El Tunco,
el salvador
Among other things,
travel is meant to teach, right?
I chose to spend time in El Tunco because of it’s proximity to a few other locations I was interested in. Im tempted to call this visit a misstep but I gained some valuable insight during my stay, so i’m guessing it served its true purpose.
I planned to arrive in El Tunco and explore surrounding popular attractions like Santa Ana, San Salvador and Ruta de Las Flores, by booking guided day trips. However, once I arrived, I realize this was not to be. Day trips were incredibly expensive and required a minimum of 2-3 people. I tried to join an existing group, but my attempt was unsuccessful. Great, I booked five nights in a surfers paradise and have no interest in surfing, so now what?
Before I can do anything, I’ll need cash and, as luck would have it, the closest ATM is broken. I get directions to a reliable ATM in nearby La Libertad from a hotel staffer which detail exactly how to get there using local transportation. The thought of taking a chicken bus makes me nervous. It’s outside my comfort zone and therefore something that causes a boost in that familiar mixture of fear and anxiety. Of course my response is to imagine the good-sized nightmarish experience to come. Standing on an old school bus stuffed with animals and sweaty people, because El Tunco is a sweltering furnace, heading to parts unknown because I somehow get on the wrong bus and my terrible Spanish fuels disaster… No need to continue, it always ends in prison or death. Nevertheless, needs must, so I head for the bus stop.
Obviously my first chicken bus ride was nothing like I’d imagined. In fact, it was quite pleasant and made me feel genuinely foolish for being scared in the first place.
Since the world didn’t end and I didn’t get lost, I feel a dose of courage and think maybe I can successfully take the one hour bus ride to San Salvador too. At least this way I’d get to visit a place on my list for a fraction of the guided day trip cost.
enlightening Strikes
In the end, I did take the bus to San Salvador for a look around and even hopped on another chicken bus for a waterfall hike with people from my hotel. Doing stuff with other people is way easier though, it’s when I’m alone that I tend to make decisions based on how much of that fear & anxiety cocktail bubbles up in my body. Believe it or not, I didn’t even recognize I was doing this until some time after my time in El Tunco. Once clarity dawned, I resolved to be more adventurous once I got to South America.
