Our first Salvadorean Volcano!

 

Yesterday, Arthur and Susan took us on an adventure up around the back of Volcan de Usulután to Alegría and the top of Volcan de Tecapa. It was amazing. 

We had lunch and wandered around the little town of Alegría. The restaurant Cartagena was in the middle of a coffee plantation, and had quite a variety of animals and plants living there. Lunch was not quite as exceptional as the view. The boys got up close and personal with a sweet little green parrot. We also toured a little hostel on the town square where you can have a bed for $10 a night. Being in coffee country, the town is built on the side of a very steep mountain and the boys enjoyed climbing myriad stairs multiple times. That's one way to burn off some energy!

After exploring the town, we drove up to the crater of the volcano to take a dip in the verdant lagoon in the center. The boys played in the mineral clay while Phil and I explored and got caught in a squall that just didn't know when to quit.

 

We drove back in Arthur and Susan's truck, happy to get back to the warm lowlands only to discover that my mother will be coming to visit tomorrow, and we'll have more exploring in store! Hold onto your hats!

In love again... with a cutting board

I admit it; I'm completely smitten.

I've been a wooden butting board evangelist since I started using knives. It's been scientifically proven that they're a bad place for bacteria to live and grow. I even got the former owner of the French Laundry to try to convince Phil that wooden cutting boards were the only way to go. He was swayed, but remained unconvinced.

Ever since we hit the Tropics, we've had minor issues with my venerable wooden boards. Some of them are warping, some splitting, some molding. It's generally been rough on the little guys. The hardwood ones that were made to cover the sinks really don't smell so good.

When I came across this little article in NYT Test Kitchen archives, I never dreamt that it would change my tune so quickly and completely. On a whim, I bought an 8" x 8" x 1/2" and a 12" x 18" x 1/2" to bring back to Samadhi with us. "What the heck?" I figured. They're not cheap, but living so far from the States, we only get one shot to buy things every several months or so. I was willing to give the Sani-Tuff boards a shot.

What a difference! The boards are a joy to cut on. Not only that, but they really do heal themselves. The big ones had a huge gash, well into the edge (I think from shipping). It completely disappeared, all by itself over the course of about three weeks. The little cuts from chopping and slicing vanish overnight or within a day or two. They are a cinch to clean. They don't slip on the counters. They don't retain odors or stain.

The only drawback is that the big one is thin, and it warped a tad after being washed in the dishwasher. (You'd have to know Phillip.) Still, it hasn't actually been an issue in use, and if anything, it keeps juices from running off the board. Phillip contends that it warped outside of the dishwasher but has no further explanation.

The warping aside, the performance has been so stellar that I would not hesitate to completely equip my kitchen with them. So save your pennies and hook yourself up!

A Day Spent Touring Bahía de Jiquilisco

Since we've arrived in El Salvador, we've pretty much stuck around Barillas with occasional visits to the department capital (Usulután) and the national capital (San Salvador). This has largely been because we've had plenty to do on the boat to keep us occupied and we just haven't been here that long.

Meeting Cupie

Saturday night, we had some of the other cruisers aboard. We all decided to make Sunday a day of "rest" and go exploring. We would visit some of their favorite haunts around the Bay and get a general lay of the land. They'd introduce us to many of the friends they've made over the last few years and we'd get a more intimate introduction to the locals and their culture. The results were unforgettable.

We took the dinghy and met with some friends of ours about ten to begin our day of bay touring. We started out by stopping at a small fishing village near the mouth of the bay called La Pirraya. This is about 10 miles from our mooring. The family whose palapa we stopped at was absolutely lovely. Their young daughter has been going to a private school in Usulután and learning English thanks to the generosity of some cruisers. They welcomed us with open arms and let us explore their little homestead. The most memorable part was when some of the local boys showed off their pet raccoon. They even made him get up on two legs when Susan from S/V Suvuka asked if it was "macho". Our boys (and the rest of us) just ate it up.

Seafood Delights

After meeting with the locals and exploring the beach we headed across the mouth of the Bay to the Bahia Sport Club for a feast of a lunch. Our friends Arthur and Susan knew the owners but had yet to visit their fledgling resort. Boy, was it a treat! We had an amazing seafood extravaganza with fresh coconut water to wash it down. The boys preferred hamburgesas con papas fritas and virgin piña coladas. We just sat back and enjoyed Tony and Digna's hospitality. The boys enjoyed playing in the pool and attempting to pet the geese. There was also a litter of kittens to be cavorted with. Nicholas and Alexander had been going through kitty withdrawal, so this was just the thing.

Boys and Kitty

Just when we thought we'd all take cabañas and stay forever, we got a burst of energy and decided to check out the major port on the bay, Puerto El Triunfo. Triunfo is a port city in decline. Most of the fisheries that we once here have moved out. It is clearly only a shadow of what it once was.

