So from here I venture to El Zonte a more known beach town to go surfing. You take the bus there or you hitchhike. First I was a little bit reluctant to hitchhike and I preferred to take the bus. However after waiting for 2 hours in rush hour as 5 full busses passed me that had no space even for one person got more open to the idea.

In the hostel I meet Florian. We go to EL Zonte again. We catch a bus because it just happened to drive past. This is by far the most worn down bus I have seen. You can see the street below your feed while the bus is loudly rattling through the coastal cliffs. Here is a short visualization of this experience.

We go surfing in El Zonte. The waves are good and there are two spots. One on the right side of the river is more beginner friendly. I surfed the left side the day before. Or at least I tried… I caught one wave and then spend a lot of time in what surfers call the washing machine. After 45 minutes I gave up and watched the pros again. So on the more beginner friendly part I at least caught more waves. Until a big set comes through and I am in the washing machine again. To top it off we decide to stay and watch the sunset. To our luck baby turtles get released as well. We enjoy our time and watch the turtles crawl over the sand slowly reaching the ocean. Two western women scream at the person that releases the turtles to stop touching them. Later I saw the pack sitting next to a turtle and tapping on the beach like the turtle is some kind of dog. I wonder what was worse for the turtles… The turtles made it to the ocean safely.

The person that took the eggs and hatched them probably knows more about the turtles than those two hysterical women. What a beautiful day. The locals having a stunning football match at the beach while sun starts to kiss the horizon. Colors of blue transform into yellow, orange and red as if the sky was a painting. The waves give it’s usual crushing sound and the locals cheer on in their football game.

Florian is out in the evening session. Since I have already been three times that day I pass and rest. I enjoy the sunset and my thoughts begin to wander. I start to wonder how we are going to get back, as I stood at the bus stop for three hours the last time. We try to find a taxi, but we couldn’t find a decent one. So we try the bus stop. Five people assure is that one final bus is still coming. It is supposed to come at 7 p.m. So we sit there and wait in the dark. We look at the winding road as far as we can. Every truck is getting our hopes up high only to leave us disappointed. The headlights of trucks luck similar to those of the chicken buses. Half an hour passes. Still no bus… The trucks drive past us with an incredible noise as they rattle highspeed through the road. The dust and dirt seems to always fly in our direction. Then finally a bus comes. We start to get in as the lady behind us assures us that this is the wrong bus. So close… Our hopes got crushed again… At some point after 45 minutes we give up. There is couple with a pickup truck getting some Pupusas, a local dish made out of a tortilla which is filled with cheese, beans and meat or everything mixed together. As we are getting desperate we ask them if we can get a ride. We can. So we order Pupusas as well and wait for them to finish.

By the way I think I had them every evening while being in EL Salvador. Apparently the current inflation is a big problem because the prices of Pupusas have risen over the past year. Almost 5% of the population or 300.000 people work in the Pupusa industry. As the poorest inhabitants of El Salvador cannot afford Pupusas anymore, it could lead to an economic crisis as it is a big part of their economy.

The moment we get to onto the pick up truck the actual bus comes around the corner. Talking about irony… It was only an hour late. Seems oddly familiar to the trains in Germany. We still go with the pick up truck. We cruise through the night with our newly acquired friends. They drop us off at the entry of the hostel. We wanted to ask the security guy if he could take some pictures. He as he was afraid something was happening had already his pump gun loaded and pointed at us. After short realization he put it down and gladly took a picture of us.

The next day I go to Atami. A different coastal town also in the area. We just get to the main street. Put out the thumb and after waiting 30 seconds a pick-up truck is pulling up and is taking us with him. Definitely faster than the bus. We just ignore the warning of the German government which says to never take hitchhikers in and to avoid hitchhiking at any cost.

On the pick up truck we meet two Italians that are going to El Cuco, a rural beach town in the south of El Salvador. I almost just went with them but decided to get dropped of in Atami nonetheless. It is close to El Tunco where I wanted buy a surfboard. After talking to some restaurants I can’t seem to find a fitting one for my level and my style. I start to doubt my decision to stay longer in this area. I almost gave up until I saw a restaurant that has three surfboards lying around. Impossible they sell these I think, but I ask anyway. They actually do! One even seems to fit my size and my level. My luck strikes again I guess! I can even test the board. I like it and I buy it for a good price. Only the fins were not included. These I buy in the next surf shop nearby. The fins were actually 60$. I didn’t expect them to be this expensive but it doesn’t matter I have a surfboard now!

I am really nervous on how to travel with this thing. So I enter the road again and want to start to hitchhike. My plan was to hitchhike a small part back to La Libertad. From there I wanted to take a bus to San Salvador and from there to take a different bus to San Miguel. However my booking didn’t go through in San Miguel. This is for a damn good reason. After I waited one minute with my thumbs at the street a pickup truck pulls up. Apparently he is driving like almost all the way to Usutlan. Perfect my luck seems to guide me through this. From there I take a bus to get of in EL Delirio and there I wait almost another minute until I get picked up by an Californian surfer couple. Without knowledge or a place to stay they just dropped me off where they told me it is the cheapest to stay. Jackpot! It couldn’t get any better than this. Located directly at the beach in my hammock for 5$. Time to put my newly acquired precious to the test. So in El Cuco I just surf my brains out for three and half days. Waves are good but the onshore wind picks up at around 9 a.m. So better make sure you get your first surf session done before. I watch every sunset and every sunrise at this beautiful beach. The beach is almost empty and I have it for myself. Except the families that live there.

The surfboard is smaller than what I was used to. In the beginning it was quite frustrating. As I surf more I seem to adapt to this. So after enjoying my time in El Salvador it is time to pack my things and head south to Nicaragua. Join me there on the next adventure as I go volcano boarding.

Until next time!

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!