Fifth Installment: The Trip to Perquin
The team presenting the workshop in San Salvador joined us in San Miguel on Friday night so we could get an early start on Saturday. Our goal was to visit the Civil War museum in Perquin, the headquarters area for the rebels during the war. One of our teachers, Florencio, and his wife, Daisi, who were from that “Departamento,” or ‘County’ joined us for the trip. The highway is called the “Ruta de Paz,” the Route of Peace, as a symbol of the wish that El Salvador be at peace after the devastating civil war.
We stopped in several small towns beginning with San Francisco Gotera to see points of interest and take pictures of the beautiful scenery. Bougainvillea and poinsettias grow freely along the streets and roads; there are volcanoes practically in any direction.
We visited a cemetery in Delicias de Concepción where many of the deceased are buried in tombs carved out of boulders. Nearby was Segundo Montes, the radio station where Florencio works while also teaching school. During our workshop, he broadcast his sports show over a cell phone outside the classroom. This station was a guerilla communications center during the war.
We got to Perquin about noon and checked into a nice lodge with separate cabins located in a forest area. We had a little set back when we learned that they didn’t take credit cards and we had to pool our cash -- we should have known! It was set in beautiful evergreens and the air was pure. We took a quick tour of the town and headed for Cueva del Raton (“Rat Cave” which really had nothing to do with caves or rats – go figure!) where some of the group hiked to a point where they could see Honduras. Some of us stayed on the flats and got chewed up by bugs. We had lunch at a nice place where sidewalk vendors were selling clothing made from indigo cloth. I restrained myself – (because most of my cash had gone for the cabin!)
Finally we got to the museum where we were given a 90-minute guided tour that our translator repeated in English for those of us that “no habla.” It was made up of 5 rooms with everything from photos of the leaders to shrapnel, parts of crashed helicopters and a preserved bomb crater -- VERY interesting – not sophisticated, but very real. Residents paid 60c and foreigners $1.20 for the tour. We returned to the lodge for a supper of pupusas, a cold shower, and a good night’s rest.
After breakfast the next morning we got our usual “late start” and headed back into Perquin to see the local plaza and church before heading to next stop, Salto El Perol where the group hiked to a waterfall and went swimming. I stayed in a hammock, read a book, and was entertained by a green parrot who talked gibberish and ate cookies. She put more crumbs on me than she ate! We crossed several rivers and saw remnants of bombed bridges. Recovery from war takes a long time…
We returned to San Miguel by scenic route – read “long, windy, hilly, road.” We got back about 4:30 - our friends still had 3 hours back to San Salvador. It was a great weekend!
Next Installment: Week #2
|
