. Even with no actual horror vibe there is a cool but creepy effect of being trapped and lost (like a bad dream sequence in a film, but when you are really there it is different) and the music and lighting really adds to the effect. More than once I found myself jumping as I came across myself coming around a corner.
They give you disposable plastic gloves so you can touch the mirrors (which is essential) and cloth shoe covers.
Anyway, I can't really capture it properly in words, I took photos and videos (which I don't think ruined the experience) but they are unlikely to capture it. Maybe you could capture it in VR but I suspect the lack of real constraints and the lack of the somehow essential confusion of physically bumping into mirrors or feeling your way round a maze you can see but do not have a chance of navigating by sight would stop it working.
Will write about the rest earlier but seriously, that was awesome. I was grinning (with just a touch of fear lest there was some un-declared horror element) the whole way round. I didn't try to over-milk it and return to the start when I got to the exit. I am not saying I will and it probably wouldn't be the same but I could imagine coming back for a second visit on another day.
1627 at el churro gourmet for second time today. Someone is playing pop covers on pan pipes (?) Down by the church and I can hear it in here. Obladi (sp - Beatles song now) and earlier on something by the Bangles, oh yes, eternal flame.
Place is called Albania btw. I think maybe Cafe Albania and the Cafe probably refers to it also being a coffee farm not a cafe as in coffee-and-cake.
1702 went for small wander round main square ish and now on bus back.
1758 on roof terrace with unopened beer. A few people around, said hi, no chat, fine. I got a chicken breast at Don pollo on square and came back here.
Overall albania was good if a but expensive and slightly odd. The 5 USD entry is basically a credit towards anything interbwlly. I saw the pendulo (big swing) fairly early on and was genuinely tempted but also a bit "I don't want to force myself" so I got a bit meta-marked. I wandered round and found the mirror maze first and nearly went in but the guy clarified and I wanted to see the big famousish maze so I left it and did after getting a bit lost (only as I was leaving did I notice a map on the wall by the entrance) I found it and paid 3 (they gave me "change" in the form of another ticket worth 2) to go in. It was a bit hot and the maze was on a hillside so lots of hill climbing up and down and my legs/feet were killing me by the end. I was also a bit ruminating over the rainbow slide (the really famous attraction, at an eye watering 10 usd) and the pendulo - I had got on some free wifi and done a bit of web searching after arriving btw. But on the whole I did enjoy the maze, I struggled a bit but I did sort of have a tiny idea where I was going at points and was looking through the hedges (cypress I think) which are quite thin - but fenced - at the bottom to try to see where to go. I did eventually make it to the centre and rang the bell at the top of the tower and stayed up there for a while enjoying the view and my victory (had it to myself though lots of other people rang the bell during my time in maze) before trying to get out and getting a bit lost doing that too.
I then went and found the rainbow slide (only seeing the top bit but as per web site I had read there was a second right angle bit) and watched some people do it. It looked slightly scary/dangerous but not too bad and I figured I ought to. So I went over to the central kiosk and bought a ticket and went back and did it. And it was pretty fun tbh. Oddly (it didn't look that much scarier) at least two people bailed after doing the first part and before going down the second.
I then, feeling braver as a result of this, decided I would go and do the pendulo (big swing, a bit like one of the things I did at the end of ziplining in monteverde, albeit probably smaller). Queues had inflated by this point for tickets and harness (but I didn't really have to wait to get on the actual swing) but I did it - only 5 USD, one of the cheaper but probably more exciting activities (a web site I had found said the ziplining was nothing special and I have done it elsewhere including the much bigger monteverde stuff, and I wasn't super attracted to stuff like the sky bike). I was surprisingly un-nervous the whole time, not completely calm, but not really shaking or jittery. The initial drop was a bit "wooah" (internally, I don't think I screamed) but as expected and that is kind of the whole point. I wore my glasses no problem and had left my bag at the harness place (I was told I was fine to go down the rainbow slide with it). It was pretty good fun really, albeit the top of the swing after the first arc felt (again probably kind of the point) weirdly floppy and stomach churning.
After that I went and did the mirror maze as already described. I then wandered around just a little bit and went to watch a few people go down the top part of the rainbow slide (you can walk down to the lower part, obviously I had walked up from there after it, but I didn't) and decided I wouldn't milk it and went off to el churro gourmet as already noted.
I was and still am kind of intending to go to that pupuseria tonight so I wasnt sure what to do about food, hence compromising on that single chicken breast (which I ate in street and did enjoy). I had lots of sweet junk at el churro gourmet of course.
I may not open the bee to brought up with me. Vague plan is to go have a shower, maybe take a handful of laundry to see if they will wash it (I think there is a small 3 USD size here based on overhewring something), then go out for bit of a walk and pupusas and maybe coffee and then an early night and perhaps try to be up to watch sunrise tomorrow. I am not really due for laundry but there is a fair chance I will be back in the santa ana hostel dorm for two nights after here so I do want to try to keep clean clothes supply up and I think the laundry charge at the santa ana hostel is something like USD 6 which is way more than I like to pay even for a full load.
1821 if I didn't say I wore my single vision glasses in the hot spring last night, I think that was the right decision. It would have shxked not to be able to recognise my group members at a distance and wearing the prescription goggles would have been uncomfortable, weird and just plain not as optically good.
It is pretty nippy up here without fkeece btw. TBH I may not have a shower, I did have one this morning and it isn't as if sweated buckets today. The shower here is cold and I would rather have one first thing in the morning really. But I may change clothes anyway wrt laundry.
1825 TBH I am not enjoying being up here that much, and I think I will go down.
2053 back at hostel. Will go to bed soon.
Sorted laundry and handed in grey trousers (put clean black ones on tonight) and 2 tops and 2 sets is, probably be 3 usd and can probably collect 10am tomorrow. This raises idea I could have left it another dag and got an extra set in but it would have made leaving on sun morning stressful. Had shower and small but pleasant chat with Callum, Ben and a new bloke in dorm after.
Went out for walk, some local guy asked me where the buses went from! I didn't do too bad a job responding. Walked over to pupuseria last bendicion and had 2 ham, 1 jalapeño and 1 chicken pupusas (maize, I really do need to try the arroz variant some time) and then has a brief walk which took me past Doña Gaby which was pretty quiet - maybe it is too early but most of the town was quiet. I was slightly tempted by DG but I kind of don't want to drink, I kind of want an early night and although not a huge factor I was a bit concerned about meeting the hostel owner chap from last night,not that we have a beef in theory. I just might go there tomorrow night after night market, which is not likely to be an ultra late thing.
Came back and cleaned teeth and put a06 to top up in dorm, I am not getting phone charging quite right somehow but muddling through. I have a socket by the bed but not newr the head so hard to charge overnight.
One other person already in dorm iirc.
Got a somewhat expensive 85 cent can of Fresca (grapefruit fizzy drink) at a small shop as I fancied a cold drink during walk after food and seeing DG by chance.
I think that is about everything. I vaguely hope to be up in time to see sunrise but we will see how it goes.
FWIW there was a vague weird "I am on holiday and I am in el Salvador and it is warm and nice and vaguely exotic yet familiar" vibe in Apaneca when I left Albania.
2113 just had chat with hostel owner woman, she was just being friendly asking about hot springs and j asked her about possibilities of going to lagunq verde solo. Mixed feelings, she is going to maybe get me some bus timetable into, we will see how things look tomorrow. I do want to see the food market thing in juayha tomorrow but that is not going to be all day for me obviously, especially given my weird food attitudes.
2118 OK, let's send this and go to bed.
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