The East: Playa Espino

Catching up! February 25-27th we had a three day weekend....so we ventured out to explore the East beaches of El Salvador (said to be very nice). Playa Espino is about 2 1/2 hours from San Salvador. We stayed at Hotel Playa Espino ~ La Estancia de Don Luis: http://www.playaespino.com/inicio.html ~ a basic place with good food (seafood soup and grilled shrimp - yum!) and no one got sick (bonus!).

El Salvador is not known for it's "tourism infrastructure", which can be both good and bad. On the one hand, costs are less, there is less "pushiness" that can come with more tourism/tourists, and you have beautiful beaches with very few tourists and little development along the beach. Also, as a tourist you are also not separated from the lives of everyday people - right next door to our lodging were palm houses and roosters crowing (yes, the good and bad) along with roaming cows on the beaches.

There are very few "resorts" and only a handful of small hotels or lodges (outside of San Salvador) in El Salvador. Many people who live here (with means) mostly go to their beach/lake house (or others may rent them out). There are also very few towns that are geared for tourists --- especially at the beaches or lakes. When you reach your destination (hotel, lodge, house) - it is largely that destination alone where you eat/cook all of your meals and do various activities (mainly pool, beach, boat rides, etc...). There is typically not a town that you go to where you may wander around and take in some shops, restaurants, local culture, etc... Many people who come to El Salvador like it here exactly because it is less "touristy". It definitely has a different vibe. I do like that it is low key, but at times it would be nice to have available a couple of beach/lake places with a little more infrastructure in place. In El Salvador that is largely a few inland spots - Suchitoto and mountain/coffee areas of Ataco, Apaneca and Ahuachapán.

At Playa El Espino, we enjoyed the low key vibe well enough - staying for two nights and taking in this area of El Salvador. We had a couple of morning boat-outings in the estuary/bay and more remote beaches (thanks to some friends who connected us with Leonardo and his boat). Cole and I roamed the beach right outside our door in the very early mornings, then after breakfast we'd all go out on a boat (estuary/beaches), and in the late afternoons we'd be back on the hotel beach --- all the while walking, swimming, digging in the sand, and finding sand dollars (live and dead), beautiful shells, crabs, snails, seagulls, pelicans....

Here are some pictures of the desolate beaches we went to and walked around - just beautiful and we had it all to ourselves!



One one of our boat trips, Leonardo spotted an iguana swimming in the estuary. He proceeded to pick it up out of the water and put it back onto land. The iguana seemed to be doing okay swimming...which is interesting. I wasn't sure what Leonardo was going to do with this iguana (e.g. eat it?), so I was relieved when he simply let it go onto land when we docked. Although it would have been understandable had he wanted to take it home for the kiddos.

Just another day at the beach in El Salvador! After these outings, we are typically glad to get home to a nice, comfortable place complete with our cat and dog, and the amenities of San Salvador. We are very fortunate ~ home sweet home.

Cole's Front Tooth, Spanish, Swimming and Other Stuff...

About a week ago Cole lost one of his upper front teeth. I don't know what it is about the two front teeth --- but it certainly makes me realize how fast he is growing up and he looks older. Once again for this third lost tooth (the other two being his bottom front teeth), he went to the nurses office to get it pulled with the desired white plastic tooth-shaped carrier to wear around his neck. I didn't even know it was that loose and then I come home to get him after lunch and his front tooth is missing! He now has it stored with his other tooth (first one got lost) and still with no desire to give it over to the tooth fairy or raton.

Cole has been in school now for about 6 1/2 months. I don't often get to hear his Spanish - but occasionally I do and it is amazing how he has progressed in a relatively short period of time. His accent seems quite on target and sometimes I don't really understand all that he is saying or I learn from him how to string certain words together. His teachers and parents of classmates tell me how good he is now in speaking Spanish. I hear him speaking with Haydee and most of the time it seems they understand each other. He will also use Spanish words when he is at play at home. And now when we have playdates with his friends (especially when they come over to our house and it is mainly me supervising) it is much easier and the "conversation" seems to go pretty well. We are still working on sharing, taking turns, doing things your friends like, etc... Cole attends quite a few pinatas (birthday parties) - which is whole blog in itself - but his progression with these events from August until now says a lot! Cole is developing friendships with his classmates in and out of school and the language is a big part of it, so it's great that it is coming along so well. And next year more of his friends will speak English! (I hear a few of them now practicing with Cole.)

Picture of Cole at school during snack time and 2 pictures at a Pizza Hut pinata!

Cole at Tin Marin (Children's Museum in San Salvador) with his friend Andres playing together in the theatre with a fantastic volunteer (spoke Spanish and English) ~ the boys have done various things together like go to the Air Museum, beach, play areas, parks, etc...

Yet we all need to be able to be at ease from time to time - for it to be "easy" both culturally and lingually. He has play telephone conversations with his friends back in Colorado, including a girl friend. He has real conversations from time to time with his friends back in Colorado. And he enjoys the occassional play times he has with English speaking kiddos no matter what the age (younger, older). I am going to continue to seek that out more for him - it is surprisingly not that easy to find kids his age that are English speaking, but there are a few more avenues to pursue with other bilingual schools and a few kids at the US Embassy (with me being as intentional as I have been with his classmates).

