After ditching horrid El Tunco I hopped a chicken bus to make my way to Ruta de las Flores. It seemed straightforward (ish), so I headed to the side of the highway to wait in the rain. Thankfully the bus arrived on schedule (buses are quite reliable in El Salvador), and I was off.
At Sonsonate I waited in an unbelievably long line for two buses to fill. When “my” bus (#3) arrived people had become impatient, and half the line ran to the backdoor to jockey for position before it filled up. I got onboard and wound up jammed into a 2-person seat with 3 men. Everything, and one, was wet from the rain – and sweat from running fast to the bus. Other peoples’ bodily fluids got on me. Off to a sanitary start!
Highlights of Ruta de Las Flores
The Ruta de las Flores includes 7 mountain towns in the west of El Salvador. It’s a tourist thing for sure, but either due to the time of year (rainy) or post-covid conditions, I saw few foreigners the entire time. Excellent! Even more excellent were the local people I met; everyone was so kind and welcoming, going above and beyond to offer me bus seats and help me and converse (or at least attempt, given my Spanish is less than ideal).
I stayed in the town of Ataco (Conception de Ataco), mostly because the lodging was cheaper and it was kind of in the middle. I loved my hospedaje, and had a great time exploring all the little towns. I made it to 5 of the 7, which was a failure but acceptable (ish) given I was sick and might have had covid. Here are my highlights…
Street Art Everywhere
I am a lover of graffiti, and Ruta de las Flores did not disappoint. Each and every town is covered in amazing, colorful murals and street art – many of which incorporate the town name and, of course, the floral theme.
Frozen Bananas + Chocolate
Apparently, a popular snack is a frozen banana dipped in cheap chocolate and covered in sprinkles or nuts or whatever you want it to be covered in. They are healthy because fruit is involved, obviously. Also if there is a problem, don’t worry! There are an abnormal number of dentists in every town.
A “Food Festival” Featuring Snakes & USBs
There is a food festival in Juayua on Saturdays. It was not what I expected, and in addition to food involved snakes, baby bunnies, and bootleg music on USBs (only $3 – cheaper than the food). The food was not a good value, and selecting which of the 100+ identical vendors to buy from was quite a task. Many of the vendors looked angry and/or like they wanted to die, and there was a shortage of seating so you had to really fight for it. I maybe wouldn’t recommend the food portion, but the town is pretty cool. After eating a pricey meal I wandered around with one of the few other turistas I encountered in El Salvador.
Suprising Grasses (A Labyrinth & Topiary)
There is a labyrinth in El Salvador and it is a glorious dream. Even more glorious given I was unaware of its existence (thanks, internet). I happened to spot it on the map while looking for the bus station in Apaneca. I changed direction and headed there straightaway. Just please, do not ask me if I got out of the maze or not. I don’t want to talk about it.
On my way back from the labyrinth, I also stumbled upon an elaborate topiary in front of what appears to be someone’s house. Surprise!
A Market Town Selling Hot Dogs (& Babies)
Markets are everywhere, but the ones in Ahuachapan were especailly exciting as they took up a large portion of the town. This town was more like a city, a little bigger and grittier, which just means more goods to buy. I basically did nothing except wander around the markets for hours. I may or may not have purchased weird underwear (it was too funny not to for less than $1 USD), but that is a story for another post. I spotted these gems, among other things.
Words of Wisdom in Spanish
In addition to being covered in street art, Ataco boasts a large number of paintings of what I believe are inspirational sayings. It was fun to find and attempt to translate them.
In Conclusion
The entire Ruta de las Floras was amazing, and is highly recommended if you go to El Salvador. It has a lot more to offer than just flowers. Clearly, given I went in the wrong season and actually did not see any flowers…
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