25-26.03.2018. El Paisnal 76,4km /// 3044,12km

I come back from Honduras to El Salvador through same border which I passed in other way. And with same problems as then. Guys didn’t found my personal datas in system. Queue of local folks is longer and longer, and I’m still in same window. Thankfully they are more inquisitive, than angry, and want to know what that gringo want to smuggle. And that gringo still talk with main supervisor of that point, and try to explain that he passed here few days ago with same problems, and then copy of passport and magic call was solution of that situation. “Call…” repeat supervisor scratching his head like monkey. Without single word he left me and disappear besides door. After few seconds he came back, wrote something in computer and gave my passport with explanation: “When You crossed first time our border, officer didn’t wrote first letters of serial number in Your passport. Sorry for that!”. I didn’t comment that… I just left that place, changed cash in folks on border and once again I was in old, good El Salvador.

Unfortunately came also came back road in with really bad asphalt. Or something what should be asphalt. I push my trolley like across dunes. Rubbing was so strong, that when I walked down, in places where trolley should run like crazy, just stopped like stone. Drama!

But I walk somehow. I rolled through same mountains, and once again sweat dramatically on plateau. Like in oven on plateau. I passed same ice cream shops, shops and bars. Family, who gave me bag of fruits, now I gave bag of coffee which I received from Tony and Jose, and bag which gave me in church in Gracias. Because goodness should come back. Always! On my way I met a lot of people who knocked in heads when they saw me. One day I walked in one way, and second I came back! They gonna talk a lot about some crazy white guy, who couldn’t find right road 😀

Queen over there? I feel like Mario Bros 😀

On crossroads in Aquilares I finally done turn on north and end my 400km loop, which I started here around two weeks before. 400km from Gracias to Honduras, and way back. What a madness! That damn mountains, which I passed twice, I gonna remember to end of my life. But now it’s time for new mountains and new adventures 🙂

Next night I spend on square in front of governmant office in village El Paisnal. In El Salvador offices and schools are not working in Holy Week, so nobody care about me there. Only few guys invited me for soup and later for few beers 😀

Guys, who work in that road construction, put thousand of bags fulfilled with sand. Few kilometers with that bags. Wasn’t much more easy to use plastic tape and some bollards?

Guy travel in car more than 400km. And nobody stopped him 😀

One from dozens of drivers who stopped only to talk with me, and ask if I need anything 🙂

27.03.2018 Osada niedaleko Santa Ana 37,9km /// 3082,02 km

Road lead near creek almost without traffic. Perfect condition to walk! Only sounds of popped tubes disturbed that heaven. Definitely I should change my tires… Only plus of that situation is, that when I repair tires, I met Josue, who gave me not only stories about some guy from Czech Republic, who also walked here, but also tasty tamales 🙂

Josue

I heard a lot, that El Salvador is one from most dangerous countries in world. But since now I felt safety like in Panama. Nothing is happening here! Especially in villages. But everything has changed something like 10km before Santa Ana in no name village.

On soccer field had place meeting with local mayor. I laughed with folks, who gave me bag full of food. I still waited there till sun goes down and stopped rain a little bit. Suddenly I saw four guys who walked, almost without sound, from forest. I put down mobile phone and took knife. But when they came closely I saw I theirs hands… machine guns! Well, I put down my knife because in that situation I couldn’t do nothing. Situation came a little better when I saw that they are soldiers. But when I told them, that I want to camp here, they just laughed and said that I will never survive here night. Or definitely I gonna wake up without all things. They told me that village, where we are, is on main front of fight between army and mafia. Guys are sure that inside cities of El Salvador is safety, because there is police. But situation is complicated in villages. Here government send militaries to do something with that situation. Every day they find here guns, drugs and once per week… body. I didn’t wanted to be that “lucky guy”, so they offered that can stop some car, and tell driver to take me to Santa Ana. But I didn’t wanted to do that, I walk! But situation became really complicated and I didn’t had idea where to stay in that night!

Only guys who I knew there, was old couple from shop. I prepare myself and some small talk, because I didn’t wanted to scary them. After short talk I heard words which were more valuable for me than gold. “You can sleep inside”. Bingo!