Here are some things Cole really likes: to ride his red scooter (and is getting better and better at balancing for longer periods of time); swimming in both pools and the ocean - he is very comfortable and confident in a pool (and now snorkels as well) and likes to be in the waves and boogie-board; collecting and/or catching (then letting go) things in nature - rocks, wood, sea shells, sand dollars, sea glass, seeds, geckos, crabs, hermit crabs, snails, little fish; and doing art - whether it be in his after-school art class or at home making scribbly pictures or creating cardboard, taped-up "things". Cole also has soccer after school two days a week and seems to enjoy it, but the kids are a year/grade older and that makes the dynamic a little challenging.

It certainly is a journey and experience for us all -- day by day...we are all learning and growing.

Parque Zoológical Nacional El Salvador

Well, so much for my "frequent and short" blog resolution...onward. (I knew there was a reason I have never liked "new year's resolutions! smile)

The most recent adventure was a close-by outing to the El Salvador Zoo on Saturday, March 5th in our home town of San Salvador. Zoos can be rather depressing when the conditions are not good for the animals, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. When I traveled to China over 20 years ago I went to a zoo there and it left a lot to be desired; I remember it being "sad". There were no need for zoos in Kenya - spectacular wildlife reserves and ranches provided an unbelievable once-in-a-lifetime experience; and I was fortunate to live outside an international destination, the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. My work also took me to villages whereby in riding my bike I would see zebra and giraffe and would need to be aware of elephants.

In San Salvador it is a classic old zoo with various monkeys (mostly from Central and South America), lions and other felines, alligators, snakes, lizards, hippos, water buffalo, coyote, llama, river otter, etc... Rich was anticipating and preparing to dodge the llama's spit - who did seem rather interested/attracted. It cost about $2.50 for all of us including the parking. It is a family destination for locals and although the zoo was nothing like the one back home, it was an enjoyable outing and a way to continue to get a feel for the local life and culture of El Salvador. The jewel of the zoo was a large water area with monkeys, large iguanas, and bird life on a few islands with large trees - and that was quite enjoyable. Also, beautiful bamboo areas. Apparently there used to be a large and beautiful aviary, but looks like it was closed. I am guessing the zoo may have seen better days than now.

We had fun. And along with the zoo itself, we were one of the attractions. I say "we" but it was more Rich (tall, male wearing shorts ~ most adults wear only pants/jeans and kids seem to more often wear pants/jeans than shorts) and Cole (plantinum blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin) than myself. Here - I can actually semi-pass for being Salvadoran, until you hear me speak. There were quite a few "que lindo"s going around for Cole who is not a big fan of this attention.

To the States and Back Again....

Hola! I am trying to put my Spanish "chip" (as one of my Salvadoran friends termed it for her English) back into my brain after a 3 week break, but it seems to be coming back slowly... We went to Colorado for a little over 2 weeks for our holiday break and were eased into the cooler weather with 50 and 60 degree days, which afforded us to get out and walk in some beautiful country where my parents live (pictures with red rocks), enjoy parks and nice public walking areas (we miss greatly), go to the zoo (Denver Zoo) and a couple of museums (Dinosaur Center in Woodland Park - very good and Cole with grandparents at Denver Museum of Natural Science). If not for us going to the mountains to ski, I was wondering if Cole would get to wear his snow suit purchased at the end of last winter season (you can see him bundled up, but no pics of him on the hill), but we did end up getting a bit of snow and cold weather in the Denver area. Cole was also a little fish in grandma/pa's pool - loved it!

Here are a few pictures of our visit and the holidays - we were happy to spend time with family and visit a few friends - Cole was able to get together with some of his good friends, which was really great. For those we were not able to see...we look forward to catching up this summer. Some pics of various parks and walks around West Denver, Golden and Roxborough - really miss the parks and natural open spaces:



Beautful red rocks and deer in Roxborough and dinasour center in Woodland Park:

And holiday pictures - cooking with grandma, Santa's eaten cookies in the morning and new toys around the house that are not even presents! And Cole bundled up for skiing...

In the end we were also ready to get back to our HOME - the home we have made here in El Salvador and with the school. We appreciate the opportunity we have here and are soaking up the warm weather, the beach and the friendly, warm Salvadorean folk.

My blog new year's resolution is a little more frequent and shorter blogs! See you soon.

Our Water Dog

Chloe is our labrador retriever (which Cole knew early on and people were impressed with his knowledge and ability to say such big words)...and she is of course a water dog. She has always loved the water - swimming out in a pond or lake or river just to swim - and even riding the rapids from time to time. Well...she had never experienced the ocean, so coming here I was interested to see how it would be. The first time she wasn't too sure and I believe got a bit too much salty water, but she's a smart dog and has learned. We have been out a few more times with her and she is getting more and more comfortable. I love to play fetch with her and she loves to fetch. These are pictures from a few different trips.

We are leaving for the states tomorrow after being here for almost six months! It should be a bit strange and an adjustment being back and we are of course excited to see family and friends. Chloe and Spencer (el gato) are staying behind and we just left Chloe off at a vet and boarding spot. We will miss them both --- and wish them well in their different locales. Feliz Navidad!