Before going to bed I looked at what I could do the next day; the options are of course endless, but the places I was looking at was ruta del Flores (a beautiful winding bus ride which would stop at quaint towns along the way), parque national de imposible (a protected park with great hiking to a nearby volcano) and playa esteron (a beautiful white sand beach with very little travelers and a hostel with great reviews). I decided to sleep on it and choose in the morning. Either way come tomorrow I would be on a bus off to somewhere. After enduring another sleepless night with the big snoring man, I woke to enjoy some coffee. The hostel had a great area where everyone could gather and I struck up a conversation with one of the other travelers who had just come from el tunco (a beach I visited about 3 years ago) and before that enjoyed 2 weeks in playa esteron at the hostel tortuga verde. This was perfect because that was one of the places I was thinking about going next. He said it was beautiful and the hostel was clean, nice, right on the beach and you get a lot for the little you pay. I was sold! Not to mention it is close to the Nicaraguan border and that is where I am headed next.
One thing that I had forgot, but quickly remembered about traveling in El Salvador is that there are not many itineraries designed for tourists. When you want to get around El Salvador, you have to for the most part, travel as a Salvadorian would; taking chicken bus after chicken bus from town to town until you reach your destination. This does leave the lone traveler with a hard task of finding out where to get off and catch the next bus, all the while trying to look as much like you know where you are going as you can.
Another, although very interesting, problem I ran into right away was that the streets by the hostel that are the normal bus route I needed, we're blocked off because of the political turmoil from the recent election. In the day and a half that I was in San Salvador I really got to see the very political side of the city. The recent presidential election left the candidates so close that one side is pushing for a recount of the votes. I was able to witness large, peaceful protests and political propaganda of both sides spread around the city.
The day of traveling was grueling and difficult. I found my first city bus (20 cents) that would bring me to terminal oriente, where I would then need to catch another chicken bus to a small town called San Miguel. At the terminal (a large dirt patch with about 20 buses, a few vendadores, and many locals walking up and down the isles of each bus selling fruit, candy, coconut water and pretty much anything else you can imagine. Very hungry and mind set on one thing, a papusa (which I still have yet to have), I found my bus and walked to the nearest vendador, it was after breakfast and a little before lunch, but I was crossing my fingers and going to try any way. Much to my dismay, no papusas so I settled for a sandwich of some unknown ingredients and got on my bus. Although I was looking to take a chicken bus for about $1.25 they shuffled me to a macro bus for $5 and I was glad I did! Not having my large backpack on my lap, a reclining seat, and air conditioning for the 3.5 hour ride was well worth the extra $3.75! When I arrived in San Miguel there were many people getting off on each street. I figured that the bus terminal would look much like it did in San Salvador so I waited. Luckily the man who collected the fair came to my seat to tell me when to get off because the terminal turned out to be a store front on a little side street. Alone and hoping to not give off too much of a look that I don't know where I am going, I asked the man in the store where to catch the bus to El Cuco. He of course whistled out to his friend outside and they discussed very loudly so everyone could hear and decided that the bus came to the same place I was, so I waited. About twenty minutes later a the bus passed almost passing by. I yelled and literally ran on and sat squished against a woman with a chicken and to my right a young Salvadorian couple. We rode like that for about 1.5 hours. Finally, two chicken buses a macro bus and one cab later, I had reached playa esteron and what would be my home for the next three days, Hotel Tortuga Verde. Immediately I was in love with the endless stretch of sandy beach and the countless hammocks spread around the hostel. I had definitely chosen the right place!
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