Weekend at the beach in El Salvador

After another Friday night BBQ with welcomes and good-byes, a large group of volunteers left early Saturday morning for a weekend at the beach in El Salvador. This was not a GVI-sponsored excursion, but it is a trip that GVI volunteers commonly make. Thirteen of us met up in Antigua with the proprietors of Hostal El Roble for a 5-1/2 hour drive to Playa San Diego in their shuttle van. By 1 PM we were standing on a beautiful stretch of clean, deserted sandy beach with giant rolling waves.


The hostel couldn't be more ideal for a group of 12-16 people. Most of us shared the two large dorm rooms ($6/night), and John stayed in one of the two private double rooms ($15/night). We all shared the same bank showers and toilets but there were plenty to go round. Many of us made good use of the hammocks scattered in the huge garden and patio, and we enjoyed a bit of volleyball in the large (green) swimming pool in company with a few frogs. The hostel itself offers plenty to entertain it's guests, but the highlight is its proximity to the amazing beach at Playa San Diego, only a few minutes walk away. May of our crew spent the afternoon playing in the surf or lounging in the sun. In the afternoon we met back at the hostel for snacks and drinks, then went out to watch the sun set at the beach. The sky was amazing orange and purple -- just like it should be for a west-coast beach sunset.


In the evening we took over the bar (with the owners' blessing) to make drinks with our own booze. We brought quite a bit of our own food and drink, but our hosts prepared for us a wonderful dinner of chips and salsa, mushroom soup, chili and rice, and garlic bread. After dinner we stayed up playing music, ping pong, giant Jenga, Triominos, and generally just enjoying ourselves.

In the morning, half the crew got up early for surfing lessons and the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with huge bowls of fresh fruit and wonderful fresh hot pupusas, an El Salvadoran specialty of beans, cheese and meat stuffed inside of corn dough and fried, then served with a type of sauerkraut and salsa (for only $1.80!). Yummy.

Around 1 PM we loaded back into the van for our return trip to Antigua, arriving by
6:30 for an early night before school on Monday.

p.s. I managed to leave behind a pair of prescription glasses, but the owners said they'd bring 'em back to Antigua with their next charter. Hopefully it will be before Christmas, when I head out to Honduras! I may have to consider another weekend trip back to the beach with another batch of GVI volunteers on the weekend before Christmas... :)