Thanks for the care package!

Not sure who sent it, but thank you (whoever you are) for the xmas package! It was exactly what I needed... two gringas and new year's at the beach.



Well, another bold pair of gringos has ventured south and survived the savior. By now we've put together quite the little packaged tour. A little bit of community time, a night in the mountains, some coffee time in Juayua, and finishing up with a few days at the beach.

Here are a few shots from the week...

We started out in my community, where the fearless gringuitas dove head first into the experience. Bucket baths, hot, dusty roads, and of course, the infamous roosters. "You mean roosters crow at two in the morning too?" Yep, they do.

They met my neighbor, Melida, and her four beautiful daughters, and got a good taste of campo life. Here they are at my local wholefoods



And here's mom giving tortillas the old college try



Ellie using the "dishwasher"



In general, we just sort of hung out in and around my house. I wanted them to acclimate and to sort of soak in the pace of life in the campo. Plus, they were visiting in one of the driest, hottest months, and even my idiot dog who eats rocks (yes, eats rocks) knows walking around in the afternoon sun means certain death.

But when the air cooled, we ventured out. One afternoon we hiked to the edge of my community and up to a hill overlooking the volcanoes and nearby lake, shared with Guatemala. We turned around and were stunned by a pretty amazing sunset. I couldn't remember the last time I actually sat and watched one.



Afterwards, we went mobile and hopped around to mountaintop villages and pueblos around the country, trying to give them a sense of tiny El Salvador. Highlights included small artisanal workshops, a healthy amount of hitchhiking, and an impromptu reiki session at a french bakery.





Hitchhiking mom



Hitchhiking Ellie



Later we met up with a few of my buddies at the beach. Here's one of those idiots showing off the guns



We hotel hopped and found a nice one with... drumroll please... a waterfall and an infinity pool. Here's Ellie enjoying infinite relaxation







I think in the lead up to the trip, I definitely had my concerns about what type of a trip we were going to have. They weren't exactly like Ben and Adam, my camping compadres and indestructible as far as I was concerned. But I knew it was important for me to share my life in the campo and reconnect with my mom(s) worrying about me back home. I think most people have a tendency to imagine the worst, like how I had been worrying about them, until they step foot in my house, talk with my neighbors, and see the people I work with. In short, see how good a life it is.

I think after that, all those fears, irrational or not, seem to fade away.

Besos and abrazos to the ladies for taking the plunge. Much love. G