Welcome to El Salvador

 We're in El Salvador! I know, I know. As usual, I'm running behind. We've been here in El Salvador for a little over a week now and are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Kyrie is once again in a new country! Currently, we are docked at the marina at Hotel Bahia del Sol, grateful for power and an air conditioner because it's hot. I mean, 90s in February? Ouch. But I have no complaints. The hotel manager is the bend-over-backwards-to-help type and we've met some lovely people.

     For example, last week, we met a family visiting from San Salvador and chatted with them for quite a while. They were curious about our life on a boat, so we brought them down to Kyrie so they could check it out. Then, they offered to take us out for pupusas, which is pretty much the El Salvadorean national dish. Delicious! They are basically thick tortillas, made from either corn or rice flour, filled with cheese, beans, meat, or some combination thereof. They come to you right off the comala, with the filling at approximately the consistency and temperature of molten lava. Usually a bowl of spicy pickled cabbage sits on the table, inviting you to pile it on top of the rocket-hot pupusa and dive in. I've burned my fingers both times I've eaten pupusas now, but just can't bring myself to wait until my dinner cools down, or to use a fork! 

      I digress a little. Trying new foods in new areas is a huge part of why our family is traveling, but meeting new people is equally important! This family has a son Levi's age and a daughter Rachael's age and they seemed about as fascinated with us as we were with them. We were told that we have to come visit their home when we go to San Salvador, Levi has been in touch with the son all week, and apparently, they are coming back down here this weekend! I love making new friends!

   We'll be here all told about a month. Joe and I are trying to figure out road trips so we can explore this small but vibrant country. We want to find waterfalls to play in, coffee plantations to see the process from plant to cup, and towns with paintings, architecture, and food! If anyone has a location in El Salvador we just have to go check out, please let us know. This is a place I don't know much about and am eager to learn.

These parrots live in a tree outside 
the hotel office. The girls like to feed
the green one Chinese almonds.
The red one isn't as friendly
toward fingers

This turtle has showed up in the marina 
a couple of times. It has enormous 
barnacles all over its shell!