Where is everyone?

Sundays in Central America are typically quiet in most places as businesses are closed and people spend time with their family and going to church. Arriving in Santa Ana, El Salvador's second largest city, was somewhat like arriving in a ghost town. Everything was shut in the main streets with only a few fast food restaurants open in the centre of town (the most amusingly titled franchise, by the way, is BIGGEST!).

The World Cup final was being shown on a couple of screens in the main park but it was way too hot and a I had a drunk guy leaning against my leg so, with some difficulty, I sought out a restaurant where I could have lunch and watch the game. No such thing as a sports bar here... Obviously the locals were supporting Spain and I didn't really care either way so I was happy they were happy. Although it did feel like quite an anticlimactic end to the World Cup.

Quiet, empty towns are one thing but in the city it just gives me the heebie jeebies so I decided that I'd only spend the night in Santa Ana then head down to the coast. On Monday i left for Playa San Diego - a very quiet town. I was the only person in the hostel, apparently there had been a big crowd over the weekend for the soccer but they all left that morning. Why didn't I come here yesterday??? With not much going on I read my book in a hammock for a few hours then went for a wander around. I had been hearing a cacophony of sounds for a little while and was keen to find out where they were coming from. It sounded something like amateur musicians at band practice. Well that was pretty much it, the local school was rehearsing with loads of kids and all sorts of instruments. I have to admit that the closer I got the better it sounded. A number of the curious locals were all standing on rocks, bicycles and whatever else they could find to peer over the brick wall into the school playground and see what was going on. I wandered down to the beach which was too rough to swim in, down to the restaurants where I had some fish for dinner, then back to the hostel. The only other thing going on in the town was a few groups of grown men and some of teenage boys playing games of marbles. I haven't seen anyone playing marbles in years! I felt at that point I'd pretty much done everything one can do in San Diego and with an empty hostel thought I might be best to move on tomorrow.

Tuesday morning I started off for Los Cobanos, at the other end of the coastal stretch - technically not that far away but it took me all day what with bus connections, etc. I didn't particularly mind as it was an overcast day and I am really enjoying the chicken buses in El Salvador. Here I coughed up the big bucks ($15 per night) for a hotel room that was right on the beach with a nice balcony and a huge room. Turns out I had this place to myself as well but since it is a fishing village there is a lot of activity amongst the locals to keep me amused. That is when I'm not lying by the pool, reading a book and working on my tan.

Los Cobanos is a great little village. The main street I guess you'd call it, is actually the beach. When I arrived here it was high tide so I had to walk through the water where the swamp runs into the sea to get to my hotel. It is a very quiet village except for when the fishing boats come back in with their catch. Most restaurants seem to be open when they feel like it. Most of their business would be done at the weekend so during the week they don't bother too much. It was quite funny as there are restaurants (well really the public kitchens of the private houses) all the way along the street (beach) but I found it difficult sometimes to get food. Best bet was a late lunch after some fresh fish had arrived. The food was simple but good - generally fish with salad and rice - and that would cost $3 or $4.

Moreso in El Salvador than the other countries I've been to, there have been a lot of drunks around. Generally they are harmless and don't bother me, unless they touch me or breathe on me. Los Cobanos for some reason had a higher number than usual and they all hung around the beach just outside the hotel doors. Sometimes it was a bit like running the gauntlet going past them to go anywhere - being the only tourist in town and all...