So after saying goodbye for now I get stuck in Guatemala City for a day. On that day I didn’t feel like doing much so I just went to the movies. My bus to El Salvador leaves the next morning at 5 so I have to get up early. The bus is on a different level. It has wifi, super comfortable chairs and they even served breakfast! Unimaginable in Germany. We cross the border with no problem and at this point my Passport is getting some stamps. I am quite confused because El Salvador didn’t give me a stamp. They just use a digital one.

So I get dropped of near Santa Ana and the first thing I have to do is get on a chicken bus. By the way, a chicken bus is an old school bus discarded bus imported from the USA. They usually pimp it with bright colors from the exterior. On the inside there is often loud music blasting from the speakers. Even if the German government advises not to use these, these are the best and cheap ways to get around.

In Santa Ana I already notice how strange this country really is. Bitcoin is accepted everywhere and they just use the US Dollar as a normal currency. Every turn I take there seems to be some vendors selling something. The whole city just feels like one big ongoing market. And I noticed something else. It is damn hot in the city. Coming from the Guatemalan highlands I first have to adjust to 35° again while being drenched in sweat. While walking through Santa Ana I get whistled at by three different women. Okay this country is really crazy! But everyone seems really open and just wants to talk.

The next day I rent a motorcycle and explore the area. First I head to a waterfall, that is supposed to come from hot springs. For this I ride it through the serpentines of the volcanoes. It takes me about an hour to get there. Because of the departure of Sally I was feeling down for the last few days but this eased my mind. Driving around and stopping where I want brings a nice change. I arrive around 9:30 a.m. at the waterfall and there seems to be no one there. Jackpot! I undress and get into the water. It literally feels like stepping into a hot tub. That is crazy and I enjoy my personal natural hot tub in the morning.

From here I drive another hour to a Apaneca. Honestly the cruising around on the newly paved volcanic roads are just made out of a dream and were even better than the actual destinations. The maze is bound to a lot of other fun things. You can go on a really high swing. Though I am not really in the mood for anything. I just have a coffee and try the maze. How hard can it be? So as I am I run into the maze without a plan. I tell myself I will figure it out eventually.

In my mind I already tell the victory stories on this blog of how I mastered the maze. After 15 minutes I come close to the center. There is supposed to be bell. I am just one turn from goal. But then the maze turns into a different direction. I see that it was not the right path. Damnit! After 30 minutes. walked every path I could find. But not the right one. After 45 minutes I gave up and proceed to leave the area. However right in front of the exit I see a picture of the maze from above. I try to memorize the way and I walk back in.

Not all who wander are lost.

 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

But I got definitely lost…

After 20 more minutes I gave up completely. My ego is hurt, as I walk away ashamed. But you are not supposed to take your ego too seriously. So I just le tit go. I still can ride the motorbike back to Santa Ana as well! As the afternoon slowly sets I wind my way back down through the curving road. Getting down every meter seems get warmer and warmer again.

The next day it is time to pack my backpack again and go to the beach to get the fix of my surfing addiction. As I notice how expensive the beach is there are just a few places that are really cheap. I book a place in La Libertad and take the bus down there. From Santa Ana it super easy. You take the 201 to San Salvador and in San Salvador you take the 102 to La Libertad for the mere cost of 1$. I make my way to the coast. I notice how there’s a lot more tin roofs and garbage in the streets in comparison to the other countries I’ve been to. Not that this didn’t exist in the other countries, it is just more noticeable here. When I arrive at the place the owner tells me that he is overbooked, but the lady across the street has a room for me. So here I am in the poorer neighborhood finding myself surrounded by tin houses and barbed wire fences. The smells often change from grilled chicken to sewage in an instant. Stray dogs, cows chickens and goats just wander around the neighborhood as well. The roads are dusty and when a car drives by be sure to hold your breath until the dust settles.

Marias house, the place I stay at, is really basic. The lady herself made homemade masa and tortillas over the fire. There were chickens and a rooster running around, as well as three dogs and a cat. If you think this is nice. Think again when the rooster and the dogs wake you up 5 a.m. and then 5:15 a. m. and then 5:23 a. m. and so on. Nevertheless I enjoyed it and I am glad that I had this experience. When you are left with the question of how dangerous this is I can assure you the opposite. The people were greeting me with a big smile and most of them even wanted to talk and know things from me. They were actually happy to see foreigners in the same neighborhood. The country has gone through a lot in the last 50 years so it is somewhat understandable as tourist bring a new industry with them which provides work and hope for a lot of people over here.

This is as local as it gets. I get to know the local surfing culture as well. Piris ding repair is the place to rent and buy surfboards. If you go there, there is most definitely a small gathering and a party going on. You know it is going to be a good day if the rooster wakes you up at the first sunlight and you just straight up go surfing. Here I meet Arnau as well. We share some surfing sessions together.

I came for a day and I stayed for a week in this neighborhood. The people and the local surfbreak is just too nice! Even in the water the people cheer you on and have a good time. Something I am not really used to as westerners will most likely fight you for a wave. Here they were encouraging you to even go.

One morning I go surfing and it is supposed to be big and good. So I go out and no one is there in the morning. This is usually a bad sign. I get in and after 15 minutes I know why. It is scary. Big waves roll in and I am directly in the impact zone. After taking four waves on the head I lose my board. Having to swim against the currents while your board is far away is even more scary than with the board. Another wave hits me and I tumble through the water holding my breath. Where is up where is down. I don’t know anymore. It is a dark place to be but you can not panic because then you use your oxygen faster and run into the danger of getting unconscious. After what felt an eternity I shoot up through the white water and grasp for air. Breathing never felt this good. Time to get out…

In the evening I am really excited to go surf again. Arnau and me watch the waves and then paddle out. The excitement goes down really quickly. The waves are still super big, about 2,5 meters and scary. If you’re lying on the board paddling towards these monstrosities it even looks bigger. You need to stay calm though. The biggest set of waves hits exactly when we tried to paddle out. Arnau just made it out of the impact zone and I get caught inside. After getting several waves breaking directly over me I have enough. When you are hit in the impact zone you just get washed away. So for this day it is just watching the locals rip the waves like it is no big deal.

That’s the thing about surfing. You can have several good sessions and your ego is getting bigger. Once a big swell hits you know you have a lot to learn and the ocean is always the boss. This is what surfer get through. You get up at 6 in the morning because it is supposed to better that day. You walk through the tin neighborhood to get to the spot only to be beat down by the ocean. You even go again the same evening just to be beat again. This is because in between those bad session, the roosters waking you up and the mosquitos biting the hell out of you you still enjoy it. There is this golden session where you get into the water and start catching waves. At some point time stops. It is just you and the next wave. Your possessions doesn’t matter. It is just you and the waves. What you are going to do that day doesn’t matter. It is just you your surfboard and the next wave. Your feelings and problems don’t matter. It is just you and the next wave. You stop thinking at some point and get into this deep concentration. When you have such a session no one is talking anymore. Everyone is just existing and focusing on their surf. It is the best state of consciousness you can ever be in and a mesmerizing feeling. Other call it the deep state or the deep focus. When you really focus on work, do an intensive sport or do a fulfilling hobby you probably know what I’m talking about. You just get another dopamine rush when you ended your ride on this moving wall of water. Some scientist even compare it to a gambling addiction as the dopamine hit is mostly the same. You get it in an unpredictable manner as every wave hits you different. There is never a wave similar to the one before. Almost like winning on a gambling machine. Anyways it is the healthiest addiction I ever know and I am glad I can live it to the maximum.

Until next time for more surf. Thank you for reading!