This morning, we are going on a tour with Suchitoto Adventure Outfitters, and we're
going to do a little bit of a hike in the mountains, but this hike and this day
out is a little bit different, so stay tuned and you'll see why.
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So after about a 25-minute ride from Suchitoto, we have arrived and we are in
the jungle! We're in a park, and this is
our guide for the day,
Hi Guys, my name is Josue, I work for Suchitoto Adventure Outfitters, and it is a lovely day, we're gonna have a good day.
Yes we are !!
As you arrive in the park, there's a little seating area at the
front just next to where you parked the van, and we were given the opportunity to
meet Don Rafael.
Which was fascinating! he told us
about his childhood growing up, right at the beginning of the troubles, and how he
was part of the guerrilla force, that fought against the government of that
time, and how he went all the way up to when they sat down, signed the peace
treaty and negotiated a pact to give the people peace, and it was absolutely
fascinating. I would totally recommend coming, you get the opportunity to ask
questions, and it was a really interesting insight, into his side of the events.
So yeah fascinating.
So after that wonderful discussion, we are now starting
our walk through this beautiful forest land, and we're super excited to see what
we can find.
So before we actually begin, there is something you need to
know about this forest, there are insects, there might be some spiders, or snakes, usually
there are scare of humans, so they might go away, but for that reason I'll be in front.
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Very fancy bridge.
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So back in the day, between the 1600 and 1800's indigo, was indeed the biggest
export here in El Salvador, and behind us we actually have an old indigo
production area, and there's different areas where they would cut the plants,
they would have to soak it, they would ferment it, they would have to oxygenate
it, and then try and dry it and turn it into a powder. But in the 1800's,
actually in Europe, apparently in Germany they developed a
synthetic Indigo product, and therefore the indigo trade which was the biggest
export here in our Salvador, actually dried up. And coffee overtook them, so
coffee is still the biggest export here in El Salvador.
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So back in the day, this area that we are standing on now, was actually used as a
bit of a rest stop, in the farming days, however during the days of
the the war here in El Salvador, it was actually a strategic viewing point,
because you could see if they cut some of the trees you could see in both
directions, there's also this is where they had one of the old trenches,
that you can see here, that was used during the fighting, very
interesting information we're picking up, as we go around, and is definitely one
that gets the the imagination going!
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So it's hard to imagine 20-30 years ago, that this area here was a guerrilla
stronghold, in the mountains here just outside the Cinquera National Reserve, and yeah, really
really interesting, interesting walk, fighting in this heat in this jungle
must have been absolutely terrible, because I am sweating already, and we've
only been walking for about 20 minutes.
So we've arrived at the kitchen, and it's
'called a 'Vietnamese kitchen' because the design is from the Vietnam War. And what
the guerrillas would have done, is they would have lit a fire here, and the smoke
there's a tunnel that's been buried through the hills here behind us for
about a hundred meters, just under the surface, so the smoke is drawn through
the tunnel, and comes out in another area of the jungle. So if they were bombed, or
attacked ,then they would bomb the smoke, and they would be safe absolutely genius!
Genius idea, and one that's very hard to find if you follow the smoke.
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So I have had to take my glasses off, because they are steaming up and I'm having
trouble seeing where I'm walking, you do generate quite a lot of heat walking
through the humid jungle. But it's really beautiful, and so green ! The rainy season
is soon to start and it's definitely making everything look a lot more lush,
so for all the girls and boys that I used to work with, if you think
conditions are bad there, have a look at this this. This would have been at your
operating table, you would have put your trays and instruments here.
And there is a little hook at the end here, for the IV,
and there would have been a sheet over the top for rainy days or to stop leaves and things dropping on your patient.
What conditions were they, to have been living in. It must have been incredibly difficult
times, we can only even try and imagine.
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Armadillos are quite common here in El Salvador, I've never seen one yet maybe
we'll get lucky. But you can see holes in the ground where they've been digging
for food this morning, so they are definitely around.
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We've come up to this beautiful, beautiful, viewing point with the most
breathtaking views over the lake, and you can see the village Cinquera, below us
here. Absolutely breathtaking views.
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So Josue, our guide was just explaining, he has just handed us a leaf, and asked us
to guess what the plant is, and I thought it's not a bit like lemon
a bit citrusy, but it's actually ginger and there's ginger growing here in the
forest. Oh and there's a little there's the proof ! a little fresh bitter ginger
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So as part of the tour, after all the hiking through the jungle you get to
come to this lovely waterfall and pool, that you can see behind me, and if you
want to jump in and take a dip, you get the time to do so. Personally, I'm already
wet enough! I don't need to get any more wetter, because it's been super hot, and I have found a friend !!
A beautiful dog, with an itch !!
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So as part of the tour, they also give you water, which in this heat is well deserved.
Back in the town of Cinquera, we have the opportunity to see the town
itself, obviously we've seen the forest and where the guerillas would have camped out,
and hid out, and this is the town area. There's a monument to remember those
dark times, they've actually put up a piece of the helicopter which was
actually the sixth helicopter that the guerrillas had shot down, and also you
can see some of the guns, that have been attached to the railings around this
monument. It's here to remind everybody of the dark times and hopefully looking
towards the future of never returning to those bad days. There are beautiful
artistry and paintings, all the way around and murals showing some of the people
the prominent people that would have been involved in it, and also just some
of the local people and what what they would have been wearing.
What's really nice as well, is one of the murals behind me, there are doves to show the symbol of
peace, and just next to the doves there is a picture of a man he has a sickle in
one hand and a book in the other to show that these are educated people, these are
farming people, and they were all affected. Somehow somebody is connected
to it, and it's really important to show the positive and the continuation and
the future of El Salvador. Everybody's so lovely, they've obviously
been through some incredibly difficult times, but the people have just been
absolutely fabulous, really welcoming, we had a fabulous guide today, who's shown us
around, and we've really enjoyed El Salvador and we would thoroughly
recommend people to come on this tour and just hear one side, of the other side
of the story.