I didn’t camped fully when somewhere around I heard shots. First gun and later machine gun. My soldiers, who safe my skin, doesn’t had easy night…

28-29.03.2018 Santa Ana 10,9km /// 3092,92km

Finally I came to Santa Ana. It’s second biggest city in El Salvador, but was so abandoned, that I thought that maybe government decided to make obligatory evacuation. But everybody just went to beaches, to spend there Holy Week. Thanks of that I didn’t had problems on empty streets to push my baby car.

It’s prohibited to come here with guns? Now I feel safety 😉

Wall of illegal movies

30.03.2018 Sonzacate 43,9km /// 3136,82km

I moved and late, because around 5pm, I came to Sonzacat. I had plan to ask in church if I can stay there for night. But church was full of people! So many travelers want to sleep there, I though? Almost I didn’t saw them, because acolytes used so much incense, that even on square in front of church was difficult to breath. Well, Good Friday. I couldn’t find worst date. But in how bad situation I was, told me Silvestre. He first started to talk with, with words: “Hej! I saw You in television!”. Well yeeeeah, someone saw my interview for Azteca television 😀 And later he told me what is happening here.

It’s easy to find, that water is in village. Absolutely everybody make laundry 😀

That day in all El Salvador have places Ways of the Cross. Maybe nothing special, but here processions start around 3pm, and they gonna come back to church next day around 8am! All night, slowly. Step by step, special group of men (sometimes around 100 of them) are carrying GIANT statue of Jesus Christ! Guys need to change, because all is extremely heavy. Only man with Joystick not change his position. It’s guy who lead whole group, and show how they should walk. With special sound he give a signal for rest when they can put down monument.

How looks like whole cavalcade? From beginning is coming orchestra which play mourning songs. Than acolytes with incenses. Later strong guys with figure. And on the end group of praying local community with car with speakers. And that how, step by step they are walking along all main roads in city. Now I understand why people are living cities. Because it’s impossible to sleep there!

I wait till some meeting gonna end in building next to church, to talk with sexton. But when finally he had time for me, he didn’t even looked at me when I talk to him. So that wasn’t surprise that I needed to leave church. But why I waited there for so long?! Late night, city looks strange, where I gonna spend night? It can be difficult to sleep on main square. Especially that procession, when gonna come back to church, will find me there.

Suddenly some woman came to me with some packet. “It’s diner for You!”. Woow, incredible! After few seconds also one strong guy, who carried monument of Christ, came to us, and together we went to office of something like local guards. After short talk with one of them (who during military mission in Iraq, meet few polish soldiers!) and I had permission to spend that night in basketball field! I was so happy!

In front of entrance I met Eduardo, who spent 40 years in United States. We talked many hours and eat pupusas which he brought from somewhere. Day couldn’t end better! Maybe it could be better without that procession which finally came back around 4am…

Eduardo

31.03.-1.04.2018 La Hachadura 69,5km /// 3206,32km

I walk to reach coast. On side road I met micro bike shop (but why here?), where I found… perfect tire for small wheel in my trolley! That was miracle, because I looked for that in few cities, and finally I found it in the middle of nowhere… I bought it quickly before became mirage 🙂

Small paper boy with huge speaker

55km to border

I didn’t walk a lot when I found another persons who saw me on television 😀 Pluses of that meetings was, that they gave me food, something to drink or even place to sleep! My fame is getting bigger and bigger, because in other city another crew asked me for interview! Incredible 😀

Fame, fame, fame…

Finally I came to beach in city Mentanillo. I wanted to spend here night. Well it gonna be last moment for looong time, when I will see Pacific Ocean. I always say goodbye to oceans when I need to leave them. I don’t know why, but it’s easier for me travel along coast line. Maybe because it’s give me some direction?

I found place to camp under palm trees, next to home where before I saw some evangelists. It’s easy to find them, because females wear characteristic white veils. Well, I thought that they will not harm me. But they came to me during night, and offer to sleep inside their home! Amazing!

Easter morning I spend on beach. I didn’t had traditional eggs, but a lot of thoughts and plans for future. And that close future should lead me to border with Guatemala/ I came there same day afternoon. I asked local folks if there is any church. But when I came there, I saw more construction side than real temple. And of course nobody lived there. My new neighbors told me, that every night some guard is coming here. So I talked with other families during waiting for him. In that way I met tailor, and his family. We spend together really nice evening, and finally I spend that night inside theirs home, because guard never came to church 😀

Next day I crossed of border with Guatemala.