Villages, Food festivals, and Thunderstorms

Could not post my blog last night due to internet problems caused by heavy thunderstorms. We are still in the Ruta de las Flores, taking in the small towns in the area, which really come alive during the weekend.

Apparently, families from larger towns use the weekend to explore their country, or simply to go out to eat. The restaurant at our hotel is well-known in the area and there has been an unending flow of patrons from early morning till closing time, all having a good time.

As I had mentioned, this place is a veritable garden of Eden, and it is not at all surprising that so many come to visit. This is coffee country, and coffee plants grow everywhere, but so do also innumerable species of flora.

We have been using these past couple of days to walk around some of the villages nearby. None are terribly exciting, but they all offer a good vibe. People are super kind and friendly and nobody tries to push their goods on you, as they do in more touristy countries. You feel very safe, almost a part of the community. The following pictures were taken in Apaneca, only 4 km. from here.

Yesterday evening we went back to Ataco for dinner, and, because of the weekend, it was almost a completely different place. Truly vibrant.

Today, the weather was not as cooperative. This is the rainy season is El Salvador. Every night huge downpours sound as if the end of the world is at hand, but for the most part, during the day it stays dry, although quite cloudy and foggy. The temperature is also not what you'd expect, never really reaching 80 degrees and, at night, requiring long sleeves for sure. Today, a huge downpour however dampened many a visitor's outing. It was also not a good day for photos, with fog covering the incredible vistas of the surrounding volcanos, all active.

We spent the morning and early afternoon, before the sky opened up, in Juayua. The town hosts weekend food festivals, and it was vibrant. Street performers sang songs using loudspeakers that reverberated within the valley.

We attempted to reach a well-known waterfall, Los Chorros, driving through a steep, slippery dirt road that our 4x4 barely managed, only to find the entry gate closed, likely because of the pending storm. So we had no choice but to get back "home", where we rested, did some reading, and stored some energy for tomorrow, hoping to have better luck weather-wise.

Buenas Noches mis amigos!