Our land excursion in El Salvador began on a very nice bus from San Salvador to Guatemala City. The seats were large, comfortable, and reclined a long way. Legroom was ample, the bathroom was clean, and a decent meal was served. The only things missing were a candelabra and a chandelier.
In Guatemala City, we spent only one night in scary ‘Zona Uno,’ where wandering around the streets after dark was highly discouraged. Early the next morning we caught a bus out of the scary zone to the much more tranquilo locale of Rio Dulce. We spent five nights in the Rio Dulce area before heading off to Livingston on the Eastern coast of Guatemala.
We left Terra Firma in an estero in El Salvador on a mooring and began our trip in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. We spent 1 night in the city and visited the Cultural Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Both museums were very well done and we were very impressed by the paintings on exhibit by an artist named Carlos Canas.
The Cultural Museum
This piece is a commentary on the inadequacy of the public transportation system. The buses are very crowded and pickup trucks are commonly seen picking up the slack. People stand in the truck bed and hang on to a cage fastened to the truck.
From San Salvador, we rode a very nice bus to Guatemala City and spent the night before continuing on to Rio Dulce the next day. We were glad to be off buses and out of the major cities when we arrived. The photo to the left is the center of Rio Dulce, and that really is just about all of it.
We stayed at 2 very different, but very cool places while in Rio Dulce proper. One was Bruno’s run by an ex-pat American. Bruno’s was also the hangout for sailors.
The second place was the Backpacker’s Hotel. This place catered to the more budget-minded (us) and younger crowd (not us, but we liked pretending!). The hotel helped support a local orphanage by providing accommodations for volunteers.
Bruno’s
Backpacker’s Hotel
Many sailors bring their boats up the river from the Carribean to wait out hurricane season. We met a few of the sailors, but a large percentage of them leave their boats and go back to the States or Canada until the end of hurricane season.
Armed forces were even a part of small city life.
A typical restaurant / bar consists of no walls, a thatched roof, plastic chairs and mucho Gallo beer.
We took a day trip from Rio Dulce to nearby Finca Paraiso. This is a popular weekend spot for swimming in Lake Izabel or enjoying the hot water waterfalls.
We were a bit concerned about the ability of the bus to make the hour long journey. It could not be shut off or else it was likely not to start and just before departure, the oil was topped off. We made it, but opted to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup truck on the way back!
Hot waterfalls. Cool, huh?
We left the town of Rio Dulce in a lancha (small, fast, open motor boat) for Finca Tatin. En route, we saw Castillo San Felipe, Bird Island, natural hot springs and a huge area covered with lily pads.
Finca Tatin is an eco-friendly resort set right in the jungle at the confluence of the Rio Dulce and the Rio Tatin. We stayed in a thatched-roof bungalow with mosquito netting over the bed. The owner and staff were very welcoming and we met many interesting travelers from all over the world. The evening meal was communal so we were able to get to know everybody and swap stories and opinions about other places to visit.
Favorite activities at Finca Tatin were; walking in the jungle, spotting wildlife (crabs, frogs, turtles, insects, etc.), relaxing in hammocks in the common area and kayaking.
Lily pond on the Rio Dulce
Carrie in the jungle at Finca Tatin
Mosquito netting over our bed at Finca Tatin
Terry (volunteer staff from New Zealand) and Dave (from Israel) playing chess
Kayaking in the Biotopo (nature reserve) near Finca Tatin.
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