sv evi

06/01/2006

El Salvador

If you have read the bee story then you can imagine my demeanor upon reaching the protected, calm anchorage inside Bahia del Sol, El Salvador. Relieved as well as a little psychotic from the, personal record, 10 days without seeing another human. Guava, safely hooked in firm sand 2 fathoms below the keel, swinging 180 degrees 4 times daily…….as if she was doing some languid do-si-do, was content to be out of the Pacific Ocean. My friends Xenos were anchored close.

There was plenty of time to think while waiting outside the bar. Where to safely and affordably leave Guava when inevitably returning to Seattle to feed the kitty. The single-handing has been fun and cathartic but I began thinking about the next passages and how it would be nice to share them with someone. Without companionship, this would be a great place to store Guava, granted it was earlier than i had planned on stopping this year. It would be easy to just hang here also. This free anchorage is in front of a nice hotel which offers cruisers the full use of the facilities (showers, pool, internet, discounted food in a decent restaurant and the ever important $1 beer) for $14/week. The village had a couple of other good pupuserias serving pupusas, an El Salvadorian speciality which is a fried stuffed (seafood, meats, cheese, veggies or a combo) tortilla for about a quarter. Incidentally El Sal’s currency is the almighty dollar…….yes the green ones.

A 10 minute dinghy ride, with the current, up the estuary brought you to another larger village La Herradura. This was a funky, small fishing town in the jungle with limited services. It had the scariest central market to date. A hour bus ride from there will take you to Zacatecaluca. This old colonial town offered most things need to restock Guava. Larger grocery stores, hardware stores central market and yes…..pupuserias on every corner.

So after a couple of days exploring and relaxing by the pool, enter Courtney. She had came to El Sal to crew on another boat through an internet connection. Strangely enough Xenos knew the other captain from San Francisco and were perplexed how this guy could obtain interesting crew and i couldn’t. I wasn’t that i couldn’t but more that i hadn’t tried…….until now. So after barely any eye contact i heard the captain was away on errands for the day and she was in the yard sanding and painting (my kinda crew) and i approached. Introduction (she already knew who i was from the bee incident), a minute of chit-chat and then the invitation to jump ship and join the Guava Jelly Travelling Circus. She immediately came to see Guava and admired her lines and lay-out over a couple of Pilseners. The next day a quick interview (background check from dad) and with clearance she moved on. With this my plans to continue cruising south were confirmed.

After a couple of days of preparation including provisioning in San Salvador and fixing my alternator again Gauva was crossing the bar leaving Bahia del Sol and on the 4-day rhumb line (direct course) to Costa Rica.