El Salvador - Suchitoto

Last weekend we visited our friends Onix and Cristina. Onix used to be my neigbour in Honduras. Him and Cristina, his Spanish girlfriend are some of our beautiful capoeira mates and friends.

Cristina works in Suchitoto - a sleepy, old village in the middle of El Salvador. With much touristic potential for its colonial style little houses, and a big lake to its side. From Cristina's place you have this beautiful lakeview.

All kinds of animals gave us company : During night huge toads, big bats and giant insects. During the day frogs (in Onix' head), toad-eating snakes, insect-eating lizards and chanting blue/yellow/red feathered birds.

We took long walks around the lake, visiting an amazing waterfall with incredible stonestructures.

We found three wild turtles in their natural habit: Between a little water, plants and mostly mud.

Driving around with one of Cristina's colleagues, we visited wide grassfields and a big hacienda. We heard some stories about El Salvador's heavy history (as war has taken place until 1992).

We also saw some of the present problems: The big lake being conteminated with waste - every day a little more - without any consideration for nature.

At least, in Suchitoto you are able to drink the water from the well - that is a big exception in El Salvador and in Central America in general. My Honduran friend tells me about the times before they started selling "purified water" - everyone drank the water from the tab. Then, in the nineties, there was a cholera epidemic, supposedly caused by conteminated water. Ready, for the purified water business to start!

Ok. For now you have enough to read and I better do not go on about any conspiracy theories, that seem to become more practic each time and less theoretic. What a world! I hope you enjoy the pictures of the beautiful side of humanity and nature!

Best wishes to everyone!