Peaks of Fog, Coffee, Flies and Absurd

By Trapez on 3 April 2018

11.03.2018 Somewhere on road from Suchitotot to Aquilares 30,7km /// 2533,02km

After few mountains, finally I reached Suchitoto. But before I came on main square I walked on terrible roads. All city center is paved in cobblestones! Stones big as shapely cabbage. Hell probably also is paved like that… Certainly center with them looks magical, but for my baby car that was real drama. I parked my trolley in tourist information, and walked among streets on recon.

I realized that Suchitoto have paved roads, but definitely that “problem” disappear immediately. Because Suchitoto is beautiful! Narrow streets with colorful facades of colonial buildings. Balcony and shutters which remember XIX century. From opened wildly houses fly coffee smell and old style music. Few museum is just waiting to recognize, but I went only to Alejandro Coto Museum. 3$ for entrance was a little to much for me. But when I heard that Coto was biggest film director in El Salvador, I threw few coins on table. Common sense lose with love. Even with love to cinema. But museum… was boring! Only panoramic view on whole lake recompense ticket prize. More or less…

I push my trolley and look for place to stay. It’s getting darker and darker, and neighbor don’t looks safety. Finally somewhere between houses I found soccer field. Saved by the bell! But real help hobbled when I started to camp. 91 years old Jorge came to invite me to home. His daughter, Arleta, gave me so big dinner, and later breakfast that I fought, that they gonna want cash for that. That was really hospitable home, but overbought in strange atmosphere. I wanted to talk but nobody answer for my words. They didn’t said single word! I slept in hammock and wondered if they want to change me into stuffing for pupusas. But during all night nothing bad happened (besides clouds of mosquitos). And in the morning Arleta gave me so much food like for war!

12-13.03.2018 San Igacio 65,5km///2598,52km

And In some way I walked on war. On war with heat. Heat which wanted to burn me on road! Local folks gave me a lot of water and fruits, and maybe that’s why I could walk.

I roll my fate and try to not drown in my sweat, when someone call me from open gate. That was Luis, owner of restaurant, who with friends invited me for dinner! He also offered place to stay but maybe I can sleep there when I will come back here. That night I planned to sleep in church in small city San Ignacio. I met local cops and monks, and city gonna remember me as “Guy, Who Slept In Front of Church”. And when I was in front of that church someone stole my foam mattress from my trolley! And one (why only one?) mace to juggle. Well… I still have foil to sleep.

Magic fruit which folks gave me as a gift

Asphalt cut like with knife

Fire dragon on hill around city. Effect of burned grass. Nobody cares about that…

Fruit juice which some lady gave me on road for free!

Luis and his friends

Graffiti

14.03.2018 San Igacio 27,1km///2625,62km

I wake up at 4am, put trolley on police station and start walking on El Pital, highest peak in El Salvador. That time I passed that road surprisingly easy. After 13km I was on 2730m above sea level. I started to shout, because I was so happy, when to giant, black beasts jumped at me. Thankfully they were on second side of fence of some transmitter… But third one no, and he grabbed my leg! God damn it! First time in my life I hit with stone running away dog in head…

On peak, where border between El Salvador and Honduras is passing, I met Marcus, who told me everything abobut that place. That “some transmitter” in fact is giant radio transmitter of some evangelic radio station. Marcus, as he told me, is alcoholic who’s working in that place and for him is some kind of therapy. Also day by day he cut trees (of course on Honduras side J ) and prepare all infrastructure around. Incredible guy!

Stone from peak

Marcus

15-16.03.2018 Cucuyagua 86,2km///2711,82km

Next day I start my diversion on side of Honduras. I want to pass border, walk across few mountains, reach highest peak of that country – Cerro Las Minas – and come back with stone from peak. But first problems became on border. “We don’t have information when You ENTER to El Salvador, so You can’t LEAVE it”. What an absurd! I’m sure that when I passed border first time I was in all control points. But my data disappear from register. Thankfully call to supervisor, copy of my passport and few jokes done everything. Barrier went up, and once again I was in Honduras.

And once again i hear shouts from road side „Gringo!”. Not always friendly shouts, sometimes they sounds like throwing stones. People are shouting and roaring. Sometimes they are shouting from car which is passing near by. Of course there is no option to understand what. And how they staring at me. So extremely and intrusively that in sometime is bother me. I feel that I’m like exotic animal here. White devil which is carrying destruction. Staring kids are falling down during running, women falling from bicycles. Whole companies can stop work and all crew, something like 30 guys, can staring me with eyes widely open. I don’t have fear that some car can hit me. I have fear that someone gonna stare at me and hit other car.

That eyesight, but finally I walk fast through villages and once again I’m in mountains. When I was so high, that I rolled trolley through fog and clouds, I thought that this mountain don’t have end. Peak reach over 200m, so when finally I camped next to some church I had legs hard as columns. After quick shower in tap, with coffee and cake which my new neighbors brought for me, I thought how that eternal fog change people here. How is to live in place where You can see only 200m around Your home. That need to change them in some way.