There is a small naval installation on the waterfront. With Arthur's help, we gained permission to tie alongside their vessel for protection from the barnacle-encrusted piers as much as from thieves. The sailors were warm and friendly. They even laughed when the boys posed to have their photo taken.

Kids line up to be executed

From there the boys took a tricycle taxi to the malecon while we all walked alongside. The driver Chiba was the man who helped Arthur and Susan the most when they were trying to resurrect Suvuka. Naturally we invited him to sit with us and enjoy the live music when we got to the restaurant. Once there, we rehydrated and had some complimentary crab soup. Delicious!

After we were sated, we decided to stroll around town and get a feel for how people lived here. We spent about an hour wandering the neighborhood streets. The people were very friendly and eager to talk with us. The cemeteries here are much less ornate than Mexican ones, but they still show similar tendencies to large crypts with fences and painted facades, if in slightly more somber hues. Everyone seemed to be raising pigs and chickens and geese, with the occasional goat thrown in for good measure. The piglets had basically free reign to wander. It's a wonder anyone knows whose is whose.

Strolling down the avenue

Eventually, we found our way back to the waterfront. With the requisite half-dozen pepsis for our friends the navy, we arrived at the end of the pier and headed back out into the bay. This time we had Arthur with us as guide, and as usual, we zoomed ahead of T/T Learnativity. Arthur directed us around a corner of mangroves, and we ducked out of the way to try our hand at ambushing. Unfortunately, it was only well after we'd passed them that we realized that we were way off track. We had a little dinghy pow wow and decided to retrace our steps. Then a couple minutes later, we got a call over the VHF.

The Ladies of Learnativity

Our friend Wayne was having some issues with his outboard losing oil, so we took up their painter and began the long journey back. We tried a couple of times to get up on plane, but even though Shiva can tow a wakeboarder, she can't quite make it happen with another dinghy and nine people total. Darkness fell as we made our way over the last 7 miles back to Barillas. Kira and Julia serenaded us with camp songs and Phillip convinced me to give an a capella rendition of "Black Swan".

It was about 7:30 p.m. when we dropped Wayne and the girls at Learnativity. We were all pooped, but what a great day!!

Enrichment

The boys have been doing Calvert for almost a year now, and you know, sometimes, it can be kind of dry. Last time we experimented with starting the day with The Writer's Almanac. I'm a big fan, but the boys favor Car Talk over something so mellow.

This time around, we're trying something else, and it may be just the thing. I've been watching the TED talks online for ages, but it never occurred to me that we should introduce the boys to them too.



Burt Rutan see the future of space.

Needless to say, the boys are loving it. Yesterday, we were late starting school because it was market day. Before I'd even finished unpacking groceries, Nicholas came up to remind me that we hadn't watched a TED talk yet. We're trying to give the boys a sampling for now: from caving and outer space to vending machines for crows. We'll see what tickles their fancy.

Shurflo Extreme... Extremely Dead.

Our freshwater pump died. To put this in "home terms" it's like the water company shut off your water. No worries, we carry spares and I had the other pump swapped in quickly and without issue. The spare pump isn't as nice as the computer controlled Shurflo Extreme pump, and only provides 45 psi instead of 60 and cycles on and off while you are showering.

This pump was less than a year old, and under warranty. In the USA we would simply go into the nearest West Marine, and they would swap the pump on the spot. Here in El Salvador it isn't quite so simple. Shipping the pump back to the USA for service and then shipping it back here would cost far in excess of what a new pump costs. The local marine store doesn't stock Shurflo pumps at all- so we cannot simply buy another one locally.

We aren't suffering by any means. We have running water and hot showers aplenty still. If you are going offshore and you are using a Shurflo Extreme water pump you should bring two... actually THREE.

Videos of the boys wakeboarding

Nicholas wakeboards behind the dinghy.



Alexander wakeboards behind the dinghy.

New Physical Education Tool...

New Physical Education Tool...

On our latest trip to the USA we were given a wakeboard to bring back with us. What a fun way to get out and enjoy the sea while getting some exercise!

I was worried that our dinghy* would not be able to pull an adult, let alone pull someone while carrying three others. Turns out that our dinghy will pull the heaviest 'boarder (that would be Phillip) while carrying two cheering kids and driver Kelly, no sweat! Pulling up the boys is very easy with only a small amount of power required.

Alexander and Nicholas both tried wakeboarding for the first time today. We are proud to report that they both popped right up and were riding the board right away! Today we were busy driving the boat and giving instruction, we promise photos of the boys riding soon!

Finally, we closed out the day with a sunset ride for Phillip- Alexander filmed with a digital camera and we have uploaded the video. See it here: Wakeboarding behind the dinghy!

We are so happy to be back here and having fun!

* It's not an overpowered dinghy. It's an underpowered towboat!

Back in Barillas

We're back in El Salvador! It was lovely to see everyone, but it is so good to be home.

The boys return on Friday. We can hardly wait!