4 days at Surf Camp Western El Salvador
Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Tue 7 Sep 2010 00:34
El Salvador we were informed that someone had stolen the main telephone line
for copper, so no internet.
Actually a nice thing in many ways, but I am sitting under a thatched palpa
bar with the surf crashing yards away. This is one of the best 10 miles of
surf breaks in Central America probably the most famous break is Punta Roca.
When they say point it is a low lying point with large pebbles going out
into the sea creating a right or left, and at this time of year it is big
swells coming directly in from the south down at Easter Island.
We arrived here Friday lunch time in rain, after going through San Salvador
for a violin lesson for Sean when went really well, and we will be doing one
on the back and over the next 3 weekends.
The rain was coming down, the rivers flowing in brown rushing water into the
sea, as we looked over the surf it was brown and full of logs and just a
storm swell, total mess.
So we settled into the pool and environment with the boys. This is a surfing
area with a few stalls and palapas along the coast, everything very laid
back. Many young surfers here staying at the back packers all wondering what
to do as you could not surf, due to weather. But by Sunday the skies had
cleared for over 24 hours, the Ocean had turned to a milk color close in and
blue about 1/4 mile off, surf was getting more settled, and everyone was out
surfing.
It's early morning Monday the boys and Tracy are still asleep, I am out with
coffee sitting watching the day dawn over a crashing surf of brown water.
Yes it rained for 2 hours pretty heavy and the river/ creek along side is
rushing into the see and the water is a chocolate brown. But over to the
right on the point 1/2 mile away there is a lovely point break pealing off
in both directions, with low tide it is very peaceful. Given it is Monday
morning the crowds of San Salvador have gone back, the odd panaga a shrimp
long liner can be seen cruising off the coast 1 to 2 miles out. The storm is
up to the north/ west off Guatemala.
The atmosphere here is all centered around surfing, the beaches at this time
of the year are large pebble beaches (apparently in April May they are sand)
so people do not lie on the beaches, the local fishmen throw their nets for
bait fish. Behind us are hills covered in palm trees and thick jungle all
very green and lush. Out the gate of the hotel, you find a coffee shop,
(great coffee and bagels) and now a muddy road, with puddles. To the right
of the coffee shop is the surf shop, and then the back packers, to the left
you find another surfshop/ surfboard rental place, and then a whole lot of
food palapas with their thatched roofs. Last night we walked down the road
and about 1/4 mile up another direct/ cobble road to a two story palapa set
in the jungle. The second floor was low lying tables with home made "bean
bag" cushions and the palm thatch roof, where you can watch free movies and
have dinner, which we have the local "pupusas" (which are stuffed pancakes
with chicken, meat etc, very tasty. As we walked back you had the night
birds, and frogs ringing out from the jungle mixed with sound of music from
the odd establishment. As we came back down the road young travelers were at
the road side food stand serving "pupusases" and different types of wrapps,
with a guitar strumming away.
This is different Bahia de Sol as we do not get tourists and travelers we
get locals from San Salvador but here they are catering for the growing
backpacker, young surfer market and experience.
Today we head back to San Salvador to a violin lesson and shopping before
going back to the boat for the week, before coming back to San Salvador on
the weekend.