Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
April 20th marked the official end of the "Cruisers Rally to El Salvador".
On the last couple of days, we had another dinner at the nearby
Acajutla restaurant, about a mile up the estuary, with the usual swim in the pool, etc., then we participated in another dinghy raftup just outside the marina, this time we drifted along through the moored boats on a flooding tide.
The culmination of the rally was a final get together for a wine tasting and Italian buffet at the Bahia del Sol estuary restaurant. While we ate, we watched projected images of this year's rally entrants making their way over the bar at the entrance to the estuary. Sine Timore was definitely one of the most spectacular.
At this point in time, we had been in the marina for a full month and had to start thinking about what we were going to do for the upcoming rainy season. On the last night of the rally, we were treated to our first taste of the lightning and thunder that can accompany the summer season. Lots of rain in a very short time and lightning that was almost continuous, making it seem like daylight outside, at around 4AM in the morning.
We had decided to move out to anchor in the estuary for a week or more, then move to another marina about 5 miles further into the estuary. The docks at this smaller marina seem better constructed and there is a lot less current and boat traffic there. In the Bahia del Sol marina, where we have been, it is often very uncomfortable, with the wake from passing boats making the docks very lively, especially on the weekends. The current here is so strong that at times it seems as if we are sitting in the middle of a fast-moving river.
With this plan in mind, we got ready to move last Sunday, the day after the end of the rally. We waited for slack tide and started the engine only to hear a loud squealing noise coming from the engine compartment. Some quick analysis showed me that the raw water pump had seized and the belt was slipping. Rather than miss the tide, I got right to work on the pump. At first I though it might just be the impeller (of which I have several spares), but it was not that simple. Even with the impeller pulled out, it still would not turn easily. So, out came my spare pump (who says I am not prepared?) and after about an hour of moving the pulley and pipe fittings over from the old pump, I was able to install the new one and we were on our way. Of course, now it was not slack tide any more, but at least it was in our favor for getting out of the slip at the marina.
Once we had motored over to where I wanted to drop the anchor, Sue let the anchor down and found that the chain would not come out of the locker. The combination of our last anchorage, outside of the estuary the night before we came over the bar, and the rough ride into the estuary, had resulted in the huge pyramid of chain in the chain locker (the result of having let out 300 feet of chain at the roadstead anchorage) collapsing into a disorderly heap. Twice Susanne had to go below and wrestle with the chain to get it freed up so she could let out the 100 feet that I wanted. Fortunately, it was relatively easy to hold the boat in one place for this extended anchoring maneuver - all I had to do was keep the engine in gear at low RPMs, against the current.
Once we were securely anchored, we were able to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of being out of the marina. For the first time in a long time, we were able to sit back and enjoy a morning coffee in the cockpit without load rap music floating down from the workers maintaining the sport fishing boats in the marina.
On Wednesday, April 24th, we had the unusual honor of escorting a group of 18 kids on an all-day excursion to the local waterpark. This is a reward they earned by attending English classes for the last year - a lot of them had hardly ever been off the small island where they live. Susanne has been volunteering her time twice a week to help Jan with these lessons, in the hope that she will pick up a bit of Spanish along the way.
For the last three days, we took the local "chicken" bus to San Salvador (these bus rides are kind of an adventure in themselves). We stayed at a very nice little hotel at which we had won a free night's stay a couple of weeks ago. We took a tour of the city with a local guide who was able to give us some real insight into the recent history of the country. The revolution was officially over in 1992 but traces still exist. A very moving story.
San Salvador is quite an enigma. In the middle of one of the poorest counties in the world, you find a city that seems to consist of large indoor shopping malls and American fast-food restaurants. The US embassy here is the largest in the Americas (third largest in the world) and the US influence is very evident. Distances and temperatures are metric, but fuel is sold by the gallon, in US dollars. There is a huge gap between the rich and poor in the country.
In the older part of town, where you find the national palace and liberty square, there sits the most fabulous church we have ever seen (and we have seen a lot of them). It looks very nondescript from the outside, but is the most original, futuristic design on the inside - breathtaking! Pictures cannot do it justice. One of the most sobering elements about it were the bullet holes in the door - just another reminder of what when on here not that long ago.
We visited several museums and the botanical gardens - all quite interesting.
Upon returning to the boat, we found it still safely at anchor in the estuary. Our batteries were 100% full in spite of the fact that we left the fridge and freezer running, one fan blowing in the salon to circulate the air a bit, and the anchor light on full time (it is not automatic). We had closed everything up in case of rain but there apparently was none while we were away, so the solar panels did their job admirably. Note: Believe it or not this is the first time we have ever left the boat at anchor overnight and we were very concerned.
In a couple of days, around the start of May, we still plan to move the boat to the other marina. We are a little concerned about the depth of the water further up the estuary but have been assured we
should be OK if we stay the center of the channel all the way up - not many sailboats venture up that far. We have checked it out via dinghy but it is not the same...
{GMST}13|42.5|N|89|12.0|W|San Salvador, El Salvador|San Salvador, El Salvador{GEND}
During the last week, besides attending the school, we have been kept very busy with other activities. Last weekend, in our time off, we took in the festivities around the Parque Central, where there was everything from a solemn religious procession to a parade of the Miss Guatemala contestants. Lots to see and do.
We took a trip to the nearby small town of San Andres Xecul, boasting a very bizarre church with a shocking-yellow façade, among other oddities of a religious nature around the town. The trip to and from Xela was half the fun, using chicken-buses and riding in the back of pick-up trucks - a real genuine Guatemalan experience.
Last Wednesday we joined a couple of other students on a school-sponsored trip to the Fuentes Georgina hot springs, about an hour and a half out of Xela, at considerably higher altitude. There was a choice of a couple of bathtub-warm pools and the feature, incredibly hot, pool, all naturally heated. The countryside on the drive up to the place was a real treat with great views of agriculture taking place on near-vertical slopes. Very tropical surroundings.
