On the bright side

by Michael Gosman (Australia)

I didn't expect to find El Salvador

When planning a trip, most people look for the reasons why they want to visit a destination. These reasons could be anything. From an enticing and isolated beach in the Philippines that looks appealing on Instagram, to a hankering for fresh Sushi that only Japan can provide. The list is endless. It’s unfortunate, however, when people actively look for reasons not to visit a destination. That was my experience with El Salvador. A country that has had a chequered past, yet, is as worthy of a destination as any other country in the world. By letting the minuses outweigh the pluses, we are not being fair to some pockets of the world. The Gringo Trail in Central and South America is a well-trodden route many a backpacker has followed. It starts in Mexico and winds its way south through a collection of well-known towns and cities. Places like Antigua, Utila, Medellin and Cusco. El Salvador should be a popular spot on the Gringo Trail, but it’s not. It's a country most travellers skip. So much so, that there’s a common tourism tagline associated with the country, ‘don’t skip El Salvador’. It’s too dangerous for tourists. There’s nothing to do apart from surfing. Those are the two most common perceptions of El Salvador. I found both perceptions to be far from the truth. I visited El Salvador at the start of 2020. I arrived with zero expectations and a loose week-long plan for the country that involved hiking the Santa Ana Volcano and spending some time at the beach. Three weeks’ later I left El Salvador all too soon, as I had to race across the country to Honduras for a volunteering opportunity. I left El Salvador tanned. Very tanned. The country is like a sauna and the sun has some serious sting to it. But I also left El Salvador in a state of disbelief. The country had become my new favourite place in the world. It’s brimming with natural beauty. Easily more than what I found and saw in neighbouring Guatemala and Nicaragua. Lakes, waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains and of course, the mighty coastline with its numerous uncrowded surf breaks. And there were so many natural spots I couldn’t reach, due to time, budget or transport constraints. My time in El Salvador was tranquil. Peak relaxation is easily achieved in quiet places like Lake Coatepeque or La Palmarcito beach. There’s never a need to rush in El Salvador. When you order food in a restaurant, it may arrive in 15 minutes, or it may take 90 minutes. Back home in Australia, this would frustrate me immensely, but in El Salvador, time is of no concern. But most importantly in El Salvador, the people aren’t just friendly, they are your friends. They are more than ready to welcome tourists and show off their country. Forget worrying about whether the country is safe or not, as one week into my visit I had been converted to the virtues of hitch-hiking. It was all too easy to grab a lift, the locals just wanted to help as much as they could. I rode all across the country in a bizarre assortment of four-wheeled machines, including my favourite, a petrol tanker that had a bed to sit on behind the driver’s seat. Chatting to the drivers in situations like this was a direct view into the current state of the country. And every local had the utmost belief that the country is going to continue to get better and eventually, attract more tourists. After having the experiences that I did, I didn’t hesitate to agree with them. I didn’t expect to find what I did in El Salvador. It’s time to change the perceptions about a country that packs a lot into its small size. Stop looking for negative reasons why you should avoid El Salvador, and instead, focus on the positives. By visiting we can help it emerge out of the shadows of its past and push towards a brighter future.