School with view on mountains

I walk lower and once again I’m in familiar bushes. Coffee! Everywhere where I look I see bush banded by big fruits of that black gold. I didn’t knew, that I’m walking into aromatic place where I can stay forever. Why? Because I passed next to many coffee plantation and everybody invited me to visit theirs places. Everything could be cool, but they gave me at least two types of coffee to try. After third place, when my hands started to shake, I decided to stop visit that horrible places! 😀

My heart was enough strong for pression, but my tubes in wheels not really. Tony and Jose found me during repair. They gave me few coins to buy new tire, and invited to their coffee plantation, which during my road became something new as simple place where I could try another coffee.

When I walked into La Flor village, I met guys from television who wanted to talk with me! How was it You can read HERE. I walked really fast through another villages, where I found on side road huge barrows of pineapples. Here that fruits almost don’t have value. To Cucuyagua I came really late. But I didn’t asked in church if I can stay there for night, but wanted to do few kilometers more. That was first, and last time when I walked in night! It’s so dangerous here! People are driving as crazy… I’m passing last houses in village when suddenly I see only dark night and fog. That could be suicide to walk more. But thankfully in last home I met Jesus and Ofelia, who invited me for coffee and offered place to stay! I was so lucky that I found them!

Bricks on side road 🙂

Pictures after interview

People can dry coffee absolutely everywhere. Even on roof

Ofelia and Jesus

And my place for night 🙂

17-20.03.2018 Gracias 110km///2821,82km

Jesus told me that Santa Rosa is so beautiful, that they name it Pearl. Well, for me there was nothing what I can name interesting. Maybe it’s better, because I had more time to spend in San Juan de Opoa village, where I came after dusk. I talked a little bit with folks in front of shop, and when I started to camp in main park, Elmer found me there. And invited to his home! Excelent 🙂

Cocaine? Nooo, local ice creams 😀

I came from other side of that mountain. But worst thing is, that I gonna pass it once again…

Santa Rosa. Local “Pearl”

You can’t piss here and here. But over there why not 😀

Elmer and his brother

And my place! With microwave 😀

Next day I’m in Gracias, in my base to reach Cerro Las Minas. I ask young priest if I can camp here for one night, and he show me special room for guests! I wanted to stay one night, but finally I was there all 3 days. After day of rest I move on trail at 3:30 at morning. That’s why I walked through gate before someone was there. Well, I didn’t found any place where I can pay for entrance so… 😀

Another driver who stopped and ask if I need any help. Amazing people!

Even Central park is good to make kitchen 😀

Because of good signs on trail I can’t lost there. Quickly in good shape I hike up. But trail looks that want to kill tourists. You need to hike 300m up, after 400m down, another 500m up. But even that without long stops (maybe because wherever I stopped, quickly around me became a lot of mosquitos) finally I reached top. I fought that 2849m above sea level is not so good place for mosquitos, flies and other flying monsters which want to drink blood. But I learned that they probably feel there very well. Last time I met so big clouds of mosquitos when I camped next to rye field. I even couldn’t open mouth because in one second they came inside! I found quickly stone, took pictures and few views from mountains, and in scamper went down.

New tickets? Well I can’t see place to pay, so… 😉

Wall of fame. And my small part there 😀

21-24.03.2018 Ocotopeque 145,9km///2967,72km

I wanted to come back exactly in same road which I came here. Road map in this part of world looks like map of metro in Warsaw, so I didn’t had many options. I found that gonna be boring, but walking back in same road have some good sides. I know places to camp and rest, people on road, who can help me and more or less I remember road profile. I walk fast, once again spend night in Elmer’s home, that time asking for place in church in Cucuyaga (where I met priest who spend month in Poland!), next night spending in coffee warehouse of Jose and Tony, and walking surprisingly fast on other side of coffee mountain.

German, another owner of restaurant who invited me to his table

Mother of Elmer

I can find socket absolutely everywhere. Even on street

“You wanna pineapple?”

My coffee crew

And production line of coffee

It’s easy to find places where people dry coffee. It’s necessary only to find huge, flat square 😀

88kg? No, thanks God it’s weight in pounds. So it’s something around 40kg

On top of Coffee Mountain! Power!

Last night in Honduras I wanted to spend in church in Ocotepeue village. I wait on stairs in front, when some guy from local radio station came to me. “Where are You from? From Poland?”. I almost choke when i heard that! Absolutely everybody ask me if I’m from USA, and that guy know that I’m from Poland? But how? „Because during many years priest from poland worked in that place. But few weeks ago moved to San Pedro”. Damn… So close to meet someone from my country…

Finally I spend night in shelter for migrants. Where? To USA of course 😉 That’s why inside I found many information about safety passing across rivers and deserts. And about safety travels on trains, which local people name “The Beast”. That’s trains which are going across whole Central America, and are heading to borer with United States. On every of them is a lot of people, whole families who want to reach American dream. Unfortunately some of them will never reach it.

Next day I going once again to border with El Salvador.