We're not in Mexico Anymore, Toto
Samadhi V rests peacefully on her mooring as the tidal current gently pushes past. We are located in a massive estuary, surrounded by lush forests of mangroves. Moving out from the Mangrove forest, there are several volcanoes in the perimeter of our view, covered in dense tropical jungle. We are surrounded by wildlife: Brightly colored birds fly past, and at night, you can hear the shrieks of wild spider monkeys. The water teems with tiny fish as well as barracuda and snapper. There are alligators in the estuary, but we haven't seen any of them yet. Not to worry, we have been assured by everyone we speak with here that the alligators have no interest in people.
It's warm here--not surprising. The temperature hovers around 85 degrees during the day with slightly cooler temps at night. The water is currently 88 degrees here in the estuary. Very occasionally a brief thunderstorm runs past, bringing 30 minutes of cooling rain before the calm again prevails. Half an hour later, everything is dry again as if the rain had never been here.
The Barillas Marina Club is like a resort. While moored here, we have full access to all of the facilities of the club. The boys have really been enjoying the pool, and I am writing this from the open air clubhouse. The staff here at Barillas have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome, catering to all of our needs and making sure we are comfortable and well taken care of. Security is high. Water-borne patrols cruise the mooring area day and night, and armed men guard at the gate on land.
We are in a beautiful place, but certainly the people of El Salvador are what makes this land special. Everywhere we go, we are greeted warmly with a smile and welcomed graciously. Unlike some of the places we visited in Mexico, tourism hasn't poisoned this region. No cruise ships pause here to disgorge masses of consumers. There are no mega resort developments, no roaming vendors constantly hawking trinkets. Local fisherman paddle past in dugout canoes, still fishing in the same way that people have for eons. When you get here you know that this place is
real.
We had the opportunity to visit with wild Spider Monkeys that inhabit the surrounding jungle. One monkey troop has learned to answer to the call of the local people offering bananas! With one of the marina staff as our guide, we walked a short distance (less than a mile) into the jungle behind the marina. Soon we came upon a small series of simple huts where a family lived, this was the house of Miguel. Miguel knows each monkey by name, and it was immediately apparent that they know him! What followed was over an hour of magic, as we fed and played with the monkeys that descended from the trees around us. The spider monkeys were amazingly gentle, and almost caressing in their touch. The monkeys especially delight in dropping down from a convenient tree to steal your hat! One monkey tried to steal Kelly's hair, but was unsuccessful.
We'll be pausing in our cruise here to return to the States for July. After Kelly's birthday in August, we plan to explore inland and take advantage of the wealth of cultural and natural wonders offered by this diverse region. It's hard to imagine a richer way to enrich the boys' curriculum than letting them experience first-hand what most only learn about from books.
